My Dear Friends,

    To borrow from the great Bilbo Baggins himself, four years is too short a
time to write for such an excellent and admirable magazine. Yes, for four years,
it has been my privilege to work with the wonderful staff of Inkwell Literary
Magazine. And as this issue goes online, my only regret is that I can’t work with
them any longer, except from a distance.

    I came to Bob Jones University looking for a creative outlet where I could
share my stories and get honest feedback, and I’d made up my mind to start one
if there weren’t any. That’s when a new friend told me about Inkwell. The
magazine had been started two years earlier by Joanna Scoggins and her crew
in 2020, just as the pandemic lockdowns began. By some miracle, the magazine
not only survived—it thrived. I wanted in, and I published my first nonfiction
story through them, “Can’t Catch a Break.” A year later, I was a staff writer.
I can’t begin to describe how thankful I am to the people I’ve gotten to know
over the years. Like my chief editors: Renee Kalagyan, Katie Lilly, Lindsey
Mohnackey, and Olivia Best. Through their hard work, Inkwell became an
official BJU organization, laying groundwork for our merger with the Readers’
Society to form the Inkwell Literary Association.

    There are many others I want to thank, and I only wish I had room for the
names of everyone I’ve worked with for the last four years. Without a capable
staff of writers, editors, social media specialists, and web designers, none of
what Inkwell does would be possible. As editor-in-chief, I can honestly say you
do the bulk of the work to keep us going, and I can’t thank you enough. Also, we
were very fortunate to have Emma Stephens as our English faculty advisor.
Where would be without her support? And while I don’t recall meeting our
founder, Joanna, I owe her a debt of thanks for making this dream a reality.
Joanna, thank you for having the gumption to see this project through to
completion.

    And finally, I want to thank you readers—our families, our fellow students,
and everyone who reads our stories. Your support means everything to us.
Before I leave, I want to give a couple of challenges—both to the readers and
the Inkwell staff. To the readers, I ask you to tell the student writers in your
orbit about who we are and what we do. Do you know a writer who plans to
attend BJU? Send them to Inkwell—we will take them. And to the staff, I ask you
to keep putting yourselves out there, before the student body. We’re creative,
we tend to be introverted, and it can be difficult to speak out and share what we
love. Sharing what we love with others requires some risk, but it is a risk worth
taking. Keep sharing and keep growing the team. You won’t regret it!
Thank you for reading Volume VII of Inkwell Literary Magazine.

Soli Deo Gloria
Zachary “Z” Edmondson
Editor-in-Chief

This is it. Our journey through the four fairy tale archetypes is finally over. And what a journey this has been!

We’ve met tyrants, who seized power and ruled through fear. We’ve met advisors, wise men and women who gave us advice. And we’ve met beggars, who often turned out to be something more than they appeared to be. But wait—there is one more type of character who is waiting to take the stage: the champion.

Champion: "one that does battle for another's rights or honor."

The champion is usually the hero of the story, or the protagonist. He or she is the one who must face the tyrant, who receives the gift of the advisor, and who encounters the beggar along the way. The champion must choose to set out on a journey, overcoming insurmountable odds to achieve victory.

You can read "Champion" now by clicking this link.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Z Edmondson

Editor-in-chief

Are you a student at Bob Jones University? Are you a writer who wants to publish your work, and receive feedback from your peers? Do you want to gain experience working for the official school magazine? We have just the place for you! Inkwell Literary Magazine is preparing for the 2026-2027 school year, and we're inviting as many people as we can to join our staff.

We are looking for:

• Writers
• Web editor
• Social media specialist(s)

If interested, apply by sending an email to inkwelleditorinchief@gmail.com, or come to one of our events in April! Note that applicants must be undergraduate students currently enrolled at BJU. While we welcome submissions from graduate students and alumni as well, staff writers are required to be undergraduates.

Also, if you love but you love reading but don't want to join the magazine, you can still join our Inkwell Literary Association! You can learn more on Instagram.

The advisor has shown us how to defeat the tyrant, and now we set off to battle him. But along the way, we encounter yet another character found in old fairy tale: the beggar.

Beggar: "someone who begs" or "a poor or impoverished person."

Beggars are supposed to be invisible, yet ironically they are often the most visible characters in stories. Some are the street waifs and old ladies, waiting for the dashing hero to rescue them. Others are slaves, forced to serve cruel kings or wicked stepmothers. Most, like Cinderella, are helpless to change their fate. They need a fairy godmother or a surprise gift to get on their feet again. Of course, a beggar is not always who they appear to be.

This month, our writers have explored the concept of the beggar inside and out. Are you interested in learning what secrets they have to share?

You can get "Beggar" by clicking this link.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Z Edmondson

Editor-in-chief

The 2026 semester is coming to an end, and we're almost at the end of our magical journey through fairy tale archetypes. So far, we've met the tyrant, the advisor, and the beggar. There is only one more...the "Champion."

Champion: "one that does battle for another's rights or honor."

The champion is usually the hero of the story, or the protagonist. He or she is the one who must face the tyrant, who receives the gift of the advisor, and who encounters the beggar along the way. The champion must choose to set out on a journey, overcoming insurmountable odds to achieve victory.

Think of Achilles in The Iliad, who helped lead the Greeks to victory over the city of Troy. Or Aragorn from The Return of the King, the prophesied ruler chosen to defeat Mordor and restore the honor of men. What about Luke Skywalker, a farm boy from a desert planet destined to become the galaxy's greatest Jedi knight. They are great examples of "the chosen one" trope, the epic hero of mythology.

Of course, classic fairy tale heroes like Jack the Giant Killer and Little Red Riding Hood also count. So do characters from modern films and literature, like Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games or Peter Parker in the Spider-Man comics. A champion can be anybody, an ordinary man or a superhero.

We want to see what you see when you think of a champion. Do you see a noble warrior, riding into battle with a sword? A brooding anti-hero, who crosses moral boundaries for the greater good? Also, what are the stakes they must overcome? Do they want to prevent the annihilation of the world? Or are they trying to stop the big, bad wolf from blowing down houses?

Submissions close on April 10th.

Soli deo gloria!

Z Edmondson

Editor-in-chief

The tyrant has seized the throne, and the kingdom is in disarray. Only a wise man or woman can save us now, which means we are moving on to the next figure on list of fairy tale character types…the advisor.

Advisor: "someone who gives advice."

The dictionary doesn’t have much to say, which means that we have more freedom to imagine what this mythic character is like. Our writers have explored the advisor type from many different angles: alien nobles, loyal bodyguards, small business owners, and so many more.

We survived the tyrant. Now let us be brave and hear the wisdom that these advisors have to offer us, if we are willing to accept it.

You can read "Advisor" by clicking this link.

Soli deo gloria!

So far, we have covered two fairy tale characters this semester: the tyrant and the advisor. Now, another legendary figure enters the scene...the "Beggar."

Beggar: "someone who begs" or "a poor or impoverished person."

Ironically the most noticeable character in many classic stories, the beggar is invisible to almost everyone else around them. Some are helpless and need a miracle or some magic to change their situation, but others may fight for their survival or for the good of others. Of course, beggars are not always who they appear to be...it could be a prince or a fairy in disguise.

Cinderella is a perfect example of a fairy tale beggar, with a fantastic rags-to-riches story. There is also Odysseus, who disguises himself as a beggar to trick his wife's suitors. Edmond Dantès, a prisoner who lost everything, uses newfound wealth to take revenge on his enemies. How about Aladdin, or Jean Valjean? There are contemporary examples as well, like Remy in Ratatouille.

What is your beggar's story? Are they clawing their way to the top, or are they content with their lot in life? Are they something more, or are they actually the villain? We want to know!

Submissions for "Beggar" close on March 13th. Also, "Advisor" will be released this Friday, along with the winner of our Bible Conference Writing Contest!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Z Edmondson

Editor-in-chief

After a short wait, "Tyrant" finally takes the stage as the latest issue of Inkwell Magazine drops now!

Tyrant: "an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution" or "a ruler who exercises absolute power oppressively or brutally."

Our writers have interpreted the concept of a tyrant in every way possible. They explored not only what tyrants look like, but how they rise to power in the first place. Were they plotting evil from day one, or was their path to tyranny paved with good intentions? Our writers also imagined what life under the rule of these tyrants would be like—for their subjects, their enemies, even their families and friends. Are you brave enough to venture where others have fallen?

You can read "Tyrant" now by clicking this link.

Soli deo gloria!

"Tyrant" releases tomorrow morning, but the creative mind never sleeps! And as we continue our journey through fairy tale archetypes, another mythic figure has emerged from the mists to aid us...the "Advisor."

Advisor: "someone who gives advice."

An advisor is a person, such as an old man or a wise woman, who offers sage wisdom to the hero of the story. The goddess Athena in The Odyssey qualifies. So does Merlin in Le Morte D'arthur. Modern examples include Gandalf, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Haymitch Abernathy. In real life, your pastor or your parents may fit the bill. Even Cinderella's fairy godmother was derived from this archetype, since godparents are trusted friends or relatives chosen as a child's spiritual mentor.

What kinds of advisors will we meet in the forest of your imagination? An ancient being of incredible power? A humble vicar in his parsonage? An all-knowing AI? Also...do they always give good advice?

Submissions close on February 13th.

Soli deo gloria!

We're back, everyone! After a wonderful Christmas Break, we are all well-rested (mostly), and we're eager to get back to our writing. This semester, we're presenting a series of issues themed after fairy tale archetypes. These are classic characters found in some of the oldest stories, from the Greek Epics to the Norse Sagas, the Brothers Grimm to Hans Christian Anderson, and even history itself. This February, the first of these to seize the stage is the "Tyrant."

Tyrant: "an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution" or "a ruler who exercises absolute power oppressively or brutally."

History gives us a long list of tyrants, such as Caligula, John Lackland, Ivan the Terrible, Maximilien Robespierre, and Adolf Hitler. And, of course, there's Cinderella's wicked stepmother, the White Witch, President Snow, Emperor Palpatine, and Sauron. No two tyrants are exactly alike. Some force their way into power, while others rise by the will of the people. Many take freedoms away, and some offer "easier" alternatives to pacify dissent. A few even start with good intentions, but power corrupts them, often before they realize how far they have fallen.

Who are your tyrants? Kings or presidents? People or creatures? Maybe just a malevolent force seeking to assert its will? Who are their victims, and what stories do they have? We can't wait for you to tell us!

Submissions close on January 23rd.

Soli Deo Gloria!

The wait is over! Christmas is behind us, and New Year's Day is coming up, as the Inkwell staff proudly presents "Epoch" to you!

Epoch: "an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development," or "a memorable event or date."

Each of our authors has offered something wonderful to contribute to our theme this year, stories about great turning points and difficult choices. So, pour yourself a nice, steaming cup of hot chocolate. (Or tea, or maybe coffee—we promise we won’t judge!) Have a seat by the fire, curl up under a warm blanket, and take a moment to share in the fruits of our labors. And wherever you are this holiday season, may God bless you.

You can read "Epoch" by clicking this link.

As we enter the home stretch before Christmas Break, the people at Inkwell are happy to present you with the third issue of the semester..."Passage!"

Passage: "a way of exit or entrance: a road, path, channel, or course by which something passes," or "the action or process of passing from one place, condition, or stage to another."

Our writers told so many wonderful stories based on this theme–stories about aliens and superheroes, mobsters and millionaires, and families and children. We also accepted our first art submission, opening this category to the public along with flash fiction.

You can read "Passage" by clicking this link.

Hello, Inkwell readers! Our next issue, "Passage," releases online this Friday on Dec. 5, and we can't wait for you to see what we've been up to this past month. As our fall semester closes, we have some exciting announcements for our students.

Here they are...

First, submissions are open for our last issue this semester. Submissions will be open from now until Friday, Dec. 12. Our theme is "Epoch," defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development," or "a memorable event or date." We are still accepting art and flash fiction submissions for this issue, and we hope to continue doing so.

Second, as a student association of BJU, it is our dream to host student events. For example, we host a Writer's Circle event every semester, where students can meet and share their creative works. We will host one next week, and two more next semester. Also, we have tentative plans to invite authors for a Q&A session next semester, so please keep an eye on our Instagram page and this website for details!

Third, one challenge we face every school year is rebuilding our staff. This is why we are actively seeking BJU students who are interested in working with us full time. Here is a glance at some roles we are currently offering:

• Writers (for all four of our writing divisions)
• Artists/Photographers
• Website Designers

If you are interested, please email us at inkwelleditorinchief@gmail.com, and send us samples of your work. We would love to hear from you!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Over a week ago, members of the Inkwell Magazine editorial staff, including myself, attended an event at the Bob Jones Academy. Bruins Days introduces potential students to the university's diverse student organizations. We had a wonderful time, introducing our organization to them and sharing our passion for storytelling with them.

To the wonderful students who visited our table, thank you so much for hearing us out! We look forward to working with you in the near future.

The wait is over! Halfway through the semester, the Inkwell Magazine staff is proud to finally present "Eclipsed" to you all.

Eclipsed: “the total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another," or "the state of being eclipsed."

We had so many unique takes on our theme this month, including stories about love, heritage, time travel, and outer space. Also, we published three flash fiction stories for the first time, adding a new category to our literary repertoire. It's been a wild ride, and we hope you join us.

You can download and read "Eclipsed" by clicking this link.  

Posted by Z Edmondson, editor-in-chief.