September Writing Series at Tri-County Community College -Register now

September 2016

Tuesdays, September 6 – October 11 

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.     $35

Writing Your Life Stories for Your Family or for Publication: 

Our life stories are a precious legacy. Putting them in writing is a gift to all who know and love us—they can be treasured and enjoyed for generations to come. Facts bring us knowledge, but stories bring us wisdom.

If you are interested in writing family/personal life stories – those significant tales of adventure, transition, love, loss, and triumph, as well as the lovely everyday moments shared with loved ones from the past or the present, come learn specific tools and techniques to retrieve and record them.

Students will write a short piece each week. This class is structured for intermediate or advanced students who have completed at least one writing class. 12 hrs.

Instructor: Glenda C. Beall, published author and poet, experienced teacher and blogger. Owner/Director of Writers Circle Studio, Clay County Representative for NCWN West.

Contact Lisa Long at Tri-County Community College to register
(828) 835-4241
LLong@tricountycc.edu

Reading by Glenda Beall - John C. Campbell Folk School - Thursday, September 22, 7:00 p.m.

Two Poets will Read at John C. Campbell Folk School on August 17

This is an open invitation to our local readers in the far southwest area of North Carolina  and north Georgia. 

This reading at the John C. Campbell Folk School is not on Thursday evening as usual, but will be Wednesday, August 17 . 

Two fine writers will share their writing with an audience of Folk School students from all over the country and our community. All writers should pay close attention to those who read their work in public. When you want to publish or promote your writing, you  will likely participate in readings. Attend free readings and see how it is done. What style do you prefer? Enjoy and use the time as a  learning  experience as well.

I have seen Marcia's children's book and  it is beautiful. I also have her  cookbook added to  my  collection. If you love cookbooks as I do, you would love this one.

I have heard Linda read her  poetry and I think she is very honest with her emotions and experiences. I listen to  every word in her poems. 

Below is the announcement of the Reading.

The Literary Hour at John Campbell Folk School

              On Wednesday evening, August 17, 2016 at 7:00 PM, John Campbell Folk School and N.C. Writers Network West are sponsoring The Literary Hour, an hour of poetry and prose reading. The reading is free of charge and open to the public.  Normally scheduled for the third Thursday of the month, this month the event will be on Wednesday.  Poets Dr. Linda Jones and Marcia Hawley Barnes will be the featured readers, both of whom are accomplished poets.  This event is hosted by Lucy Cole Gratton, Cherokee County Representative for NC Writers' Network-West. 

Dr Linda Jones

Dr. Jones teaches courses in human anatomy and physiology, animal physiology, developmental biology, comparative anatomy, parasitology and neuropharmacology.  Most of her career was spent in biomedical research, primarily in the area of cell signaling of the cardiovascular system and more recently in neuroscience.  She joined the faculty of Young Harris College in 2009 and is currently an Associate Professor of Biology and Dean of the Division of Mathematics and Science. 

Jones' interests outside of the science classroom include reading and writing poetry.  She is a member of the North Carolina Writers' Network –West and is a participant in the monthly poetry critique group led by Janice Moore. She has read her poetry at Writers' Night Out in Blairsville, GA. 

   

Marcia Hawley Barnes

Marcia Hawley Barnes is a Georgia writer and poet.  She is a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network, NCWN-West, and Ridgeline Literary Alliance.  She celebrated the American family and cuisine in 2008, when she researched, illustrated, and published The Little Book of Secret Family Recipes.  A heritage cookbook, the collection contains favorite recipes found in the archives of her family. 

In 2016, her first children’s book, Tobijah, illustrated by Doreyl Ammons Cain, was published by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia.  Her poetry has been published in Stone, River, Sky, An Anthology of Georgia Poems.  The author also writes a monthly book review for a local newspaper, Clay County Progress.

Another Hot Sunday in WNC Mountains

Summer in the mountains of WNC is not what it used to be. I am a complete believer that our climate is warming, and more quickly than I had thought it would. We have had the hottest summer ever and next year is expected to be worse. Even my dog, Lexie, who enjoys sleeping in the sunshine, can only take it so long. 

We had hot summers in the deep south where I grew up and we did not have air conditioning at that time. The  heat was hard for me even then, but as I grew older and developed fibromyalgia and other autoimmune illnesses, I could hardly keep from passing out when getting too hot.

My precious brothers and my father worked out in the blazing hot sun day after day on the farm. How grateful they would have been for the automated farm machinery used today. I don't know how they didn't drop   or become dehydrated from sweating so much,

Today, my father would have been accused of child abuse for working his kids out in the hot sun, but back in the forties and fifties children had to work many times to help support the family. 

The weather did not cool off even after the sun went down. 

A 300 year-old oak tree grew beside our house and shaded my bedroom during the day. Often after supper the kids went outside under that tree searching for coolness. My little sister and I, with my teen aged brother, often settled into a rope hammock and Max told stories from books he had read. 

Once we had to  go in, being a night owl, I could not fall asleep. I sat on the foot of my bed and leaned on my crossed arms in the window. I loved the quiet of the night, the smells of cows and flowers and sometimes I heard the far off croaking of frogs in the swamp. The moon gave the landscape, that was familiar during the day, a yellowish glow. I could have walked around outside and not bumped into anything because the moon shined so brightly. I could see shapes, big and small. but some things loomed much larger in the dark than in the daylight. Those things set my imagination into high gear. What fearful creature was there in the night where a piece of farm equipment was supposed to be?

Children are resilient, aren't they? I don't remember ever complaining about the  heat. Mother didn't complain as she wiped drops of  perspiration off her face. The kitchen was even hotter than the outdoors where at least a breeze might stir the air. 

I  think I will  find  out who made my life so much better, probably saved my life, by creating air conditioning for homes. I want to  write an ode to the man who invented AC.

How are you handling this hot summer? Do you enjoy the heat or do you avoid it as much as I do?

Great classes coming to Writers Circle this summer

We are excited that our class on publishing your writing at Tri-County Community College is filled and ready to go on Saturday morning.
Lisa Long, head of the community enrichment program at TCCC is the greatest person to work with and I enjoy our conversations. Hope she makes it to this class.

We are NOW taking reservations for the Marketing class I will teach at the college on August 13. This will be an afternoon class, 1 - 4 p.m.

As we all know the hardest part of being a writer is marketing your work whether it is a poetry chapbook, a family history book, a memoir, a novel or a collection of short stories. Writers do not like trying to sell their work. Most artists have difficulty in that department. The most difficult place to market your books is in your own hometown.

If we want to reach our audience, we must learn how to do it and how to do it without spending thousands of dollars or being duped by online companies. We don't have to hire a P.R. person. Writers and poets are the best people to represent themselves and tell others about their books. Readers like to know more about the author than what they see on a book flap. In today's world, readers like to feel they know their favorite authors personally, even if it is just online from a blog or an author chat at a book signing.

In our marketing class at Tri-County College, we will discuss what is best for you to do to sell those books in your basement or in your car. We will hear from writers like you who are working on their own marketing plans.

A tip: Don't think of what the reader can do for you, think about what you can do for your reader.

MARKETING ONLINE WITH TARA LYNNE GROTH
For those who need help in using social media to promote yourself and your writing, Tara Lynne Groth, successful writer and marketer, SEO creator and speaker, will be at Writers Circle around the Table on August 6, 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The future for writers is on the Internet. Successful marketing online is not as hard as it might seem. And it won't take you hours out of each day.
Tara Lynne is extremely knowledgeable about this subject. She is personable and never makes me feel dumb when I ask her questions pertaining to my blog or other ways to build a readership.

Building a readership is the goal of writers who want to sell books. Tara Lynne will help us meet this goal.
Print out the registration form at the top of this page and mail it to Writers Circle, 581 Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC 28904.  You can pay with PayPal, $45.00 or send a check along with your registration form. Hurry, time is running out and we must have class minimum so we don't cancel this class.

Great class with Carol Crawford at Writers Circle around the Table

Roger Carlton, Carol Lynn Jones, Glenda Beall, Kathy Knapp
Lorie McCabe and Bob Lew @ Writers Circle

It is always a joy to study writing with Carol Crawford, and I always learn something new. You would think that after twenty years of writing I would know all I  need to know, but anyone can learn something if they take workshops, listen and not let their ego get in the way.

Three of the students in the picture above have been students of mine at Tri-County Community College. I look forward to seeing them back in class with me later this year. 

Learning from an editor of writing gives one new insight about revision. With her advice, I think I will be a much better writer myself because I know what to look for in my work before I send it to anyone else to read. 

Why social media for authors? Tara Lynne Groth explains.

Tara Lynne Groth

Tara Lynne Groth

Saturday, August 6
10- 1:00 p.m.
Writers Circle around the Table
Hayesville, NC 28904 

Social Media for Authors

How can authors consistently maintain a presence on popular social media sites? Learn if the demographics of your readers are on Facebook, Twitter, or other services, how to plan relevant social content based on analytics, and if automated services are right for you.

We'll also break down the mystery of blogging and help writers make smart decisions about their online social presence.

Tara Lynne knows her stuff and is happy to share her knowledge and skills with others. She's very talented and a great teacher! -Beth B.

Tara Lynne Groth (www.taralynnegroth.com) is a writer in North Carolina. Before writing full-time she was a marketing manager, and before that, a public relations director. She instructs classes on book marketing, author marketing, freelance writing, as well as creative writing workshops. As a blogger and content creator she also handles content marketing and manages social media for clients. As a journalist, her bylines have appeared  in Blue Ridge Outdoors, Chapel Hill News, Draft, and dozens more. 

Tara Lynne received a scholarship in 2009 to attend the Southampton Writers Conference for fiction, her poetry has appeared in multiple journals and anthologies, she received honorable mention in fiction in the 2015 Carolina Woman Writing Contest, and was a semifinalist for the 2015 James Applewhite Poetry Prize. In 2014, her poetry was selected as part of a community art project in Winston-Salem and was used to inspire two sculptures. She has published three poetry books.

She is also the founder and organizer of Triangle Writers and Asheville Writers, two groups with more than 1,000 members collectively. In 2011 she launched her blog WriteNaked.net, which has grown into a popular destination for individuals interested in making their living from writing. On the blog she breaks down misconceptions people have about freelance life, includes interviews with publishers, provides behind-the-scenes scoop on writers conferences, and has nearly 1,000 subscribers - and she pays guest bloggers. 

Fee: $45

Registration: Complete Registration form at top of page, send with check for $45 to Glenda Beall, 581 Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC 28904. We also accept PayPal. See sidebar on blog.

Call 828-389-4441 or email: glendabeall@msn.com for more information. 

Deadline for registration: July 23. Hurry so we can be sure this class makes.

NCWN-West members at Festival on the Square

This weekend, July 8  - 10, Hayesville, North Carolina will offer their annual Festival on the Square. The festival begins Friday evening, July 8th, with a street dance. Music and many vendors will grace the square on Saturday and Sunday, July 9th and 10th. Included in this event will be our North Carolina Writers' Network-West booth, which will be on the North side of the square.

Several local poets and writers, members of NCWN-West, will be attending the booth, and will read periodically from their published works. Included in this line-up, are Tom Davis, Joan Ellen Gage, Mary Ricketson, Rosemary Royston, Marcia Barnes, Glenda C. Beall, Joan M. Howard, Bob Grove, and Lucy Cole Gratton.

Joan Gage

Be sure to come by the  booth and register for drawings that will be held on Saturday and Sunday. I hope my local readers will stop by and say hello and learn more about our writers' network.

http://www.clayhistoryarts.org/
http://festivalnet.com/43539/Hayesville-North-Carolina/Festivals/Festival-on-the-Square

Rosemary Royston

First Date was a Good One

JULY 4, 1963

Although I  had sworn off men that summer, I was persuaded to go on a blind date by a charming  young man, Barry Beall.  

He arrived in a convertible with another couple in the back seat. I was not impressed with  his looks or his car, and he seemed to be rude and arrogant as we rode into Albany and out to a rented house on the creek. I knew a crowd had gathered by the number of cars parked on the grass. I  also knew I would not know them. Being shy anyway, the ordeal of this party I had agreed to attend filled me with anxiety. My throat tightened and I hoped this stranger with the blond crew cut and nice smile would help me fit  in.

It didn't happen. We entered to a full chorus of Here's Barry, and he beamed. While I sat at the bar alone, he sat on the fireplace hearth and played guitar while he serenaded the girls and guys sitting on the floor in front of him. I wished I had listened to my instincts when he called. I wished I said no and then I'd not be sitting here in a  room full of strangers who did not know me or care whether I was comfortable or not. 

After a while, I walked down to  the water's edge and listened to the frogs singing. The dark ripples slowly nipped at my toes. The serene setting calmed my thoughts. I felt completely alone with the creek and the frogs. When Barry's hand touched my shoulder, I almost jumped away, not thinking it was him.

"Water's nice, isn't it?" I looked up at his remark. 

"Yes, it's dark and  looks deep."

"Would you like to go out on the boat?"

Awhile ago I had wanted to just go home, so I  don't know why I said, "Yes, that would be nice."

As we moved over the quiet water, Barry, who had been an Eagle Scout, maneuvered the flat boat with not one sound. The oar slipped in and out with barely a break in the surface.

Eventually he sailed us into a quiet cove. It was dark from the shade of the tall trees on the bank. I have no idea of what we talked about. I can't remember one word of the conversation, but I became completely enthralled. The chemistry between us was combustible. 

Later with friends we sat in the car and watched the fireworks, but I don't remember seeing them. I remember snuggling in the backseat, laughing at his cute remarks, and I remember the good night kiss when he  walked me to my door. 

I don't remember the minute I knew I was in love with Barry, but the  next day my sister-in-law, Mary said to me, "You are going to marry that man."

I had no intention of marrying anyone at that time, and I hardly knew this man. But I could not sleep for thinking about him. Before I came inside that night, he asked me to go home with him the next weekend to meet his father and mother. 

July 4th holds bitter sweet memories for me. July 4, 1963 was a day that changed my life and maybe it was the  most important day in my life. For forty-five years we celebrated the holiday and our own anniversary. Sometimes we were part of the boat parade on Lake Chatuge. Some nights we watched fireworks with our friends, but we were always in a happy mood.

That is, until July 4, 2009  when Barry was in Emory Hospital fighting for his  life. 

We talked about how much we wished we were with the Morings and the Clarkes that sunny day, and I said, "Next year, we will be there celebrating America's birthday and celebrating the day we met." But next year never came.

Hugh Barry Beall, the thief who stole my heart