SCWA / The Quill / February 2025
A Newsletter of the South Carolina Writers Association
February 2025
Message from the President
WE’RE FINE!
Congratulations on making it through the forever month of January! On to the next month – lovely February. February is so cheerful and there’s chocolate. However, this month can also cause us to hit our lowest. It’s still cold and dark and by now we are ready for spring. Our writing can reflect this time of year, too
The end of winter sucks, and for writers, this means things such as getting all rejection letters from your queries, being stuck on what to write next for months and just staring at the page, and/or having imposter syndrome take hold. Like being over winter, it makes you feel over with writing.
It’s okay to feel this and have those days. We are going to have those times because writing is not for the weak and can take a toll.
BUT then we find a blanket or a loved one lights a fire or we get a hot cocoa . Something begins to warm our bones and slowly but surely, we start again. We know the groundhog saw his stupid shadow, but the fact he came out means there’s an end in sight. We have a harder time seeing our groundhog, but it could be something as small as reading a little bit to a friend or randomly writing a note in your hand- dandy notebook.
If you’re feeling like February, you are not alone and we will get through together. We all hit lows in life and our writing. It’s okay to hunker down for a little while and recharge. We will get through the cold and dark together to find that warm sunshine again.
May the muse be ever in your favor.
Ash Smith
President
Events & Education
Author’s Toolbox Is Back!
We kick off 2025 with a great Author’s Toolbox offering from a veteran SCWA leader, Storyfest faculty member and award-winning author Barbara Evers.
Have you considered making animals characters in your story? How would you begin to craft such creatures? What do you need to know about the critter before you put pen to page? This first Author’s Toolbox will wade into the how and why of adding animals as characters instead of props.
When: Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 | 7 p.m.
Where: Via Zoom link issued upon registration
Cost: Free to members (registration required for Zoom link) | $25 for non-members
Register at Author’s Toolbox: Barbara Evers.
About Barbara Evers: Crafting Critters as Characters: How and Why
Animals make great characters in books, but how do you pull this off effectively? From children’s books like Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz to cozy mysteries like Spencer Quinn’s Chet and Bernie Mysteries to the quirky dog, Six-Thirty, in Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry , amazing animals leap off the page in wonderful narratives. This presentation will delve into how and why you might add animals as characters instead of props. We will look at examples in various genres and discuss:
Why do you need animal characters in your story?
How do you decide the role of the animal(s) in your story?
What should you consider when choosing the type/breed of animal?
How will the genre and protagonist’s role affect the way the animal is portrayed?
What relationships do we see between animal characters and human characters? How do those relationships impact the story?
What must the author do to ensure the animal's point of view represents an animal instead of a human personality with an animal's body?
Barbara V. Evers hails from the mysterious Dark Corner of South Carolina where she crafts fantasy stories with strong women matriarchies and clever animals. She is the award-winning author of The Watchers of Moniah epic fantasy trilogy (The Watchers of Moniah, The Watchers in Exile, The Watchers at War) as well as several short stories and essays. A two-time winner of the Imadjinn Best Fantasy Novel, she’s won several writing awards over the years, including a Pushcart Prize nomination. Her short stories and essays have appeared in SCWA’s The Petigru Review, moonShine review, Child of My Child, Stupefying Stories, A Magnificent Display of Marvelous Wonders, and her own short story collection, Pieces of Her: Being a Woman is Not for the Faint of Heart.
Evers is a supporter and advocate for animal conservation and seeks to educate others about endangered species. “The giraffes in The Watchers of Moniah trilogy are no longer endangered, but giraffes in our world are suffering a silent extinction,” she says. As an advocate, she contributes a portion of her royalties to support the work of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. When she’s not writing, Evers uses her degrees in zoology and communication to conduct training workshops for businesses. Maybe she really can speak to animals!
Any other time, she can be found herding her husband, two grandchildren and her rescue dog, Roxy (but don’t tell them).
UPCOMING AUTHOR’S TOOLBOX SESSIONS
Make plans to attend these other Author’s Toolbox virtual events. All events are held from 7 to 8 p.m. the third Thursday of the month. (Schedule, speakers and topics subject to change.)
SCWA members are free (registration required to receive Zoom link information); nonmembers, $25.
March 20 - Alan Roth, topic TBD
April 17 - Speaker and topic TBD
May 15 - Dustin and Sadie Whitehead, What Directors Look for in a Screenplay
June 19 - Baker Rogers, LGBTQ Voices in Literature
July 17 - Renee Fountain, Platform Building for Introverts
View and register for SCWA events. Check back frequently for updates.
Grants & Workshop Opportunities
2025 SOUTH CAROLINA WRITING WORKSHOP
The South Carolina Writing Workshop is a special one-day “How to Get Published” event Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Charleston Mount Pleasant. It is one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing and books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries and pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.
Register at SC Writing Workshop. Cost is $169 plus additional options for query letter and pages critiques.
The independent event is organized by coordinator Chuck Sambuchino of Writing Day Workshops.
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.