How did it get so late so soon?

If you didn't recognize the title of this post, it's from Dr. Seuss who wrote,
   
      "How did it get so late so soon?
      Its night before its afternoon.
      December is here before its June.
      My goodness how the time has flewn.
      How did it get so lat so soon?"

If you're like me, the little ditty summarizes how I feel when I see another year has rolled by and I still have so much left on my To Do list. Here's one thing I can check off my list—writing and sending out the final FWA post of 2014. Check out this month's happenings at our NE Florida FWA meetings.

• There is no meeting of the Amelia Island Writers this month, but look for a new and improved version of the Nassau County writers group coming in January. Maggie deVries stepped down after 7 years as group leader, but area writers have met to plan the incarnation of the group, to be chaired by Nadine Williams and Nancy Blanton. Looks like there's a change of meeting days from Tuesday to Thursday, and possibly a move to a new location. And the group is considering a name change as well, so look for more news in 2015.
• The Jax Youth Writers will hold a critique session (up to 750 words) on Thursday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library. And on December 18, a writing lesson on "Supercharge Your Plotting Skills." Contact Kimberly Smith for details.
• River City Writers meet on Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library. Group leader Gregg Golson will present, "The Use of the Plot Clock for Plotting Your Novel," giving examples of how most successful novels follow the clock's timing. Don't be late for this one.
• Clay County Writers meet Wednesday, December 17 at 6:16 p.m. at the Orange Park Library. Group leader Maureen Jung says the group will follow-up on last month's effort to write author profiles for the Embedded in Clay group project. She encourages all to bring their profiles—a maximum of 150 words, please.
• Saturday, December 20 is the day the Ancient City Writers congregate at St. Augustine's Main Library. The meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. and the speaker is Sharon Buck who will present, "Creating Dynamic and Entertaining Book Trailers." Among other highlights, Sharon's workshop covers the 6 components of a great book trailer, how to grab the viewer's attention immediately, and how to create a book trailer for free.
• FWA affiliate First Coast Christian Writers meet each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Webb-Wesconnett Library. 
• And finally, the Ponte Vedra Writers are on holiday this month as group leader Vic DiGenti goes off in search of roast goose and plum pudding.

In other news:

• Pat Conroy headlines a special event on Thursday, January 8 at Flagler College's Lewis
  
  Auditorium. Billed as a unique literary presentation titled "Laughter & Literature with a Hint of Southern Charm," the event is presented as a benefit for the Florida Heritage Book Festival. Bestselling author Conroy is editor-at-large for Story River Books, a new South Carolina-based original fiction series. Conroy and Florida author Janis Owens will introduce two Story River Books authors, Mark Powell and Bernie Schein. Tickets are $20 before the event and $25 at the door. They may be purchased online at www.fhbookfest.com.
• Florida Sisters in Crime has a new president, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, and a new website. On Saturday, December 6 at 10:30 a.m. at the SE Branch Library, the Sisters (and Brothers are invited, as well) will celebrate the season with their annual Christmas Party. Joining them is Special Agent Sonya Felder of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
• Authors Kathryn Bain and Selena Fulton have a booksigning at the Holiday Hearts Gift  & Craft Fair on Saturday, December 6 at Old Plank Road Baptist Church, from 9:00 to 2:00.
• FWA's first mini-conference takes place Saturday, January 17 in Osprey, Florida. which is south of Sarasota. The focus is on "shorts," as in magazine articles, poetry and short stories, including flash fiction. Click here to see the conference program.
• In case you haven't heard, FWA's magazine, The Florida Writer, has published its last print edition and is going digital. No special device is required as the magazine will be sent directly to your email inbox where you can read it or download. It's cost-effective for the organization, and allows FWA to publish six times a year instead of only four.
• You can view all the good times from the 2014 FWA Annual Conference, whether you were there or not, by enjoying the hundreds of photos posted to https://www.flickr.com/photos/floridawritersfoundation/sets/.

That's all for now. See you at a writers meeting this month or in the New Year. Happy writing and Happy Holidays to all.

Vic

Vic DiGenti

FWA Regional Director