SCWA / The Quill / May 2025
A Newsletter of the South Carolina Writers Association
May 2025
Message from the President
IT’S GONNA BE MAY
Yes, I am a cusp between Gen X and millennial. Also yes, the Justin Timberlake meme will always be funny (see image below). What’s fun is that it’s catchy and reminds me of the actual song. I love sayings that just stick in my head and make me excited or inspired.
After coming through a very rough time in 2020, I tattooed four sayings on my arms that got me through. Two of them are quotes: “We accept the love we think we deserve” (Perks of Being a Wallflower) and “There is no spoon” (Matrix). One reminds me to work on knowing I deserve to love myself, and the other reminds me it’s all mental in the end.
A favorite story of a set of writers is the read through with the Wachowskis and David Mitchell of the screenplay for “Cloud Atlas.” Mitchell is the author of the book and the Wachowskis wrote the screenplay. A line that would catch their attention they would ask is that Mitchell’s or Wachowskis’. They started keeping tabs on lines that struck them. The count was even for inspirational lines.
I want to write a story in which lines catch people in some way and makes my story memorable. More so, I want to write so that the lines inspire me and make me feel. Being in classes and workshops for feature writing we learn about having a hook in the first few sentences that reach out and grab our reader. A personal favorite is the Ernest Hemingway quote on “the hunting of man,” which is a hook for an article on how fishing is superior.
A hook for a story doesn’t always have to be this amazing profound thing, but something that makes the reader go “hmm, I want to read more” and throughout the story has lines that keep us wanting to think “go on.” These hooks come naturally to the story and don’t have to be forced. Sometimes you will write the bulk of the story before you can go back and find that line that ties people into the story. Most inspiring quotes are ones we don’t even know we are writing.
Write what would inspire you because if you’re not inspired, you won’t inspire others. Our best writing comes when we write for ourselves. We write the story we want to read.
Happy May and may the muse be ever in your favor.
Ash Smith
President
president@myscwa.org
Publications
SUBMIT TO THE PETIGRU REVIEW THROUGH AUG. 23
The submission window for The Petigru Review is now open. TPR welcomes submissions of original fiction, nonfiction, poetry and art from members of the South Carolina Writers Association and the public at large. The reading period for all genres will close on Aug. 23.
The 2025 edition of TPR will be a themed issue focused on “Taste of the Carolinas.” Submissions need not be set in South Carolina, nor need they be written by South Carolina authors, nor do they need to focus on food or drink. However, preference will be given to pieces that engage that thematic element in some way.
The submission fee for each general submission is $3, payable through Submittable at thepetigrureview.com/submit.
Please follow these guidelines:
Prose: Submit only one piece of short fiction or nonfiction. Prose narratives must not exceed 5,000 words in length. All prose submissions should be double-spaced.
Poetry: Submit no more than five poems. All poems must be submitted in a single file.
Files for all prose submissions must be uploaded to Submittable in either a .doc, .docx or .pdf format.
Art: Submit no more than five pieces. All art must be submitted in a single file and in a digital format.
Files for art submissions must be uploaded to Submittable in either a .tif, .gif, .jpg or .png format.
STUDENT GINNY PADGETT AWARD IN CREATIVE WRITING
Student submissions for the Ginny Padgett Award in Creative Writing also is open and continues through Aug. 23.
Questions regarding submissions to TPR should be directed to:
Managing Editor/Fiction Editor: Andrew Geyer (ageyer@usca.edu)
Assistant Editor/Nonfiction Editor: Sara Sobota (ssobota@coastal.edu)
Poetry Editor: Sydney Bollinger (hello@sydneybollinger.com)
Events and Education
PIEDMONT PUBLISHING SYMPOSIUM MAY 28-29
You still have time to register for the Piedmont Publishing Symposium, a day and a half program May 28 and 29 at Wofford College in Spartanburg designed to provide authors with a learning and networking opportunity among the publishing community in South Carolina and the larger Southeast region.
The symposium is organized by Clemson University Press, Hub City Press, University of North Georgia Press and University of South Carolina Press. SCWA has proudly partnered to support this event.
The event will offer eight sessions appealing to different constituencies: academic writers, non-academic writers, publishing professionals, and students and recent graduates who want to know more about publishing.
FULL SCHEDULE FOR PIEDMONT PUBLISHING SYMPOSIUM
REGISTER NOW ($50; SPACE IS LIMITED)
AUTHOR’S TOOLBOX
DUSTIN WHITEHEAD: “WRITING HERO: COLLABORATIVE SCREENWRITING AND COMMUNITY FILMMAKING”
Join us for this Author’s Toolbox at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 15, via Zoom for a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process of screenwriting and independent filmmaking with special guest Dustin Whitehead, a Columbia-based filmmaker, actor and educator.
Whitehead will share the story behind the making of Hero, his directorial debut feature film, co-written with a fellow artist, Myles Isreal. This unique project was born out of the resources and talent available at the University of South Carolina, where Whitehead teaches acting. Rather than working with a traditional script first, he and his co-writer developed the story by reverse-engineering the screenplay — starting with the actors, locations and community already within reach.
The approach allowed them to build a narrative that felt authentic to the space and people involved. By engaging actors in the storytelling process and crafting characters around their strengths, Hero became a true reflection of collaborative, community-driven filmmaking. This methodology not only provided students and locals the opportunity to be part of a professional-level production but also proved that meaningful cinema can be created using the resources around us.
Whitehead is a core creative behind Local Cinema Studios, a non-profit production company founded in 2019. Its mission is to bridge the gap between academia and the film industry, giving students and recent graduates hands-on experience on real feature film sets every summer with professional mentors coming from around the globe. Through Local Cinema Studios’ Get on Set initiative — developed in partnership with the South Carolina Film Commission and the University of South Carolina — they have successfully produced several films, including the 2023 film The Grand Strand, featuring John Carroll Lynch, which just won Best Picture at The Beverly Hills Film Festival.
With acting credits in Chicago PD, Chicago Fire and Your Worst Nightmare, and a diverse production background, Whitehead brings a wide range of experience to his work. He holds a BFA in performance from Jacksonville University and an MFA in acting from the Theatre School at DePaul University and has studied filmmaking at NYU Tisch Asia in Singapore.
Come hear how Whitehead merges his passions for storytelling, teaching and community building to shape the next generation of filmmakers.
REGISTER FOR AUTHOR’S TOOLBOX: DUSTIN WHITEHEAD
Members, free; nonmembers, $25.
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.
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.
SUMMER SERIES BACK STARTING IN JUNE!
SCWA’s popular virtual Summer Series is back! Plan to join us at noon every Tuesday from June 3 through Aug. 5 for a variety of topics and presenters. A registration email with the full topic schedule and other details will be coming to your inbox soon. You also may check out the SCWA events calendar for updates.
WRITERS SUPPORTING WRITERS RETREAT
Four SCWA members will be among presenters at the Writers Supporting Writers Retreat May 9 and 10 at Springbank Retreat in Kingstree, South Carolina.
Our member presenters include:
Craig Faris, a current adviser to the SCWA Board of Directors - “The Subtle Art of Suspense”
Terry Friedman – “Things That Go Bump in the Night”
Alex Rath – “Working Without a Plot”
Susan Zurenda – “Writing Threshold Scenes”
Registration and Pricing – Both Days (Includes a single room, all meals, reception and all sessions) - $ 280.
Both Days Non-Residential Stay – includes meals, reception and sessions - $220
Friday Only – Includes reception, meal and Friday sessions - $125
Saturday Only – Includes lunch and Saturday sessions - $125
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER
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.