Library Announces New Artist in Residence Program

Beaufort County, SC – Beaufort County Library Announces New Artist in Residence program

Thanks to a grant from The Public Library Foundation of Beaufort County, the Beaufort County Library announces local writer and publisher Elizabeth Millen as the inaugural Artist-in-Residence.

Millen is the founder of Pink Magazine, which launched in Beaufort County in April 2004. It has been published every month since — 225 issues. She has also founded and owned magazines in Atlanta, Charleston and St. Simons Island. She has amassed a large following, especially with her monthly columns “From the Publisher” and “Hissy Fit.” 

With a 17-year career in marketing prior to starting Millen Publishing Group, LLC, Millen held positions that required not only marketing expertise, but also extensive creative writing skills. A native South Carolinian, Millen has held positions at the famed Darlington Raceway (NASCAR) as Marketing and Corporate Sales Director, as well as Director of Marketing for the daily newspaper, The Morning News in Florence, SC.

During her residency, Millen will provide four public workshops, as well as scheduled studio hours each week, where she will be available to meet informally with patrons to discuss their own writing. Each workshop will provide time for writing based on prompts and class assignments. All sessions will be held at the Hilton Head Branch Library. Space is limited, please register early. To register for the workshops, contact the Hilton Head Branch Library at 843.255.6525.

“We want this residency to connect aspiring writers with guidance from a writer in the community” Library Director, Amanda Dickman said. “Ideally we will see new writers emerge as a result of this program.”

Millen says her workshops will include instruction and ideas from basic writing, to finding your voice, to elevating descriptions to learning how to evoke emotion in your writing. “After writing and editing for public consumption for my entire career, I have developed a deep understanding of language, word choice and flow and how important these aspects are in order to get a point across or tell a story in the most compelling way. I can’t wait to share my knowledge with those who are just beginning to write, those who are looking to elevate their skills, or those simply seeking validation or suggestions. This residency will provide people in the community the space and place to come together with others and have fun writing!” Millen said.

“There’s so many things to be excited about,” Dickman said. “The Artist in Residence program enables Beaufort County Library to fulfill our efforts to provide programs to inform, inspire, and empower people in their pursuit of lifelong learning, personal enrichment, and cultural understanding.” 

Millen added, “I have a passion for writing, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to help others. My mission through Pink Magazine is empower, inform, encourage and evoke thought, which perfectly mirrors the goals of this program. My hope is to achieve this mission with each and every participant.”

Interactive Writing Workshops will be held at the Hilton Head Branch Library from 10:00 am to Noon as follows:

Wednesday, January 25 

Let’s Write! This workshop will give attendees a chance to practice writing with fun drills that will get your writing mojo going. This enjoyable, interactive workshop will help you home in on various skills and overcome the fear of getting writing it wrong, all while having fun!

Wednesday, February 1 

Chip Off that Writer’s Block! What to do when you’re stuck? We all can get bogged down and have no idea where to go next. This workshop will teach you the difference in writing from your head versus writing from your heart. This can even apply to technical writing! 

Wednesday, February 8

Get Emotional Over It! Are you ready to get real with your writing? If so, this is a don’t miss class that will help you add emotion to your writing. Emotion is the ultimate hook; it’s what connects readers to characters, it persuades us, and it keeps us turning those pages.

Wednesday, February 15

Writers Don’t Ramble! In this final workshop, participants will be challenged to take a dive into editing, discuss succinctness of words, flow of thoughts and word counts. The class will include time for writing with activities that will demonstrate how to write without rambling, thus holding your reader’s attention.

Elizabeth Millen’s Hilton Head Branch Library office hours for questions, ideas and help are by appointment only. Office hours will follow each workshop on Wednesdays from 12:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. She will also be available at the Library on Thursdays (1/26; 2/2; 2/16) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

For any questions regarding this program, please contact our Programs and Events Librarian, Theresa Furbish at 843-255-6442 or theresa.furbish@bcgov.net.

For updates on future Artist in Residence programs, stay tuned to www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/artist-in-residence.