New 2011 Conference Teaser

First, I'd like to thank all of the SCWW Board members who are working on all of the non-conference aspects of SCWW, as well as many of the sub-areas of the conference. As soon as Spring begins, my mind, time and calendar seem to get tunnel vision, concentrating on October. But, that's not the only thing SCWW is concentrating on right now.

Tibby Plants is checking mail daily, organizing The Petigru Review submissions. Kim Boykin is constantly working on ways to spice up The Quill. Martha Greenway and Brenda Remmes are getting confirmations from Carrie McCray contest judges. Our new treasurer Mike Long is making sure all of us stay within our budget. Steve Gordy answers questions from any chaper leaders and sends out membership renewal notices. Kim Blum-Hyclak just rejoined us and she's gearing up to mastermind a new silent auction system, while Kia Goins is accepting applications from members who want to volunteer at the conference. Lateia Sandifer is serving as a resource of her years of experience. And Ginny Padgett -- she's keeping us all in the loop and on the straight-and-narrow!

So rest assured that SCWW is more than just an annual conference. The other pieces of the puzzle are just as vital for an oranized, well-maintained writing organization.

And now, on to my piece this year -- the conference.

On the right, you'll find a list of the faculty members who have kindly agreed to share their time and experience with us this October. Want to know more about them? Make sure you visit our website, www.myscww.org/conference, often for the latest facuty bios. We've included links to their websites, blogs and Twitter accounts. Take a moment and visit these areas. It's time well spent in finding out the best match for your critiques, pitches, real-time queries, etc., and will help you in picking sessions when we open registration June 15.

While you're on the conference site, www.myscww.org/conference, be sure to look at all of the other tabs, too. We have new details on appointment times and a new pricing list. While there is a small increase in registration fees this year, SCWW is still one of the most affordable conferences in the United States. We would have loved to keep the fees at the same rate we've had for two years, but inflation and a loss of state grant funds required that we have a slight increase. But, we're also offering more features. For example, you no longer must choose between signing up for multiple critiques or attending Saturday and Sunday sessions. Critique appointment times will be Friday, so you may enjoy every moment of the weekend sessions.

Finally, have you considered being a volunteer at the conference? Kia Goins is still accepting applications from members in good standing who would like to assist at the conference this year. There are full-time and part-time slots available. Volunteers are eligible for a discounted rate for the conference, plus, the joy in knowing they're making a difference in the writing community!

For more information on the conference, or if you have a question, feel free to email me at scwwconference2011@gmail.com.