Small Press Fest
2024-03-21 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Join Carteret Writers this March to celebrate Small Press Month. Whether you’re an aspiring author or an experienced writer looking for fresh publishing avenues, this event offers a rare opportunity to learn from those who know the world of small press intimately. Understand the benefits of partnering with a small press, including personalized attention, creative freedom, and close collaboration. Connect with fellow writers who share your passion and curiosity for alternative publishing paths. Hear from authors who have thrived in the small press environment. Small presses play a vital role in our literary landscape, nurturing unique voices and providing opportunities often overlooked by larger publishers. If you’ve ever considered this route for your book or simply want to learn more about the vibrant world of small press publishing, Small Press Fest is for you.

Spring Poetry Soirée
2024-04-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Join us in celebrating the beauty, depth, and diversity of poetry. Expect a workshop let by Carteret Writers member poet Franco Pagnucci and New Bern poet Suzanne “Coco” Cockerille of Shiny Butter Blog, an open mic poetry reading, and time to mingle with fellow poetry lovers, exchange ideas, and discover new inspirations. Our National Poetry Month-inspired event offers a warm and welcoming space for poets and poetry enthusiasts to come together to experience rhythm, rhyme, and literary delight.

Lightning Pitch Publishing Workshop & Feedback Session
2024-05-11 09:00 - 17:00 | History Museum of Carteret County, 1008 US-70, Morehead City, North Carolina, 28557, United States
How Do I Successfully Navigate the Path to Publication?

Get up close and personal with the world of publishing at our Lightning Pitch Publishing Workshop & Feedback Session! Start your day with workshops led by UNCW’s Sayantani Dasgupta and Hannah Abrams. These sessions are designed to refine your work and prepare it for publication.

Enjoy a catered lunch from Infusion Café during our networking hour, where you can connect with fellow writers and industry professionals. The afternoon will bring small group critiques by our guest editors Amanda Gawthorpe of Blue Ink Press and Steve Lindahl of Flying South, offering personalized, constructive feedback to help push your work forward.

Event Highlights:

Expert-led publishing workshops

Catered networking lunch

Personalized critique sessions with guest editors

This event is a must for any writer looking to polish their work and understand the nuances of getting published. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding writer, there’s invaluable insight for everyone.

Learn more.

Summer Season Send-Off
2024-05-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Join us for the final Carteret Writers social of the 2023-2024 season and the final flourish of your current CW Board before we hand over the reins to a brand new board! At this special gathering, we’ll celebrate our new board members before our annual summer break. Don’t miss the chance to share your voice during the open mic session, where you’re invited to present your latest short masterpiece (five minutes and under). It’s a perfect opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow writers and toast to a new season of creative success. See you there for an afternoon of inspiration and fellowship!

Event Features:

Announcement of new board members

Open mic session for member writings

Networking and socializing with fellow writers

Note: This will be our last event until we reconvene at the end of August. Make sure to mark your calendars and come celebrate with us!

Spark Zone with Stanley Trice
2024-06-11 16:00 - 18:00 | Craven-Pamlico Regional Library, 400 Johnson St, New Bern, NC, 28560, United States
On June 11 at 4 pm at the Craven-Pamlico Regional Library / 408 Hancock St, New Bern. Local Author Stanley Trice leads a workshop/class for creative writers at 4 p.m. every second Tuesday afternoon of the month. Everyone is welcome! This month, local author, experiencer, and NC leader of Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) will be leading our discussion about her memoir and how she experienced and wrote about her encounters with non-Earth life. Please register in advance at the New Bern Library Adult Services Reference Desk or online at NBAdultPrograms@mycprl.org.

Shelby Dean Stephenson Literary Award Submission Deadline
2024-07-31 08:00 - 17:00 | NC
Cushing Publishing is sponsoring The Shelby Dean Stephenson Literary Award. Submissions in prose, poetry, and photography (cover art) will be accepted between June 21 and July 31, 2024. Winning work will be published in their literary journal Back Roads and Low Tides. Prize money will be $200 per category. Non-winning entries may be submitted for publication on our literary journal during our open submission window. Opening August 1 through September 15, 2024. All the details on available at www.cushingpublishing.com, specifically on the contest page here.

Writing Poetry with Emily Carter
2024-08-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Join award-winning writer and lyricist Emily Carter for four-evenings of poetry writing workshops.

Authors Day at the Olde Beaufort Farmers' Market
2024-08-17 09:00 - 13:00 | NC
Local Authors Day at the Olde Beaufort Farmers’ Market

Saturday, 17 August, 9am to 1pm

Authors’ spots are full. Contact Susan Schmidt with questions: susu@ec.rr.com

August 2024 CW Meet-Up
2024-08-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Hello Members and Prospective Members –

We are returning from summer break, excited to see new and familiar faces. All are welcome! On Wednesday August 21st from 4-6pm, please join us at Reeds Coffee in downtown Morehead City.

Bring your head! A head full of ideas for the next two years and a head for taking headshots.

Local photographer Terrell Gould will be on hand to take updated headshots for members throughout the meeting. Photos will be emailed to members.

While we pose, we’ll discuss ideas for the next few years of Carteret Writers and wrap up with a chance to read work aloud (sign-up sheet will be at the meeting). We can’t wait to hear what you have to share. See you there!

Creative Writing with Tom Kies
2024-09-09 17:30 - 19:30 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Enjoy four evenings of creative writing workshops with author of the Geneva Chase Mystery Series Tom Kies.

September 2024 CW Meet-Up
2024-09-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Hello Members and Prospective Members –

We are excited to see new and familiar faces on Wednesday September 18th from 4-6pm at Reeds Coffee in downtown Morehead City.

Local author and Emerald Isle Books owner Curt Finch will speak about publishing and the book business, and we will have time to read and socialize.

All are welcome!

Songwriting with Emily & John Carter
2024-10-14 17:30 - 19:30 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Join award-winning writer and lyricist Emily Carter and her husband John “Smokin’ Hot Love Biscuit” Carter of musical duo Old Age and Treachery for four-evenings of songwriting workshops.

October 2024 CW Meet-Up
2024-10-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Join Carteret Writers at Reed’s Coffee in downtown Morehead City from 4-6pm on October 16th for our monthly meet-up.

Emily Saunders from Elysian Players will discuss the one-act play competition and playwriting, then we will give feedback in small genre-targeted groups. Please bring a piece of writing you would like critiqued (option to print five additional copies if possible). Aim for a piece that can be read in five minutes, approximately five hundred words.

November 2024 CW Meet-Up
2024-11-20 16:00 - 18:00 | Spoondrift, 320 Salter Path Rd, Pine Knoll Shores, 28512, United States
Wordsgiving is back!

Join us Wednesday November 20th from 4-6pm at Spoondrift, located within the Bogue Banks Public Library building in Pine Knoll Shores (beside the fire/police station).

We will have a potluck, so bring your favorite dish. We will set up food in the Library Art Gallery, load plates of yummy goodness, and meet in Spoondrift. Spoondrift will have wine and beer for sale.

Please bring a short piece of writing to share for an Open Mic, preferably related to your potluck dish OR to Thanksgiving. Pieces should be five minutes or less when read aloud. Poetry, creative nonfiction, short story – surprise us!

All are welcome.

December 2024 CW Meet-Up
2024-12-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Clawsons Restaurant, 425 Front St, Beaufort, North Carolina, 28516, United States
Let’s celebrate a year of writing together December 18th from 4-6pm at Clawson’s Restaurant on the Beaufort waterfront.

We will be in the private back room, with a community poem activity and a white elephant gift exchange. Bring a WRAPPED BOOK to give, and receive one in return! We will be able to order food and drink as well. All are welcome!

January 2025 CW Meet-Up
2025-01-15 16:00 - 18:00 | Carteret Community College, 3505 Arendell St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
On Wednesday, January 15th, Carteret Writers will participate in a Zoom workshop with Shuly Cawood. Cawood has published books in multiple genres and leads several online workshops. We will be participating in a version of Cawood’s “Let’s Write Together” workshop, targeted to our group. The plan is to meet in person and participate together, having Cawood on a big screen for the group.

We will meet at Carteret Community College, in Wayne West 309.

February 2025 CW Meet-Up
2025-02-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Clawsons Restaurant, 425 Front St, Beaufort, North Carolina, 28516, United States
Our February meet-up will occur on Wednesday, 2/19 from 4-6pm at Clawson’s Restaurant in Beaufort. We will participate in a Carteret Critique, passing our work to fellow writers for feedback, using constructive critique guidelines. Please bring 3-5 pages of work, stapled or otherwise attached together. Each reviewer will spend fifteen minutes on a piece of writing before passing it along to the next reader.

Don’t worry about the exact length of your writing – short pieces will leave extra time for reader reflection, and longer works will receive feedback on their first pages but maybe not the ending. Please do use a standard font in at least 12 point – the more legible your work, the better chances of usable feedback.

March 2025 CW Meet-Up
2025-03-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Join us for our monthly meet-up, for new and prospective members. We are returning to Reed’s Coffee in downtown Morehead City, where Meganne Smith, our president, will lead a creative writing workshop. We will have a discussion then write together. All are welcome.

April 2025 CW Meet-Up
2025-04-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Carteret Community College Student Center, 3505 Arendell St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Our April Meet-Up features both a poetry open mic and a publishing presenter. All are welcome.

We will begin with a poetry open mic in honor of National Poetry Month. Please bring five minutes or so of poetry to read. Not a poet? Bring what you have, and if we run out of poems, who knows what we will hear ; )

Then, Michelle Garren-Flye of Next Chapter Books will speak about publishing programs and platforms. Michelle has published widely – novels, books of poetry, a blog, even a literary magazine. Her experience is vast.

We will meet at Carteret Community College in Room 3215 in the Bryant Student Center. See you there.

Summer Break 2025
2025-05-20 08:00 - 2025-08-20 17:00 | NC
See you in August – stay tuned for announcements about the Summer Doldrums Challenge!

May 2025 CW Meet-Up
2025-05-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Join us for our last meet-up until September, as we celebrate writing together at Reed’s Coffee in downtown Morehead City. What’s gone well for you in your writing world this year? What will you be working on over the summer? Let’s share our successes and goals, maybe have a glass of wine, and bring something short to read (5min or less) as time allows.

Summer Doldrums Writing Challenge
2025-07-21 08:00 - 2025-08-03 20:00 | NC
It’s time for the long-awaited Summer Doldrums writing challenge! At the end of July, we are cooling off with a jump into two weeks of writing prompts. Join us, writing as much and often as you like – no commitment, no pressure – just you, a notepad or laptop, and the sweet hum of the air conditioning unit making magic together.If you participated previously, you know the drill. At the beginning of each day of the challenge, we’ll email a prompt designed to carry your writing to new worlds. Let the prompt take you where it will, and when you’re finished, email us your word count and Golden Line.What are Golden Lines, you ask? A Golden Line is your favorite quote from your response to that day’s prompt. Golden Lines total 100 words or less – a snippet of greatness. A Golden Line could be your opening sentence, a bit of dialogue, or any other compelling excerpt from your daily response.When we meet up in the fall, we will reward participants with prizes for word count, participation, and best Golden Lines. We will vote for Golden Lines on the website, a delightful chance to see your words in print and share them with friends.We look forward to seeing what you submit. Join the Summer Doldrums Writing Challenge today!How do I participate? 1. Email carteretwriters@gmail.com with the words “Join Summer Doldrums” and your name. 2. Check your email inbox each morning from Monday, July 21 through Sunday, August 3, 2025 for a writing prompt. 3. Write write write write write 4. Respond to the daily email with your word count (the total # of words you wrote in response to the prompt) and your Golden Line (your favorite line of 100 words or fewer from your daily writing). 5. Watch the website or newsletter for updates on Meet-Up dates and voting for Golden Lines.All writers are welcome to participate but must be a member to win.

August 2025 Meetup
2025-08-20 16:00 - 18:00 | Reed’s Coffee + Art + Frames, 812 Evans St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Join us for an engaging and creative afternoon with fellow writers! Here’s what we have planned:

📝 Committee Updates: Hear brief reports on the exciting work being done by our committees.

📸 Headshots: A professional photographer will be available to take author headshots.

🎤 Open Mic: Share a short piece of your work during our member readings.

✍️ Author Bio Discussion: Our guest speaker, Author Tom Kies, will bring insight to crafting our author bios

֍ Awards: We will award prizes for Summer Doldrums

Come connect, create, and be inspired!

September 2025 Meetup
2025-09-17 16:00 - 18:00 | No Name Pizza, 5227 Hwy 70 W, Morehead City, North Carolina, 28557, United States
Our September Meet-Up will be at No Name Pizza Banquet room in Morehead City. Join us for a fun game, a short writing exercise, and the Golden Line award. All are welcome!

October 2025 Meetup
2025-10-22 16:00 - 18:00 | Arts Council of Carteret County, 1702 Arendell St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Monthly member meetup. All are welcome. Note we are going to meet the 4th week of October this month at the Arts Council of Carteret County building in the Big Rock Room.

Wordsgiving
2025-11-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Arts Council of Carteret County, 1702 Arendell St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Wordsgiving is back!

Join us Wednesday November 19th from 4-6pm at The Arts Council of Carteret County located on Arendell Street in Morehead City

We will have a potluck, so bring your favorite dish. We will set up food in the Big Rock Room, which has plenty of outlets for crockpots and a microwave.

Please bring a short piece of writing to share for an Open Mic, preferably related to the season OR to Thanksgiving or anything you like. Pieces should be five minutes or less when read aloud. Poetry, creative nonfiction, short story – surprise us!

December Member Meetup
2025-12-17 04:00 - 18:00 | Arts Council of Carteret County, 1702 Arendell St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
December Member Meetup

Let’s celebrate a year of writing together December 17th from 4-6pm at The Arts Council of Carteret County in the Big Rock Room

We plan the annual White Elephant Book exchange (Please bring a wrapped book to change) an Open Mic and some cozy refreshments.

Come Join Us

January Member Meetup
2026-01-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Arts Council of Carteret County, 1702 Arendell St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
We will meet at the Big Rock Room in the Arts Council Building on the 21st at 4:00 p.m. Bring your writing supplies as we will tour the latest offerings in the council space and exercise our ekphrastic poetry muscles in preparation for Art From the Heart. An open mic time will be offered.

Art From the Heart Ekphrastic Poetry Contest
2026-01-27 12:00 - 2026-01-29 12:00 | Atlantic Station, 1010 W Fort Macon Rd, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512, USA
2026

Art From The Heart Ekphrastic Poetry Contest

Key Dates:

January 27-28 – view art during show set up and artwork hanging (noon-5 pm)

January 29, noon – poems due

Art From the Heart Adult Art Show – January 29 – February 12

Prizes awarded at conclusion of show based on audience votes received.

Submission Guidelines:

Entries due Jan 29th at noon – no fee to enter.

Submitted online via email to carteretwriters@gmail.com

200 max word count.

Must label with the title of the artwork and artist name.

No profanity or controversial topics.

February Member Meetup
2026-02-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Arts Council of Carteret County, 1702 Arendell St, Morehead City, NC, 28557, United States
Come join us as member David Bratton presents his experiences marketing his novel Beach Nights and Blue Lights. We plan on providing a bit of sustenance in the form of sweet treats and water, please bring yourself something to drink if you prefer something other than water. We will be meeting in the Big Rock Room at the Art Council of Carteret County on Arendell Street in Morehead City. We also plan to have time to share work. Bring a short piece to share, if you like.
