More Recent Posts
Call for Submissions: Winter Hauntings Ghost Story Contest
This winter, EPIC Carteret is hosting a ghost story writing contest to celebrate the eerie beauty of the Crystal Coast and the age-old tradition of winter storytelling. The contest calls for participants with a connection to Carteret County, aged 16 and above, to submit their most spine-tingling tales inspired by the local lore, landscapes, and legends of the Crystal Coast. The contest is open for general submissions from October 31, 2023 until November 13, 2023. Carteret Writers members get a slight extension with a November 27 submission deadline. Entries must be 1,300 words or fewer, and stories should not
NaNoWriMo 2023
In 2022 I tried NaNoWriMo for the first time. Here’s where I make everyone else feel good about themselves: I only got to 6,460 of a 50,000 word goal. In retrospect, for someone that was still trying to establish a writing habit that includes more than text messages and emails every day, 50,000 words is a lofty goal, stratospheric even. But I got excited about focusing on writing for a month with a few local friends and a like minded community across the world, and signed up in a moment of optimistic enthusiasm. My math brain calculated that 1667
Oh, you write Memoir. Bless your heart.
There’s something about admitting that my writing falls in the memoir genre that makes me squirmy and uncomfortable. I’ve tried all sorts of angles to soften the news. My work is creative non-fiction. It’s personal essay. It’s slice of life narrative. It’s reflective with a hint of humor. My sentences pair well with whole wheat penne pasta and a full-bodied Chianti. Writing creative non-fiction – especially memoir –makes me feel self-absorbed and the doubter in my ear drones on about me earning the right (or maybe write,) to put my opinions and thoughts out into the universe. “The nerve
Mystery Series Week Update from Boucheron 2023
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending Bouchercon 2023. The Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Convention is an annual conference of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honor of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher, and pronounced the way he pronounced his name, rhyming with "voucher." Unarguably the world’s largest mystery writers’ conference, this year’s event was held in San Diego and was attended by over 1,700 participants. Yes, that’s correct. 1,700 people who are there to talk about murder. The guests of honor there that weekend were David Baldacci, Ann Cleeves,
Favorite Banned Books
Banned Books Week is October 1st – 7th this year, and Carteret Writers wanted to honor this event. Here is how I imagine the conversation going: “I don’t want to do the banned books post. I’ll say something offensive and get in trouble.” “Yeah, me too. It’s too controversial. It’s certain career death for whoever writes it.” “How about Jessi?" “Perfect.” It looks like it’s time to order my author’s tombstone; maybe I’ll even set it in the front yard as a Halloween decoration. But what words will be chiseled on its gray stone surface? Read on to find
Member Blog Roll
If you’re a CW member with a blog you’d like to share on our blog roll, email us the link at carteretwriters@gmail.com with the subject line: [Your Name] Blog Link.
