Dare Arts Council Veterans Writing Workshop Now Accepting Applications

Posted By Matt Artz on June 27, 2016

Dare County Arts Council is now accepting applications for the 2016 Outer Banks Veterans Writing Project, which will be held November 5 and 6 at UNC Coastal Studies Institute on Roanoke Island.

Returning to the Outer Banks for its fourth consecutive year, the free two-day writing workshop will be taught by Veterans, for Veterans and Active Duty Service members.

The 2016 workshop will be led by retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant and professional writer James Matthews, whose fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals.

“Veterans are often in a unique position to develop compelling stories that not only speak to the human condition, but advance the Nation’s literary achievements. Our goal is ultimately to inspire and encourage veteran-writers — whether they are just beginning to recon the writing path or are simply looking to expand the literary tools in their arsenals,” said Matthews.

Dare County Arts Council encourages all former and current service men and women in North Carolina, Virginia and surrounding areas to submit applications for the writing workshop, which will accommodate up to 25 participants.

For more information or to submit an online application for the Veterans Writing Project, visit VeteransWeekOBX.com, DareArts.org or call(252) 473-5558.

Modeled after the DC-based Veterans Writing Project, a non-profit foundation that teaches combat Veterans to express their military experiences through literature, the goal of the Outer Banks Veterans Writing Project is to teach enrolled applicants the art of writing.

“We, as Veterans, often have experiences that we need to express. This Workshop teaches us to take those events and build them into a story. History has taught us that the best way to overcome Post Traumatic Stress is to talk about our experiences. I don’t call it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There is no disorder, they’ve just been exposed to more stress than most people. This Workshop teaches us how to relieve that stress,” said Army Veteran and Dare County Arts Council Board Member Kelli Harmon.

The Outer Banks Veterans Writing Project is part of the Veteran-friendly events sponsored by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau during November’s Outer Banks Veterans Week.