SCWA / The Quill / January 2024
January 2024
Happy New Year from SCWA!
WELCOME TO NEW BOARD MEMBERS
We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that your new year started with a bang! Was it a time for renewal for you? Maybe even getting started or returning to your writing?
It's certainly gotten off to a great start for SCWA as we welcome seven new board members. They are:
Directors:
Patricia Brandon - VP/Events & Education
Ben Culbreth - VP/Marketing
Jay Sauls - VP/Membership
Advisors:
Sydney Bollinger - The Petigru Review
Cindi Boiter - General Advisor
Craig Faris - Marketing
Patrick Holladay - Finance & Fundraising
We appreciate these new board members stepping up to volunteer their time and talents to help lead SCWA into 2024, with new ideas, support for continuing successful programs and a commitment to serving our membership.
Staying on the board are current directors Charles Hall (technology), Ash Smith (marketing) and Lynn Volkenant (treasurer). Also remaining, now serving as advisors are Kasie Whitener, now immediate past president; Raegan Teller, formerly VP of Membership; Paul Davis, formerly VP of Events & Education; and Yvette Murray, who served as a director. Continuing as advisors are Sue Cryer (publications), Sean Scapellato (legal) and Art Turfa (publications).
Our gratitude goes to these continuing board members as well as those who have left after serving out their terms: advisors Brad Land, Bob Leventhal, Dorree Lynn and Susan Zurenda. We also appreciate the service of Sharon Thomas, secretary, who resigned her position in November for personal reasons.
As you know, SCWA is a nonprofit organization that operates on the energies of volunteer members dedicated to serving our 450+ members in achieving our mission of offering a supportive environment for people to become better writers. SCWA is dedicated to writers in all genres and levels of writing skill.
We always are looking for new volunteers to serve on the board, either as directors or advisors, or to serve on various committees. If you are interested, please email our administrator, Laura Corbin, at administrator@myscwa.org, to find out how.
Welcome to our newest board members, and a huge "thank you" to all who have served and those who continue. We couldn't do it without you!
Happy New Year! Here's to great writing in 2024!
Events & Education
The three keynote speakers at 2023 Storyfest, from left, Jason Mott, Ashley Poston and Janisse Ray, signed books at All Good Books following the November conference in Columbia.
2023 WAS A SUCCESS; LOOKING FORWARD TO 2024
Events & Education ended 2023 with a bang. Some 150 people gathered in November in downtown Columbia for the 2023 Storyfest, SCWA's annual writing conference.
Here's what attendees said in a survey conducted after the event:
Attendees from 42 South Carolina towns and cities attended the three-day conference.
90 percent gave the conference four to five stars.
92 percent said the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center was a good venue.
40 attendees met individually with Storyfest’s four agents and editors to discuss their work.
Reps from four publishers attended, including the University of South Carolina Press, Hub City Press and Arcadia Publishing
"The conference was a great way to network, to pitch (as well as learn how to pitch), to learn craft, and hear from some of the industry's experts. I learned a lot and for the price," said one attendee.
Another said: "My biggest takeaway was getting connected with people from the conference, several of whom I've been in contact with to do projects in the future. This convention has helped me get the courage to start writing again."
The SCWA board is working on another amazing event for 2024, along with a slew of new talks, classes and other events. Watch your inboxes (and this space) for a new year of programs.
Paul Davis
Advisor/Events & Education
Membership
SCWA MEMBERSHIP PROVIDES MANY BENEFITS
As we begin a new year of reflecting and writing, we wanted to remind our members - and those considering membership - of the benefits of being a part of SCWA.
We provide support to our members by offering a wide variety of tools, education, events and resources. These include:
Critique and Networking Groups
Writers need readers. At the core of writer learning is access to other writers and the ability to submit work for critique and feedback in a supportive and constructive environment. Membership provides access to in-person, virtual and hybrid chapters across the state, including specific genre chapters. (Find a listing at Local and Virtual Chapters.)
Annual Conference
The annual SCWA conference brings together accomplished writers and faculty, giving members the opportunity to improve writing skills, network with other writers, and learn more about the publishing world. Writers can have their pieces critiqued by professionals in the industry. These events are competitively priced with discounted registration fees for members, delivering maximum value for cost.
Publications
SCWA offers a publishing opportunity for new and veteran writers with The Petigru Review (TPR), a digital literary journal that includes fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Stay tuned for updated information about the submission process.
The Quill Newsletter
The Quill, a monthly email newsletter, is a helpful resource to keep members up to date on all the latest happenings across the organization. From news on upcoming events and submission opportunities to insights on writing and updates from local chapters, this newsletter is a great way to stay informed about the SCWA.
Member Blogs, Promotion and Social Media
The myscwa.org website is home for all news regarding the organization and our members. Learn about our members' websites and follow their blogs as they navigate the complex world of writing. Got a blog/website/book you’d like to promote? Add a link to your profile. Meet and interact with other members by following us on Facebook and Twitter. The opportunities for interaction and collaboration are boundless when one joins the SCWA community.
Among the many benefits of membership, perhaps the most rewarding is the camaraderie, the experience of being part of the South Carolina writing community. SCWA is a group that values creativity and appreciates the diversity of the membership as well as the wide range of writing produced. It provides an opportunity to share experiences and learn from peers and professionals to help members achieve their writing goals.
If you have questions about your membership or want information about joining, please email membership@myscwa.org.
Have comments or questions about your SCWA membership?
Contact us at Membership@myscwa.org. We'd love to hear from you.