SCWA / The Quill / September 2024
A Newsletter of the South Carolina Writers Association
September 2024
2024 Storyfest is almost here!
REGISTER NOW FOR OUR BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR
In three weeks, you’ll have the chance to learn how to improve your writing from bestselling authors, such as horror novelist Grady Hendrix and historical fiction author Lynn Cullen.
You can become a better editor of your own work by learning from editor Tiffany Yates Martin and how to get your book from page to the screen with screenwriter Alan Roth.
And that’s just scratching the surface. All weekend long, 2024 Storyfest – Sept. 27-29 – has an agenda packed with breakout sessions, panel discussions and Q&A sessions.
All included in your full, three-day registration. The weekend features 20-plus presentations that include:
Publishing
Memoir
Poetry
Novel writing
Queryfest
Screenwriting
Speed Pitching
Open Mic
Children’s literature
Slushfest
Registration includes dinner Friday night, continental breakfast and lunch Saturday and Sunday, and cocktail hour with cash bar Saturday night.
All Good Books will present a book signing by our keynote authors Saturday afternoon.
If you can’t make the full three days, register for a Saturday-only ticket that gives you access to 15 breakout sessions and much more. A Saturday-only ticket is just $195; use the code StoryfestOneDay24.
Don’t forget the opportunity to attend a masterclass presented by Martin or author Janisse Ray or agent Renee Fountain (for an additional $85). Or get personal critiques and one-on-one sessions about your work with Fountain or agent Jessica Berg, or with authors Andrew Geyer, Chad Rhoad or Alex Rath (additional $75).
Storyfest will be a jam-packed weekend providing you with tools to help further your writing journey. Register today!
Looking for a place to promote your work? You can rent a table to sell your books – throughout the weekend ($55 for SCWA members, $65 for nonmembers). You also can include a promotional flier, postcard, bookmark and other printed materials in the Storyfest swag for just $15.
Contact Laura Corbin, SCWA administrator, at administrator@myscwa.org if you have questions.
Message from the President
I’M GOING TO STORYFEST!
Guess what? Storyfest is around the corner! Our writing conference is one of the major highlights of my year, and this year’s is shaping out to be a big one. It’s going to be fun, a great learning experience, and best of all we get to come together.
Conferences can make such a profound difference in our lives because they are safe spaces to let a part of yourself shine that you may not get to share in your day-to-day life. This is a chance to go to a special place and see that, “Yes, I’m not the only one.” We come together with others who are just as passionate about this thing called writing as we are.
In this case, it is so exciting when writers gather because we get each other in ways that non-writers don’t. Despite all of us being different and coming from different walks, writing is what brings us together. The great thing about Storyfest is we have the weekend to just be writers.
Who else is happy to argue about pantsing or outlining? Or share in our fun, crazy research obsession? We should get together and show off our napkin and torn-paper collection with those award-winning thoughts written on them. It’s also about that undying support of “you got this no questions asked” belief we have for each other, even when we aren’t always so believing with ourselves.
Storyfest brings me people who inspire me and get me excited for writing. It’s a fun, wild jam-packed ride full of great classes, fun activities (who’s up for Speed Pitching??) and great people to share this special part of your life with.
I invite you to join me at 2024 Storyfest. I want you to find me and tell me about your writing journey, or a cool writing fact, or something you don’t get to share often about yourself. Beginner, veteran and in the middle, you are my writing family and I can’t wait to see you in our magical Storyfest world.
I’m going to our Disney World! See you there.
And may the Muse be ever in your favor.
Ash Smith
President
SCWA Board of Directors
HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR SCWA
This is YOUR organization. The SCWA Board is made up of MEMBERS who volunteer their time, energy and expertise to help make the organization run and to SERVE THE NEEDS OF YOU, THE MEMBERS.
Not only do we need to know what you want and need from the organization, we NEED you to consider what SCWA needs from YOU.
Please consider volunteering as a member of the Board, either as a director on this working board or as an advisor, providing your guidance.
You also could serve SCWA and fellow members by serving on one of the various committees rather than being a board member - help plan the next conference or other events, provide your ideas and expertise to promote and market SCWA and its events, guide us as we look at grants to help the organization, advise us on other fundraising and financial matters. There’s so much you could do.
Please consider stepping up to help YOUR SCWA.
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 for a board position, please fill out the form at 2025 SCWA Board Application.
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Events and Education
AUTHOR’S TOOLBOX PROGRAMS CONTINUE
SCWA will offer two more Author’s Toolbox sessions this year - one in October and one in November - free to members and $25 to nonmembers.
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.
Pat Brandon
VP/Events & Education
Publications
TPR SUBMISSIONS NOW ARE CLOSED
The reading period for all genres for The Petigru Review officially closed on Aug. 23. The editors are now busy with making final selections and putting together the 2024 issue of TPR.
Thanks to all of those who submitted. It has been an amazing experience getting to know your work!
All of those who submitted work will receive a response. Submissions that have not yet received such a response are still under consideration.
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.