October Newsletter

News of the Month

Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 1:00pm – Writers Discuss Writing

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

Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 1:00pm – Writers’ Morning Out Semiannual Slush Pile

Join our accomplished panel, Tracy Crow, Noah Stetzer, and Ty Stumpf, for our slush pile event. Steevie Jane Parks will read the submissions.

Submission Guidelines:

The quickest way to get rejected when submitting anywhere is to ignore the guidelines!

• Deadline: Tuesday, October 7, 2025, by midnight

• Entries will be read in order of receipt. We may not get to all submissions, so submit early.

Format:

• Prose: One page, 300 words or fewer, with one-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and the first line of each paragraph indented by half an inch.

• Poetry: One page, at least one-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font.

• Identify your primary genre—fiction, creative nonfiction, nonfiction, or poetry—at the top of the manuscript.

• Do not include your name or identifying information in the manuscript.

• Submit via email: Send your manuscript as a .doc or .docx file to info@writersmorningout.org with the subject line: Slush Pile (Title of Work).

• Include your name, title of work, and contact information in the body of the email.

If you’re unfamiliar with the slush pile format, please see the recording of our April 2025 Slush Pile. We encourage you to submit—this event is a valuable opportunity to receive constructive feedback on your work!

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 7:00pm – Writers Discuss Craft

Join us for what is always a valuable learning session with literary agent, Tracy Crow. This will be our final WDC of 2025. Be sure to join us so you can finish out the year with more tools in your writer’s toolbox!

News from the North Carolina Writers’ Network

Save the Date:

2025 Fall Conference – November 7-9 at Wrightsville Beach – Registration is open. Click here for more information.

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