Local writers will have the opportunity to fine tune their skills Friday, July 13, through Sunday, July 15, at the Turner Cassity Literary Festival at the Douglasville / Douglas County Cultural Arts Center.

Five poets, novelists and playwrights, including Patricia Sprinkle, author of “Hold Up the Sky” and “Carley’s Song,” are scheduled to teach workshops and give one-on-one critiques to those who attend the festival. Cultural Arts Center Executive Director Laura Lieberman said she expects about 50 writers to sign up for the festival, which is in its second year.

“We want to grow it, but we don’t want to get it too big,” she said.

The five writers will teach five different workshops related to their area of work.

Annmarie Lockhart, editor of an online poetry magazine, will teach the workshop, “Keeping it Real,” which will help writers differentiate between truth and fiction in their writing, according to Lieberman.

Lockhart has said her passion lies in using creativity to find common ground and will travel from New York to teach at the festival.

Atlanta author Alice Lovelace will teach the workshop “Pivotal,” in which writers will be asked to write based on a pivotal experience in their lives, framing the memory in the language of the image.

Poetry Atlanta founder Dan Veach will teach a workshop on publishing.

Sprinkle, a Cobb County-based mystery writer, will teach a session on place and placement. John M. Floyd, a Mississippi author, will teach a workshop on how to write and sell short fiction.

Festival attendees will have the opportunity to attend three of the five workshops. Lieberman said the most exciting part of the workshop, however, is the individual critique session, which gives attendees the opportunity to present up to either 10 poems or 20 pages of writing to an author for review.

“That is really the ticket for people,” said Lieberman.

The festival begins with an opening reception and speech from Lockhart, the keynote speaker, Friday night.

Saturday and Sunday will be devoted to workshops, readings and other presentations from authors.

Attendees may purchase a full festival ticket for $40 per person or $35 per Cultural Arts Center member.

Saturday-only tickets may be purchased for $30 per person or $25 per Cultural Arts Center member. Individual critique tickets may be purchased for $25 each.