The Moore County Writers' Competition, sponsored by the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities and underwritten by a grant from The Donald and Elizabeth Cooke Foundation, is now accepting submissions for the 23rd annual writing contest, according to Karen Gilchrist, chair of this year's committee.

The committee includes members Malaika Albrecht, Cos Barnes and Cynthia Miecznikowski.

"We are so pleased and grateful to have the kind support from The Cooke Foundation to continue this annual literary event," says Gilchrist.

The competition is open to students and residents of Moore County, and grouped according to age: grades 1-4, grades 5-8, grades 9-12, and adult.

Submission categories are poetry (60 lines maximum), fiction (2,500 words maximum), and nonfiction (2,500 words maximum); writers may submit one manuscript in each category. This year's judges are once again provided by the North Carolina Writers Network.

First-, second- and third-place winners in each age group receive prizes of $100, $50 and $25, respectively; honorable mentions receive a certificate. The 2011 Writers' Competition booklet will include the winning manuscripts.

Entries should be postmarked or delivered to the Weymouth Center, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., P.O. Box 939, Southern Pines, NC 28388, by Friday, Feb. 4. The committee will notify winners by the middle of March.

First-place winners will read selections from their winning entries at an awards presentation at Weymouth Center on Sunday, May 1.

Submission guidelines are available at area libraries, The Country Bookshop, Weymouth Center and the Arts Council of Moore County, or online at weymouthcenter.org.

Additionally, guidelines were mailed to all of Moore County's public and private schools.

"If you are a teacher and have not seen the guidelines, please ask your principal, headmaster or head of school for the form or go to the Weymouth Center's website and click on 'Writing Contest,'" says Gilchrist.

For more information, call (910) 690-1098 and leave a message.

Spring Break Retreat

Robin Greene, professor of English and director of the writing program at Methodist University in Fayetteville, will lead a creative writing workshop for women in Oaxaca, Mexico, from March 4 to March 10, which is during spring break for most of North Carolina's colleges and universities.

Greene, who holds a master's degree in fine art from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a master's degree in English from SUNY-Binghamton, is also co-director and editor of Longleaf Press, a North Carolina literary magazine.

Greene is the recipient of a North Carolina Arts Council/NEA Fellowship, a university teaching award, and a visiting professorship in Romania. Her work is widely published in literary journals and she is the author of nonfiction and fiction books, and a collection of poetry.

The retreat offers a supportive environment for beginning and more accomplished writers to work with memoir and journal writing, poetry, and mixed genre writing techniques.

If writers are working on a project, they are encouraged to bring it.

Greene will offer group writing sessions, individual consultations and coaching. Through exercises, discussion and caring feedback, participants gain knowledge and perspective about the art and craft of writing.

Also included are daily yoga sessions to stretch and lift the creative voice.

Participants have the option to explore the Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, where the workshop will be held. There is ample time to walk nature trails and visit village weaving and artist studios.

For more information, contact Norma Hawthorne, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC, at normahawthorne@mac.com, or (919) 274-6194, or www.oaxacaculture.com.

Workshops

The Writers' Workshop, a nonrofit organization since 1985, is sponsoring workshops in Charlotte.

These classes, for any level writer, meet at Providence Presbyterian Church in Charlotte.

Registration is in advance only, by mail or at the website www.twwoa.org. Financial aid in exchange for volunteering is available. For more information, e-mail writersw@gmail.com or call 828-254-8111.

Jan. 29: Writing for the Media, with Mike Weinstein. Participants will learn specific techniques on writing and submitting stories and essays to newspapers, magazines and online markets. The class will learn how to write lively, inspired pieces, as well as tips on interviewing and doing research. Students may bring five pages of work to the class for evaluation and revision. Weinstein is features editor at The Charlotte Observer, and has won numerous awards for his editing work on lead articles and stories. Meets Saturday, 10:30-4:30 pm. $75/$70 members.

Feb. 12: Fiction Writing with Thomas Calder. The class will discuss character development, dialogue, point-of-view and the art of revision. Students will read excerpts and discuss the works of such writers as Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor and Robert Boswell. In-class writing exercises will provide students with time to focus on their craft and discuss their work. Calder graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in English and a focus on 20th century American literature. He has attended numerous workshops including The Nebraska Writers' Conference and the Tin House Writers Workshop, and is currently working on a collection of short stories. Meets Saturday, 12 to 5 pm. $75/$70 members.

Feb. 26: Sharing Your Story with Alice Osborn. Have you been told you have a story that needs to be told? We all have a life story inside of us, but we may feel that what we've experienced is not relevant or important. In this workshop, you'll learn how to harness the power of your stories for future generations, and that what you've learned over a lifetime is a treasure that must be shared. Osborn is the author of two chapbooks, "Unfinished Projects" and "Right Lane Ends." Her work also appears in The News & Observer, The Pedestal Magazine, and in numerous journals and anthologies. Meets Saturday, 12 to 5 pm. $75/$70 members.

March 12: Poetry Writing and Publishing with Richard Krawiec. This workshop for beginning to experienced poets will focus on revising poems, and how to turn rejection letters into acceptances. Information on where to publish will also be given. Students may bring up to five poems for in-class revision. Krawiec's chapbook, "Breakdown: A Father's Story," was an 2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist. His poems have been published in Shenandoah Literary Review and elsewhere. He has won fellowships from the NEA and the N.C. Arts Council, and teaches online for UNC-Chapel Hill. Meets Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m. $75/$70 members.

March 26: Writing for Young Adults with Gail McAbee and Cynthia Witherspoon. Key elements of writing the young adult novel will be discussed, focusing on character development, dialogue and setting the scene. Publishing information will also be given, and students may bring a story idea or synopsis to the class for evaluation. McAbee is the author of 12 books and 70 short stories. Witherspoon is the award-winning author of "The Concept" and "Chorus of the Dead." Both instructors are co-authors of "The Balefire Chronicles." Meets Saturday, 10 to 4 p.m. $75/$70 members.