PITTSBORO -- Central Carolina Community College's Creative Writing Program announces that several of its students and colleagues have placed in local writing competitions.

Linda Johnson won honorable mention in the 2015 Carolina Woman Writing Contest for her short story "Birthday Cake," which was penned in a fiction class led by Ruth Moose. Writer and workshop leader Ashley Memory won honorable mention for her poem "Ode to My Ironing Board," which was written in a class led by Ralph Earle. A CCCC workshop leader, Tara Lynne Groth, also won honorable mention for her story "Money Changes Everything." All pieces will published in an upcoming issue of Carolina Woman.

Local student poets also placed in 2015 contests sponsored by the N.C. Poetry Society. Ashley Memory earned second place in the Carol Bessent Hayman Poetry of Love Award for her poem "Napoleon and Antosia," as well as second place in the Mary Ruffin Poole American Heritage Award for her poem "Phalaenopsis." Patricia Cole and William Hubbard won honorable mention in the Katherine Kennedy McIntyre Light Verse Award for their poems "The Story of My Crisper Drawer" and "Carolina Wren," respectively. All have been invited to read their work at the May 30 awards ceremony in Southern Pines.

CCCC's Creative Writing program on the Chatham County Campus is designed for participants to enhance their skills and enjoy the freedom of writing. Course offerings include non-fiction, poetry, autobiography, fiction, and writing for children, as well as Saturday workshops on writing screenplays, mysteries, getting published, and journaling.

For more information on the Central Carolina Community College Continuing Education Creative Writing Program, contact CCCC Continuing Education Community Services Coordinator Maggie Zwilling at 919-545-8048 or e-mail her at mzwilling@cccc.edu.

For more information on Central Carolina Community College, visit www.cccc.edu.