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Volume: 17.05 • The South Carolina Writers Workshop Newsletter • May 2006

NEWS

The deadline for submissions to Catfish Stew has been extended to May 13, 2006. We are looking for:

• Short fiction - Up to 1,750 words
• Plays - One act. Less than 20 minutes
• Essay - Up to 1,000 words
• Poetry - Up to 40 lines

For more information please see the SCWW web site or contact Pat Graney patgraney@patgraney.com and have SCWW Anthology in the subject line. Or addess your questions to:

SCWW Anthology
c/o P.A. Graney
4452 Mandi Ave
Little River SC 29566

For this year's student contest, we received 65 poems and 14 short stories. The contestants represented the following schools: South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities (SCGSAH), South Aiken, Chapin, Lowcountry Day in Pawley's Island, D.W. Daniel in Central, Strom Thurmond in Johnston, Wando in Mt. Pleasant, Hilton Head, West Columbia, Union, Rock Hill, a SCAIHS home school in Greenville and one in the Czech Republic through Columbia. Congratulations to the winners, their schools, and their teachers.

FICTION

First place: "Silence" by Malia Griggs, a junior from Columbia, SCGSAH in Greenville, teacher Scott Gould

Second Place: "The Trees" by Emily Medders, a junior from Clemson, D.W. Daniel in Central, teacher Nancy Swanson

Honorable mention:

1. "Where the Fireflies Lead" by Qaitlin Peterson, a junior from Clemson, D.W. Daniel, teacher Nancy Swanson

2. "Answers" by Briana Severson, a senior from Lexington, SCGSAH, teacher Scott Gould

3. "Bells in the Closet" by Charlotte Ivey, a senior from Pawley's Island, Low Country Day, teacher Shannon Lewis

POETRY

First place: "The Heart Thief" by Nadia Armstrong, a senior from North Charleston, SCGSAH, teacher Scott Gould

Second Place: "Sugar" by Emily Medders, a junior from Clemson, D.W. Daniel, teacher Nancy Swanson

Honorable mention:

1. "Granite Angel" by Alicia Elias, a senior from Six Mile, D.W. Daniel, teacher Nancy Swanson

2. "Zen Moment in Mrs. X's Fourth Period Science Class" by Temnete Sebhatu, a junior from Rock Hill, SCGSAH, teacher Scott Gould

3. "A Dusty Blue Internal Frame Backpack" by Kensey LeGrand, a senior from Irmo, Chapin High School, teacher Mary Beth Bussell

Thanks to the many teachers who encouraged their students to submit their work, to Craig Faris for printing the certificates, and to Sarah Cureton who has graciously volunteered to deliver and present the awards at SCGSAH. Also, a great big thank you to our two judges, Idella Bodie (fiction) and Gene Fehler (poetry) for caring enough to encourage young people in their writing.

Idella Bodie's 24 books include The Secret of Telfair Inn, The Ghost in the Capitol, Mystery of the Pirate's Treasure, Trouble at Star Fort, Stranded!, The Mystery of Edisto Island, Whopper, South Carolina Women, Carolina Girl, Sacred Vision, and biographies of the American Revolution. The Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution honored her for this series. South Aiken High School has a writing award in her honor. Her Alma Mater, Columbia College, presented her the Wil Lou Gray Outstanding Educator Award, and Toastmasters, the International Communication Award. South Carolina Library gave her a lifetime membership for the preservation of South Carolina's literary heritage. Her works appear in Highlights, Cricket and Guideposts.

Gene Fehler's poems have appeared in more than 500 magazines and anthologies. His books of poems include Center Field Grasses, I Hit the Ball! and Dancing on the Basepaths (McFarland & Company); Let the Poems Begin! A Poet's Guide to Writing Poetry (Good Apple), Goblin Giggles (Little Simon); and Change-up: Baseball Poems (due in 2007 by Clarion). His nonfiction books Tales from Baseball's Golden Age and More Tales from Baseball's Golden Age were published by Sports Publishing. For further information see his website: www.genefehler.com.

What's happening in your local chapter? Who's getting published? Who has the most impressive portfolio of rejection letters? Are there local events for writers in your area? Does your local chapter have its own newsletter or web page? Please submit you news to quilleditor@bellsouth.net

Meets 2nd Tuesday at Eden Gardens on Silver Bluff Road, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Charles Reeve cpreeve@bellsouth.net

Meets 2nd & 4th Sunday at the Merritt Building Parlor of Anderson College from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Contact: Jo Buckner (864) 261-7739.

Meets 1st Tuesday at Barnes & Noble, West Ashley, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Jason A. Zwiker (843) 573-9291.

Meets 1st & 3rd Wednesday at Lexington County Public Library, Cayce-West Columbia Branch, 1500 Augusta Road, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Steve Vassey vasseyws@hotmail.com

Meets 1st & 3rd Monday at Richland County Public Library, 1431 Assembly Street, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Larry Hamilton docham@earthlink.net

Meets 2nd Tuesday at St. Eugene Hospital dining room 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Kati Paul (843) 774–4561.

Meets 1st Thursday & 3rd Tuesday at The Open Book, 110 South Pleasantburg Drive, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: John Migacz migaczmarjon@prtcnet.com

The Greenville Chapter of SCWW is pleased to be sponsoring a free seminar by local author Mindy Friddle at the Greenville Public Library's Main Branch on June 24th from 2-4 PM. Mindy's topic will be "The Road to Publishing: Avoiding Pitfalls and Taking the Right Fork."

Mindy, author of Garden Angel, has received a fellowship in fiction from the South Carolina Academy of Authors, and is a two-time winner of the South Carolina Fiction Project and the Piccolo Spoleto Fiction Open.

Kevin Coyle has struck paydirt this time - In addition to having a story published in the Spring 2006 edition of The Ampersand (Fordham University's literary magazine,) Kevin will be named the "Featured Writer" for that issue. An interview with Kevin will appear in the issue, and an unconfirmed rumor has it that Kevin will be given the key to the city.

Bob Strother announced that his story "Gray Area" will be published in moonShine review in early June. moonShine review usually sells for $5 (plus $1.50 shipping.) To purchase a copy, make checks payable to "THRIFT Press" and mail to: THRIFT Press: Book Orders, PO Box 5424, Charlotte, NC 28299 OR go to www.thriftpoeticarts.com.

Successful again! Elysabeth Eldering won Second Place in the Armchair Interviews April Fools Writing Contest for her short story, "The Proposal." The contest required her to write a story that used a number of unrelated objects, including frogs and a ring.

Launched in 2005, Armchair Interviews™ ( http://www.armchairinterviews.com ) "welcomes you to a fun, convenient way to access your favorite author or learn more about those who write in a specific genre."

Aimee Caruso was published in the March 2006 issue of Spirit in the Smokies, a free magazine available in the Asheville, NC area. Her essay is about Nia (a blend of yoga, dance, and tai chi.) Strangely enough, the magazine never notified Aimee that she was to be published, and she only found out because someone e-mailed a compliment to her.

Spirit in the Smokies is a monthly print magazine with a collateral website focused on expressions of awakening through first-person stories, interviews, book reviews, articles and other educational and inspirational materials.

Phil Arnold's popular blogsite, ElvisBlog can now be found at www.elvisblog.net.

John Partin's poem, "Old Elephant of the Kenya Plains" has been selected for inclusion in the Kakalak Poetry Anthology. www.kakalak.net

Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesday at Lexington County Library, Irmo Branch, 6251 St. Andrews Road, 6:30 p.m. Contact: Charlotte Blackstone cheetah5@aol.com

Lexington 1st Chapter Writers meets in the Lexington Library at 5440 Augusta Road every other Tuesday, 6:00 - 8:00. Contact: Lynn Stidom lstidom@aol.com

Meeting places and times vary. Contact: Cynthia Hodell Dyer chodelldyer@aol.com

Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday in Winthrop University’s Dacus Library, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Betty Beamguard bbeamguard@earthlink.net 803-222-4208.

In ByLine's recent personal essay contest, two of our members merited honorable mention: Martha Robinson for "Roadside Assistance" and Grace Looper for "Roller Coaster Ride." Grace also received honorable mention for "An Aura of Evil" in the Mechanicsburg Mystery Short Story Contest. Betty Beamguard has features accepted for publication in the Southern Arts Journal and The Writer.

Meets 2nd & 4th Monday at the Richland County Library, Sandhills Branch, 1 Summit Parkway, Columbia, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Contact Sonia Hayes Pleasant sonia_hayes@msn.com

Meets 4th Tuesday at Spartanburg Westside Library, 525 Oak Grove Road, 7:00 p.m. Contact: Roger Meadows rdm730@aol.com

Frank Weber read from his story The Summerville Light, which is a 1960s era Low-Country high school drama/suspense story about the 1890s ghost that haunts Summerville, SC.

Michael Forbes read "Marcus Aerelius Severus Alexandrus," a historical essay which attempts to discover the point at which religion began to influence the collapse of the Roman Empire, and to find the causes of the rebirth of empiricism thirteen centuries later.

Betty Snow read her story "The Great Commission," which took the Charlotte Writer's Club 2nd place in their short story contest.

OPPORTUNITIES

Conference Faculty - Preliminary Lisitng

Keynote Speaker:

Tess Gerritsen-after penning nine successful romantic suspense novels that include A Call after Midnight, Tess Garritsen debuted on the New York Times bestsellers' list in 1995 with her medical mystery, Harvest, which was translated into 20 languages and optioned for film. Since then, she has been a perennial presence on bestsellers' lists with medical mysteries such as Life Support, Blood Stream, Body Double, and Vanish. USA Today describes her as being "tops in her genre," and the San Jose Mercury has crowned her "The reigning champion of the medical thriller." www.tessgerritsen.com
Keynote address: "Where Do Stories Come From" - What Makes A Premise Great
Workshop sessions: "Research - How to Incorporate It In Your Book"; "How Do Publishers Make A Bestseller?"

Other Faculty Members:

Jim Conover-after serving on the police force of Pekin, Illinois, for twenty years, Jim started a private detective firm with his brother Dennis. He chronicles his investigative work regarding child abduction/murder cases in his self-published book, Slayer of Innocence. He has also self-published two novels-Lynch Law and Greenhorn Killer-and has written three screenplays. He is currently independently producing a small-budget film based on his screenplay Sand Prairie. www.jimconover.com
Workshop Sessions: TBA

Dr. Kwame Dawes-Distinguished Poet-in-Residence at the University of South Carolina, Director of USC's Master of Fine Arts program, and Director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative, Dr. Dawes is not only an award winning poet and educator, but is also a celebrated playwright, actor, critic, essayist, and musician. He has penned nine collections of poetry that include Midland, Resisting the Anomie, and Progeny of Air, and is the author of four nonfiction books. He has also written fifteen plays that have been performed in Europe, the Caribbean, and Canada. Among his many awards is a Push Cart Prize for Best American Poetry and Ohio University Press's Hollis Summers Poetry Prize. www.kwamedawes.com
Workshop Sessions: TBA

Jane Friedman-is editorial director of Writer's Digest Books and Writer's Market Books. She has worked as an editor at Writer's Digest magazine, Novel Writer and Publishing Success magazines, North Light Books, and The Evansville Review. In addition to acquiring 30 titles per year for Writer's Digest Books, she also serves as fiction editor for IdentityTheory.com and teaches composition at the University of Cincinnati. She holds a BFA in creative writing and a master's in English.
Friday Intensive Study Workshop: "Agents, Editors, and You: The Road to Publication and How to Avoid the Potholes"
Workshop Sessions: "How to Find a Publisher or Agent" and "How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal"

Ann Gunton-Associate editor with Viking/Penguin's Young Readers' Division. A national leader in children's literature, this division of Viking/Penguin publishes an average of sixty titles per year, ranging from pop-up books for very young children to sophisticated fiction and nonfiction for teenagers. Since its founding in 1933, Viking/Penguin's Young Readers' Division has garnered ten Caldecott Medal winners and ten Newberry Medal winners. www.penguingroup.com
Workshop Sessions: "Forever Young: Trying Your Hand At Writing for Children" and "Clear & Immediate: What Makes a Young Adult Novel Successful?"

Ann Ipock-is an award-winning speaker, playwright, performer as well as humor essayist, whose column appears biweekly in the Georgetown Times, South Carolina's oldest newspaper. She is a regular contributor to other regional publications such as Sasee Magazine, Pee Dee Magazine, and The Myrtle Beach Herald. She successfully self-published two compilations of her newspaper columns. New York Times best-selling author, Dorothea Benton Frank writes: "Ann Ipock's writing embraces the imperfections of this life with a fresh voice and incredible humor. Her essays will tickle you to pieces!" Her books are Life Is Short, but It's Wide and Life Is Short, So Read this Fast! www.annipock.com
Workshop sessions: "The Humor Track: From Head Nods to Belly Laughs and Beyond" and "A Package Deal: Self Publish-Then Speak, Sell and Sign"

Beth Jusino-Literary agent with Alive Communications which has represented such best-selling authors as Rev. Billy Graham, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, and Karen Kingsbury. Sixty titles from 21 different authors represented by the agency have hit national best-seller lists within the last year--nine in their category's top slot. Prior to joining Alive Communications, Beth spent six years as Managing Editor for MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International and she served as editor for MOMSense Magazine, the most widely distributed Christian parenting magazine in America. www.alivecommunications.com
Workshop Sessions: TBA

Carrie McCullough-is publisher for Harbor House Books, a regional publisher of adult fiction (mainstream, mystery, historical and horror) and nonfiction (Americana, Civil War, biography, paranormal). As publisher, she directs the daily activities of the Harbor House Books, including acquisitions, editorial content, publicity, marketing and sales. Prior to joining Harbor House, she was copy editor at The State newspaper and book editor at The Morning News in Florence, SC. She has also been an adjunct professor in the University of South Carolina's journalism program. www.harborhousebooks.com
Workshop Sessions: TBA

Stu Miller-has been a successful literary and packaging agent in Hollywood and New York for over 40 years, representing fiction and nonfiction authors, screen and television writers, producers, directors, interactive multimedia creators and a broad range of intellectual property. His clients have included multiple winners of Oscar, Emmy, Writers' Guild of America, CableAce, People's Choice, Golden Globe, and many other national and international awards. His greatest pleasure is finding and nurturing previously undiscovered talented writers and helping them to develop satisfying, rewarding careers.
Workshop Sessions: "Building Suspense in a Screenplay or Novel: A Question and Answer Session" and "Entertainment Business 101: An Agent's View of Selling Yourself to Entertainment Media Companies"

Cathy Pickens-is the author of a new mystery series that features Avery Andrews, a 30-something female lawyer, who returns to her small Upstate South Carolina hometown after losing her job with a large defense firm. The first book in the series, Southern Fried, earned Cathy the St. Martin's Press's Malice Domestic Award for Best Traditional Mystery in 2003. Her second novel, Done Gone Wrong, has met with glowing reviews as well. Like the main character of her novels, Cathy is a lawyer. She also teaches law to business students at Queens College in Charlotte, NC, and is on the board of an inter-agency forensic organization that serves Charlotte/Mecklenburg County. www.cathypickens.com
Workshop Sessions: "Planning Your Writing Life"; "Turning Crime Fact into Fiction" and "Writing What You Know?"

Marcia Preston-in addition to being an editor of ByLine Magazine, a national monthly publication that showcases the work of new writers, she is also an accomplished novelist. Her mystery/suspense novel, Song of the Bones, was the winner of the 2004 Mary Higgins Clark Award sponsored by Simon & Schuster. Her two works of romance/contemporary women's fiction-The Butterfly House and The Piano Man-have recently been released in hardcover by Mira Books. www.marciapreston.com
Workshop Sessions: "Writing Dialogue That Sizzles" and "How to Write Articles That Sell"

Chris Roerden-has more than 40 years' experience as an editor in niche publishing and a university teacher of writing. Since 1983 she's been a full-time independent book editor. Among the 23 awards she's helped her clients win are two Benjamin Franklins and an Agatha for best first mystery. Of the 10 nonfiction books she's written, the most recent is Don't Murder Your Mystery: 24 Fiction-Writing Techniques To Save Your Manuscript from Turning Up D.O.A. www.marketsavvybookediting.com
Workshop topics: "Don't Murder Your Mystery (or other fiction): Submissions and Voice" and "Don't Murder Your Mystery (or other fiction): Tell-tale techniques and solutions"

Terry Roueche-In addition to having written numerous one-act and full-length plays that have been performed throughout the Southeast, Terry's plays, Parade Day; Take My Wife, Please and Norman Alexander have enjoyed successful runs on off-off Broadway. www.undertheorder.com
Workshop Sessions: TBA

Ted Tally-wrote the screen adaptation of The Silence Of The Lambs for which he won the 1992 Academy Award, Writers Guild Award, Chicago Film Critics Award, and an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. That work was recently voted by Writers Guild members to their list of the "101 Greatest Screenplays." Tally also wrote the screenplays for Red Dragon, Thomas Harris' prequel to The Silence of the Lambs, as well as White Palace, Before And After, The Juror, and All The Pretty Horses. He served as Associate Producer on the Brian De Palma film Mission To Mars, and as Story Consultant on the Dreamworks Animation films Shrek 2, Madagascar, and Shrek 3. For the theater Tally has written Terra Nova (Obie and Dramalogue Awards), Hooters, Coming Attractions (Outer Critics Circle Award), Little Footsteps, and Silver Linings. His television scripts include The Comedy Zone, Hooters, and The Father Clements Story (Christopher Award).
Born in North Carolina, Tally was educated at Yale College and the Yale School of Drama, at each of which he has also taught. His other honors include fellowships from the NEA and the Guggenheim Foundation. He lives with his wife and two children in Pennsylvania.

Kathie Fong Yoneda-is an independent script consultant with over 25 years of experience in the film industry. She has worked for such prestigious studios as Paramount, Columbia, MGM, Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Disney, specializing in story analysis and development of live action and animated projects. Her career includes executive positions with Walt Disney, Touchstone, Island Pictures and Walt Disney TV Animation. She is the author of The Script Selling Game: A Hollywood Insider's Look At Getting Your Script Sold and Produced, and is also a Co-Executive Producer on the upcoming cable series, Beyond The Break. www.kathiefongyoneda.com
Workshop sessions: "Creating Opportunities: Staying Challenged as a Writer" and "Logline: A Writer's Most Important 25 Words or Less"

Conference Fees

We will begin registration in August, 2006.

Early Bird Rate: to qualify, your registration form and payment must be either post-marked or received online via PayPal by Sept. 1, 2006.

SCWW Membership Rate: to qualify, your SCWW membership must be current at the time of your registration and payment is received.

Your conference registration fee includes admission to all regular sessions, continental breakfasts, evening receptions, and the Sunday Award's luncheon, as well as a copy of the SCWW '06 anthology, Catfish Stew, a conference notebook and guide, and session handouts and resource material.

Lodging

Please refer to the SCWW Conference when making your reservations to receive discounted room rates. Rates do not include local and state taxes.

For additional information, contact the Contact co-chairpersons Dottie Boatwright dboatwright@sc.rr.com or Craig Faris craigfaris@rjsonline.net

Got news from your local chapter? Got a helpful writers web site to share? Got a caution about a bogus publishing opportunity or contest? Let's network our knowledge to build a better newsletter.

Deadline for submissions is the 21st of each month. Please send submissions to quilleditor@bellsouth.net either in the body of an e-mail or as an attached file in MS Word (DOC), Rich Text (RTF) or plain text (TXT) format. Articles accepted for publication will appear in The Quill and archived on the web. Writers retain all rights to their works.

Submissions may also be made on floppy disk and mailed to:

Leland Beaudrot
1 Cleveland St Ste 110
Greenville SC 29601-3646

Write on!

Leland Beaudrot, Editor
The Quill

Friday May 5th - Marjory Wentworth, SC Poet Laureate

Marjory Heath Wentworth was born in Lynn, Massachusetts. Educated at Mt. Holyoke College and Oxford University, she received her M.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from New York University. Her poems have appeared in numerous books and magazines, and she has twice been nominated for The Pushcart Prize. NIGHTJARS, a chapbook of her poems, was published by Laurel Publishing in 1995. Her poems have been published with Mary Edna Fraser's art in a book of poetry and monotype prints called WHAT THE WATER GIVES ME. NOTICING EDEN, a collection of poems, was published by Hub City Press in October 2003. She was appointed Poet Laureate of South Carolina in 2003.

She teaches poetry in “Expressions of Healing” - an arts and healing program for cancer patients and their families at Roper Hospital. She also teaches a Literature and Medicine course funded by The Humanities Council of SC at MUSC. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Literature Council of Charleston. She lives in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina with her husband Peter and their three sons.

Saturday, May 6th 10am-2pm - Writing Workshop and Lunch with Marjory Wentworth

The cost for this event is $20 (this includes your lunch). Call (864) 320-3002 for more information or to register. You must pre-register for the workshop and lunch. Only 12 spaces are available.

The Poetry Society of South Carolina will meet for its annual business meeting and Forum on Friday May the 12th at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of 2nd Presbyterian Church, 342 Meeting Street, Charleston. Winners of the Spring poetry competitions will be announced. The meeting is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served. For more information call 849-1855.

Purpose
Fellowships recognize and award the artistic achievements of South Carolina’s exceptional individual artists. Fellowship awards are made through a highly competitive process and are based on artistic excellence. The fellowship awards bring recognition that may open doors to other resources and employment opportunities.

Eligibility Requirements: Applicant must:

• Be a legal resident of the US and SC with a permanent residence in the state for two (2) years prior to the application date and throughout the fellowship period;
• Be a practicing individual artist (duos, collaborative works, and other ensembles are not eligible);
• Not be a degree-seeking, full-time student during the award period;
• Be 18 years of age or older at the time of application.

Restrictions

1. There is a limit of two fellowships in an artist’s career and a period of ineligibility of ten years after the first fellowship is awarded.
2. Fellows may not receive any other SCAC grant awards during their fellowship year.
3. Applicants may submit only one request per deadline. Requests in more than one discipline will not be accepted.
4. Support material submitted must include work that has been completed within the last 5 years.

Deadline: May 15, 2006

Applications must be postmarked or electronically submitted, or hand-delivered to the SC Arts Commission offices before 5:00 PM, no later than the stated date, or, when the deadline occurs on a weekend or holiday, no later than the next business day.

Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Award Categories

• Poetry
• Prose (Fiction or Creative Nonfiction)
• Acting Performance
• Directing (Theatre)
• Visual Arts
• Craft
• Dance Performance

Award Period: July 1-June 30

Award: $2,500 per Fellowship. Fellowship awards are considered taxable income in SC.

Match: None

Filing Fee: None

Review Process
Please contact the appropriate SC Arts Commission discipline coordinator for guidance on completing the application form:

• Poetry or Prose: Sara June Goldstein (803-734-8694)
• Acting Performance (Theatre): Jeanette Guinn (803-734-8677)
• Directing (Theatre): Jeanette Guinn (803-734-8677)
• Dance Performance: Jeanette Guinn (803-734-8677)
• Visual Arts or Craft: Harriett Green (803-734-8762)

Fellowship applicants’ works are reviewed anonymously by out-of-state panelists who make their judgments on the basis of artistic merit. The Arts Commission reserves the right not to award a fellowship in any discipline for which applications have been solicited. Fellowship awards are approved by the Board of Commissioners. Upon notification of award, fellowship finalists will be asked to immediately forward a photograph to be used for promotional purposes.

Final Report
All fellowship recipients are required to provide a letter to the Arts Commission outlining the fellowship's usefulness to his/her career. The letter is due at the end of the fellowship period. Failure to submit the letter by the due date will result in cancellation of the award and repayment of funds received.

The Million Pound Story is an online collaborative writing project which is open to the entire global online writing community. The concept is very simple - we are offering contributors the opportunity to take part in a unique writing project which, if successful, will be turned into an interactive DVD and iTunes download. The characters, plot, theme, setting will all be put to the sites online community we hope to attract and they will decide how the project should develop.

Looking in to the future the idea is to give some pay back to every one who has contributed. We see this as a 50/50 profit share between green eye dv and anyone who contributed to the story. The profit share to individuals would be worked out on a percentage basis, simply put the more you contribute the more you stand to get be when the finished product is launched.

If you look on the site you will find all the information there. The site is free to use there is no subscription so feel free to browse at your leisure.

War Poetry Contest

Postmark deadline: May 31

Now in its 5th year. Prizes of $1,500, $500, $250 and 10 honorable mentions of $75 each. Submit 1-3 original, unpublished poems on the theme of war, up to 500 lines in all. $12 entry fee, payable to Winning Writers. Judge: Jendi Reiter. Submit online or mail to Winning Writers, Attn: War Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Web Sites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005). More information:

http://www.winningwriters.com/war

Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for Traditional Verse

Postmark deadline: June 30

$3,500 in prizes, including a top prize of $1,000. Winning entries will be published. Submit poems in traditional verse forms, such as sonnets and haiku. You may submit work that has been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the anthology and online publication rights. Entry fee is $6 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Judges: J.H. Reid, D.C. Konrad. Submit online or mail to Winning Writers, Attn: Margaret Reid Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Web Sites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005). More information:

http://www.winningwriters.com/margaret

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest

Postmark deadline: September 30

$3,500 in prizes, including a top prize of $1,000. Winning entries will be published. Submit poems in any style or genre. You may submit work that has been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the anthology and online publication rights. Entry fee is $6 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Judges: J.H. Reid, D.C. Konrad. Submit online or mail to Winning Writers, Attn: Tom Howard Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Web Sites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005). More information:

http://www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry

The Hub City Writers Project has assembled an extraordinary faculty for the sixth annual Writing in Place creative writing conference at Wofford College June 16-18, 2006. Registration is now open.

Our keynote speaker to open the conference will be Rebecca McClanahan, author of eight books, an award-winning poet, essayist, fiction writer and educator. The University of Georgia Press published her most recent book of personal essays, The Riddle Song and Other Rememberings in 2002.

Other faculty members include novelists Mindy Friddle of Greenville and Mark Powell of Mountain Rest. Poetry instructors are Barbara Presnell of Lexington, N.C., and Deno Trakas of Spartanburg. Essayist John Lane of Spartanburg will teach creative nonfiction.

The Hub City conference is a hands-on, intensive writing experience, designed to help both beginners and professionals develop the craft of creative writing. The conference is limited to 60 people, and registrants must sign up for one of three tracks: poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction.

Additional sessions will be offered in writing dialogue, developing secondary characters, ekphrasic poetry, songwriting, publishing without a publisher and more. There are faculty readings, open mic sessions, and a Saturday night barbecue.

The cost of the conference is $155. Lodging is available at Wofford College for $15 a night. For more information, call 864-577-9349 or visit www.hubcity.org

There is no fee for entering the Contest, and the prizes to be awarded are substantial:

• First Prize: $3,000
• Second Prize: $2,000
• Third Prize: $1,000

Contest Rules

• Each person who enters the Contest must be no younger than 17 years of age and no older than 23 years of age on January 1, 2006.
• Essays entered in the Christian Worldview Essay Contest
• may be of any length
• must be written in English
• must be typewritten or computer printed (handwritten essays will not be judged), double-spaced with one-inch margins
• must be submitted on white paper, in triplicate, stapled, with pages in order
• must arrive at The Trinity Foundation before September 1, 2006
• must be accompanied by a signed entry form (available at www.trinityfoundation.org) stating the writer’s intention to enter the Christian Worldview Essay Contest, providing the writer’s full name, address, telephone number, email address (if available), and date of birth
• become the property of The Trinity Foundation.

Contest winners will be announced October 31, 2006. Decisions of the judges are final.

All who enter the Contest will receive a free book from The Trinity Foundation just for entering.

Entrants must read the new book Not What My Hands Have Done (by Charles Hodge and Horatius Bonar) and write an essay about it. For those who intend to enter the Contest, Not What My Hands Have Done is available at the special price of $10.00 on our web site.

Guidelines for Jack Wolford Memorial Prize and submissions to Memorial Issue for Jack Wolford

We welcome all submissions for the Jack Wolford Memorial Prize. The prize of $500 will be awarded for the BEST POEM submitted to the website for 2005 and 2006. Submissions will be accepted February 2006 through October 2006. Please send from three to seven poems to sea7@comcast.net. They may also be sent through the website. www.hotmetalpoets.com (letters to the editor).

Acknowledgement will be made upon receipt. Poems will be published during the submission time and the winner's name will be announced via email to all who submit work.

Words & Music, 2005, which had been scheduled to open Thursday, November 3, 2005 was cancelled because of widespread devastation in New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina, along with brutal damage to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the entire Gulf Coast transportation infrastructure. We know that you won't be surprised to learn that our grand old dame, Faulkner's "a courtesan...no longer young ... not yet old" has regained her joie de vivre, her indomitable spirit, her desire to seduce us all. She's putting on her paint and powder and readying herself to receive her admirers. By all means come for Words & Music, 2006, earlier if you can!

Words & Music, 2006 will go forward Thursday, November 2 through the final luncheon session on Monday, November 6. For details, please see the web site.

The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, Inc.-founded in 1990 by men and women dedicated to good books and the literary arts-is the creator a unique sort of writers' conference, which is the center of a multi-discipline arts festival every fall. Our fondest desire has been to give writers a boost in making their impossible dreams come true, to provide them with an inspiration break in a city which has inspired countless authors, including William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway, to help them get their work published. We are proud of our record of assisting authors make their dreams come true. For details of our most recent success stories on behalf of writers and the success we have had in attracting prestigious authors as advisors and faculty, hightlight: Success!

FEATURES

We have a lot of new members in the Greenville Chapter, and that's a good thing. But the unaccustomed crowds have placed some strains in our system, and new members often find the old hand speaking an unfamiliar language. Here are some things I've been thinking about, things that new members may not have heard and that old members need to be reminded about once in a while. Some are in the interest of keeping meetings moving along, some are simple reminders of common courtesy, and some are attempts to get us all speaking the same language.

Few writers are fond of rules, but we do attempt to at least keep in mind some rules of basic critiquing courtesy. When you are the critiquer:

1. Find something positive to say first. Point out a sentence you particularly liked, or an image that worked for you, or some realistic dialog. Don't open with "This really sucks." I often forget this rule, and I always regret it.
2. Be gentle. You don't need to pull punches, but the reader shouldn't feel like he's under attack. In particular, this means don't gang up. You don't need to reinforce a criticism already made by several others.
3. Stay focused. We don't have much time, and the reader is counting on you to give helpful suggestions, not tell him how his work reminds you of something you wrote ten years ago.
4. Jot down your suggestions in the margins. That's one of the reasons we like double spacing - it gives room for comments. It's hard to remember all the things people said, so it's a good reminder when the writer gets back home. And sign your copy. I know I like to know who made which comments when I get home. That way I know who to track down like a dog.

And when you are the critiquee:

1. Bring plenty of copies if you can. Lately that means 10 or 12.
2. Don't read too much. Five double spaced pages is our general rule. Read more and you just cut into the amount of critique you will receive. You can cheat and use 1/2" margins or space-and-a-half instead of double space, but you'll only cheat yourself.
3. Don't bring your best passages, bring your worst ones. We're here to help each other, not to show off. Okay, we are here to show off, but the best way to do that is to get better over time. Bring the stuff that needs the most work - that's what we're here for.
4. Don't defend yourself. If somebody in the group has misinterpreted your work, other readers may as well. Maybe it needs to be written more clearly. Anyway, arguing just wastes your valuable critiquing time, and it tends to shut off discussion. If you want people to keep trying to help, you've got to listen to what they have to say. You always have the option of ignoring the advice later.
5. Don't bring a piece back to read again unless you've done a major rewrite. We don't need to see your tweaks. We assume you've done them. Bring in the next section, even if it's a little rough. This is another example of using your critiquing time efficiently.
6. Go out for a beer with the group afterward. Sometimes it's the best part of the meeting.
7. Trust yourself. One of my rules said not to waste your valuable critiquing time defending yourself. That doesn't mean you have to agree with every suggestion. Ultimately it's your work and your writing style, and if you believe in what you've written, go with it, in spite of what somebody may have said. The critiquers don't know everything.

MUSINGS

"Kind sir, can you spare a morsel for a starving waif" My Muse knelt before me, hands extended in supplication. Swaddled in the linen mantle of her ancient ancestors, the roundness of bodice and bottom belied her plea of hunger.

"What's with the costume, Thaleia?" I said. "Having an Olympic flashback?"

"You misjudge me, stranger, but I pray I do not misjudge you. My sister, whom you named, assures me you are kind and giving."

I looked again at the familiar freckled face and flame red hair. "If you're not Thaleia you must be her twin sister. Since she's the Muse of Comedy you must be of Tragedy."

She offered a wan smile. "You are wise to our kind. I am Melpomene by name, and I come to seek sustenance."

"The kitchen's right through there." I gestured toward the door visible from my study. "Help yourself."

"Sir, I beseech you not for meat and mead for the body but for the nectar and ambrosia that fills the soul."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Catfish Stew."

"Sorry," I said. "I don't have the recipe."

She sighed and leaned upon my knees. "It seems that no one does. And so, I perish." With dramatic flourish, she collapsed to the carpet.

"Okay, okay! I get the message and I'll pass it along right away."

I looked down at the listless lump at my feet. "Feeling better yet?"

She moaned and peered at me with a glassy eye. "Just one more thing. What are you going to submit."

"Ummm.... That's a tough one. I'll need some help. If only my Muse were here."

"For this, you need a critical eye not fogged by frivolity." She pulled herself up and sat on the arm of my chair. "Let's see what we can find."

The Quill is the newsletter of the South Carolina Writers Workshop www.scwriters.com.

Copyright 2006 by Leland Beaudrot, Editor. Contributing writers retain all rights to their work.