I know that each new year starts in January, but I never experience a sense of a new beginning when January arrives. For me, the real new year arrives in September. That’s when the lazy days of summer come to an end and the new school year gets rolling. Perhaps it’s because I have spent so many years as a professor, but I have long looked forward to September with a sense that the grand tempo of my life is about to start anew. While I do not make resolutions on New Year’s Day, I always set goals for myself in the fall, and these goals usually involve writing projects.
If your goals for the fall also involve writing projects, then Charlotte Lit has you covered. I recently contacted Paula Martinac, Charlotte Lit’s Community Coordinator, and asked her for more information about Charlotte Lit’s plans for the fall. Here is what she sent to me:
Charlotte Lit’s Fall 2024 lineup has something for everyone — from brand-new writers to those polishing up their manuscripts for submission. Several new-to-us teachers have joined us, including UNC Charlotte Professor Emeritus Chris Davis and Jennifer McGaha from the Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC Asheville. And we’ve also brought back favorite instructors from past seasons, like Tara Campbell, Bryn Chancellor, and C.T. Salazar.
We’re excited to debut some new class formats this fall, including multi-session classes aimed at helping writers meet tangible goals. For example, Chris Davis leads “Six Weeks, Six Poems,” and Caroline Hamilton Langerman heads up “Five Weeks, Five Essays.” These classes are built around a combination of instruction, prompts, and sharing time, and the key components are support and encouragement. The objective is for students to assemble a small portfolio of drafts that they can later hone and submit.
For advanced writers looking to attract agents and editors, we’ve got a two-session class called “Master-Pitch Theater” with Katharine Sands. She’ll use her expertise as a literary agent to help them pull together both a submission package and an “elevator pitch” to use at conferences.
Our one-off classes are back, on an array of topics in all genres. We’re especially thrilled to host poetry master classes with two esteemed poets, Danusha Laméris and NC Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green.
If folks are looking for a writing retreat, we’re presenting two this fall. The first is in-town at Charlotte Lit and features prompts, individual consultations, and an add-on Reiki session with a Level II practitioner. We also have an out-of-town retreat at the Innisfree Retreat Center in East Bend, NC, led by poets Jessica Jacobs and Kathie Collins.
As always, we’ve got a mix of in-person classes and Zoom sessions that allow folks who can’t make it into the city to get writing instruction, too. And for Charlotte Lit members, there’s a free class available in September on structuring an autobiographical story, whether fiction or nonfiction, with David Hicks.
Our Fall schedule is live and available now at charlottelit.org/classes. We’ll be releasing the Spring schedule in November, featuring favorite teachers such as Judy Goldman, Junious “Jay” Ward, and Sarah Creech.
I thank Paula for sharing this information about Charlotte Lit’s fall offerings. I also thank Charlotte Lit for providing Storied Charlotte writers with opportunities to hone their writing skills and to participate in a supportive community of writers.