Finding Your Voice

You’re a writer in Charleston. Maybe you’ve been keeping track of your life in journals from a young age. Maybe you’ve dreamed of being published, but only just started filling pages with words. You might use writing to work through difficult emotions. Perhaps you’ve returned to writing after or during another career, or while raising a family.

 Whatever the reason you write, you’re in the right place. Charleston beckons the creative spirit in us all. All kinds of writers— novelists, journalists, poets— flock to our city. Any form of writing you do has led you here. You are in search of your voice. And in this storied city of Charleston, creative outlets abound for creative writers.

 Let’s begin by exercising your imagination with creative writing workshops. While in search of your own voice, you will learn a great deal from those who have blazed the trail. Allow me to introduce several local writers with distinct voices and myriad accomplishments: Stephanie Hunt, Gervais Hagerty, and Kate Connor Boyette.

 Stephanie Hunt is a freelance dynamo. As a writer and editor with more than 25 years of experience, Hunt has bylines in major publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Southern Living; authorship of three books about landscape and interior design; and an extensive list of featured home and travel stories, profiles, essays, and book reviews. She is also a contributing editor for Veranda Magazine and editor-at-large for Charleston Magazine.

Novelist Gervais Hagerty’s background ranges from work in radio and television broadcasts to teaching communications to Citadel cadets. Growing up in Charleston inspired her debut novel “In Polite Company,” published in 2021 by William Morrow. She has spent the past several months as a Fulbright Scholar in Belgium.

 Kate Connor Boyette is a writer, editor, and publisher who champions female artists. With a passion for culinary arts and storytelling, she founded the boutique cookbook publishing company Mise En Place Publishing and the Charleston non-profit female literary magazine Revisionist. Her debut novel “In Light of Everything” will be published in March 2027 by Evening Post Books.

 Hunt and Hagerty lead a monthly creative writing workshop titled “Exploring the Joy (and Art) of Writing!” at Redux Contemporary Art Center, bringing together writers of all genres and levels to support one another while honing their skills. Hunt describes the workshop as “a safe, fun, no-pressure, non-performative place to loosen up writing muscles, play on the page, find your voice, and meet the absolute best people. And yes, there's wine and snacks.”

 Nurturing both novice and experienced writers, Redux workshops provide inspiration and confidence. Hagerty notices that participants often return month after month, perhaps for a “magic” she senses during class. “Every month, our agenda is more or less the same: we introduce a theme, start with a ‘quick-and-dirty’ prompt to share when introducing ourselves, then we spend the rest of the evening diving deeper into that theme,” she says. “And yet, while that's a simple itinerary, every time, something special occurs in class—some sort of artistic frisson, some sort of deep connection with the others in the room.” Hunt echoes Hagerty’s sentiment. “When I do more creative, personal writing, like what we do at Redux…it feels like magic.

 In addition to Redux classes, Kate Connor Boyette’s Revisionist Charleston offers monthly writing workshops online and in-person with varying topics and instructors. “We convene to explore our creativity through writing,” says Boyette. “When women come back to our voices, we come into ourselves fully; Revisionist is here to guide that progression and celebrate the shared journey.”

Now that you’re feeling inspired by these workshops, you need a place to write. Writing in your own house can sometimes be distracting or isolating. Writing is by nature a solitary pursuit, but it often feels more communal when you write in a public space. One independent bookstore has become a haven for writers: The Archive.

 Tucked into a charming corner of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, this bookstore is so much more than just a bookstore. The Archive exudes a dark academia vibe, cocooning you in autumnal tones, alternative tunes, and window seat pillows to keep your creative juices flowing. Serving an assortment of coffee, tea, and wine, this bookstore feels like a fantastical personal library complete with banned books hidden in secret cabinets.

 Meet the founder, Amanda Badeau, the woman who has realized her vision of a cozy creative space where writers and readers mingle and find community. After 15 years in the corporate world, Badeau craved a quiet sanctuary for books and bonding, opening The Archive in April 2025.

 “My vision was always to create a space for people who believe in the power of stories. I knew readers would come; that part felt certain. What I didn’t fully anticipate was how many writers would find their way here,” says Badeau. “In hindsight, it makes perfect sense. When you build something rooted in language, atmosphere, and feeling, it naturally draws the people who create those things too. The Archive has become a place not just to consume stories, but to sit inside them and to begin writing your own.”

 Of course, reading and writing go hand in hand. Book writers are book lovers. As Badeau says, “We’re interested in continuing to create spaces where readers and writers intersect. I would also love to host dedicated writing nights, something intentional and recurring where people can gather, write alongside one another, and feel a sense of quiet accountability.”

 Being surrounded by books while writing is a satisfying singular pleasure. See for yourself. Go to The Archive, grab a drink, and settle in.

 Now that you’ve written a few pages, poems, or chapters, you might be nervous to share your work. Part of finding your voice in writing is finding a way to give voice to your writing. Two popular open mic nights in Charleston offer the perfect opportunity: Revisionist magazine hosts “In Her Own Words” every other month at the bookstore Philosophers and Fools, and The Archive offers quarterly open mic nights.  

  Boyette says, “I wanted to connect with other female writers. It has really reshaped how I view writing, not as a completely solo activity, but one where we need to be in support of each other. ‘In Her Own Words’ celebrates the (Revisionist) magazine and highlights Charleston women sharing their stories and writing at various stages of the process.

 These events not only bring new voices to the mic but also bring together local writers and those who love to hear writers speak their written words in their own voices. Open mic night at The Archive was created as a way to bring writers’ voices into the room together. We host it quarterly, and writers sign up in advance,” says Badeau. “What’s been most meaningful is the balance: we see familiar faces returning each time, alongside new voices stepping up for the first time. The setting itself—dim, intimate, a little removed from the outside world—lends itself naturally to that kind of vulnerability and expression.”

 When you began this journey to find your voice, you were probably unsure of where to go, and how it would go. After meeting these female phenoms in the local literary world and making the most of these creative outlets for writers in Charleston, you know now that you’re ready. You’ve taken workshops to build and practice your craft. You’ve written and polished your drafts into finished pieces of written art. And now is your moment to step up to the mic.

 Bring your focus to your words on the page.

 Take a deep breath.

 And find your voice.

To learn more about the Redux writing workshop, go to: reduxstudios.org.

To learn more about Kate Boyette’s workshops and “In Her Own Words” go to: miseenplacepr.com/community

To learn more about The Archive’s Open Mic nights, go to: thearchivechs.com.