Entries by Paul Reali

“Just What I Needed” – Remembering Ric Ocasek

I discovered music when I was 16. Mike Lochner came into the boys locker room at Bishop Gibbons High School before cross country practice, bearing a giant silver boom box. He set it down on a bench, and reached for the Play button. Then he stopped. “You have to hear this,” he said. The button […]

What I’m Reading This Summer

Editor’s Note: This is the latest installment of summer reading picks from Charlotte Lit staff. Here, Charlotte Lit col-founder Paul Reali shares what he’ll be reading this summer. Each time I pick up my iPad with the Kindle app, or pick through the stack on my nightstand, my different selves do battle. Which Paul is doing […]

We’re throwing a(nother) party!

If you know Charlotte Lit at all, you probably know we like to throw a party. Every year at this time, we do something interesting, party-wise. Four years ago we made our debut with a 100-person event at The Light Factory featuring poet Linda Pastan. A year later, in February 2017, we celebrated our first birthday […]

15 Elements of a Great Blog Post

This post was created by Paul’s Blogging Universe Part 1 class, January 10, 2019. An Intriguing Title Humor Life Relevant Inspirational Motivational How-to Clear and to the point Informative Teaches Surprises Connects to another idea or topic Links to other relevant content Worthy of my time The right length Entertaining

Reading “A Christmas Carol” as a writer

“Marley was dead, to begin with.” From first line to last—”God bless us, everyone”—last week 30 people got together at ImaginOn for a joyous public reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. (In case you’re wondering, it takes about three hours.) The cast included 10 Charlotte Lit members and teachers, a dozen local actors, and staff of the […]

Announcing: Charlotte Lit’s Studio Two!

Charlotte Lit has grown fledgling wings and is ready to fly. No, we’re not leaving our current nest—we’re adding another. We’re going out on a limb and opening a second studioon the first floor of the Midwood International & Cultural Center. We’ll use Studio Two for Charlotte Lit classes and social events. The rest of […]

Tech Toolkit for Writers

This post is an electronic version of my presentation at the NC Writers’ Network Fall Conference in Charlotte, November 2018. It includes links for many of the apps and concepts discussed. PROLOGUE: BEFORE WRITING The Backstory Before we sit down and write—on a device or on paper—there are many other things that happen, and which […]

Learn, Connect, Enjoy: Making the Most of the NCWN Fall Conference

The fall conference of the North Carolina Writers’ Network returns to Charlotte this year—November 2-4 at Hilton Charlotte University—so we have tips for those who are attending (or still thinking about it). There are deadlines in here, so read on down. BEFORE YOU GO Select Workshops in Advance. One sure way to know if you’ll […]

Something for Everyone: Charlotte Lit’s 2018-19 Class Catalog

You can’t please everyone…or can you? Charlotte Lit’s 2018-19 Class Catalog has arrived, and we think it has something for everyone. More than 50 classes covering different genres, formats, lengths, teachers, and topics…it’s a cornucopia. Here’s a quick guide to navigating your choices. Craft Classes focus on writing skills. Are you writing? Chances are good we have […]