"Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything good."
William Faulkner
News of the Month
Happy April, dear readers!
If you haven't had a chance to check out our website, visit: https://www.writersmorningout.org.
While you're there, be sure to check out our new community page! This is a place for you to engage with other WMO members. Looking for a beta reader? Wanting to meet up in person with folks in your area? This is your spot to connect with other writers, be it to form writing groups, find readers, ask questions, share publications, or simply to make new friends who share a love of writing. The community is an optional feature. You can provide as much or as little information as you'd like, and no information extends beyond the community.
As our website is still new-ish, we may still encounter wrinkles to iron out. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.
Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 1:00pm - Writers' Morning Out Semiannual Slush Pile Event
Due to the NCWN Spring Conference on April 18th, we have had to move up our usual Writers' Morning Out event to April 11th. In order to give our panel adequate time to read the slush pile submissions, the deadline will be Friday, April 3rd by midnight.
Submission Guidelines:
The quickest way to get rejected when submitting anywhere is to ignore the guidelines!
• Deadline: Friday, April 3, 2026, by midnight
• Entries will be read in order of receipt. We may not get to all submissions, so submit early.
Format:
Prose: One page, 300 words or fewer, with one-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and the first line of each paragraph indented by half an inch.
Poetry: One page, at least one-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font.
Identify your primary genre—fiction, creative nonfiction, nonfiction, or poetry—at the top of the manuscript.
Do not include your name or identifying information in the manuscript.
Submit via email: Send your manuscript as a .doc or .docx file to info@writersmorningout.org with the subject line: Slush Pile (Title of Work).
Include your name, title of work, and contact information in the body of the email.
If you’re unfamiliar with the slush pile format, please see the recording of our April 2025 Slush Pile. We encourage you to submit—this event is a valuable opportunity to receive constructive feedback on your work!
Our panelists, Tracy Crow and Ty Stumpf, always offer insightful and constructive feedback. Be sure to get your submission in early, as spots are limited. If your piece is not read, I encourage you to still attend the event. Many writers experience similar challenges, and likely you'll find something in the submissions that reflects an aspect of your work.
Tracy Crow, a former Marine Corps officer, is a literary agent and the
president/publisher of MilSpeak Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to the creative writing endeavors from within the military community through writing workshops and a traditional publishing pathway for books authored by military veterans and family members.
She is a former assistant professor of journalism and creative writing and the
author/editor of six books to include her award-winning memoir, Eyes Right:
Confessions from a Woman Marine, and the historical biography with co-author Jerri Bell, It’s My Country Too: Women’s Military Stories from the American Revolution to Afghanistan, earning a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to her role as an online MFA adjunct at SNHU, Tracy teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina.
Currently, as a work-for-hire author, Tracy is writing the first historical biography of women in Air Force special forces from 1990 to 2022, scheduled for release in 2027 from Air University Press.
She lives in central North Carolina on ten storybook acres with her husband—a Major League Baseball lifer—and their three pups, Rocky, Hope, and Fenway.
Ty Stumpf lives in Sanford, NC and is the Dean of Arts and STEM at Central Carolina Community College. Ty earned his BA in English from Catawba College and his MA in English and creative writing from North Carolina State University. The author of the chapbook Suburban Burn (Main Street Rag Publishing), his work has appeared in Passages North, Nashville Review, Harpur Palate, and other journals. Ty and his wife, Bianka, have a son named Jude and a daughter named Cora.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 @ 7:00pm - Writers Discuss Craft
Join us for what is always a valuable learning session with literary agent, Tracy Crow, a true expert in the field. Learn more about Tracy at https://tracycrow.com.
In May, we will be doing our Reading for Writers event. Our selection for this year's event will be The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church. We are fortunate that Meagan is a local North Carolina author and will join us to discuss the book on Saturday, May 16, 2026. I wanted to give folks plenty of time to get and read the book between now and then. Below is a link where you can learn more about both the book and the author.
https://www.meaganchurch.com/the-girls-we-sent-away/
News from the North Carolina Writers’ Network
Is it time to renew your NCWN membership?
Check the top of the NCWN newsletter to see when your membership needs renewal.
Not a member? You’re missing out on discounts on Network-sponsored programs and events.
What are you waiting for? Membership is open to writers of all experience levels and genres, across the state and beyond. Join now at https://www.ncwriters.org/
NCWN Spring Conference 2026 - Saturday, April 18, 2026
MHRA Building, UNC Greensboro
Registration is open until 4:00pm on Monday, April 13. Learn more and register at: https://www.ncwriters.org/programs/conferences/sc26-main/
Postscript:
WMO’s programs and meetings are a collaborative effort with Penny Cottrell, Tracy Crow, Tom Dow, Catherine Duncan, George Kauffman, Carol Phillips, and Judith Stanton—plus our ex-officio member and IT wizard, Josh Cottrell—all contributing.
Wishing you all the best in your writing endeavors!
Penny Cottrell, NCWN Regional Rep, Central Piedmont