October 30, 2024
Writers and publishers workshop sees success in eastern NC
Contributed by Phyllis Broughton
Friday, September 13, 2024, was a lucky day for 34 participants who attended a workshop at Martin Community College that was designed and created by Dr. Kaye Dotson and Mrs. Karen Coltrain on writing and publishing. Attendees from Dare, Craven, Pitt, Martin, Edgecombe, Beaufort, Washington and Hyde counties learned from East Carolina University College of Education (COE) faculty and others about books and the logistics of publishing them. They were provided information about COE programs in the Department of Interdisciplinary Professions like library science and adult education and the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Instructional Technology Education, as well as the Friends of Joyner Library (FOJL). The team shared who they are and how they serve students and the community.
The support provided by Dr. Phyllis Broughton was important to the workshop planning. Broughton is a servant leader in her department in the College of Education and president of the Beta Upsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma in eastern NC. She and members of her organization provided support and sponsored breakfast, ensuring a successful educational experience for writers and future writers in the region.
The workshop sessions were as diverse as the knowledge of the presenters. Participants heard from Dotson about the process by which her work grew into a published book, The Value of Games: Putting Play Back into Practice for Children. Coltrain, a business education teacher and former media coordinator with Bear Grass Charter School and co-planner with Dotson for this event, shared the story of how her book Why Do Raindrops Fall on Me? was published and became a special gift to children, family and others. Coltrain is a graduate of East Carolina University.
ECU COE faculty Dr. Crisianee Berry and Dr. Heather Seibert provided sessions that were important to both writers and educators. Participants received the latest in cutting edge research in artificial intelligence and creative commons attributions. Dr. Carol A. Brown, retired and returning faculty member, described how attendees could document their own personal story through publishing a memoir. Brown reminded participants that “everyone has a story to tell.” Ms. Diane Taylor, nationally recognized founder and publisher for Taylor Publishing, presented an inspiring and informative session on the ins, outs and how-to’s of the publishing industry. She shared information from the perspective of both an author and a publisher as to how the process works in moving a manuscript from conception to print. Taylor is also a newly elected board member for FOJL.
