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News & Updates  

  • 08 Dec 2021 5:43 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    December 8, 2021

    SCWA is pleased to be able to serve writers in South Carolina and the region. In order to continue our positive trajectory toward excellence, effective immediately, the SCWA annual membership fee will increase to $75. The common member anniversary date will remain April 1. All new memberships and renewals for current members at the $75 fee will be effective through March 31, 2023. The student fee will be $25.

    It’s been more than 10 years since the last increase during which time SCWA’s operating costs for such items as insurance, accounting, and membership software have increased to unsustainable levels. The increase in fees is needed in order to continue to meet our expenses and offer valuable programs to our members.

    While the new fees are competitive with other writing associations, SCWA provides a broader set of services than many of its counterparts. The recently announced programs for 2022 will provide members with free access to at least 12 virtual education events as well as discounts for the fall 2022 conference and other programs such as the new Writers’ Studio. Members also will have free access to SCWA’s recorded library of past Writing Conversations and Become an Author events, which has been building since 2020.

    Other member benefits, such as participation in chapters and critique groups and publication opportunities in SCWA’s digital journal, The Petigru Review, will continue to be supported as valuable services to SCWA members.

    The volunteer board is dedicated to providing the best quality of services at a low cost to SCWA members. We exist for our members and will continue to ensure our writers receive high value for their membership fees.

    Mike Lee, President

    SCWA Board of Directors

    scwritersassociationpresident@gmail.com

  • 03 Dec 2021 4:24 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Come Write by the Beach!

    SCWA will present a three-day, in-person conference Oct. 21-23 in Pawleys Island, featuring workshops on publishing and craft with keynote faculty Ashley M. JonesLeigh Stein and many more. Editors and agents also will be in attendance. An additional virtual conference is under development and will offer complementary programming. Members will have access to discounted early-bird rates and prizes. Keep watching the SCWA website for more details on registration, accommodations and the sessions to be offered.

    ---------------------------------------------------

    The SCWA board has been focused on the development of plans for 2022, and on behalf of the board, I’m pleased to announce that we have created a robust program for our members for the coming year.
     
    Here are some highlights:
     
    Events & Education – SCWA will continue its successful virtual workshops and writing programs focusing on writing craft and publishing. 
     
    Starting in January, SCWA members will have free access to the popular Writing Conversations and Become an Author series plus a new program called Shared Writing. These will occur quarterly. 
     
    SCWA also will introduce new paid programs at discounted member rates consisting of four-week, virtual, in-depth workshops focusing on topics such as novel writing, finding an agent, and indie marketing and bookselling.
     
    Additional quarterly programs will include free open mic sessions and paid in-person and virtual workshops to be held in locations across the state. Members also have access to more than 40 recorded writing workshops and events in Recorded Events on the SCWA website.

    Publications – SCWA’s digital journal, The Petigru Review, will return in 2022 with the opportunity for members to publish their work. A new position of managing editor has been created to ensure high standards and additional promotional opportunities for the journal and its contributors.
     
    SCWA once again will co-sponsor, with the South Carolina Academy of Authors, the McCray Nickens Fellowship in Poetry and the Coker Fellowship in Fiction, providing the opportunity for members to compete for paid awards. These contests are open now. For details, visit MySCWA.org.
     
    More details will be provided soon as each of these major member programs is set to launch.
     
    Board recruiting – The window to submit applications to become a member of the board closed Nov. 15. Interviews are under way and new board members will be proposed at the Dec. 21 board meeting and announced shortly thereafter. We appreciate all who applied.
     
    2022 BOD Meeting Schedule – A schedule has been approved for the 2022 board meeting dates. Members are welcome to participate in any board meeting as we have reserved an item on every agenda for member discussion. The new schedule is posted on MySCWA.org.
     
    Congratulations are to SCWA board member Len Lawson and longtime SCWA friend Gary Jackson for their recent publication of The Future of Black – Afrofuturism, Black Comics, and Superhero Poetry. Members are reminded to post their awards and publications on MySCWA.org and on our Facebook group and page. Also, look on our website for publication opportunities and contests, such as the playwright and screenplay competition by the Del Shores Foundation for the LGBTQ+ community.
     
    Guest posts – This feature of The Quill will have a new look in 2022. While we work out more details, I am pleased to share with you the selection for December – an essay by member Jayne Bowers.

    In closing, my term as SCWA board president concludes this month, so this will be the last time I'll issue the Message from the President. A couple of parting comments: First to our members, you inspire me with your writing – I try to read all members' published works – and with your participation in our programs. You've made the work worthwhile. To our board members and our administrator, Laura Corbin, it's been a true pleasure to serve with you. Thank you for your trust, support and dedication without which we would not have succeeded. I appreciate every one of you.

    Mike Lee
    President 
    SCWA Board of Directors

  • 03 Nov 2021 5:13 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    One benefit of SCWA’s partnerships with other organizations is that we are able to provide our members with access to those groups and their activities. One Columbia for Arts and Culture is a perfect example.

    One Columbia allows SCWA to use its Taylor Street office in Columbia as our mailing address, a tremendous service. We also can use its shared event facility at 1013 Co-Op (1013 Duke Ave. in Columbia), where the SCWA board held its quarterly in-person meeting on Oct. 23. Thanks to One Columbia, a cherished partner.
     
    SCWA members can check out its programs at One Columbia.
     
    The Pat Conroy Center, another major partner, will hold its annual literary festival through Nov. 4 through 7. SCWA members are encouraged to take advantage of the many virtual and in-person programs in Beaufort, many of which are free. You likely will recognize several names of SCWA members involved in the sessions. 
     
    Congratulations to SCWA board member Dr. Kasie Whitener, who was awarded a 2021 South Carolina Governor's Fresh Voices in the Humanities Award, sponsored by another SCWA partner, SC Humanities. The ceremony was held on Oct. 21. Tune in to Whitener’s Write On SC weekly radio talk show – all about writing – at 9 a.m. Saturdays on 100.7 FM /1470 AM and Makethepointradio.com.

    We remind members to consider joining our board of directors. We need you to become involved to continue the great work of SCWA. The deadline is Nov. 15. Applications are available on MySCWA.org or by emailing writersassociationsc@gmail.com. For more information, email scwritersassociationpresident@gmail.com.
     
    We’ve been pleased with the submissions for guest articles or essays for our "Come Write With Us!" segment of the monthly issue of The Quill and love to showcase the work of our writers. We can’t promise that all submissions will be published, but please keep them coming. Send your submission for consideration to SCWA administrator Laura Corbin at writersassociationsc@gmail.com(Guidelines: Submissions with a maximum of 500 words can be opinion editorials, poems, essays or a piece of writing in any genre. They cannot be commercial, political or offensive. We reserve the right to edit.)

    This month, we feature member Paula Appling of Upstate South Carolina with her essay “Mouse Potato.”


    Mike Lee
    President 
    SCWA Board of Directors

  • 05 Oct 2021 6:09 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    As we enter the final quarter of the year, the SCWA board's sights are on finishing 2021 strong and planning our 2022 member programs. Our recent member survey has provided very helpful perspectives on member opinions and preferences and areas we can improve. Results are being analyzed and incorporated into our planning and will be available soon. Thanks to all who responded. We appreciate you taking the time to improve SCWA.
     
    Interested in joining the SCWA board? It’s a very rewarding experience. We are recruiting for 2022 board positions as directors or advisors and would welcome interest from members with experience in critique groups, membership, publications or delivering conference and educational programs. We also could use help in the IT, finance/treasury and board secretary support areas. Please nominate yourself or someone else. Nomination and application forms are available by contacting Laura Corbin, administrative assistant, at writersassociationsc@gmail.com.
     
    Congratulations to these SCWA members on recent accomplishments:
    • Catherine Con, whose "Feuillemort" made the finalist list for the Anne C. Barnhill Prize for Creative Nonfiction and will be published on Longridge Review.
    • Finalists in the Southeastern Writers 2021 contests: Candace Carter, Kasie Whitener, Martha Thwaite Weeks and John MacIlroy.
    • Yvette R. Murray, who has been named one of the 50 Finalists for the anthology "Best New Poets" for 2021.
    We’re proud of your success. SCWA members are encouraged to share your publications news in Publications & Awards under Member News on MySCWA.org and in our Facebook group.
     
    Updates on partner associations:
     
    The Palmetto Literacy Council will host an author event on Oct. 16 in Myrtle Beach, featuring Jonathan Haupt of the Pat Conroy Literary Center. For information, contact Patricia D’Ascoli at patricia@palmettoliteracy.org.
     
    Charlotte Lit announces the inaugural Writers/South Awards – $10,000 in prizes plus publication. Four categories: poetry, short fiction, nonfiction and flash. Four prize levels: $1,500 first, $500 second, $250 third, $50 honorable mentions. All prize winners published in the new Writers/South: Journal of Charlotte Lit. Judges: Ron Rash (fiction, 4,000 words), Jessica Jacobs and Nickole Brown (poetry, 1-3 poems), Stephanie Elizondo Griest (nonfiction, 4,000 words), and flash (1-2 pieces, up to 500 words each). Submissions are open until Dec. 1. The entry fee is $15, which includes a print copy of the journal. To enter, go to charlottelit.org/writerssouth/awards or charlottelit.submittable.com.


    October guest column:

    I'm happy to introduce our guest writing contributor, Bill Bruehl, a distinguished scholar and gifted writer who we love having as an advisor to our board. Being around Bill leaves one inspired and wanting more. Enjoy his column here.


    Mike Lee
    President 
    SCWA Board of Directors


  • 07 Sep 2021 1:01 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Message from the President

    As we slide into autumn, our sights shift to finishing the year strong for our members and developing South Carolina Writers Association’s plans for the coming year. 
     
    We’ve continued to provide exciting and innovative programs, such as our recent session on writing diverse characters. We’ve also been working with other associations to expand our member access to programs offered beyond SCWA.
     
    On that subject, we’re proud to announce that all SCWA members are eligible for a 10% discount on writing programs offered by our partner association The Pat Conroy Literary Center. We’re honored to be associated with such a prestigious organization and encourage our members to support the center and participate in its many outstanding writing programs. 
     
    We’re also happy to announce that our efforts to collaborate with other South Carolina writing groups have resulted in a statewide calendar sponsored by the South Carolina Humanities https://schumanities.org/calendar/. Writers now can go to one source to learn about literary arts programs, events, and activities across South Carolina. Our thanks go out to SC Humanities for making this available. (You still can find SCWA events on our website at myscwa.org/events.)
     
    The SCWA website myscwa.org also has been updated to make it easier for SCWA members share information about their accomplishments and promote their publications on the Publications & Awards page at under the revised Member News tab. Please take advantage of this feature!
     
    I urge you to participate in our member survey. Members have been emailed the survey, and a link can be found in the Membership section in this newsletter. Your responses will help us understand what members value most and the programs and services you’d like to see in 2022.
     
    Finally, our guest contributor this month is a special friend of SCWA – Leigh Steinan acclaimed novelist, poet and contributor to major newspapers and magazines. She has been a faculty member at SCWA conferences and is simply a brilliant writer. 

    Mike Lee
    President 
    SCWA Board of Directors

    Come Write With Us!

    Leigh Stein is the author of five books, including the poetry collection What to Miss When and the satirical novel Self Care. She also has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Allure, Elle, The Cut, Salon and Slate. She is a recipient of an Amy Award from Poets & Writers, and The Cut named her “poet laureate of The Bachelor.

    (Send your own submission for consideration to Laura Corbin at writersassociationsc@gmail.com.)

    The Time and Place for Poetry
               
    The last memory I have of the Before Times is going to the mall on Leap Day and watching families ride the escalators up and down, unmasked. My husband was in Chicago working a convention. I’d been following the news of a virus spreading in suburban Seattle. On the phone, I asked him if the turnout was low.
     
    “Higher than it’s ever been,” he said.
     
    A couple weeks later, our life in Connecticut had shrunk to the confines of our two-bedroom townhouse. There would be no more conventions for him, no more in-person teaching for me. I followed news of the virus in Italy as a forecast of things to come; we were 11 days behind them. In The New York Times, a doctor compared the worsening outbreak to starlight: “Think starlight. That light isn’t from now, it’s from however long it took to get here.” One death meant there was already widespread transmission.
     
    That metaphor—think starlight—triggered the first poem I’d written in nearly a decade.
     
    About two weeks before our state went into lockdown, I’d stopped drinking alcohol. The combination of my new sobriety and the intense isolation of the early phase of the pandemic sparked a period of blazing productivity. I didn’t have to cajole or bribe myself to sit at my desk and write (the way I have to when I’m writing an essay); the poems wrote themselves. They were tiny time capsules I filled every morning with the material I’d collected the day before: watching a TV newscaster catch the virus, buying scissors to cut my husband’s hair, an influencer saying the stay-at-home order doesn’t apply to people like her, people who can influence anywhere.
     
    I was writing about class. Most of the people I knew were, like me, members of the laptop class. We could afford to work from home and spend hours a day on social media, where we expressed our outrage, our grief, our guilt. I counted what happened online as material, too. When I first got the idea to write an entire book of these poems, I was going to call it Viral Experience.
     
    I wrote in the morning, before my husband woke up, the only time of the day I felt alone in the house, once he stopped going into an office. Each poem took between one and two hours to complete. While I wrote, I listened to the same music I listened to when I wrote poems in my bedroom as a depressed teenage girl—another isolated time, a mirror image.
     
    I have never written for myself. I have always written for a reader—a single friend. Her name is Liz and she lives in Indiana. As soon as I finished a poem, I emailed it to Liz, or another friend. I don’t do this when I’m writing essays or fiction. I don’t finish a draft of a novel chapter and immediately paste it into an email. But a poem is the perfect size for sharing: it can be a sympathy bouquet, a five-minute stand-up routine, a loaf of bread still warm from the oven.
     
    On March 14, 2020, Rosanne Cash tweeted, “Just a reminder that when Shakespeare quarantined because of the plague, he wrote King Lear.” Many people on the internet lost their minds over this. How could anyone write at a time like this?
     
    But a time like this was exactly what I wanted to write about. I wanted to capture the catastrophe as it unfolded. Between March and September of last year, I wrote the poems that would become my fifth book, What to Miss When. I worried that by the time it was published, we would no longer be talking about the pandemic.
     
    And here we are. 
     
    THINK STARLIGHT
     
    Think containment. Think case load. Think
    of your parents. Think of Lily who taught you
    the etymology of stanza—
    a kind of stopping place, the room
    where we self-quarantine. Think
    of all the faces you’ve known by hand,
    the curve of your lover’s skull, how no one
    ever admits they wish they’d worried more
    so you keep your panic on you at all times
    like a passport. The paper reports the nameless
    score, tally marks on the wall of a white stanza
    where women in green speak a language
    you don’t understand and decide who deserves
    the breathing machine. Think starlight:
    it took so long to touch us,
    we trusted we were spared.


  • 07 Sep 2021 12:58 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    PRESIDENT'S AUGUST UPDATES

    I hope this finds you writing, enjoying yourselves and the services SCWA offers. There never seems to be a slow time for the SCWA board, but we put the less active times to good use as opportunities to improve member services.
     
    While we continue to examine our top priorities of the future of our publications, 2022 program design and membership growth, the board also has spent considerable time on less exciting activities, such as examining our communications, reviewing our liability insurance and updating our coronavirus policy. Copies of board minutes, which reflect these, are available by contacting Laura Corbin at writersassociationsc@gmail.com.
     
    We’re proud to celebrate some additional member news:
     
    Barbara Evers received the Best Fantasy Novel Award for her first novel, The Watchers of Moniah, from the Imaginarium Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.
     
    Bob Strother's short story, Unmoored, will appear in the spring issue of moonShine review.
     
    Kasie Whitener racked up more recognition for her novel Before Pittsburgh, which received an honorable mention at the New York Book Festival. Whitener also was awarded the Broad River Prize for Prose by the Jasper Project in conjunction with Richland County, One Columbia for Arts and Culture (an SCWA partner) and Richland County Library Friends and Family. Her short fiction work, The Shower, will be published in the Jasper Project's journal Fall Lines - a literary convergence. Other SCWA members selected for publication in the journal are Danielle Verwers, Austin Hehir, Ann-Chadwell Humphries and Arthur McMaster.

    Congratulations to all. We’re delighted for you!

    Mike Lee
    President 
    SCWA Board of Directors

    Come Write With Us!

    We continue our guest compositions in The Quill to showcase the creative writing and musings from members, board members and invited guests. Our August contribution is by board member Vivian Bikulege, well known across the association for hosting many activities, including Open Mic Nights with SCWA and partner organizations. Vivian introduces us to another famous writer in this wonderful piece. Send your own submission for consideration to Laura Corbin at writersassociationsc@gmail.com.

    GUEST COLUMN BY VIVIAN BIKULEGE

    Once in a while, I drift. It’s kind of like floating in the ocean, held up by the saltwater when there is no wind or riptide, just the gentle push and pull of waves cresting toward and receding from the shoreline. In those moments, or days, or weeks, I don’t feel like doing anything — housework, exercise, or writing.

    One evening in July, while I was cushioned in this stale space of lethargy, I went back to a documentary I’d started on Netflix. Titled The Center Will Not Hold, it is a film directed by Griffin Dunne. His subject matter is his aunt, literary icon Joan Didion.

    Somewhere between the black and white photos of Didion, her husband-writer John Gregory Dunne, and their adopted daughter, Quintana, I fell into Didion’s spell as she confessed to self-doubts and pleasures of a writing life. Was writing a relevant act? How does one come to terms with the disorder of life and create order in the form of an essay, novel or screenplay? To my knowledge, she did not rub her pen against the sandpaper of poetry.

    What impressed me so very much was the transparency and brutal effects of age and loss on Didion. Her resilience, stamina and wisdom shine through each piece of the film, and I found myself roused by select Joan Didion mantras. I’ll paraphrase a few.

    • Your story unfolds as you write it.
    • Novels are about things you’re afraid you can’t deal with.
    • Listen to the edge of what people say.
    • Write to understand what you think and how you feel.
    • Remember what it is to be you. That is always the point.

    Didion is best known for her work in non-fiction, my genre of first choice. I will never be a Joan Didion. I started writing later in my life. I don’t share her writing style, but because I love it, I suspect her influence will peek between the periods and line breaks of my own developing voice. I admire her life lessons and her ability to process pain, wonder and confusion onto the page.

    If you are looking for inspiration, if you are caught between the dog days of summer and the next act of autumn, if you are floating and wondering what or how to write the next single word or sentence, but can’t, or won’t, or are wondering how, maybe listening to another writer will help. It’s why we belong to and write with one another in South Carolina and beyond. We find value in sharing and learning. We discover impetus and new pathways with words.

    I recommend taking time to watch The Center Will Not Hold when and if you are interested. Drifting isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you bump into a buoy of inspiration along the way.

  • 07 Jul 2021 3:46 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Come Write With Us!

    With the July Message from the President, we begin our guest compositions intended to showcase the creative writing and musings from members, board members and invited guests. Don’t forget to send your own submission to Laura Corbin at writersassociationsc@gmail.com.
     
    This month we proudly feature veteran journalist, award-winning author, Pulitzer Prize nominee and SCWA’s very own board member Paul Davis.

    GUEST COLUMN BY PAUL DAVIS

    In 2009, I wrote about an unusual event: a group of Somali pirates had hijacked an American cargo ship headed for Kenya. The crew fought off the attack, but the hijackers took the captain hostage.
     
    A few days later, Navy snipers killed three of the pirates and rescued Capt. Richard Phillips. (Tom Hanks played the captain in the 2013 Hollywood film.)
     
    Shane Murphy, the ship's chief officer, had just returned to the U.S. and was holed up in his ranch house in Seekonk, Massachusetts. I was a reporter for the Providence Journal, a Rhode Island newspaper with readers in Massachusetts.
     
    "Get the story," my editor said.
     
    I camped on Murphy's street for three days before he spoke to me. "No press!" his wife yelled from the back of the house.
     
    Murphy, who juggled his infant son in one hand and a beer in the other, told me a wild story.
     
    I drove back to the paper. I had a scoop, but probably not for long.
     
    "Write a block of copy and file it," an editor said. "I’ll post it on our website. Then write another block, and I’ll post it. Don’t stop."
     
    He paused. "End each segment with a cliffhanger. I don't want to lose a reader."
     
    I wrote the first few sentences to set the tone:
     
    Chief Officer Shane Murphy heard the threat before dawn.
    "Stop ship," said a voice on the radio. "This is Somali pirate."
     
    I limited the opening scene to 10 paragraphs. During the hijacking, Murphy ran below deck to secure more than 100 locks and doors. Above him, he heard Captain Phillips shout, "Shots fired! Shot's fired!"
     
    I ended the first installment this way:
     
    The men grabbed improvised weapons: hatchets, saws and homemade shivs.
     
    I wrote a few more scenes. An engineer shut off the ship's lights and power. Murphy activated a tracking transmitter. He and another crewman jumped a pirate and held him hostage.
     
    I wrote in bursts and used short sentences to create tension.
     
    The exercise taught me something: Never forget your reader. Text messages, YouTube videos, emails, Netflix — distractions abound. Readers are quick to put a story down.
     
    You don't have to write like James Patterson, but you must engage your readers. That means using every trick in the book: cliffhangers, foreshadowing, cinematic detail, snappy dialogue — anything to grab the reader and propel the story forward.
     
    "Shots fired! Shots fired!"
     
    I talked to Murphy for 20 minutes before his wife threw me out. It was enough. He even sketched the ship’s interior on a napkin. Before I left, I noticed the tattoos on Murphy’s arms. A mermaid floated on one bicep. A shark swam on the other.

    PRESIDENT'S JULY UPDATES

    Board member announcements
     
    We’re extremely proud of our board and especially celebrate their individual successes. 
     
    Dr. Len Lawson has successfully achieved his doctorate in English literature and criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. We’re delighted for Len on this tremendous accomplishment and wish him continued academic and writing success. So glad to rub shoulders with you on the board, Dr. Len!
     
    Dr. Kasie Whitener has been awarded a 2021 South Carolina Humanities - Fresh Voice in Humanities Award. We’re so very happy for Kasie and everything that she does to advance literary arts in South Carolina. We’ll be cheering loudly at the Governor’s Awards in Humanities ceremony in October. For more, go to Governor's Awards.
     
    SCWA is so fortunate to have both of Len and Kasie as board directors. Please join us in giving them a standing ovation!
     
    2021 recap
     
    We’re pleased to have supported South Carolina writers with our many programs thus far in 2021. Do you realize that in the first six months of 2021, we’ve held a major virtual conference, published our print anthology, Catfish Stew, and hosted 20 virtual programs (four Become an Author and 16 Writing Conversations). We’re not done yet. Check out our events calendar for the remaining nine Writing Conversations and two Become an Author sessions, and our new Facebook Live and YouTube special events - Authors' Corner - on July 7 and Aug. 11. Remember all sessions are recorded and available free to members.
     
    The Petigru Review
     
    As previously announced, the board was examining the direction of our publications and particularly plans for The Petigru Review during 2021. At the June board planning meeting, we decided to pause TPR for the remainder of 2021. This pause will give us time to examine our options for both TPR and Catfish Stew, such as outsourcing, partnering with publishing houses or dedicating our own resources required to produce high quality publications. We welcome your input to this process and will keep you posted on plans for 2022.
     
    Chapter meeting guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic
     
    Some chapters have resumed in-person meetings while some members prefer to take advantage of the virtual genre chapters available. The board has developed the following meeting guidelines to assist in safely navigating your meeting options during the pandemic.
     
    Chapter leaders should routinely consult with their members regarding decisions for in-person meetings. Options to consider:
    • Use virtual meeting options such as Zoom or other alternatives until 80% of the membership is prepared to meet in person.
    • Offer hybrid virtual/in-person meetings when practical.
    • Request unvaccinated attendees either to wear masks or join virtually.
    • Suggest that vaccinated members should join virtually if they are uncomfortable with in-person meetings.
    • Suggest that members consider joining SCWA virtual statewide genre chapters.
    • Require non-members attending chapter meetings to observe the health and safety practices adopted by that chapter.
    For more information, go to Coronavirus Guidelines for Chapters.

    Statewide writers directory being developed
     
    As part of the South Carolina Literary Arts Partnership Project, of which SCWA was the lead sponsor, the South Carolina State Library has agreed to take the lead in creating a statewide writers directory. When completed this fall/winter, writers across South Carolina will have access to a directory of the many writing associations, groups and resources for all genres. Stay tuned for more announcements coming from the S.C. State Library.

    A different kind of writing program
     
    Our friends at Charlottelit.org are offering a new program called Author’s Lab, which provides intensive, residential learning over a year-long program. It’s unlike anything we or our other partners offer. Check it out at Charlottelit Author's Lab.
     
    Mike Lee
    President 
    SCWA Board of Directors

  • 04 Jun 2021 12:12 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Carrie McCray Nickens (pictured above) is a name you may have heard associated with SCWA and wondered about. Here is her story and why we celebrate her as a major part of SCWA treasured history

    When SCWA was created in 1990 as the South Carolina Writers Workshop, McCray Nickens, one of the founding members of the board, already was 77 years old. She had begun writing seriously at the age of 73 and had become a poet and memoirist. Her most famous piece of work, written at the age of 85, was “Freedom’s Child: The Life of a Confederate General’s Black Daughter” (1998), a first-person memoir about her mother. “I never thought of myself as a writer, only a social worker and teacher who loved to write,” she once said. “It took ‘Freedom’s Child’ to do that.”

    McCray Nickens was one of South Carolina’s first celebrated Black, female writers. She expressed herself through poems and stories about life – about history, family, culture and the racial tensions and gender bias she experienced. She always was generous with her time and dedicated herself to helping beginning writers.

    She once said, “Write for the joy of writing. Don’t be anxious about publishing. It will come. Accept constructive criticism from seasoned authors. It helped me develop my writing. Don’t let anyone discourage you.”*

    This guidance shaped the mission of the South Carolina Writers Association – to provide a safe environment to help people become better writers. 
     
    McCray Nickens also was a member of the Board of Governors of the South Carolina Academy of Authors, and in 2009 she was inducted posthumously into the state literary hall of fame. SCWA and the S.C. Academy of Authors proudly co-sponsor the Carrie McCray Nickens Fellowship for Poetry.
     
    McCray Nickens died on July 25, 2008, at the age of 94, only months after having married long-time friend John Nickens. Her papers are held by the special collection division at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. 
     
    I have read her poems and have a copy of “Freedom’s Child.” When I read her writing, I feel privileged to be associated with her, if only in some small way – carrying on McCray Nickens’s tradition, now 31 years after she helped start our association.
     
    Mike

    *Phebe Davidson, University of South Carolina, Institute for Southern Studies. 08/10/2016

    PRESIDENT'S JUNE UPDATES
    • Please welcome new board members Cayce LaCorte and Abby Morales. LaCorte is a long-time SCWA supporter and participant. She will direct SCWA’s social media programs. Morales is new to SCWA. She has a background in nonprofits and brings fresh perspectives as a director. Thank you for joining the board!
    • The subcommittee for SCWA Growth through Diversity had a successful initial meeting and has begun formulating plans. Member interest in participating in the committee has been strong and, while we’ve had to cap its size of the group, your input always is welcomed. Please contact Len Lawson at lenvillelaws@gmail.com.
    • The board will conduct a planning session in June to determine the direction on all major SCWA activities for the remainder of 2021 and through 2022. Do you have an opinion on SCWA priorities or any program? Please send it to me at scwritersassociationpresident@gmail.com
    • We’ve changed the board meeting schedule slightly. The June meeting has been rescheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 26, in Columbia, and the July meeting will be held virtually at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 27. Remember that we reserve the first part of every meeting to dialogue with members, so please join us. Email scwritersassociationpresident@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
    • Congratulations to board member Paul Davis for being awarded second prize in the 2021 Porter Fleming Literary Competition in the nonfiction category for "When the Heart Hurts."  Well done!
    • Starting in July, we are adding a new segment to the President’s Letter published monthly in The Quill and online at myscwa.org to provide literary compositions from members, board members and guests. Pieces with a maximum of 500 words can be opinion editorials, poems, essays or a piece of writing in any genre. The pieces cannot be commercial, political or offensive. Send your submission for consideration to Laura Corbin at writersassociationsc@gmail.com.
    • Our friends at the Palmetto Literary Council will feature two children’s authors in its July author panel. If you are interested, please contact Patricia D’Ascoli at patricia@palmettoliteracy.org.
    Come write with us!


  • 03 May 2021 5:41 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    What are you reading these days?
     
    Ken Burn’s fascinating documentary on PBS about Ernest Hemingway revealed the man behind the stories. Love him or hate him, Hemingway changed the trajectory of literary arts in the 20th century. Yet, as accomplished as Hemingway was, he still was inspired by other writers. After reading “West with the Night” by Beryl Markham, Hemingway wrote that he was ashamed by his own writing talent compared to her, saying “She could write rings around all of us.” 
     
    I believe one can’t be a good writer without a steady dose of reading. I regularly read the books our SCWA members publish, and I learn from each one. They inspire me and remind me that we have such immense talent among us. I’ll try to continue to learn so maybe someday I can find a glimpse of a Hemingway masterpiece inside – just without the drama and saltiness of the rest of his life.
     
    Mike Lee
     
    Here are some highlights of things going on in SCWA:
     
    Conference:
    We’re proud to say that the April 2021 Conference was a huge success. Over 100 people came together virtually to network and participate in 22 interactive sessions with a spectacular faculty of agents, editors, renowned authors and experts in publishing. The individual critique and pitch sessions, open mic and slushfest once again were very popular features. Our new technology platform performed extremely well and gave registrants the opportunity to either participate live or access recordings. We are very grateful to the conference committee (especially Amber Wheeler Bacon and Kasie Whitener) and the many other board volunteers and sponsors who made it a success.
     
    Those who were registered attendees can access the recordings and handouts/slides by going to myscwa.org/conf_sessions.
     
    Catfish Stew:
    We expect to publish Catfish Stew during May, delayed by a few weeks due to our conference planning.
     
    Upcoming Events:
    Starting in May we resume our popular events Writing Conversations and Become an Author with a terrific schedule of topics, including discussions with Jonathan Bahr Heinen, managing editor of Crazyhorse Magazine; how to write bad guys with Duncan Murrell; and, back by popular demand, Turning Memories into Stories, in partnership with The Pat Conroy Center.
     
    Please register for these free events on myscwa.org.
     
    Grants:
    Do you realize that SCWA could not operate as we do without the grants we receive? Our grant funding is critical to our ability to keep membership fees low while being able to deliver high quality programs. Two organizations in particular have made this possible.
     
    We are honored to have the support of South Carolina Humanities who helped sponsor our April virtual conference, our Partnership Planning Project and the entire Writing Conversations and Become an Author series as well as other projects. The commitment of SC Humanities has been vital to supporting the literary arts in South Carolina and makes it possible for SCWA to offer our events.
     
    Similarly, The South Carolina Arts Commission, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, has generously supported SCWA with two grants – one to enable us to develop plans to improve communications and a second grant to support our operating expenses and minimize the impact of the pandemic.
     
    Our board expresses our sincere appreciation. We are humbled by the trust in our board and the support provided to SCWA members.
     
    SCWA Board Membership Update:
    Two board members have found it necessary to resign. Bill Bruehl, an advisor in the Events & Education area, and Sara Lea Thornhill, whose short tenure as secretary/social media director proved very valuable to SCWA. We will miss Bill and Sara in many ways and wish them well.
     
    We very much need some additional board secretary support so please consider volunteering. The role involves working with the executive board and administrative support to ensure SCWA is run professionally. We also throw in a load of laughs and camaraderie. Please join our team. We need your help. Interested? Please contact me at scwritersassociationpresident@gmail.com.
     
    Come write with us!

  • 02 Apr 2021 9:32 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” ― Margaret Atwood

    A former boss used to say, “Just get going. You’ll figure out the best turns along the way.”  I remind myself of that and the words of Margaret Atwood when I need a nudge. Hopefully, they will help you if you’re procrastinating.

    One thing you shouldn’t procrastinate about is registering for the SCWA Virtual Conference April 16 to 18. Registrations are nearing the max. Look for registration details at myscwa.org/ann_conf_2021.

    Here are some highlights of things your board is working on:

    SCWA Growth Through Diversity – SCWA membership has been recovering from the impact of the pandemic, however, our demographics do not reflect the diverse population across the state. We’re hoping to change that with the launch of the Growth Through Diversity initiative. A subcommittee of members, chapter leaders and board members is being organized to recommend how to meet the needs of all writers, including writers of color, writers with disabilities, minorities, gender and age. A separate email describing this is coming your way. Please consider joining in this important effort by contacting Laura Corbin at writersassociationsc@gmail.com.

    Partnership Project – SCWA has been leading a project to identify collaboration opportunities for S.C. organizations associated with literary arts. The project team has concluded phase one of this project and has reviewed the results with participants. A project report soon will be issued to all participants and sponsors and made available to anyone interested.

    The project helped identify many groups that support not just writing but also literacy. Check out The Palmetto Literacy Council www.palmettoliteracy.org, one of the many fine groups that offer programs to help support that cause.

    A calendar update for you: If you were planning to attend the April 24 Board of Directors meeting, we’ve changed it to April 27 at 7 p.m. Please contact Laura at writersassociationsc@gmail.com if you’d like to dialogue with the board at that meeting.

    Mike Lee, President

    Come Write with Us

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