November 2022

Calling all SCWA members

WE NEED YOU TO HELP LEAD!

The South Carolina Writers Association Board of Directors is recruiting board members for 2023, and we would welcome discussing how you can contribute to the ongoing success of the organization.

During 2022, the SCWA Board has led the association to major successes in membership levels, the delivery of virtual programs and conferences, the successful publication of its online journal The Petigru Review, and continued growth of its chapters. We're extremely proud of the leadership provided by the current board members. The terms of some members are expiring in December, and we wish to recruit new members to help carry on their great work.

We welcome interest in serving as either a director or an advisor across all areas of operations – supporting our membership area; developing and leading workshops and conferences; supporting the publications; and in all areas of administration, including technology, grant writing and finance. Those with previous non-profit board experience will join a professionally operated board. Those with no experience will learn from the best and enjoy being part of a great team. It's a very rewarding experience!

If you are interested, please download and fill out the application form here: 2023 SCWA Board Application. Email your completed application to Laura Corbin, SCWA administrator, at writersassociationsc@gmail.com.

If there is someone you think would be a good board member, encourage them to apply. All applicants will have the opportunity to discuss their interest and find out more about the board.

The application window closes on Nov. 15 with selections completed by the end of the year.

Message from the President

WHAT I HEARD Kasie Whitener

I give my students an assignment called "What I Heard." They're meant to watch a video, attend a talk or listen to a podcast that is relevant to what we’re studying and report to the class how it helped them to learn and grow.

SCWA presented two incredible opportunities last month. Our virtual conference had 50 registrants and took on issues like whether to pursue self, hybrid, indie or traditional publication. What I heard there was a community glad for the expertise being offered to help further their craft and career.

Our Pawley's Island annual conference had 95 attendees and included the classic Slushfest where panelists offered honest feedback on some hopeful authors' first pages. The event also featured the youngest and only Black female poet laureate of Alabama, Ashley M. Jones, whose Sunday keynote included moving passages from her poems and received a standing ovation.

What I heard at Pawley's Island was how excited people were to be back in person, sharing their ideas, sharing the same spaces, learning craft and practice and professionalism.

What I heard in October was a community reunited around our shared passion: writing.

When we go into community, we are fully human, and as humans, we are tasked with trying to make sense of the world around us. As writers, we do that sense-making on the page. We write our way through confusion, questioning, learning, feeling, understanding, contextualizing, and catharsis. Many of us come to the page to rage, or weep, to dream, hope, or ponder.

As writers, we do our sense-making with words and words have power.

I hope we'll each consider the terms and sentiments we use when describing ourselves and others. I hope we'll reach for love. I hope that we'll be glad for the chance to read, hear, learn, empathize, and maybe even change when presented with opportunities.

What I heard this month was that we are here, in SCWA, to learn. And learning will change us, it should change us. For the better.

Kasie Whitener
President, SCWA Board of Directors

Events and Education

CAN A CONFERENCE GET ANY BETTER?

From Paul Davis, VP, Events & Education

Leigh Stein's tailgate class strengthened my book-pitching skills. Her keynote speech was upbeat, informative, and fun - the perfect way to kick off a conference. The Queryfest and Slushfest sessions gave me valuable insight into what makes a successful query letter and manuscript. Saturday's open mic included some of the best writers, poets, and memoirists in the South. Ashley Jones, Sunday's keynote speaker, delivered a powerful portrait of a Black poet in the South. A 15-minute fruitful chat with editor Duncan Murrell rounded out my three-day stay. Sign me up for 2023!

QUOTES FROM THE CONFERENCE

"Leigh Stein's keynote was honest, empowering and encouraging. She spoke directly to the struggling writer within us all by drilling positivity over negativity."

"The faculty provided not only expertise but they also were very approachable and caring about the needs of attendees. The overall value for the conference was very high as one would have to spend significantly more than our cost to independently access the variety and quality of the programs offered all in one location."

"A lot of helpful information this time around. The generate class in particular felt fantastic because it reminded us to have fun with the process of writing rather than just focusing on end goals."

"I truly appreciated the community of writers brought together for this event. Ashley Jones was such a joy to be around and taught me so much about poetry and form, even as someone who doesn't write a lot of poetry. I think her panel was one of my favorites. I deeply valued her time and perspective."

"I've been to more than a dozen Boston and New York conferences. SCWA's 2022 conference matched them all. Great job."

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE WAS A HIT, TOO

From Amber Wheeler Bacon, Conference Director

We don't want the Pawley's Island conference getting all the attention! We also had a dynamic virtual conference at the beginning of October with fantastic – and what felt like cozy – craft classes, roundtable critiques with real time feedback, workshops for indie authors on book design, publishing like a pro and writing like an editor. In addition, we had an agent Q&A and an indie author panel. We ended the conference with a dynamic Slushfest with an agent and editor who gave participants great feedback on their works in progress. I loved every minute of it and I have a new and improved first page of my novel-in-progress thanks to Slushfest. I hope to attend next year!

MORE TESTIMONIALS! SCWA IS ON FIRE THIS YEAR

"Thank you for this experience and for connecting us with so many gifted writers and teachers."

"I think this was one of the best conferences I have attended. Can't say enough about the amount of work that went into this conference and the quality of the presenters. The writing tips were phenomenal."

"Grateful … and I loved the sessions that I attended. Evelyn (Berry) and Katoya (Ellis Fleming) are my new heroes. And whomever put together the website … you deserve roses hurled at your feet."

"Slushfest was especially helpful. Loved the poetry workshop (with) Esther Lee! Not many people there, but a gem nonetheless. Michaela (Whatnall) was knowledgeable and so approachable in the Agent Q&A. All faculty superb!"

Visit SCWA's Calendar for Updated Events

Publications

READ THE LATEST EDITION OF TPR

For us, as for many, the past two years have been a time to reflect, fortify and gather resilience before emerging back into a changed world. The stories, poems and essays published in this issue of The Petigru Review, as well as our art, echo the times and concerns of their creators. A strong Southern flavor comes across in many of the pieces in Issue 15, while at the same time we have welcomed work from a diversity of identities and localities.

Like trees, we draw strength from our roots and stretch towards the infinite sky.

Maria Picone
TPR Managing Editor

Membership

PLEASE COMPLETE MEMBERSHIP SURVEY

Have you thought about what you can get for 21 cents a day? Not much these days, but you can still get a year's worth of writing support, networking, education, fellowship and many other benefits with an SCWA membership — for just 21 cents a day. That's a bargain.

If you're already a member, we appreciate you! And we have one favor to ask of you. If you have not done so already, please complete the 2022 membership survey you received on Oct. 24. Your input is critical to our planning and budgeting process. In return for your loyal membership, we want to give you and all our members what you need and expect from SCWA. This year we've added several questions that will help us to better understand you and your needs. And there's an open question at the end so that you can anonymously tell us anything you'd like. I promise you that we'll read and consider every comment.
So please take a few minutes before the deadline at midnight Nov. 8. You'll be getting a couple more reminders from us because we want to hear from you. Thank you in advance for your participation in the 2022 membership survey.

If you have questions, email us at SCWAMembership@gmail.com.

Raegan Teller
SCWA VP/Membership