Louisiana-Based Writing Events
May 2024
Take a gander at upcoming writing events throughout Louisiana. Please note many, but not all, of the events listed below are free; but most require registration. Visit the links provided for more information about the events.
May 2nd: Writer’s Happy Hour
NEW ORLEANS
Hosted by: THIRD LANTERN LIT
It's spring, it’s festin’ season, the weather is warming up, and the sun is staying out! We’re hosting a happy hour to celebrate and hang out with our fellow writers. So join us at the Domino for drinks and good company. It’ll be low key, laid back, and a lot of fun. This event is FREE and open to all writers. No RSVP necessary.
Link: https://thirdlanternlit.org/events
May 2nd to 5th: Songwriting workshop with Verlon Thompson
ST. FRANCISVILLE
The nationally recognized songwriter and acclaimed Nashville guitar picker Verlon Thompson will be in St. Francisville to teach his songwriting workshop for the 8th or ninth year! Obviously it is a very successful weekend for the musicians who participate! He inspires, motivates, critiques and generously shares his knowledge with the group. Verlon has had songs recorded by many country music artists, some Grammy nominated! He toured and co-wrote with Guy Clark for over 25 years and along with his good friend Shawn Camp did a Guy Clark tribute show here a couple of years ago which was a sell out!
Link: https://bontempstix.com/events/songwriting-workshop-with-verlon-thompson-5-2-2024
May 2nd: Bayou Writers: Setting and Revising Writing Goals
MANDEVILLE
Hosted by: BAYOU WRITER’S CLUB
We will discuss how to readjust goals and best practices for reaching your writing targets with tips and tricks that will help you with your work. This will be a discussion-based talk where you can share your ideas, too. In addition to the discussion/presentation, we'll also have time for Readings.
Link: https://www.meetup.com/bayou-writers-club/events/300649167/
May 3rd: Shut Up and Write
NEW ORLEANS
Hosted by: SHUT UP AND WRITE
(This is a recurring event, taking place on May: 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and the 31at)
Our mission is to provide a place for writers to sit together and work on their projects. It will amaze you how motivating it is simply to be in the company of your fellow writers! And, you will see progress, even if you only spend one hour per week on your writing. Whether you are in the brainstorming phase or working on your final draft, this is the group to get things done.
Link: https://www.meetup.com/shutupandwriteneworleans/
May 11th: Just Write: Virtual Creative Writing Workshop
ONLINE
Hosted by: THE NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Discuss your works-in-progress with local writers in a friendly and supportive environment. Novice to experienced writers in all genres are welcome to participate. Meetings are held over Zoom.
Link: https://neworleans.libnet.info/event/9403965
May 11th: Coffee and Craft with Annell Lopez
NEW ORLEANS
Hosted by: THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS NEW ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL
Coffee & Craft is a TWFest partnership with Baldwin & Co. Coffee and Bookstore, a Black-owned business that is part bookstore and coffee shop and part community center, where readers and writers come together in celebration of the written word. Baldwin & Co. also has a foundation focused on the importance of literacy and effective communication as fundamental tools for personal and professional growth.
Link: To Tennessee Williams Links (long link)
May 11th: North Shore Writers Group
FOLSOM
NEW! Meet like-minded individuals looking to develop and share their writing skills. Recurring event -- every 3rd Saturday of the month.
Link: https://giddyupgrounds.com/event/northshore-writers-group-2/2024-05-11/
May 13th: Get Lit Generative Writing Series
NEW ORLEANS
Hosted by: THIRD LANTERN LIT
Join our monthly Get Lit group to hang out with your writing community and do some sprinting! If you’ve never done writing sprints before, there’s only one rule: get as many words on the page as you can before 20 minutes are up. We’ll run three writing sprints—one full hour. So come to our Get Lit with your work in progress and leave with words on the page!
This event is FREE and open to all writers. No RSVP necessary.
Link: https://thirdlanternlit.org/events
May 14th: Writer’s Rendezvous
BATON ROUGE
Calling all writers! Please join us at the Fairwood Branch Library for our monthly writers group. Our "Writers Rendezvous" is an informal writers group where people can meet, share ideas, and get feedback on current projects.
Link: https://www.ebrpl.com/events.html#/events/F6Huf0Y8MI/instances/k6gkXH13Qi/
May 18th: Bayou Writer's Meeting (ZOOM)
ONLINE
Hosted by: BAYOU WRITER’S CLUB
Join the Bayou Writer’s Club for a virtual meeting! We will chat about writing and share our works with each other via readings. More details to come.
Link: https://www.meetup.com/bayou-writers-club/
May 18th: Twelve Mile Writing Marathon
NEW ORLEANS
Hosted by: THIRD LANTERN LIT
In partnership with Twelve Mile Limit, we are hosting a FIVE HOUR writing marathon open to all local writers.
Be there at noon to spend some time with your fellow writers and grab a coffee at the bar. At 12:30, we’ll start our silent writing. We’ll have one more 30 minute break halfway through to stretch our legs and some time at the end to share our experience. For those who make it all the way through, stay and celebrate with a drink at the bar! This is a generative writing event meant to give us busy writers a few hours of focus free of our daily obligations. We hope you’ll join us and give yourself the writing time you deserve!
This event is free and open to all local writers. No RSVP necessary.
Link: https://thirdlanternlit.org/events
May 18th: Fantasy Writing Club
SHREVEPORT
Hosted by: Shreveport Public Library
This program is focused on all forms of creative writing with a focus on fantasy and fiction! Join us as we write, read, and discuss each other’s work.
Link: https://www.shreve-lib.org/Calendar.aspx?EID=58002&month=4&year=2024&day=28&calType=0
May 22nd: Come Write In!
SULPHUR
Hosted by: Calcasieu Public Library
Joshua Macer of Bayou Writers will be offering tools, tips, and advice on successfully drafting a novel at the Sulphur Library. You'll be able to stretch those creative muscles from 5:30-7:30 PM with writing exercises and lots of notes from Macer's expertise. Just don't forget your favorite notebook and pen!
Link: https://calcasieulibrary.org/event/9858832
May 25th: Salon: On Weaving Character and Setting
NEW ORLEANS
Hosted by Third Lantern Lit
Setting and character are the foundation of a story. They revolve around each other, and the choices you make regarding them impact your entire story. So how do you choose the best setting for your character’s story (or the best character for your setting)? How can you use setting and description to reveal character? How does your character view the world and how does that affect your descriptions?
In our salon led by Daphne Armbruster, we’ll discuss the theory of the craft and practical applications of it. We’ll answer questions risen during the salon and look to apply our knowledge to our own work. This salon is a roundtable discussion, so everyone is encouraged to come with thoughts, theories, and questions and join the conversation.
This event is free and open to all writers. No RSVP necessary.
Link: https://thirdlanternlit.org/events/find-your-feedback-group-april-2024
May 25th: Creative Writing Workshop
NEW ORLEANS
Hosted by: JEFFERSON PARISH LIBRARY
This adult workshop will help creative writers of all skill levels hone their voice, style, and character by producing, sharing, and critiquing texts written by fellow writers. Each workshop will be led by a staff member with a master’s degree in English and extensive creative writing training. To learn how to have your piece considered for workshopping, please join us at a meeting. For more information, please call 504-364-2660. Let’s create something together at the West Bank Regional Library!
Link: To Jefferson Parish Library (long link)
May 28th: Writer's Guild of Acadiana
LAFAYETTE
Hosted by: WGA (Writer’s Guild of Acadiana)
Our literary gatherings are free and open to the general public. We meet on the last Tuesday of each month (except December) at the South Regional Branch of the Lafayette Public Library, Louisiana. Meeting time is 6:00-7:30 PM.
Our May meeting is “Members read” month. Members may bring work that they have created and share with the attendees. It may be a work in progress or a completed work. Five minutes will be allotted for each reader. Singers and songwriters within the organization are invited to share their work as a cappella or acoustic numbers; however, there is a limit of one song per performer and the song must also be no longer than five minutes.
Link: https://www.writersguildacadiana.org/
May 28th: Write Time! With Boo Milton
BATON ROUGE
Join us on Monday, January 22 at 6 p.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood for Write Time!, a FREE poetry and general creative writing session for adults ages 18-33. Beginners and seasoned writers will enjoy creating poems and spoken word pieces while connecting with other creatives. This event is hosted by media personality Boo Milton with a Live DJ and refreshments. Register for this FREE session in the Events Calendar at EBRPL.com or by emailing programs@ebrpl.com.
Link: https://www.ebrpl.com/events.html#/events/M0TJYubrrD/instances/6C5iH35mEC/
May 30th: Bayou Writer's Reading Event
MANDEVILLE
Hosted by: Bayou Writer’s Club
Bayou Writer's Reading event. Email Lisa to share your work. Join us in celebrating our members and hearing their work. More information will be available closer to the meeting.
Link: https://www.meetup.com/bayou-writers-club/
May 31st to June 1st: Walker Percy Weekend
ST. FRANCISVILLE
Good food, craft beer and bourbon, live music, and a great time talking about books and Southern culture under the live oaks: That's what the ninth annual Walker Percy Weekend has to offer when it returns to celebrate the acclaimed novelist's life and work, May 31–June 1, 2024 in St. Francisville, LA.
Link: http://www.walkerpercyweekend.org/
WRITING CONTESTS, ETC.
Crook’s Corner Book Prize
Deadline: May 15th
A prize of $5,000 is given annually for a debut novel set in the American South. The author may live anywhere, but eligible novels must be set primarily in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, or Washington, D.C. Self-published books are eligible but books available only as e-books are not. Megan Mayhew Bergman will judge. Authors and publishers may submit two copies of a book (or bound galleys) published between January 1, 2023, and May 15, 2024, with a $35 entry fee postmarked by May 15. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
Link: https://crookscornerbookprize.com/
Link 2: https://www.pw.org/writing_contests/book_prize_4
Indie Author Project
Deadline: May 31st
Through this contest, libraries are helping indie authors get the recognition they deserve for writing great books. For authors, this contest is a powerful way to elevate your careers and writing goals, powered by the library community. Along with the accolade of the award and its perks, being recognized by librarians creates credibility and visibility for indie authors, setting them apart in a growing marketplace of digital content and indie-published books.
Link: https://indieauthorproject.librariesshare.com/iap/
Summer Fun Adult Writing Contest
OPENS: June 1st
The New Orleans Public Library wants your short story or poem for our 2024 Summer Fun Adult Writing Contest. This year's theme is "Adventure." You’re invited to interpret the theme any way you like. Adventure could mean a camping trip or a trip to Mars, forging a trail through a magical realm, or turning towards a new path in life. Winning entries will be selected on originality, quality, and relevance to the theme. Three winners in each category will receive an Amazon Gift Card: 1st place $100, 2nd place $50, 3rd place $25.
Link: https://nolalibrary.librariesshare.com/adultwritingcontest
William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition
Deadline: June 30th
The William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition is sponsored annually by The Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society, Inc, a non-profit literary and educational organization. The Newly Extended Deadline for 2023-24 entries is June 30, 2024. Winners of the competition will be presented at the Faulkner Society’s annual meeting and black-tie gala, which are part of the Society’s traditional Happy Birthday, Mr. Faulkner! Weekend. See website for categories and details.
Link: https://faulknersociety.org/william-faulkner-wisdom-competition/competition-guidelines/
Poets & Writers Magazine
Deadline: Mixed
Poets & Writers has a fantastic search feature on their website that allows you to search for upcoming contests, grants, and awards. You can search by entry fee, deadline, genre, and more!
Link: https://www.pw.org/grants
