SCWA / The Quill / August 2024
A Newsletter of the South Carolina Writers Association
August 2024
Message from the President
PUT ME IN, COACH
Wow! It’s August already, everyone. At the end of this month, my co-workers and I will participate as a team with others in a charity softball tournament. It’s a mixed women’s and men’s team that we waited until the end of July to form. A group of us played together back in 2019, the first year that the charity included the family of our fallen co-worker who died the year before.
We were horrible and only got to play the first day in the qualifying rounds, but we had blast together. This was despite having no clue what we were doing after only one practice. Sadly, while we donated every year, we did not have a leader to take up the task of keeping us together to participate in the tournament.
This year a great guy, Stephen, took up the mantle to revive the team and use the practices to rebuild the bond we once had. We are on a cusp between retirees leaving and tons od new people coming in, and those of us in the middle want to see again what we once had - today more than ever.
We are still terrible and those of us who played five years ago are too old (never!) to be playing. However, what gets us out there, hoping we don’t get struck by lightning, is seeing the younger generation out there, too, and we all have a good time. We see that glimmer of the old days and will work to continue after the tournament to keep that.
SCWA is like my job in that we need each other to keep the world going and safe. Our writers are our window into our societies. We are the peacekeepers and the revolutionaries, and we take a hard beating on a regular basis from ourselves and the public.
What gets us through is our found family in our writing community like SCWA. We need each other to celebrate our good writing days, to listen when imposter syndrome attacks, and that shoulder when we just need a hug.
Today, like my softball team, our SCWA board needs us to come together and play to help the organization continue to thrive. Come join us as we work to grow and keep this family active and productive. We have friends and family who come watch us play like those who come and observe our open board meetings to see the inner workings. We have those who come and play like those who join our board of advisors who work with committee chairs to build our programs, fund our organization, work on technology, and interact with our members. Like Stephen, Dylan and Peeler who coach and teach our softball team, you can join our board of directors and help make the decisions to guide, grow and keep us on track.
Today, our SCWA team needs a Membership Chair, a Treasurer and at least two more Members at Large. We also need a Chapter Liaison. We will always welcome advisors for our committees.
I challenge you today to say, “Put me in coach I’m ready to play,” and come play and fellowship with us. See the information below about how to get involved.
May the muse be ever in your favor.
Ash Smith
President
SCWA Board of Directors
VOLUNTEER NOW TO SERVE
The SCWA Board needs to fill available positions that are vital to keeping the organization thriving. We would like to fill these positions quickly and are looking for you.
Been with us awhile? Come with your insight. New with us? Bring your fresh take to the table. We are a strong group who can only be made stronger with you.
Immediate needs are:
Treasurer: This person helps keeps us on track with the budget and our grants. They put out a monthly financial report and help guide our committees on expenditures. (Note, we have an accountant who handles all the banking and other important details.)
Membership Chair: This person speaks for our members. They provide monthly membership reports and respond to the needs and concerns of the members. In addition, they work with our Marketing Chair and others to recruit new members and retain the members we have.
Members at Large: We need at least two Members at Large, who are voting members who assist the other chairs on the board as needed.
Chapter Liaison: They work with the Membership Chair and the Chapter leaders to help our chapters run smoothly and receive important information from the board. The Chapter Liaison is does not necessarily serve as a voting member of the board, but as a liaison between the Membership Chair and the Chapter leaders.
For more information, email our administrator, Laura Corbin, at administrator@myscwa.org or President Ash Smith at president@myscw.org. If you would like to apply, please fill out the form at 2025 SCWA Board Application.
Events and Education
PRICING FOR STORYFEST INCREASES SOON, SO REGISTER NOW!
The regular registration pricing window for 2024 Storyfest ends Aug. 16, so register now to get the best price available!
It’s the best way to attend our biggest event of the year, which will feature some of South Carolina’s most prominent and amazing authors, editors, agents and screenwriters as well as some from outside of our state.
Be sure to add one of the fabulous masterclasses to your registration ($85) and/or a critique and one-on-one session with one of our agents, editors or authors ($75). These are add-ons available at registration; if you already have registered but would like to add one, email administrator@myscwa.org.
We also invite you to consider renting a table to show off your books or business expertise (just $55 for members and $65 for nonmembers for the entire three-day event). We also will include your bookmarks, postcards or other printed materials (supplied by you) in our swag bags for just $15! Select any of these at registration; contact the administrator if you’d like to add any to your registration.
Fees for the full three-day conference are $280 for members and $355 for nonmembers. These will go up by $30 after Aug. 16.
Student registration for the full conference is $140. A one-day ticket for Saturday-only sessions is available for $195.
BOOK YOUR ROOM FOR 2024 STORYFEST
Don’t forget to book your room at the DoubleTree by Hilton Columbia, the host hotel for 2024 Storyfest. The deadline is Aug. 29 to receive the SCWA discount, but rooms are filling up fast!
The discounted group rate is $169 (plus tax & fees) for one king or two queen beds.
If you are not a member of SCWA, join now to enjoy the member rate for Storyfest as well as other SCWA benefits. Membership is $75 annually; go to Join Us.
For more information email administrator@myscwa.org.
AUTHOR’S TOOLBOX PROGRAMS CONTINUE
SCWA continues to offer Author’s Toolbox sessions in August, October and November, free to members and $25 to nonmembers.
Aug. 22 - Alex Rath: “Writing With Anxiety”
OTHER UPCOMING AUTHOR’S TOOLBOX SESSIONS:
Oct. 17 - Brenda Gardner/Lisa Harrison: “How to Connect With Book Clubs and Readers”
Nov. 21 - Anthea Sharp: “Kickstarter for Authors: How Writers Can Find New Readers and Flourish With Crowdfunding"
NOTE: All Author’s Toolbox sessions are recorded and the link is emailed to all registrants for the individual sessions. They also are uploaded on the SCWA website in Recorded Events under the Members Only tab, available to all active members - another great benefit of membership.
CALLING ALL POETS
Hub City Press will present its first-ever Poetry Symposium on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg.
The 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. event will includes workshops with two of the region's leading poetry instructors, Marlanda Dekine and Destiny Hemphill. Participants will get two breaks to devote to their writing. A Q&A session with the Hub City staff will conclude the event.
Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. in the West Wing Conference Room in the Chapman Museum building. The fee, which includes lunch, is $250.
Dekine’s book, Thresh & Hold, won the 2021 New Southern Voices Poetry Prize. Hemphill’s 2023 poetry collection, motherworld: a devotional for the alter-life, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award and Publishing Triangle's Audre Lorde Prize.
For more information, visit EventBrite/Dekine and Hemphill.
Pat Brandon
VP/Events & Education
Publications
TPR GENERAL SUBMISSIONS CONTINUE THROUGH AUG. 23
The Petigru Review continues taking submissions of original fiction, nonfiction, poetry and art from members of the SWCA and the public at large. Submissions from all genres are in full swing, and the 2024 issue of TPR is shaping up to be a beauty — but slots remain in all genres!
The reading period for all genres will close on Aug. 23.
The 2024 iteration of TPR will be a themed issue focusing on place and/or voice. Submissions need not be set in South Carolina, nor need they be written by South Carolina authors. However, preference will be given to pieces set in the Greater South (SC, NC, GA, FL, VA, AL, MS, LA, TX, OK, MO, AR, TN, KY, WV).
There will be a $3 fee, payable through Submittable, for each general submission.
For questions about submissions, email Drew Geyer, managing editor, at ageyer@usca.edu.
Drew Geyer
Managing Editor, The Petigru Review
The South Carolina Writers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization, receives support from the South Carolina Arts Commission and our members, furthering our mission to offer a supportive environment for people to become better writers. SCWA is grateful for this support. Donate to help SCWA to enhance our ability to provide quality programs and services to writers in South Carolina and the region.