Cary News | Writers conference coming to Cary

Q&A:?

Published: Oct 13, 2012 06:00 PM
Modified: Oct 09, 2012 03:56 PM

There?s no doubt about it: North Carolina seems to have more than its fair share of writers. Ed Southern, executive director of the North Carolina Writers? Network, cites writer Lee Smith: ?You can?t spit in North Carolina without hitting a writer.?And Wake County has the most concentrated volume of writers in the state, Southern said. Southern, his staff and volunteers will host the NCWN Fall Conference in Cary the weekend of Nov. 2-4 at Embassy Suites. Writer Edith Pearlman, recipient of the 2011 PEN/Malamud Award for excellence in the art of short fiction, will give the keynote address. Peter Holsapple of Raleigh-based band The dB?s will provide entertainment on Saturday evening.The Fall Conference is just one of the projects that consumes Southern?s time; he writes and also works with other writers. He has worked for a major bookselling chain and as sales director for a publishing house. Southern has also published four books: ?The Jamestown Adventure?, ?Parlous Angels?, ?Sports in the Carolinas? and ?Voices of the American Revolution in the Carolinas.? Q: Why do you think so many writers decide to live and work in North Carolina?The writing community in North Carolina is very diverse; there are all sorts of voices being heard. I?m surprised by how many quality agents and editors there are who live in North Carolina and also how many come down from New York to visit. But the biggest thing about North Carolina writers is that we are a community. Writers here are supportive and generous, and we welcome new writers into our community. Q: What do writers get out of belonging to an organization like NCWN?Writers gain a sense of community, the sense that you are not alone. Writing can be a very isolating pursuit; you are by yourself, living in your own head. Almost all writers go through the process of trying to get published and facing rejection. The best thing we can do is to give writers encouragement and inspiration.One of our goals is to help you help yourself. We have a variety of resources and lists of agents and editors looking for new work. We keep lists of writing groups that are looking for new members. We have a literary calendar and post job opportunities for writers. We help writers find ways to promote their own work. Q: Does NCWN have anything new in the works for writers?We are working on starting writing workshops for returning veterans. We are working with Methodist University in Fayetteville to help people who may not have thought of themselves as writers. We want to host introductory writing workshops because most of us in NCWN believe that writing is fun and a worthwhile activity.

Source: http://www.carynews.com/2012/10/13/65220/writers-conference-coming-to-cary.html

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