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Volume: 16.02       The South Carolina Writers Workshop Newsletter       March 2005

NEWS

The Board of SCWW is scheduled to meet on the following dates in 2005. All meetings will be at the Cayce-West Columbia Library, 1500 Meeting Street, West Columbia and will start at 11:00 a.m..

• March 12
• June 18
• Sept 17
• Dec 10

Phil Arnold, Contributing Editor for Elvis International magazine, had an article "Backstage with 21 Music Legends" in the January issue. His next assignment will be to write a story about an upcoming 90 minute TV special called "The Guitar That Changed The World," featuring Elvis' original guitar player, Scotty Moore. Phil will be interviewing Steve Shepherd, who traveled with Scotty to London and played keyboards on the songs.

ARP Magazine, has accepted for publication a non-fiction article titled "It is Well With My Soul" written by Carolyn Beaudrot. It is scheduled for publication this Spring.

From Printed Matters

After winning a contest sponsored by The Purple Pen, Grace Looper's story, "The Promise," has been accepted for their anthology, A Christmas Eve Visitor.

Linda Quinn has a non-fiction piece scheduled to appear in the May/June issue of Angels on Earth magazine, a Guideposts publication, and she's recently learned that Dave Barry's story will be in the same anthology as hers, Avalon's I Wanna Be Sedated, 30 Writers on Parenting Teenagers, which is due out in May.

Roger Meadows is rallying writers in the Spartanburg area to form a new chapter. Meetings will be held the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Spartanburg Westside Library, 525 Oak Grove Road. If you would like to attend or you know writers in the area who might be interested, please contact Roger at RDM730@aol.com.

OPPORTUNITIES

The South Carolina Writers Workshop will publish an anthology of the best works of its members for 2005. The anthology will feature writings in four categories: short fiction, plays, essays, and poetry. Winners in the anthology competition may have a maximum of three works published, regardless of category. The guidelines are listed below.

The anthology competition is open only to paid members of SCWW for 2005.

Members may submit one piece of writing at no cost. Additional manuscripts may be submitted for $3.00 each, regardless of category. Please make checks payable to SCWW.

Only unpublished work is eligible (except work previously published in The Quill).

All fiction and essay submissions must be typed and double-spaced. Poems must be typed, either double or single-spaced. Plays are limited to one act (less than twenty minutes), and must be typed and single-spaced in a standard publishing format. All entries should be suitable for a general audience.

Submit four copies of each manuscript. To facilitate production, manuscript(s) must also be submitted in Rich Text (preferred), Microsoft Word or WordPerfect format either via e-mail to vasseyws@hotmail.com, or on a 3.5-inch IBM-formatted diskette. We cannot accept Mac-formatted diskettes. Most word processors will allow you to save in Rich Text format with the "SAVE AS" command under the FILE menu. Also, most Kinko's and similar stores will help with this for a small charge.

Please label your diskette with your name, the title(s) and corresponding filename(s) of your entries.

Do not enclose SASE. Manuscripts and diskettes will not be returned.

The author's name must not appear on the manuscript(s). With each manuscript, please include a cover sheet (not a letter, please) containing the following information. Include one cover sheet for each set of four copies.

Author's name
Address
Telephone number(s)
E-mail address
Title of manuscript
Genre of manuscript
Word count for prose, line count for poetry, or play length in minutes.
File name of manuscript (as named on diskette or e-mail attachment)

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

Manuscripts not meeting the above guidelines will be disqualified from competition. SCWW retains first-time publication rights until the anthology is published. At that time, publication rights revert to the author.

Submissions must be postmarked by April 30, 2005. Mail to

SCWW Anthology
c/o W. S. Vassey
322 Tamwood Cir
Cayce SC 29033

Students in grades 11 and 12 currently enrolled in public and private schools in South Carolina are eligible. Works submitted by students who have already graduated are not eligible. Each student may enter only one manuscript in each category: fiction and poetry. All entries submitted must be original works of fiction or poetry and must be postmarked by March 31, 2005. Each work must be typed and double spaced on 8 ½ x 11" white paper with an entry form (attached) as a cover sheet. The student's name cannot appear on the entry itself.

Mail entries in a 9 x 12" envelope to:

SC Writers Workshop
PO Box 7104
Columbia SC 29202

Student name_______________________________________________________

Title of submitted story or poem___________________________________

Grade___________________________ School____________________________

Student Address____________________________________________________

City _________________________ State____________ Zip_______________

Student Phone______________________

School Name___________________________ School Phone _______________

School Address_____________________________________________________

City _________________________ State ____________ Zip______________

School Contact Person_______________________________________________

The History Press, a fast-growing small press publishing regional history is seeking a Marketing & Sales Manager to work at our downtown Charleston office.

The position included the following responsibility areas:

• Developing marketing plans for new titles
• Managing sales and promotions team members
• Liaising with buyers at the major bookstore chains and distributors
• Developing new retail accounts and other sales opportunities
• Assisting with field selling
• Writing press releases and communicating with relevant media
• Co-ordinating with editors on new title development

The ideal candidate will have:

• Excellent communication and co-ordination skills
• Experience in, or knowledge of, the book trade
• Some management experience
• Sales and marketing experience
• Flexibility and a willingness to take on a variety of tasks as needed by a small and fast-growing press

For consideration, please send a resume and cover letter to:

Kristy Sutton, Managing Editor
18 Percy St
Charleston SC 29403

No calls please!

The Quill needs your input to become a channel of communication by and for the members of South Carolina Writers Workshop. Our aim is to inform, educate and entertain our readers by offering helpful articles on every aspect of the craft of writing. By merging our Muses, we can all become better writers through the give and take of shared insight and encouragement.

At this time, we are seeking articles on the craft of writing, features and news from local chapters, and information on conferences, contests and other opportunities of interest to South Carolina writers.

Deadline for submissions is the 21st of each month. Please send submissions to quilleditor@spymac.com 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

Together, let's build an outstanding publication that will help us all become better writers.

Write on!

Leland Beaudrot, Editor
The Quill

The Center for Women in Charleston is sponsoring a Travel Writing Workshop with Sharon Spence, 2004 SCWW conference faculty member, and an essay writing workshop with Kelly Love Johnson, an editor at Skirt magazine.

The workshops will be held at The Center for Women, 531 Savannah Highway in Charleston. To register, visit the website at http://www.c4women.org/calendar.htm or call the Center at (843)763-7333. Men are welcome to attend.

Sharon Spence, Senior Contributing Editor, Greatest Escapes Publishing.

Saturday March 12, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Registration required: $85 CFW Members; $90 Non Members; $100 Register w/ a Friend.

Travel for free and get paid to write. A one-day workshop on the joys of travel writing. Learn to market your travel writing, get invited on press trips and take home lists of organizations that support travel writers and provide publishing opportunities. Bring your own lunch.

Kelly Love Johnson, writer and editor.

Saturday, April 23, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Registration required: $35 CFW Members; $40 Non Members.

What aren't you writing about? How much are you "allowed" to tell? Whether writing in a journal or for publication, we all have stories to tell. Learn how to spin your observations into tales, how to find a narrative voice to bring your story to life, how to write a personal account without ranting, how to stop procrastinating, and how to translate your thoughts into personal essays without censoring yourself.

Join South Carolina's poet laureate in a one day workshop designed to stimulate your poetic imagination. Exercises to prompt new poems or to move you forward with on-going projects will be included. This is a valuable opportunity to learn from the area's most consummate poet, publisher and writer. Marjory is also known for her generosity in sharing the secrets of her writing success, drawing from her career as an arts educator. Saturday, March 19 from 1 to 4 PM. Tuition is $40. Ask about personal critique of your manuscripts also available for an additional charge. E-mail Marjwpub@aol.com for information or registration.

Sponsored by the South Carolina Poetry Initiative, this competition invites writers to submit unpublished collections of original poems.

1. The competition is open both to those who have not published a book-length collection and those who have.

2. Manuscripts must be post-marked by March 30. Those postmarked later will be returned unread.

3. Manuscripts of 45 to 95 pages should be typed on standard sized paper or be a clean photocopy. DO NOT SEND YOUR ONLY COPY.

4. Name, address, and phone number should appear on the title page. Acknowledgments should appear on a separate page.

5. Individual collections must be the work of a single author.

6. Translations are not accepted.

7. Manuscripts should be submitted in final form; revisions or emendations to acknowledgments will not be considered during the contest.

8. Multiple submissions to other publishers are acceptable provided we are informed if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

9. The manuscript should be submitted in a plain 9 x 11 ½" manilla folder. Please do not submit manuscripts bound in ring binders or plastic holders.

Return of Manuscripts: Because we cannot guarantee the return of the manuscripts, all entries become the property of The South Carolina Poetry Initiative and those not chosen will be recycled. DO NOT include a self-addressed stamped envelope. All contestants will be notified following the final selection. Include a self-addressed stamped postcard if you wish acknowledgment of receipt.

Entry fee: Submissions should include a check for $15 made out to USC Educational Foundation to help defray administrative costs.

Judging: The final judge for the competition will be named when the winner is announced in April. Individual criticism of manuscripts cannot be given.

Prize: The winning manuscript will be published by the University South Carolina Press the following year and will be awarded a cash prize of $500.

Mail entries to:

South Carolina Poetry Book Prize
Department of English
University of South Carolina
Columbia SC 29208

Prizes of $1,000, $500, $250 will be awarded, plus four Publication Royalty Awards of $150 and three Encouragement Awards of $75 each. Winning entries will be published. Submit any type of short story, essay or other work of prose, up to 8,000 words. You may submit work that has been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the anthology and online publication rights. $10 entry fee, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark deadline: March 31. Judge: Tom Howard. Submit online or mail to

Winning Writers
Attn: Tom Howard Short Story Contest
351 Pleasant St PMB 222
Northampton MA 01060

Prizes of $1,190, $169, $60 and 5 honorable mentions of $38 each. No fee to enter. A humor contest with a special twist. Judge: Jendi Reiter. Deadline: April 1. Submit one poem online at: http://www.winningwriters.com/contestflomp.htm

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. Postmark deadline: May 31. Judge: Jendi Reiter. Submit online or mail to

Winning Writers
Attn: War Poetry Contest
351 Pleasant St PMB 222
Northampton MA 01060

Prizes of $1,000, $400, $200, plus four Encouragement Awards of $100 each. 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 $5 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark deadline: June 30. Judge: John H. Reid. Submit online or mail to

Winning Writers
Attn: Margaret Reid Poetry Contest
351 Pleasant St PMB 222
Northampton MA 01060

Prizes of $1,000, $400, $200, plus four Encouragement Awards of $100 each. 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 $5 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark deadline: September 30. Judge: Tom Howard. Submit online or mail to

Winning Writers
Attn: Tom Howard Poetry Contest
351 Pleasant St PMB 222
Northampton MA 01060

Wednesday, April 06, 2005, Rock Hill, SC

The Come-See-Me Glencairn Garden Spoken Word Poetry Contest will be held April 6 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., as part of the 10th Annual National Poetry Month. Poets may enter up to 3 works or perform for up to 5 minutes. Works must be performed and must be original works to be considered for Prizes.

For information, contact Amanda (803) 323-2399

Prizes and eligibility: The contest is open to non-professional writers (those who have not met eligibility requirements for SFWA or equivalent). Previous multiple winners and current contest coordinators are also ineligible. The best story which relates to and features the contest theme will be published in the Confluence 2004 program book, and the author will be awarded the first prize of $200. At the discretion of the judges a second and third prize in the amounts of $100 and $50 may be awarded, with possible publication in a PARSEC zine. Submission to the contest implies consent for publication, but all rights revert immediately to the authors upon publication. The entries will be screened by the coordinators, and the best submissions will go on to our panel of three Judges. Decisions of the judges and coordinators in all these matters are final. There is NO entry fee.

Judges: To Be Announced

Format: Stories must be Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror in genre. Stories must be original, unpublished, unsold and no more than 3500 words in length. Submit in standard contest format (title and page number on each page, but author name only appears on separate cover page; otherwise as in any professional submission). No email submissions. Include SASE for notification only, as manuscripts will not be returned. Incorrect format will make an entry ineligible.

Theme: "High Crimes and Misdemeanors"

We think this theme is broad enough to give everyone scope for new and interesting stories. The sf/f/h connection can be with the crime, the misdemeanor, or the Highness of both. Please remember, though, that Confluence attracts many families, and the story will be printed in the program book. A certain restraint and subtlety is called for. Too much explicit gore will definitely count against you.

Deadline: April 15, 2005.

Address: Send entries to:

Ann Cecil
PARSEC Short Story Contest
2966 Voelkel Avenue
Pittsburgh PA 15216-2036

For questions or clarifications only you may email to cecil@city-net.com

SPARTANBURG - Registration has opened for "Writing in Place," a regional writers conference sponsored for the fifth year by the Hub City Writers Project at Wofford College. The conference, which will occur June 17-19, features several of the most accomplished writers in the South as faculty, including novelist Tommy Hays, children's author Melinda Long, and Affrilachian poet Nikki Finney.

The Hub City conference is a hands-on, intensive writing experience, designed to help both beginners and professionals develop the craft of creative writing. Participants in the conference will receive six hours of instruction in their chosen discipline. The conference is limited to 60 people, and registrants must sign up for one of four tracks: poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, or children's literature. Full details and registration information are available at www.hubcity.org. Additional sessions will be offered in performance poetry, novel writing, songwriting, online publishing, manuscript critique, and more. There are faculty readings, open mic sessions, and a Saturday night barbecue.

The 2004 faculty includes Cathy Smith Bowers and Nikki Finney (poetry), Steve Harvey (creative nonfiction), Tommy Hays and Thomas McConnell (fiction), and Melinda Long (children's literature). Deno Trakas will teach a group of rising high school students nominated by their schools.

Finney, who teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky, will deliver the keynote address on Friday evening to open the conference. She is a South Carolina native with three volumes of poetry, including Rice. She is a founding member of the Affrilachian poets, a collection of Appalachian writers of African descent. New this year is a special session on children's literature led by Melinda Long, author of the New York Times bestsellers Hiccup Snickup and How I Became a Pirate.

The cost of the conference is $150. Lodging is available at Wofford College for $15 a night. Call 864-577-9349 or email hubcity@bellsouth.net for a brochure.

FEATURES

Introducing a new feature: ImagINe It. If you have not already done so, click the ImagINe It like in brackets above to see a photograph of four of our former Presidents, (Susan Saunders, Millard Howington, Bonny Millard and Steve Vassey) who found a moment to fellowship together at our annual conference last October.

While it would be nice to have photographs included directly in our newsletter this would require either a very large e-mail or an active internet connection every time the newsletter was viewed. With this option, the pictures are just a click away, available at your convenience.

It doesn't feel like seven years have gone by since Beth Hammond, my friend and mentor, approached me to fill out an unexpired term on the SCWW Board of Directors. But it's true. My gesture to help out Beth for a single year, turned into three full terms on the Board and the last four years as President of SCWW.

It's been a labor of love, though often as frustrating as it was rewarding. I truly appreciate what it takes to keep an organization like ours running. And I can't say "thank you" enough to those who've served with me. But while the Board makes the decisions and tries to keep our group's collective head above water, it's the members who make the organization. So, my "thank you" goes to each of you as well for your continued support.

SCWW and the Columbia I Chapter have made me a much better writer. The organization works! Our chapters are the heartbeat, the engine that does the primary thing SCWW was intended to do: support and encourage the writers of South Carolina. The experienced members help the novices. The new writers inspire the older ones. But we all hold each other up and help each other along. Through SCWW, bonds and friendships are formed that last through decades and over thousands of miles of separation (thanks to e-mail).

I'd probably still be fumbling around if Brett Jackson at the Happy Bookseller hadn't given me Carol Williams' (then, Chapter Leader of Columbia I) phone number in 1995. I'd gone to see him, hoping he could look at a couple of my essays and give me some direction. Boy, did he!

I remember how nervous I was at that first chapter meeting; how vulnerable I felt laying all my feelings out in front of strangers, not knowing whether they'd laugh or slice me to ribbons. We've all been there. It takes courage to open your innermost being to others. More importantly, it takes trust. The members of Columbia I more than earned my trust, not just by exposing their own souls on sheets of 8 ½ by 11 paper, but by taking my hand and helping me through the process of becoming a writer with their directions and constructive suggestions.

In fact, the first thing I tell new members in our chapter meetings is anything we say or write on their manuscript is a suggestion. They have the ultimate say-so as to whether they use it or not. But the inviolate rule is any suggestion must be constructive. As writers, we'll experience enough of the destructive criticism as it is.

It's bittersweet leaving the helm of SCWW. I'll certainly appreciate the extra time to pursue my writing. But I'm going to miss it and the people I've come to know as friends. I hope I've left SCWW a little better than it was. I know I'm leaving you in capable hands.

Though I'm stepping down as President, I'll still be around and on e-mail. So, until we meet again, keep your nose to the monitor and your fingers on the keyboard-and look for me in the bookstores.

Happy writing!

Steve [ImagINe It]

Steve Vassey, a Columbia I member, is Past President, Anthology Editor, and keeper of the SCWW Website.

Greetings!

When I joined SCWW nearly thirteen years ago, it consisted of a handful of people who met twice a month in a small conference room in a Columbia office building. My, how times have changed. SCWW has grown to be the largest writers' organization in the state. We have thirteen chapters, approximately 300 members, and our annual conference attracts the most talented and successful authors, poets, agents, and editors in the publishing industry.

Despite SCWW's phenomenal growth, it has continued to meet the individual needs of its members. Our diversity is balanced by our singleness of purpose--to become better writers. With that in mind, I look forward to working with each of you to build on SCWW's success.

All the best,

Sandra E. Johnson [ImagINe It]

Sandra Johnson, author of Standing on Holy Ground: A Triumph over Hate Crime in the Deep South, was elected President of SCWW in January 2005.

Looking for potential outlets for your written work? Don't feel like buying every newspaper/magazine out there to see samples of what they do? Obviously, web surfing is the answer, and here's two sites to make your search sooooooo much easier!

1. www.usnpl.com - The US Newspaper List is my favorite. Visit this site and then click on your state. From there, you'll see all the media for your state and links to each of them, including newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations. Link to each of their respective websites to build a custom list for your state.

2. www.newsdirectory.com - This site also gives links to many categories, but has added advantage of magazines listed according to topic and/or geography. News Directory is logically organized so that you can link to over 3,600 newspapers, 4,800 magazines and hundreds of television stations.

These are both FREE sites, and expect not as complete as fee-based sites such as Writer's Market, but it's a very good start without spending big bucks to find a home for your work.

Write on!

Shari

Our group meets at 6 p.m. every other Tuesday at 218 East Main Street in Lexington. All of us have recently started new projects while waiting for those long hoped for "agent" calls on previous works. We're working on a wide range of fiction: literary, medieval, historical, mystery, crossover Christian and thrillers. Some of our members are working on chronicles, inspirational essays, and poetry. We could choose a great many adjectives to describe our meetings, but "boring" will never be one of those words.

About copyrights, plurals, grammar checkers, style, title pages and more

Q: In your opinion, is it worth it to pay to have your book's copyright registered?

A: No. You own the rights automatically, simply for having written it. The publisher, when you find one, will register the copyright in your name at the time the book goes to press. If your manuscript has a copyright notice on it, the publisher may think you are an amateur and do not understand the system or that you are paranoid and not trustful.

Do not register your own copyright unless you self publish the book, and if so, wait to do it until after all the final changes are made.

Q: I keep seeing sentences such as this: Noise, chaos and pandemonium is the order of the day. The verb should be "are." This error is everywhere. I gave up counting how many times Dan Brown of the Da Vinci code made this error in his book Deception Point. Even people with a Ph.D. make this mistake in their newsletters. Should I continue to be scandalized?

A: Yes. I suppose the error comes from the fact that "order" is singular, and people think the singular noun takes a singular verb, but in this case the subject of the sentence is plural (noise, chaos and pandemonium). The sentence is wrong as written. We who have the editing gene must live with well-documented errors that continue to creep into our language until some people find it acceptable. "I could care less," instead of "I couldn't care less" is one formation that makes me cringe when I see it and hear it, but it crosses my path (and makes me cross) at least once a month.

Q: Computer grammar checkers follow what style, AP Style or Chicago Style?

A: Most computers are set up for business style, the style we learned in school, which is neither AP nor Chicago Style. Style guides do not address grammar issues, anyway. Style guides standardize the use of abbreviations, the use of commas, and when to capitalize or not.

Q: Do short stories need a separate title page? How many lines do I space down from the contact/author information to the title of a short story?

A: The answers depend on the guidelines of the publication to which you submit. Most accept the title, contact information and length on the first page of a short story, but never assume all do. Find the guidelines of the periodical or competition and follow them to the letter.

Here's what The Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats says about formatting a short story: The first page should have the author's name, address and social security number on the far left at the top of the first page. On the far right state what rights are available, such as First North American Rights, and two lines down on the far right give the approximate word count. Eighteen to 24 lines down from the top, center the title of the story in all caps. Two lines down from that, type "by," then drop down two more lines and type your name as you want it to appear, especially if you use a pseudonym. Drop down four to six more lines (at least two double spaces) and start the story.
Remember to indent each paragraph, double space the text, and do not add extra spaces between the paragraphs except to indicate a scene change. The first page should not have a page number. The second page and subsequent pages should have the author's name in the header at the far right and the page number at the far left. Twelve-point Courier is the preferred font.

Q: Can you give me some style examples for nonfiction? Do these rules work for all nonfiction?

A: I think the question refers to the fact that I often mention Chicago Style, which is the style that book publishers prefer. If you write a book, whether fiction or nonfiction, follow Chicago Style for standardization of when to capitalize words, when to use numbers and when to write out the numeral and when to use commas.
If you refer to nonfiction articles for periodicals, though, periodical publishers more often follow Associated Press Style, which dictates that no comma goes before "and" in a series (red, white and blue), although Chicago Style uses the comma (red, white, and blue). Another difference is that AP Style allows many abbreviations, for states, whereas Chicago Style does not. The abbreviations are specific and are not always the ones the post office uses.
Not all periodicals use AP Style, though. Some have their own style manual. To find out what style your intended periodical uses, ask the editor or see if the preferred style is mentioned in the submission guidelines.

Bobbie Christmas is a book editor, freelance writer and author of Write In Style: Using Your Word Processor and Other Techniques to Improve Your Writing, published by Union Square Publishing and distributed by Simon & Schuster. Send your questions to the book doctor at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com

MUSINGS

Half-dressed in my Saturday uniform, I strolled through the house in jeans to get a T-shirt from the dryer. Passing my study, I heard a whistle, followed by a giggle. Looking back, I found my Muse, in pink flannel PJs with fuzzy white teddy bears, seated at the desk. "Thaleia, what are you doing with my laptop?"

"You've got mail! The Quill is getting some great feedback." She clicked her way through a few e-pistles and read me the choice comments:

"The Quill is clearly a robust and well-established undertaking."

"Great job, Leland. Thanks for all your hard work. Good contest tips."

"What a classy newsletter! Very well done and very informative."

"GREAT newsletter! Thanks!!"

I sat in my recliner. "Okay, now give me the bad news."

She turned her chair half around. "Oh, there really isn't any. Just one comment on content. I've already answered it."

"You did what!?"

"Don't worry. I signed your name to it." She grinned. "You were very cleaver and diplomatic."

"I'll have to be," I said. "You haven't heard from my harshest critic."

"Who might that be?"

"Me."

She laughed. "Just remember, as with any critique, consider the source."

"In this case, there's cause to hear and heed. After The Quill went out, I remembered that Steve Vassey had asked me to publish his 'Swan Song' in the first edition." I settled back and flipped up the footrest. "Now be a good Muse and hand over my computer."

She presented the laptop. "Like some underwear with your hardware?"

"Yes, thanks. I'll be making amends."

I had gone to the SCWW website and grabbed a copy of Steve's parting reflections when Thaleia tossed me a T-shirt. "How'd you manage to leave Steve's piece out last time?"

"Oh, I don't know. A distraction, perhaps? What do you suppose?"

She rolled her eyes and cast an upward glance, as if to see if she had acquired a halo. "I can't imagine."

Leland Beaudrot, a Greenville Chapter member, is a SCWW Board member, Chapter Liaison and Quill Editor. Thaleia, the immortal going on twenty Muse of Comedy, has adopted him as a protégé.

The Quill is the newsletter of the South Carolina Writers Workshop.

Copyright 2005 by Leland Beaudrot, Editor. Contributing writers retain all rights to their work.