– Jhumpa Lahiri

News of the Month

Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 1:00pm – Writers Disuss Writing

Please join us to share your accomplishments, questions, anecdotes, and comments as we discuss the craft of writing.

Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 1:00pm – Bending Reality: Germinating Your Ideas into Speculative Fiction with Michele Tracy Berger

What is speculative fiction and how does it play with realist constructs? What does it mean to incorporate elements of magical realism, horror, weird, or the fantastical into one’s work? Why would one want to? Increasingly writers are drawn to the concept of speculation and include speculative elements in their short fiction and novels. We’ll explore how you can do this too, in both subtle and dramatic ways. We’ll consider how to include speculative elements that strengthen and amplify the story’s trajectory. We’ll concentrate on character, premise and setting. We will draw on models and inspiration from a diverse set of writers including Octavia Butler, Margaret Atwood, Jocelyn Johnson, Walter Mosley, and others. We will read and write together and see where we can help our work shape-shift.

Suggested (though not required) pre-readings for the event:

Premise:

Linda Addison, “Live and Let Live”

Maureen Sherbondy, “Belly Buttons” and “Mining for Garnet”

Character:

Michele Tracy Berger,‘Urban Wendy’

Setting:

Tricia Bobeda, After Water Fiction: The Floating City of New Chicago

Fairytales:
Wayne Maurice.“Fairytale”

Michele Tracy Berger is the Eric and Jane Nord Family Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and director of the Baker-Nord Institute for the Humanities at Case Western Reserve University. She has a secondary appointment in the Department of English. She is a leading scholar in applying intersectional approaches to studying areas of inequality. This work spans the fields of public health, political science, sociology and women’s and gender studies.

She is also an award-winning creative writer. Her short fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction has appeared in 100 Word Story, Apex Magazine, Glint Literary Journal, The Wild Word, Blood and Bourbon, FIYAH: Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, Midnight and Indigo, Oracle: Fine Arts Review, Carolina Woman, Ms., and various anthologies.

She is the 2019 winner of the Carl Brandon Kindred Award from the Carl Brandon Society for her story “Doll Seed” published in FIYAH: Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction.

Much of her work explores psychological horror, especially through issues of race and gender.

Doll Seed, her debut short story collection of speculative fiction, was published in fall 2024 by Aunt Lute Books.

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 7:00pm – Writers Discuss Craft

Join us for what is always a valuable learning session with literary agent, Tracy Crow.

Upcoming Events

August – Tell Me About Your Work: Query Letters and Book Proposals with Carol Phillips

When we say we are writers, often people ask us what we are writing, giving us the opportunity to pitch – or at least practice our pitch–our latest project, be it flash, poetry, short stories, or novels. Hearing your pitch, the person may say “I know where you should submit that!” You just never know.

In August we’ll talk all elements of pitching, practice writing tag lines and bios, and discuss resources available that can help you in developing your queries and proposals.

Past Events

If you did not get a chance to join us for our Personal Narrative event with Sebastian Matthews in June, you can access the YouTube recording here.

News from the North Carolina Writers’ Network

Save the Dates:

Squire Summer Writing Workshops 2025  – July 24-27 at Davidson College

2025 Fall Conference – November 7-9 at Wrightsville Beach

Is it time to renew your NCWN membership?

Check the top of the NCWN newsletter to see when your membership needs renewal.

Not a Member?

You’re missing out on discounts on Network-sponsored programs and events.

What are you waiting for? Membership is open to writers of all experience levels and genres, across the state and beyond. Join now at https://www.ncwriters.org/.

Postscript:

WMO’s programs and meetings are a collaborative effort with Penny Cottrell, Tracy Crow, Tom Dow, Catherine Duncan, George Kauffman, Carol Phillips, and Judith Stanton—plus our ex-officio member and IT wizard, Josh Cottrell—all contributing.

Wishing you all the best in your writing endeavors!

Penny Cottrell, NCWN Regional Rep, Central Piedmont