Are you ready to celebrate 40 years of writing with the Carteret Writers community?
Join us April 15 for an exciting one-day conference filled with learning, inspiration, and community building. The conference will feature experienced writers leading workshops on craft, and publishing industry professionals will share their insights in an afternoon panel. The day will end with a lively cocktail hour featuring live music. Here’s a closer look at the talented faculty who will be leading the conference:
Thomas Kies – Conference MC
As an Edgar-nominated mystery writer and Carteret County legend, Thomas Kies will guide us through a day of informative workshops, inspiring speeches, and engaging activities. With his years of experience in the publishing industry and a passion for storytelling, Kies knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Sara Johnson – Keynote Speaker & Fiction Workshop Facilitator: The Importance of Setting
Sara E. Johnson, an experienced forensic mystery writer, will be giving an inspiring keynote and leading a fiction workshop on the importance of setting. With her fourth novel in the Alexa Glock series set to release in June 2023, Sara’s books will delight science geeks, armchair travelers, and procedural buffs who like a little romance with their body count.
John DeDakis – Afternoon Panelist & Fiction Workshop Facilitator: Buffing and Polishing: The Art of the Rewrite
Award-winning novelist, writing coach, and manuscript editor John DeDakis will lead a fiction workshop on the art of the rewrite. He will also be part of the afternoon panel discussion on publishing and editing, bringing his years of experience as a former editor on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”
Tim Hatcher – Creative Non-Fiction Workshop Facilitator: Running With An Egg: Creative Nonfiction from idea to publishing
Tim Hatcher, an experienced quality inspector, human resources teacher, and editor, will lead a creative non-fiction workshop on taking an idea from conception to publishing. Hatcher is also an avid saltwater angler and a semi-professional, part-time musician.
Malaika King Albrecht – Poetry Workshop Facilitator: Zen Telegrams and Other Prompts for Writing Epistolary Poems
Renowned poet and author Malaika King Albrecht will lead a poetry workshop on writing epistolary poems. As a founding editor of Redheaded Stepchild, an online magazine that only accepts rejected poems, Albrecht has a unique perspective on poetry.
Afternoon Panelists
The afternoon panel discussion on publishing and editing will feature a diverse group of industry professionals, including Ed Southern, executive director of the North Carolina Writers’ Network; Robin Miura, publisher and editor-in-chief of Blair Publishing; L. Diane Wolfe, founder and CEO of Dancing Lemur Press; and John DeDakis, novelist, writing coach, teacher, and manuscript editor.
Afternoon Presentations
In addition to the workshops and panel discussion, the conference will also feature presentations by Rose Cushing on podcasting and Sherri Hollister on the Alliance of Independent Authors.
