Events by County

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ALAMANCE COUNTY
BURLINGTON 
ALAMANCE WRITERS NIGHT AT THE BURLINGTON ARTISTS LEAGUE GALLERY
When: Second Saturday of the month 7:00-8:30 pm
Where: Burlington Artists League Gallery, Holly Hill Mall, 309 Huffman Mill Rd.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 336-266-6461
Join the North Carolina Writers' Network's Alamance County Representative and Burlington Writers' Club member Wayne Drumheller for lively readings, discussions, and book signings by some of the best writers and poets in Alamance County. Bring your best writing ideas to the gallery on the  second Saturday of each month.

GRAHAM
WRITING WORKSHOP
When: Saturday, October 12, 10:00 am
Where: Alamance Arts Council, 213 S. Main St.
Cost: Free
Workshop on Structure and the Narrative Arc in Fiction, led by Linda Bledsoe. Workshop will identify the meaning of "narrative arc," and utilize Freytag's pyramid and five-act structure to demonstrate its meaning and use to writers. Writers will plot an arc in a short story selected from fairy tales, myths, television story, folktales, family stories passed down, family member, self or friend, story or newspaper item of their choice. We will have time for some readings of our work.

POETRY CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Last Monday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Member’s home
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Poetry critique group has formed and is seeking additional members. All levels welcome.

MEMOIR WRITING GROUP
When: Last Thursday of the month, 10:00 am
Where: Graham Presbyterian Church, 216 W. Harden St.
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
All levels welcome.

MEMOIR WRITING GROUP
When: Third Monday of the month, 10:00 am
Where: The Gathering Room at Twin Lakes Retirememt Community, 3701 Wade Coble Dr.
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Open to all, not just residents. All levels welcome.

MEBANE
WRITING FOR CHILDREN CRITIQUE GROUP
When: First Mondays, 10:30 am
Where: Mebane Methodist Church, 200 S. Fourth St.
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Seeking additional members. If a sufficient number desire an evening group, that can be arranged.

WRITING FOR CHILDREN CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Third Mondays, 6:30 pm
Where: Alamance Community College Library, Alamance Community College
Contact: 336-578-2496 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Seeking additional members. If a sufficient number desire an evening group, that can be arranged.

ALEXANDER COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Alexander County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ALLEGHANY COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Alleghany County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ANSON COUNTY
WADESBORO
ANSON COUNTY WRITERS' CLUB
When: Fourth Sunday of the month, 3:00 pm
Where: First Presbyterian Church - Fellowship Hall, 208 S. Green St.
Website: http://www.ansoncountywritersclub.org
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Anson County Writers' Club has been in existence since 1989. The Anson County Writers' Club fosters the art of writing in Anson County through support, awareness and recognition of all writers—from the beginner to the published author. This is accomplished through regular meetings, workshops, lectures and readings; through our annual contests in prose and poetry culminating in a public awards ceremony; and through our grant program.

ASHE COUNTY
WEST JEFFERSON
WORDKEEPERS
When: Third Saturday (Dec., April, June, Aug., Oct., Dec.), 4:00 pm
Where: Ashe County Arts Council, 303 School Ave.
Contact: Christine Arvidson, 336-489-0066 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We start our readings at 4:00 pm. It's first come/first served on the reading bill, so let Chris know if you'd like to sign up for your 5-minute slot.

BEAUFORT COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Beaufort County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY
CAROLINA SHORES
SOUTH BRUNSWICK NCWN
When: First Tuesday of the month, 1:00 pm
Where: Southwest Brunswick Branch, Brunswick County Library, 9400 Ocean Hwy W.
Contact: Joan Leotta, regional rep, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Meetings open to all, bring your friends. We invite speakers and or/discuss aspects of writing that group members have recommended. This is a monthly event put on by the North Carolina Writers' Network.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY
ASHEVILLE
NEW! NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS' NETWORK 2019 FALL CONFERENCE
When: November 8-11
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville-Biltmore, 115 Hendersonville Rd.
Cost: Varies
Contact: Ed Southern, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: https://ncwriters.org/index.php/programs-and-services/conferences/10626-fc19
The NCWN 2019 Fall Conference features workshops and master classes in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as sessions and panel discussions on book design, publishing, and querying. The faculty includes poets Nickole Brown, Jessica Jacobs, and Eric Tran; fiction writers Abigail DeWitt, Tommy Hays, and Kevin McIlvoy; and creative nonfiction writers Tom Chalmers, Christine Hale, and Jeremy B. Jones. Fiction writer Ron Rash will deliver the keynote. Special thanks to the Blue Ridge Level sponsor, UNC-Asheville's Great Smokies Writing Program.

POETRIO
When: First Sunday of every month, 3:00 pm
Where: Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, 55 Haywood St.
Poetrio events are free and open to the public.

THOMAS WOLFE BOOK CLUB
When: Second Thursday of the month, 5:30-7:00 pm (January - April)
Where: Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site, 52 N. Market St.
Contact: Tom Muir, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.wolfememorial.comA monthly Thomas Wolfe Book Club, sponsored by The Wilma Dykeman Legacy. Each month, a different local educator will lead the club in discussion of a pre-selected short story written by Thomas Wolfe. Just read the selected short story, show up at the corresponding meeting, and be prepared for an informative and provocative conversation.

THE WRITERS' WORKSHOPS
When: Various Saturdays in fall, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Where: 387 Beaucatcher Rd.
Cost: $70 (members) / $75 (non-members)
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 828-254-8111
Info/Register: www.twwoa.org
The Writers' Workshop is offering thee one-day intensive classes for beginning and experienced writers. Registration is in advance only. Financial assistance is available for low-income writers in exchange for volunteering. As follows:

• October 21, "Writing the Science Fiction Story" with Nicole Kurtz
• October 26, "Writing the Young Adult Novel" with Constance Renfrow
• November 2, "Writing Your Memoirs" with Karen Ackerson
• November 16, "Crafting the Short Story" with Elizabeth Genovise

AUTHORS FOR LITERACY DINNER & SILENT AUCTION FEATURING DANIEL WALLACE
When: Friday, October 25, 6:00 pm
Where: Crowne Plaza Resort Expo Center, 1 Resort Dr.
Cost: $95
Contact: 828-254-3442 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://litcouncil.com/news-events/authors-for-literacy-event
New York Times bestselling author Daniel Wallace will give the Keynote Address. Wallace is the author of six novels, including Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, and the J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his alma mater, where he directs the Creative Writing Program. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour and silent auction to include distinctive art and crafts, autographed and rare books, and priceless opportunities to enjoy excursions in Asheville and beyond. Following the cocktail hour, event guests will enjoy a three-course dinner and presentation by a current Literacy Council student. Proceeds from the Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction benefit the Literacy Council’s programs, which provide comprehensive literacy and English language skills to 350 students and 2,000 book recipients in Buncombe County annually.

NEW! STORY MEDICINE INTERNSHIP WORKSHOP
When: Saturday, November 16, 10:00 am
Where: West Asheville Sanctuary and Retreat, 18 Beverly Rd. West
Cost: $25
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: www.storymedicineworldwide.com
This workshop will introduce interested writers/healers to the modality of story medicine, and prepare them to move into the experience of internship training. Graduates will speak to their time in the program, and we will explore the program in detail, in its length, the learning modules, the kinds of study materials we draw upon, how we build community as learners sharing this experience, etc. Led by Meta Commerse.

WRITERS AT HOME
When: Third Sunday of every month, 3:00 pm
Where: Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, 55 Haywood St.
Contact: Tommy Hays at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The University of North Carolina at Asheville's Great Smokies Writing Program series.

WRITERS' POTLUCK
When: Last Friday of every month, 6:00 pm
Where: The Writers' Workshop, 387 Beaucatcher Rd.
Website: www.twwoa.org
Writers'Potluck is held on the last Friday of the month. Members and guests are invited—please bring a dish to share, and a short story or poem to read.

FLATIRON WRITERS ROOM
When: Various dates in fall
Where: 5 Covington St.
Cost: Varies
Website: www.flatironwritersroom.com
The Flatiron Writers Room offers space for classes, workshops, and writing-related events, as well as co-working space for individual writers. They provide high-quality classes and workshops on both craft and the business of writing:

• Saturday, November 2, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, "Scrivener Basics" with Charlotte Lit's Paul Reali
• Sunday, November 3, 2:00-5:00 pm, "Podcasting 101" with Matt Peiken
• Tuesdays, November 5 - December 3, 6:30-8:30 pm, "Writing Stories that Sell" with Beth Revis
• Thursdays, November 7-21, "Fiction Tools for Nonfiction Writers" with Laura Hope-Gill
• Saturday, November 23, 2:30-4:30 pm, "Failing Better: Overcoming Rejection to CLaim Sucesss as a Writer" with Heather Newton

THE WRITER'S WORKSHOP
When: Saturdays, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Where: 387 Beaucatcher Rd.
Cost: $70 (members) / $75 (non-members)
Info/Register: www.twwoa.org
Registration is in advance only. Financial assistance is available for low-income writers. Summer classes to be announced soon.

WNCMSYSTERIANS CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Biweekly, 6:00 pm
Where: Battery Park Book Exchange, Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave. #101
Cost: Free
Website: www.WNCMysterians.org
Established 2009 for serious mystery, suspense, and thriller writers in Asheville and Western North Carolina. We meet biweekly to improve one another's writing. Check out our website for details and dates.

2019 GREAT SMOKIES WRITING PROGRAM
When: Various workshops
Where: Various locations in Asheville, Hendersonville, Black Mountain, and Burnsville
Info: www.unca.edu/gswp or call 828-251-6099
Some of the area’s best authors and instructors are featured in the new spring lineup of workshops from the University of North Carolina at Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program. Courses will help hone the skills of writers of poetry and prose, including memoir, novels, and creative nonfiction. Some classes are open to interested writers of all levels; some are restricted to more advanced writers. In all cases, class size is limited and early registration is suggested. See website for complete course listing.

BOOKMAKING WORKSHOPS
When: Various workshops
Where:  Asheville Bookworks, 428 1/2 Haywood Rd., West Asheville
Website: www.ashevillebookworks.com
Take a workshop on bookbinding, letterpress, marbling, journaling, or bookmaking.

CANDLER
WRITING FROM THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD RETREAT FOR WOMEN
When: October 17-20
Where: Whistlepig Farm, 40 Wishing Well Dr.
Cost: Varies
Info/Register: https://www.writingfromthetopofyourhead.com/october-2019-retreat-details
Only 20 minutes from downtown Asheville, a sanctuary for the heartbroken writer. The retreat will be food for your writer soul, a cozy sanctuary for the heartbroken artist, where you can feel safe to open up and dive deep into your inner genius. Learn to write with glee again. Cause writing shouldn’t be a stuffy academic classroom exercise. It can be a place of open-mouthed surprise, an amusement park ride, a quest into the unknown with no flashlight to see in the dark. At this retreat, we’ll learn to trust this place, even when it takes us into shadowy corners…Spread out on 7 acres of land and feel that sense of spaciousness you’ve been longing for - let your writer voice run free. Gather together with some amazingly supportive fellow writers as well as friendly goats, chickens, and a dog! Enjoy a nurturing mini-vacation with *deep rest time, optional massage, and let yourself be nourished by chef Natasha’s healthy down-home meals. (Family recipe Tomato Spice Cake anyone?) Come join us!

BURKE COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Burke County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CABARRUS COUNTY
KANNAPOLIS
CABARRUS-ROWAN WRITER'S NIGHT OUT / OPEN MIC
When: Fourth Thursday of the month, 6:30 pm 
Where: French Express Internet and Cyber Cafe, 2087 Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Blvd. (at Rt. 29, around the corner from Planet Fitness) / https://www.facebook.com/FrenchExpressNC
Contact: Vincent James Vezza, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Member readings and publishing progress updates are encouraged in an open mic format. Time permitting, members are invited to focus on one aspect of their writing in a roundtable discussion. Several meetings feature guest authors, editors, publishers, and writing association presenters. There is no fee for the meeting. Great coffee, other beverages, and pastries are available off the menu. Join colleagues for a fun filled writers’ night out.  This is a monthly event  put on by the North Carolina Writers' Network.

MOUNT PLEASANT
WHEN HISTORY MATTERS
When: Sunday, October 20, 2:00 pm
Where: Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society Museum, 1100 N. Main St.
Cost: $5 (students: no fee)
Contact: Vincent Vezza, 980-621-0398
Open mic discussion about when and how to introduce historical elements into a story, led by author Vincent James Vezza.

CAMDEN COUNTY
Know of a literary event in Camden County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CARTERET COUNTY
BEAUFORT
BEAUFORT
 CRITIQUE
 GROUP
When: Alternate Wednesdays or Thursdays (mostly), 4:00-6:00 pm (no July meeting)
Where: Provided upon registration
Contact: Dr. Susan Schmidt, 252-269-0032; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.susanschmidt.net
Recruits several writers who have a book in progress and have workshop experience. E-mail to register.

BEAUFORT WRITING WORKSHOP
When: Wednesdays, 4:00-6:00 pm (7 weeks starting in mid-January and mid-September)
Where: Provided upon registration
Contact: Dr. Susan Schmidt, 252-269-0032; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.susanschmidt.net
Writing assignments and dozens of playful exercises in poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction to jumpstart ideas and induce creativity in a fun and supportive community atmosphere.

CARTERET WRITERS
When: Second Wednesday of the month (September-April), 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Where: Clawson's 1905 Restaurant, 425 Front St.
Contact: Stanley Trice, 540-207-0089 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.carteretwriters.org
Monthly meetings include a speaker and time for conversation with fellow writers, some seasoned and some just beginning. Lunch is "Dutch treat," but the program is free. Anyone interested in writing is welcome. Do come and try out a meeting or two to see if it helps awaken your muse!

CASWELL COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Caswell County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CATAWBA COUNTY
HICKORY
HICKORY WRITING GROUP
When: Second Monday of the month, 6:00 pm
Where: Patrick Beaver Memorial Library - 2nd Floor, 375 3rd St. NE
Contact: Skip at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.hickorywritergroup.com
Hickory Writers’ Group is a collection of serious writers who desire critical feedback on their work, and who are willing to be supportive of other writers. Writers at all experience levels are welcome. Ages 18 and up. Our agenda includes providing you the tools to appropriately critique another writer’s work; having your work critiqued; and passing on information and tips that will be helpful to you as a writer. Even if you’ve not launched your writing efforts, or have dabbled in writing, the Hickory Writers’ Group might well be that springboard to seeing your work in print someday. Prospective members are encouraged to visit in order to determine if you would like to become a part of this growing group.

POETRY HICKORY
When: Second Tuesday of each month, 7:00 pm
Where: Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse, 29 2nd St. NW, downtown
Contact: Scott Owens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.poetryhickory.com
Poetry Hickory is usually preceded by NCWN's Writers' Night Out at 5:30 pm. Hosted by Scott Owens and co-sponsored by Main Street Rag Publishing Company. We will begin with the featured writers, and they will be followed by a true Open Mic. Participants in the Open Mic must sign up by 7:00 pm. There can be as many as 10 Open Mic readers, and each of them can have up to 3 minutes.

THE ART OF POETRY
When: Third Saturday of the month (March, June, September, December), 2:00 pm
Where: Hickory Museum of Art, 243 3rd Ave. NE
Website: www.artofpoetry.net
Poets write ekphrastic poems based on the Museum’s current exhibits and submit by the first Saturday of event months. Selected poems are posted in the Museum and the poets read them during the event. Submit poems to Kelly DeMaegd at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

CHATHAM COUNTY
PITTSBORO
PITTSBORO WRITERS' MORNING OUT 
When: Third Saturday of the month, 1:00 pm
Where: Greek Kouzina, 964 East St.
Contact: Al Manning, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Rick Bylina, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
All writers, any genre are invited to join our discussions of the craft, business and general enjoyment of writing. This is a monthly event  put on by the North Carolina Writers' Network.

POP-UP POETRY
When: Third Thursday of the month, 6:30-8:30 pm
Where: Center for the Arts, 18A E. Salisbury St.
Cost: Free
Join published and unpublished word lover's every month. CFTA is a space dedicated to seeing, hearing, creating and learning about all the arts.

NC POETRY SOCIETY POETRY SERIES
When: Fourth Sunday of every month, 2:00 pm (January to October)
Where: McIntyre’s Fine Books, Fearrington Village
Contact: Guy and C. Pleasants York at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Each month, McIntyre’s hosts published members of the NC Poetry Society for reading and discussing their work.

CENTRAL CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGE – CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM
When: Various dates
Where: Central Carolina Community College
Website: www.cccc.edu/creativewriting
Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro offers ongoing  classes, Saturday workshops, and a certificate in creative writing. Now registering for the winter. See our website for details.

CHEROKEE COUNTY
BRASSTOWN
NETWORK-WEST POETRY AND PROSE GROUP READINGS
When: Third Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm (unless otherwise indicated)
Where: John Campbell Folk School, One Folk School Rd.
Contact: Mary Ricketson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Two readers from Network-West read each month.

JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL WRITING CLASSES
When: Throughout the year
Where: John C. Campbell Folk School, One Folk School Rd.
Website: www.folkschool.org

MURPHY
NETWORK-WEST POETRY GROUP
When: First Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm
Where: Holland McSwain Building - Conference Room, Tri-County Community College
Contact: Janice Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Our group invites poets to bring typed copies of their poems, share them with the group, and get constructive feedback from the other poets. At each meeting we usually have between six and ten writers who come from Clay and Cherokee Counties in North Carolina, and Towns County in Georgia. Newcomers are welcomed to visit and eventually share their work if they wish. The success rate for publication in this group has been very high. The members have published their poems in well-known and respected literary journals, and several have published chapbooks and even full-length books.
 
NETWORK-WEST PROSE CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Second Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm 
Where: Tri-County Community College, Conference Room, McSwain Building
Contact: Bob Grove at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Positive constructive suggestions for writers' readings. E-mail Bob Grove for information.

CHOWAN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Chowan County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CLAY COUNTY
HAYESVILLE
COFFEE WITH THE POETS AND WRITERS
When: Third Wednesday of the month, 10:30 am (March through December)
Where:  Moss Memorial Library, 82 Anderson St.
Cost: Free
Contact: Glenda Beall at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828-389-4441
Readers of poetry or prose from NCWN-West are featured. Community is invited to attend and participate in Open Mic.

CLEVELAND COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Cleveland County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

CRAVEN COUNTY
NEW BERN
THE NEXUS POETS
When: First Tuesday of the month, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Harrison Center, 311 Middle St.
Cost: Free
Contact: Sam Love, 252-876-9456
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Nexus-Poets/1433576556892128
Please join us in celebrating the amazing local talent this city has to offer! Each month will showcase two sets, begun by a featured poet followed by an open mic in round robin format. Get there early to sign up to perform/read and get one of the quickly filling seats to enjoy an evening with The Nexus Poets! Please check the Facebook page in case we have to shift the date.

AN EVENING OF LITERATURE AND POETRY
When: Third Tuesday of the month, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: The City Stage, 901-B Pollock St.
Cost: Free
Contact: 252-617-0939
Folks Journal and The City Stage are pleased to announce their partnership in bringing New Bern, North Carolina an evening of Literature & Poetry. Local poet and co-founder of FOLKS Journal Meg Wethington will be your host for the evening. Authors of all genres will be given 10 minutes to read on stage with a microphone from their works. Sign up begins at 6:30. Published authors will have the opportunity to have their books available for sale- please bring your books with you. A table will be provided for display at the front of the stage where purchases can be made. Local food and libations are readily served lending itself to a particularly special evening with the written arts.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY
FAYETTEVILLE
WRITING CAN HELP
When: First and third Saturdays, 10:30 am
Where: Room 202, All American Veteran Center, Fayetteville Technical Community College
Contact: Jerry Bradley, facilitator, 910-574-5019 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  
Website: www.writingcanhelp.webs.com
The purpose of this group is to inspire artistic expression and creation and to encourage release, hope, help, and healing through writing. The group includes but is not limited to military men and women, retirees, veterans, government civilians, battlefield contractors, first responders and their family members who have experienced or who are experiencing events resulting in mental (such as PTSD and TBI) or physical trauma and disabilities. The goal of this group is to encourage a peer environment in which participants can develop their artistic writing skills through instruction, review and feedback offered in an honest, positive and constructive (not destructive) manner. This will be done through workshops, discussions groups, critique groups, special projects and events. Remember, disabled does not mean unable. Jerry Bradley, facilitator.

WRITERS' INK GUILD POETRY AND PROSE CRITIQUE GROUP MEETING
When: Third Tuesday of every month, 7:00 pm (except July and December)
Where: 2nd and Charles Book Store, 1920 Skibo Rd.
Contact: Jerry Bradley at 910-574-5019 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
You don't have to be a great writer or even a good writer to attend; you just have to be an enthusiastic writer. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call.

JAVA JAMS: FAYETTEVILLE’S PREMIERE POETRY OPEN MIC
When: Every Sunday from 7:30-10:30 pm
Where: The Coffee Scene, 3818 Morganton Rd., next to Carrabba’s restaurant
The talented regular participants of this long-running open mic event offer up an inspired reading of poems. Newcomers welcome to the venue to listen or share some words of their own!

DARE COUNTY
SOUTHERN SHORES
ALBEMARLE / OBX REGIONAL NCWN MEETING
When: Third Wednesday of the monrth, 12:00 pm
Where: Duck Woods Country Club, 50 S. Dogwood Tr.
Contact: Wade Hopkin, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Critiques and discussions about the art and craft of writing. We welcome new attendees.

WANCHESE
OUTER BANKS VETERANS WRITING WORKSHOP
When: November 9-10
Where: UNC Coastal Studies Institute, 850 NC-345
Website / Register: www.darearts.org/veterans
Dare County Arts Council is now accepting applications for the 7th Annual Outer Banks Veterans Writing Workshop. This year’s workshop will focus on poetry, and will be led by veterans Ron Capps and Colin Halloran. This two-day, writing intensive poetry workshop will cover the foundations of effective poetry writing, to include discussions of craft elements like rhythm, line, word choice, persona, and metaphor. While the focus will be on poetry, the nature of poetry to sharply focus on language will make this valuable to writers across genres. Former and current service men and women and members of their families are encouraged to sign up for the writing workshop online at DareArts.org/veterans. The workshop will accommodate up to 25 participants.

DAVIE COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Davie County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

DUPLIN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Duplin County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

DURHAM COUNTY
DURHAM
NANOWRIMO PLANNING WORKSHOPS
When: Saturdays, October 12-19, 2:00-4:00 pm
Where: Durham Public Library - East Regional, 211 Lick Creek Ln.
Cost: Free
Contact: Phil Locey, 919-560-0123
Let our planning workshops help you get ready for November — National Novel Writing Month! October 5 will focus on Organization and Planning, October 12 will be Plot and Character, and October 19 is NaNo 101.

DURHAM WRITERS' SALON
When: Second Tuesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: The Mothership Shop, Event + Works Space, 401 W. Geer St.
Website: www.facebook.com/durhamwriterssalon
Contact: Allison Kirkland, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Durham Writers’ Salon is a space where writers of all genres and experience levels can write and share together.  We write from prompts (usually we find time for two prompts per session) and have the option to share our work for supportive feedback. It’s an informal environment that recognizes that play and community are the first steps toward creating meaningful writing. Newcomers are always welcome! No need to sign up - just show up!

BULL CITY PRESS READING SERIES
When: Second Saturday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Mettlesome's Okay Alright Theater, 401 W. Geer St.
Cost: Free
Website: https://bullcitypress.com/reading-series
Bull City Press’ newest reading series brings you poetry, fiction, and nonfiction from established and emerging writers. And if you’re lucky, you can stick around and see one of our readers in a comedy show at 9:00 pm.

FLASH FICTION GROUP
When: Tuesdays, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm or Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00 pm
Where: Private home in Durham
Contact: Ron Jackson, 919-627-3914, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Work on a variety of voices, styles, and subjects; wrap your brain more easily around a story; tap your hidden lyrical language; work on all elements of craft; build story inventory fast. Each session will include some of reading work aloud, constructive critique, handouts, readings, and content generation through take-home and in-class prompts.

NONFICTION AUTHORS ASSOCIATION OF DURHAM AND CHAPEL HILL
When: Second Wednesday of the month, 6:15 pm
Where: Alternate locations
Cost: $10 (advance) / $15 (door)
Contact: Diana Needham
Website: http://www.meetup.com/Durham-Chapel-Hill-Chapter-Nonfiction-Authors-Association
A series of authors presentations followed by discussion. Topics include building an income stream as a writer, marketing your book, building a website, and more.

SHARING CREATIVITY POETRY CRITIQUE GROUP
When: Third Thursday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: South Regional Library, 4505 South Alston Ave.
Contact: Bartholomew Barker at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This monthly group  meets to review poems, provide constructive feedback and spend a creative evening together. You must send poems the Monday prior to the workshop. Sponsored by Living Poetry.

JAMBALAYA SOUL SLAM ACADEMY
When: Third Saturday of every month, 8:00 pm
Where: Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St.
Contact Information: www.bullcitypoetryslam.com or 919-683-1709
Cost: $7
Writing and performance workshop facilitated by national spoken word artists. Learn to take your poetry from the page to the stage in a relaxed peer environment.

NEW! DREAM BIG 2020!
When: Monday, January 20, 2020, 1:00-4:00 pm
Where: Rhythms Live Music Hall, 2020 Chapel Hill Rd. - Suite 33
Cost: Free
Website: http://bookharvestnc.org
Dream Big is our annual celebration of books for all kids! Every year on MLK Day, we bring our BIG dreams to this community event that is part book drive, part concert, part food truck rodeo, part activity fair, part volunteer opportunity…and ALL celebration and fun! In 2019 alone, the event brought in 44,092 donated books. More than 600 people attended, helping prepare all those books to go into the hands and homes of North Carolina’s children. And we raised $100,592 to help keep books flowing to young readers all year long. On MLK Day 2020, we’re taking our big dreams indoors — to one of Durham’s coolest, hippest new spots: Rhythms Live Music Hall, in the Lakewood Shopping Center!

LITTLE CORNER READING SERIES
When: Various dates in 2019
Where: Duke Coffeehouse, Duke University
Cost: Free
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.theinvisiblebear.com/little-corner.html
Please join us for the following scheduled poetry readings with visiting poets and scholars from across the United States. We also hold informal poetry discussions in conjunction with visiting guests. Upcoming readings: February 9 (Rachel Zucker w/ TBD) and April 6 (Dorothy Chan with TBD).

FORSYTH
WINSTON-SALEM
OPEN MIC NIGHT
When: First Tuesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 Spruce St. North
Come share your writing at our popular Open Mic event. Sign up to read at 6:45 pm. See complete rules at our website, www.wswriters.org. Hosted by the Winston-Salem Writers.

DRAFT NIGHT
When: Second Friday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Bookmarks, 634 Fourth St.
Cost: Free
Contact: Ed Southern, Regional Rep, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
All writers with a work-in-progress can come take a number in the night's draft, for a chance to share from their work in an open-mic format, six slots of five minutes each. After the open mic, February's featured writer, poet, and author Joseph Mills, will share his work and his thoughts on writing and revising. This is a monthly event  put on by the North Carolina Writers' Network.

FOUR ON FOURTH
When: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Bookmarks Bookstore, 634 W. 4th St. #110 (access parking in rear, off Holly Ave.)
Contact: Bart Ganzert, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.bookmarksnc.org
The Winston-Salem Writers is partnering with Bookmarks to host a monthly public reading event called “Four on Fourth”. The fourth Wednesday each month, four local authors will be featured at this live reading. Author’s books will be available for purchase. Come to enjoy and support your writerly tribe!

THE WORD IS OUT: OPEN MIC
When: Last Tuesday of the Month, 7:00 pm
Where: Central Library, 616 W. Fifth St.
Co-sponsored by Forsyth County Public Library and the Winston-Salem Writers.

PRESS 53 ANNIVERSARY GATHERING
When: Sunday, October 27, 2:00-6:00 pm
Where: Jamison Park, 285 Meadowlark Dr.
Cost: Free
Website: www.press53.com
Help Press 53 celebrate its 14th anniversary, with a community-wide open mic and the first annual Quiet Mile. The Quiet Mile will be a silent stroll (with or without a book) through the park’s adjacent greenway. Water and anniversary cake provided; bring what you’d like (sorry, alcohol not permitted at public parks).

NATHANIEL MACKEY AND THE OUR TRUE DAY BEGUN SOON COME QU'AHTTET
When: Tuesday, October 29, 6:00 pm
Where: Brendle Recital Hall, Wake Forest University
Cost: Free
Website: https://events.wfu.edu
Nathaniel Mackey, who is the inaugural Edwin G. Wilson Distinguished Artist in the Dillon Johnston Writers Reading Series, will perform poems from his forthcoming collection Double Trio, with musical accompaniment from the Our True Day Begun Soon Come Qu'ahttet. Mackey is the author of six books of poetry.His honors include the National Book Award for poetry, the Stephen Henderson Award from the African American Literature and Culture Society, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize from the Poetry Foundation, the Bollingen Prize for American Poetry from the Beinecke Library at Yale University, and the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Poetry Prize from the Library of Congress. He is the Reynolds Price Professor of Creative Writing at Duke University.

HOW TO STRENGTHEN EACH WRITER'S UNIQUE VOICE
When: Saturday, November 9, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: Little Theater, 419 Spruce St.
Cost: Free for members
RSVP: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This workshop is participatory and hands-on workshop for manuscript review. Lane Goddard, Chair of the international Amherst Writers, founded by Pat Schneider, will lead discussion on how to critique that will acknowledge and build on the strengths of the piece and how to make suggestions to improve while preserving the author's control. She will provide a short prose piece and a poem for the group to review. This workshop is valuable to all members of Winston-Salem Writers and it is hoped that WSW Critique Group leaders and participants will attend.

FRANKLIN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Franklin County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for  inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

GASTON COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Gaston County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

GUILFORD COUNTY
GREENSBORO
THE FRONT GATE WRITERS GROUP
When: Sundays, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Various coffee houses
Information/Register: 336-509-0660 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Writing to prompts and exercises, discussion of specific authors’ techniques, helpful suggestions, no harsh critiques.  A safe, productive way to generate and hone your writing. Reservations are necessary, and a small monthly fee applies. All levels are welcome, and one partial need-based scholarship is available.

NC WRITERS' NETWORK OPEN MIC
When: Second Monday of the month, 6:30-9:00 pm
Where: Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St.
Cost: Free
Contact: Carla Harper, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Writers: An open invitation to share your work out loud. All genres welcome. NCWN Guilford County members receive reminders about the open mic and a chance to sign up before the public via rep newsletter. Every month will have an optional theme. (Going with the theme is always nice, but not mandatory.) Each writer will have up to 7 minutes to read. Feel free to bring more than one piece in case we have time for a second round. Please time your reading beforehand. On-site sign-up is available between 6:30 and 6:50 pm on a first-come, first-served basis. If time allows--and once everyone on the list has read--the floor will be opened up to volunteer readers (i.e., those who did not plan on reading, but have become inspired to do so). This is a monthly event  put on by the North Carolina Writers' Network.

PLAYWRIGHTS FORUM MEETING
When: Second Wednesday of every month, 7:00 pm
Where: Greensboro Cultural Center, 200 N. Davie St.
Contact: Todd Fisher at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 336-373-2974
Cost: The meetings are free and open to the public. Membership is only $30 annually.
Actors and directors are encouraged to attend. Each meeting begins with introductions, then readings of the monthly assignments, followed by works by member playwrights. Members may submit plays to be considered for production four times a year.

BENJAMIN BARDS: A POETRY WORKSHOP
When: Third Thursday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Benjamin Branch Library, 1530 Benjamin Parkway
Cost: Free
Register: 336-373-7540 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Join us once a month for a free discussion based workshop for poets of all skill levels from teens to adults. Learn about forms and techniques, read and study published authors, and bring and share your own works for constructive criticism. Each month we will focus on different topics or give you a chance to work on revisions.

THE SENIORS’ NOTEBOOK GROUP
When: Fourth Tuesday of every month, 2:00-4:00 pm
Where: Contact June Wilson Read (below) for location
Contact: June Willson Read, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Writers over the age of fifty who wish to participate in a daytime group are invited to join the Senior's Notebook writers. Membership includes new writers as well as folks who have had some publications in various genres. We write, share current writing, discuss writer issues, and sometimes critique work.

ORIGIN MYTHS: DIGGING OUT FROM YOUR STORY
When: Sunday, October 20, 2:00
Where:  Studio 503 | On the One Music, 503 E. Washington St.
Cost: $50 (includes snacks, wine, N.A. beverages)
Contact: Deonna Kelli Sayed, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
"As Gary Nabhan has written, we can't meanigfully proceed with healing, with restoration, without a 're-story-ation'" (Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass). Singer-songwriter-guitarist, Abigail Dowd and writer-storyteller Deonna Kelli Sayed will host a creative exploration workshop for women/woman-identified to interrogate personal origin myths. Have you asked yourself: what stories do I carry that empower me? What stories keep me a champion of my own cage? Do I carry stories about myself that are no longer true? Were these stories ever true? Many of us lack a model for writing a new script about who we are and our place in the world. Maybe we feel that we don’t have permission to rewrite. Maybe we feel a revision is impossible. This three-hour workshop will involve writing prompts, dancing interludes, and song as ways to navigate new and emerging narratives about identity and becoming. This judgment free space is for expression and building supportive community. No special skills are required except a willingness to be vulnerable. All bodies, all women (and woman-identified), are welcomed. Please wear comforable clothes, socks (we will take our shoes off), and bring a sturdy notebook for writing.

LAYING BARE THE HEART: A SPIRITUAL POETRY DEEP DIVE
When: Saturday, October 26, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Where: Sylvan Pathways Retreat Center, 720 Chimney Rock Rd.
Cost: $30
Contact: Diana Engel, 336-329-3768 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Register: See below
An interactive reading and discernment workshop co-sponsored by Deep River Friends Meeting. Like a stone skipped across water, this workshop will voice Bible verses, then ripple outward to include poems from the Middle East (Rumi), Europe (Goethe, Rilke, Duffy), Japan (Tanikawa), and the U.S. (Rea, Restrepo Rhodes). Participants receive a binder of the poems covered and room to write their reactions/creative responses. Bring a writing utensil and bagged lunch. Contact Diana to preregister and send payment to her at 3971 Sorrell Court, High Point, NC 27265. *Preregistration and payment deadline is Sept. 28.* However, should you be interested but noticing this information too late, please contact Diana. There may be space left. Limited to first 15 preregistered participants.

TRANSFORMATION THROUGH THE POWER OF EXPRESSION
When: Saturday, October 26, 2:30 pm
Where: Benjamin Branch Library, 1530 Benjamin Pkwy
Cost: Free
Contact: 336-373-7540 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: https://library.greensboro-nc.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/64648/5186?curm=10&cury=2019
An experiential, interactive Benjamin Bards workshop with poet and counselor, Sage Chioma, Transformation Through the Power of Expression, blends storytelling, poetry, music, cognitive behavioral therapy, and reflective listening.

NEW! MARKETING KNOW-HOW
When: Sunday, October 20, 1:45-4:00 pm
Where: High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St.
Cost: Free
Led by Melissa Ramirez, co-author of The Tricked Out Toolbox: Promotion and Marketing Tools Every Writer Needs. Sponsored by Murder We Write.

GASTON COUNTY
GASTONIA
TUNES AND TALES - SONGS AND STORIES FROM THE PAST
When: Thursday, October 24, 6:45 pm
Where: Gastonia Conference Center, 145 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Way
Website: www.gastonarts.org
Imagine! Songs and Stories from Medieval Spain & Germany. Carolina Pro Musica brings music from the 1250s to life as they interpret Songs and Stories from Medieval Spain & Germany with tunes & tales - songs and stories from the past. Everyone likes stories! Come enjoy early instruments and voices. You might want to sing along! Refreshments provided.

HARNETT COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Harnett County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar..

HAYWOOD COUNTY
WAYNESVILLE
MOUNTAIN WRITERS MEETING

When: Second Tuesday of each month, 12:00 pm
Where: Panacea, 66 Commerce St.
Contact: Charley Pearson, charleyThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.mountainwritersnc.com
Open to the public with programs for aspiring and published writers of all genres.

HENDERSON COUNTY
FLETCHER
WRITERS GUILD OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
When: Second Thursday of every month, 1:30-3:30 pm
Where: Fletcher Public Library, 120 Library Rd.
Contact: John Waterman, 828-296-9983 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
All writers are invited to join us for a lively discussion about our current projects related to publishing and marketing our work. Learn tricks and techniques from published authors and aspiring writers. Reveal your own convictions.

HENDERSONVILLE
BLUE RIDGE WRITERS' SUPPORT GROUP
When: First and third Mondays, 2:00-4:00 pm
Where: County Parks and Recreation Athletics and Activity Center, 708 S. Grove St.
Contact: Tom Hooker, 828-691-0118 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Blue Ridge Writers’ Support Group is open to anyone seriously interested in being published. The current facilitator is Tom Hooker.

OPEN MIC NIGHT
When: Third Monday of the month, 5:15:-7:45 pm
Where: Henderson County Public Library, 301 N. Washington St.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Contact: Meagan Lucas, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Charlie Wilkinson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
The North Carolina Writers' Network invites writers to share their work at Open Mic Night. Poets, fiction writers, playwrights, essayists, memoirists, etc. are welcomed. To read: sign up between 5:30 and 6:00 pm. Readings are from 6:00-7:30 pm and are timed, beginning when reader starts speaking: prose is five minutes and poetry is three minutes.

LOST PLAYWRIGHTS MEETING
When: Monthly (dates vary), 2:00 pm
Where: Henderson County Library auditorium, 301 N. Washington St.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Playwrights read scenes from their works. Persons interested in creative writing or theatre are invited to attend.

IREDELL COUNTY
STATESVILLE
IREDELL COUNTY WRITERS GROUP
When: First Tuesday of the month, 11:00 am
Where: Iredell County Public Library, 201 N. Tradd St. - Conference Rm.
Contact: Billie-Fae Gerard Gill, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published and unpublished writers are welcome to participate. Outside speakers and regular learning opportunities available. Work will be critqued upon request. Currently averaging twelve writers per meeting.

JACKSON COUNTY
SYLVA
COFFEE WITH THE POET
When: Third Thursday of each month, 10:30 am
Where: City Lights Bookstore, 3 E. Jackson St.
Contact: 828-586-9499

JOHNSTON COUNTY
SMITHFIELD
JOHNSTON COUNTY WRITERS GROUP MOVES TO SMITHFIELD
When: Second Thursday of every month, 6:00–7:45 pm
Where: Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, 305 E. Market St.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: Facebook and Meetup.com
We are a diverse group of working writers ranging from beginner to advanced. We share information, critique each other’s work, host guest authors, and schedule meetups, write-ins and open mics in Selma, Four Oaks, Princeton and more. Guest author September 12 is Wanda Robinson Lee. Facilitator is NCWN member Cindy Brookshire.

LEE COUNTY
SANFORD
FIRST THURSDAY'S TAKE 5 POETRY & PROSE OPEN MIC
When: First Thursday of every month, 6:00-8:00 pm
Where: Karma Boutique and Coffee Bar, 131 Wicker St.
Cost: Free
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/KarmaandCoffee/events
Treat yourself to the friendliest open mic around where encouragement and enthusiastic applause abound! Enjoy the sharing of original poetry and prose in blocks lasting up to five minutes each from 6:00-8:00 pm on the First Thursday of every month. Open mic sign-up begins at 5:30 pm. As time allows, writers may be invited to read a second time during the evening and anyone who didn't originally sign up to read will be encouraged to give it a go. Come share your work or just come ENJOY!

LENOIR COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Lenoir County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

LINCOLN COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Lincoln County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

MACON COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Macon County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

MADISON COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Madison County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

MCDOWELL COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in McDowell County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

MECKLENBURG COUNTY
CHARLOTTE
PEN TO PAPER
When: Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30 am
Where: Charlotte Lit, 1817 Central Ave. - Rm. 302
Cost: Free
Are you a writer or aspiring writer looking for an intentional and supportive writing community? A group that prompts and propels you? People to help you get unstuck? Someone to ask questions? Help in developing a regular writing practice? Charlotte Lit’s “Pen to Paper” is a weekly gathering for aspiring writers: anyone who is starting (or restarting) to write, or established writers who want the learning and growth that comes with wise guidance and group support. “Pen to Paper” is led by author Megan Rich.

WEDNESDAYS @LIT
When: Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Charlotte Lit, 1817 Central Ave. -- Ste. 302
Cost: Free (members) / $20 (non-members)
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.charlottelit.org/wednesdays
Join Charlotte Lit members for inspiring and educational community gatherings. Events rotate through four formats: Lit Writes (write-ins), Lit Chats (facilitated conversations), Lit Reads (member readings), and Lit Shops (workshops).

THE CHARLOTTE POETRY COLLECTIVE
When: Second Thursday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: C3 Lab, 2525 Distribution St.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://m.facebook.com/TheCharlottePoetryCollective
A new, free critique group!

WRITER'S WORKSHOP
When: Second Saturday of the month, 2:00-4:00 pm
Where: CML Library - Beatties Ford Road Regional, 2412 Beatties Ford Rd.
Cost: Free
Website: http://events.cmlibrary.org/eventsignup.asp?ID=311737
Thanks to writer Evangeline Billy, the Beattie's Ford Road Branch Library now offer a Writer’s Workshop. No fees or dues. Open to scripters of all genres, an arena to hone skills, get critiques, and be among other script creators. Read your written and spoken word to an audience, learn how to critique, update punctuation skills, prepare, plan, complete your works, and create new ones. The Beatties Ford Writers Workshop is all about that ink.

CHARLOTTE WRITERS' CLUB THIRD TUESDAYS
When: Third Tuesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Rd. - Rm. 104
Website: www.charlottewritersclub.org/home
Charlotte Writers' Club 3rd Tuesday monthly meeting. Guests welcome. Since 1922 Charlotte Writers' Club, "Celebrating the Written Word."

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT MUG'S COFFEE
When: Third Friday of the Month, 7:00 pm
Where: Mug's Coffee, 5126 Park Rd. - #1d
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/charlotte-writers-club-open-mic-night-tickets-45628949416
This is a great opportunity for our members to share what they've written and gain experience reading in public. This is a necessary skill to promote your writing. The added benefit is being able to network with other writers. Hosted by the Charlotte Writers' Club and Mug's Coffee.

BIBLIOFEST 2019
When: Monday, October 21, 6:00 pm
Where: Maggiano's Little Italy, 4400 Sharon Rd.
Cost: $55 (members) / $70 (non-members)
Contact: Susan Walker, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 704-439-4596
Info/Tickets: www.wnba-charlotte.org/bibliofeast2019
Hosted by the Women's National Book Association, Charlotte Chapter. At this “moveable feast,” attendees meet and dine with regional authors, who move from table to table to converse with guests. Participating authors (and their current titles)include: Belle Boggs, Jim Hamilton, Karla FC Holloway, Bruce Holsinger, Anna Jean Mayhew, Diane C. McPhail, Jon Sealy, and Amber Smith. Price includes a 3-course dinner and pre-cocktail party (cash bar) and author presentations and conversation. All in celebration of National Reading Group Month.

NONFICTION WRITING ON CAFFEINE
When: Saturday, October 26, 1:00 pm
Where: Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Rd.
Cost: $30 (members), $40 (non-members)
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: www.charlottewritersclub.org/workshops
There's always a deadline and even if it's a tight one, there's no need for your creativity to get stifled. A session on how you can streamline and elevate your copy when time is short. A good class for historians, freelancers or anyone else who have to gather facts and build an engaging narrative from them. Taught by Mark Washburn, who spent decades in the newspaper industry playing against the clock. 

NEW! SAGA
When: March 6-8, 2020
Where: Charlotte Hilton University Place, 8629 J M Keynes Dr.
Cost: Varies
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: www.sagaconference.com
SAGA is the professional development conference for genre fiction writers. Featuring two days of workshops, presentations, and panels from professional, published writers on business and craft, SAGA blends the fun and camaraderie of a science fiction and fantasy convention with the educational opportunities of a writing conference. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and talk with best sellers and successful midlist authors and learn what it really takes to be a professional writer. SAGA students can buy books from attending faculty, pitch their ideas to agents, editors, and publishers, and take the next step in building their writing career. Learn from the pros. Hone your craft. Write your saga.

CHARLOTTE LIT – CLASSES
When: More than 40 classes from September to May
Where: Charlotte Lit, 1817 Central Ave. - Rm. 208
Cost: Varies
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Info/Register: https://www.charlottelit.org
Charlotte Lit offers craft classes for writers and arts-based classes for everyone, led by some of the area's best writers and teachers. See website for current course listing.

HUNTERSVILLE
WATERBEAN POETRY NIGHT AT THE MIC
When: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Waterbean Coffee, 9705 Sam Furr Rd. - Unit A
Cost: Free
Contact: Leslie M. Rupracht, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Co-hosted by Pinesong editor, and former Iodine Poetry Journal editor Leslie M. Rupracht. We have a featured poet/writer do a reading, followed by open mic. (Sign up for open mic by 7:15.) Waterbean Coffee at Northcross Shopping Center is a fantastic venue offering a variety of coffee, tea, desserts, beer, and wine by the bottle.

MITCHELL COUNTY
SPRUCE PINE
MAYLAND WRITERS’ GROUP
When: Last Monday of each month, 6:00 pm
Where: Spruce Pine Public Library, 142 Walnut Ave.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or 828-467-4208
Members bring in material to critique. Prose and poetry are welcome.

MOORE COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Moore County? Send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NC Literary Calendar.

NASH COUNTY
ROCKY MOUNT
NCWN DOWN EAST WRITERS OF NASH-PITT-WILSON COUNTIES
When: Third Saturday of the month, 1:00-2:00 pm
Where: The Bel Air Artisans Center, 115 S. Church St.
Contact: Celestine  Davis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 252-526-7353
The NCWN Down East Writers of Nash-Pitt-Wilson Counties will host opportunities for writers of all genres to stir up their creative juices with stimulating writing prompts, quality feedback, and occasional open-mic style readings with special guests. Sponsored by the North Carolina Writers' Network.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY
WILMINGTON
DISCUSSION AND DISCOVERY
When: Wednesdays, 6:00 pm
Where: Athenian Bookstore & Lounge, 2231 Wrightsville Ave.
Cost: Free
Contact: Lori Wilson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Discover women and femme identified writers! Come to our weekly book club and free write where no advance reading is necessary. Every week we will read excerpts from thought provoking essays, stories, and poems to expand our wheelhouse and continue our exploration of diversity. We will be selecting excerpts from books carried in-house and delving into discussions on themes and perspectives that we may have grasped from immersing ourselves in these texts. Don't worry, no prior reading required! With titles changing weekly and free writing during our discussions, Discussion & Diversity is not something you'll want to miss out on!

FEMME SPEAK OUT
When: First Friday of the month
Where: Gravity Records, 612 Castle St.
Cost: Free
Website: https://athenianpw.org
To learn from, feel, and understand what the community of women and femme voices has to say. Hosted by Athenian Press & Workshops.

OPEN MIC POETRY NIGHT
When: Second Friday of the month, 6:30 pm
Where: Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave.
Join poets for a lively night of readings, open mics, and community building. Bring your own poems or those of your favorite poet to read orj just enjoy the atmosphere. Hosted by Jean Jones and John Evans.

PORT CITY PLAYWRIGHTS' PROJECT
When: Two Saturdays a month, 11:00 am
Where: New Hanover County Public Library System (TBD)
Contact: Susan M. Steadman, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://portcityplaywrights.wordpress.com/
The Port City Playwrights' Project, a community of writers for stage and screen, will meet to critique scripts. Newcomers are always welcome. This community of writers for stage and screen hosts always lively discussions and will focus on plays in development for a 2019 script-in-hand production.

ATHENTIAN AT LARGE
When: Sundays, 3:00 pm
Where: Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave.
Cost: Free
Contact: Lori Wilson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 919-961-5071
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/1794744290830597
Athenian Press & Workshops is reintroducing it's At Large series for the 2019 year. Every Sunday, we will hold a town-hall style community meeting in which woman and femme creators (artists, writers, arts entrepreneurs, etc.) are invited to discuss current events. The At Large series provides an opportunity to connect with fellow creators and survivors of marginalization, and it offers a forum to use writing as healing. Each week, the Athenian team invites its guest to participate in a writing prompt at the end of the meeting. The meeting is followed by Athenian Yoga with Heather Gordy, who curates a practice that allows guests to decompress, explore creativity, and reflect upon the discussion (although both events can occur independently if guests cannot attend both). Join our team to explore, create, and takeover!

ATHENIAN YOGA WITH HEATHER GORDY
When: Sundays, 4:00 pm
Where: Athenian Bookstore & Lounge, 2231 Wrightsville Ave.
Cost: Free
Join the Athenian team for our weekly yoga practice with certified yoga instructor Heather Gordy. Heather will be offering all level yoga classes specifically designed to help build internal strength, empowerment, confidence, and self-love. Each week she will guide you through asanas to help open the heart, encourage balance through everyday life, and find healing of the body and mind. These classes will be held after our “Athenian At Large” meetings and will serve as a time where you can find release of tension in the body and pull from your own inner strength to feel self-love and compassion. Please join us as we dive into the practice of yoga to form connection and help in supporting each other as we grow together.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Northampton County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ONSLOW COUNTY
TOPSAIL WRITERS
HOLLY RIDGE
When: Second and Fourth Saturdays of the month
Where: 4 C's Java, 1601 E. Ocean Hwy.
Cost: Free
Contact: Edward Wills, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 910-382-0293
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Topsail-Writers
Are you an author, blogger, or writer of any sort? Do you want to become one? If so, you are invited to join your peers at Topsail Writers. The group is made of published authors, students, and those beginning to explore writing careers. Meetings typically last for two hours with the first hour reserved for a discussion of a writing-related topic and the second for communal writing time. Participants are encouraged to bring a computer.

ORANGE COUNTY
CARRBORO
JUMPSTART YOUR WRITING: A WEEKLY PROMPT WRITING CLASS FOR WOMEN
When: Thursdays, 6:00-8:30 pm OR Fridays, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm
Where: The studio of Nancy Peacock
Cost: $120 per month
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website:  www.NancyPeacockBooks.com

WRITING GROUP FOR WOMEN
When: Mondays (10:30 am - 1:00 pm) or Thursdays (10:30 am - 1:00 pm)
Where: The studio of Nancy Peacock
Cost: $145 per month 
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website:  www.NancyPeacockBooks.com
This group is for women who are working in or who wish to work in fiction and/or memoir. Personal essays, short stories, or longer sustained works are welcome. Nancy Peacock is the author of the novels Life Without Water (chosen as a New York Times Notable), Home Across the Road, The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson, and the memoir A Broom of One's Own (five stars from Cheryl Strayed).

CHAPEL HILL

CHAPEL HILL FRIDAY NOON POETS
When: Friday's, 12:30-1:30 pm
Where: Amity United Methodist Church, 825 Estes Dr.
Contact: Dave Manning, 919-462-3695
Informal meetings every Friday. Read your poetry or poems of others. Free parking, side entrance. All are welcome!

FLYLEAF BOOKS SECOND THURSDAY READING SERIES
When: Second Thursday of the month, 7:00-8:30 pm
Where: Flyleaf Books, 752 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Contact: Pam Baggett, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Joan Barasovska, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This monthly reading series is co-hosted by Pam Baggett and Joan Barasovska and sponsored by Flyleaf  Books. An informal get-together before the reading will begin around 6:00 at the Root Cellar, next door to Flyleaf. Please join the group for an hour of conversation. Featured readers will each read for approximately twenty minutes and, after a short break for the readers to sign books, there will be an open poetry mic. Please sign up to read no later than 7:00 pm.

PROMPT WRITING WITH NANCY PEACOCK
When: Second Saturday of the month, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Flyleaf Books, 752 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Prompt Writing: Serious writing begins with playful writing. Please join this unique ongoing group of supportive adult writers and play your way into the possibilities of the written word. Fun group and great community. No need to register. Just show up with paper and pen.

NEW! PLANT YOUR POEM (OR STORY) + SEED
When: Saturday, November 2, 1:00 pm
Where: Chapel Hill Library, 100 Library Dr.
Cost: $35
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.taralynnegroth.com/writing-classes.html
After a series of nature-inspired writing prompts, write a poem/story on plantable paper to plant in a small pot to take home. Let your words infuse the seeds and then watch it grow. All materials provided. We'll also have a seed swap table and everyone is welcome to bring/take seeds. This event is NOT organized by the library, we are simply using their space.

GOOD BOOK? BAD BOOK? AN INTRO WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS
When: Sunday, November 3, 1:30 pm
Where: Susie Wilde's, 7400 Talbryn Way
Cost: $34.00
Contact: Susie Wilde, 919-357-3474, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.ignitingwriting.com
Register: https://artscenterlive.secure.force.com/ticket/#sections_a0F1Q00000UfzJ6UAJ
Susie Wilde shares books from her celebrated collection of truly terrible “bad children’s books” as well as some of her favorites. Workshop participants will examine books in small groups. Their evaluations will lead to the development of a criteria list of what makes good children’s book writing succeed.

HILLSBOROUGH
WRITERS' WORKSHOP WITH DAVID PAYNE
When: Thursdays,  6:00-7:30 pm (Group 1); Thursdays, 8:00-9:30 pm (Group 2)
Where: Location provided upon registration
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.davidpaynebook.com
David Payne teaches two ongoing Thursday night writing workshops in Hillsborough. A member of the Founding Faculty in the Queens University of Charlotte MFA Writing Program, David has also taught and served as writer-in-residence at Bennington, Duke, Hollins, and elsewhere. He is the author of five novels—including Early from the Dance, Ruin Creek, and Back to Wando Passo--and a memoir, Barefoot to Avalon, published by Grove Atlantic Press. David has recently completed a screenplay of Barefoot to Avalon for Oscar-nominated director Giulio Ricciarelli. David’s Thursday evening classes—MFA-level workshops limited to six members per section—is open to fiction and nonfiction writers.

PENDER COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Pender County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

PERQUIMANS COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Perquimans County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

PITT COUNTY
GREENVILLE
NCWN DOWN EAST WRITERS OF NASH-PITT-WILSON COUNTIES
When: Third Saturday of the month, 10 :00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: The Great Harvest Bread Company, 2803 Evans St.
Contact: Celestine Davis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The NCWN Down East Writers of Nash-Pitt-Wilson Counties will host opportunities for writers of all genres to stir up their creative juices with stimulating writing prompts, quality feedback, and occasional open-mic style readings with special guests. This is a monthly event  put on by the North Carolina Writers' Network.

POLK COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Polk County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

RANDOLPH  COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Randolph County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ROBESON COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Robeson County?  Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

ROWAN COUNTY
KANNAPOLIS
CABARRUS-ROWAN WRITER'S NIGHT OUT / OPEN MIC
When: Fourth Thursday of the month, 6:30 pm 
Where: French Express Internet and Cyber Cafe, 2087 Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Blvd. (at Rt. 29, around the corner from Planet Fitness) / https://www.facebook.com/FrenchExpressNC
Contact: Vincent Vezza, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This is a great venue to meet and greet with others in your craft. Typically, we share news of upcoming events of interest to writers; we discuss the status of our various projects--and of course, we always have an open mic. Come early, get a cup of something good from the French Express, and sign up for a spot to read your poetry or short prose pieces. All are welcome. Keep up to date by following the blog at www.albertoperez.co/guild.html. Members have their short stories, poetry and other work listed for others to enjoy. This is a monthly event  put on by the North Carolina Writers' Network.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Rutherford County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

SCOTLAND COUNTY
WAGRAM
BLACK WOMEN WRITING IN WILDERNESS CAMPING RETREAT
When: October 18-20
Where: Lumber River State Park
Cost: $125
Info/Register: https://herstorygardenstudios.com/workshops-%26-events
Imagine smelling that peppery morning misty smell of fall, and feeling that wide open-chested feeling after a night's sleep under the stars with other Black Women Writing Warriors. Smell the coffee on the fire, feel your senses so alert that you can't help but to journal and put those words down on the page. Zelda Lockhart will facilitate your wilderness experience, some journal prompts, and a gentle nature hike along the river. Fee covers facilitation by Zelda, Dinner Friday, lunch and dinner cooked by Zelda on Saturday, and coffee of course. Breakfast is on your own, and we will all bring snacks to share.

STANLY COUNTY
Know of a literary event happening in Stanly County? Send a brief notice to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the NCWN Literary Calendar.

SURRY COUNTY
MT. AIRY
AUTHOR DRAFT OPEN MIC
When: Last Friday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: 449 N. Andy Griffith Hwy - Ste. 800
Contact: 336-755-2158
We welcome all authors and genres. All readers and listeners are welcome. Readers will be given 5 minutes to read. We will start at 7:00 pm and try to allow all authors to read. We will limit to 15 readers.

SWAIN COUNTY
BRYSON CITY
PINTS, POEMS, AND PROSE
When: Second Thursday of the month, 7:00 pm
Where: Nantahala Brewing, 61 Depot St.
Cost: Free
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/652293538542509
Nantahala Brewing Company, in collaboration with North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, is thrilled to announce its first writers' open mic, which will be held on Thursday, April 11—recurring every second Thursday of the month. Open to the public, PINTS, POEMS, & PROSE is an effort to cultivate and celebrate the rich culture of poetry and storytelling that exists in Swain County and the surrounding communities of western NC. Join award-winning poet and author of The Geese Who Might be Gods, Benjamin Cutler, and award-winning novelist and author of the forthcoming novel Even As We Breathe, Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, for an evening of good words and good drink. Writers in all stages of development are welcome to read their work, and everyone is welcome to listen and enjoy. Event begins at 7:00, and open mic sign-ups will begin at 6:45 for ten-minute reading sessions. Share a poem, share a story, share a beer.