A December to Remember

The year 2016 apparently did an end run on us, and we find ourselves facing the merry month of December once again. With hopes that this will be a December to remember for you, here's what's in store at our NE Florida FWA meetings and more.

• The Open Mic tradition we started last year continues at the Ponte Vedra Writers meeting this month on Saturday, December 10, 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. Do you have a work in progress or a completed project you'd like to share? Come and read your first page (4 minute limit to give everyone a chance) and celebrate the season with some holiday refreshments and a book exchange. Bring any new or gently used book—fiction or nonfiction—and exchange it for another. All remainders will be donated to Seymour's, the library's bookstore. If you wish to participate in the Open Mic program please contact me by Thursday, December 8, and it's first contact, first up. Bring a goodie to share if you're so inclined.
• River City Writers will meet on Tuesday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library. Contact group leader Gregg Golson for details.
• Another holiday gathering is in the works at the Writers by the Sea meeting on Thursday, December 15 at the Amelia Island Museum of History. Starting at 6:00pm, each writer is invited to read 1-3 minutes of something she or he wrote. The cost of admission is a plate of cookies or other finger-food to share. They will provide the coffee.
• Keeping in the holiday spirit, Ancient City Writers hold a networking and informational session on Saturday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. A panel that includes three RPLA winners will be available to answer questions, while holiday refreshments are served.
• The Clay County Writers will focus on book covers at its Wednesday, December 21st meeting, 6:15 p.m. at the Orange Park Library. A discussion of the key elements of a good book cover will include a show and tell by attendees who are invited to bring their favorite book covers and be able to explain why it's their favorite.
• FWA affiliate First Coast Christian Writers meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Oakleaf Christian Fellowship on Lake Gray Boulevard.

And in other news ...

• Florida Sisters in Crime welcomes author Nancy Haddock to its December 3rd holiday party meeting. The sisters will gather at 10:00 a.m. at the SE Branch Library. Nancy is the author of the "Silver Six Crafting" mystery series published by Berkley Crime Time. She'll talk about how to develop series characters that will grab your reader.
• A Gathering of Poets meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at the Ponte Vedra Library. Bring four extra copies of your work to be critiqued by the group.
• Here's a list of December deadlines courtesy of The Masters Review.
• The Jacksonville Public Library will hold its first ever Jax Book Fest on Saturday, March 25 at the Main Library. They're looking for local authors to be exhibitors for the day at a cost of $30. Click here for more information.
• Kudos to John Carson on the publication of his book, Kid's Sports – A Parent's Best Friend.
• If you participated in November's National Novel Writing Month, please share your experience with us and we'll pass them along next month.

Until we meet again, my editor Duke and I wish you and yours a joyful Christmas, a happy Hanukkah or whatever you choose to celebrate during this festive holiday season.
Vic

Vic DiGenti
FWA Regional Director
2017 FWA Conference Faculty Chair

November FWA Blog Post

Over 450 people attended the 2016 FWA Conference this month, many of them from the NE Florida area. If you missed it, you missed a good one, but you can make up for it by attending one of the FWA Focus Days, formerly known as mini-conferences. The first one is scheduled for April 29 in Altamonte Springs, and the focus is on Character-Driven Stories. But definitely put the 2017 Conference on your calendar, October 19 - 22, as the new Faculty Chair is planning a bunch of innovative sessions and new features.

Congratulations to all the RPLA winners. I hope you were one of them, but be sure to congratulate any of the writers you may know as these are the best of the best.

And now for the November meeting news:

• The River City Writers offers the perfect prescription for ridding yourself of the election blues since the meeting falls on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library. Linda Schilling Mitchell tells the story of how she developed her popular coloring book, Colorful Florida in a talk she calls, "Thinking Outside the Box for Writers." And maybe outside the lines as well.
• Laura Lee Smith knows a thing or two about rejections and what it takes to catch the attention of editors and agents. Laura's acclaimed novel Heart of Palm came after a series of rejections, and many short stories published in literary magazines. Laura will discuss her writing and publishing process and lay out a step-by-step strategy for "Breaking In" to the publishing scene. She's the special guest speaker at the Ponte Vedra Writers meeting on Saturday, November 12 at the Ponte Vedra Library. The meeting starts at 10:30 a.m.
• Wondering what a writing platform is and how to build one? Nancy Quatrano will tell you to put away the hammer and nails, and start thinking about your brand and reputation. Nancy is the guest speaker/author/editor at the Wednesday, November 16 meeting of the Clay County Writers to discuss "How to Build a Writing Platform." The meeting starts at 6:15 p.m. at the Orange Park Library.
• Writers by the Sea meets on Thursday, November 17 at the Amelia Island Museum of History at 6:00 p.m. The topic is "First Aid for High Risk Writing," and editor Heather Whitaker can help writers not only improve their writing, but also their chances of success. She's a developmental editor and writing coach and has worked with bestselling authors Julianna Baggott, Jon Jefferson and Laura Lascarso.
• The Ancient City Writers chapter of FWA will gather together Saturday, November 19 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. Heather Ashby is an award-winning military romance writer who served in the U.S. Navy. Heather tells us "The First Draft is Supposed to Stink," and advises writers to "turn off your internal editor while you're writing."
• FWA affiliate First Coast Christian Writers meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Oakleaf Christian Fellowship on Lake Gray Boulevard.

And in other news:

• The Okefenokee Heritage Center in Waycross, GA is looking for 5 or 6 writers for a book signing this Sunday following the presentation of awards and a reception honoring winners of the Writer's Guild Contest. If interested, please contact Elizabeth Welch at okeheritage@gmail.com, or phone 912-285-4260.
• Florida Sisters in Crime meets Saturday, November 5 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bartram Trail Branch Library. The guest speaker is Candace Gerding, retired State Probation/Parole Officer.
• A gathering of Poets meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 2:00 p.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. Bring four extra copies of your work to be critiqued by the group.
• The Friends of the Ponte Vedra Library will present noted author Les Standiford at the Monday, November 14 Book Talk Cafe program. Les will talk about and sign his latest nonfiction book, Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles. The program starts at 6:30 p.m.
• November is National Novel Writing Month. Can you write a novel in a month? If you'd like to give it a try, visit the official website for all the details, from how it works to tracking your progress to getting daily pep talks. Good luck, and let us know how you did.

That's all folks. Have a great writing month, and enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.
Vic

Vic DiGenti
FWA NE Florida Regional Director
2017 FWA Conference Faculty Chair
October 19 - 22, 2017

It's Conference Time

With over 70 workshops, panels and other sessions, keynoter John Gilstrap, the Royal Palm Literary Awards Banquet, and much more, this is one FWA Conference not to be missed. Check out the list of faculty members, including agents, editors and publishers waiting to hear your pitch, then click here to register for the 15th annual FWA Conference. You won't be disappointed.

And because we want as many NE Florida writers as possible to attend the conference, both the Ponte Vedra Writers and Writers by the Sea groups will not have meetings this month. I'll be at the conference presenting two workshop sessions. I hope to see you there. Here's what the other area writers groups have planned for this month.

• The River City Writers will meet on Tuesday, October 11 at 7:00 p.m. in Room D of the SE Branch Library. Group leader Gregg Golson will present "The Ten Commandments of Self Editing," how to ensure your writing is ready to be submitted to an agent or publisher.
• The Ancient City Chapter welcomes Marge Smith, who writes as Elizabeth Sinclair, on Saturday, October 15 at St. Augustine's Main Library. Her topic is "First Chapters Count" and she will explore all the facets of a dynamic beginning that will keep the reader turning pages. It will answer the burning question of "Where do you begin?" Library doors open at 10:00 a.m. and the meeting begins at 10:15 a.m.
• The Clay County Writers have a fun and helpful session planned for the Wednesday, October 19 meeting at the Orange Park Library, 2054 Plainfield Avenue. In "The Heart of the Story," writers are invited to pitch their story to the group in 50 words or less. They'll receive valuable feedback to help them hone their messages to readers. Group leader Maureen Jung reports the group is also holding a book sale on Saturday, October 15 from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. at the Community Commons Classroom in Penney Farms. She invites everyone attending the meetings to donate their gently used books on writing, editing, reading or speaking. Proceeds will go toward the group's Embedded in Clay anthology project. For more information, contact Maureen.
• FWA affiliate First Coast Christian Writers meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Oakleaf Christian Fellowship on Lake Gray Boulevard.
• There will be no meeting of Writers by the Sea in October so that everyone is able to attend the FWA Annual Conference in Altamonte Springs that week. In November, the group meets at the normal time on the third Thursday, at the Amelia Island Museum of History.
• Again, the Ponte Vedra Writers are also taking a break this month, but will return on Saturday, November 12 with a workshop on how to break in to the publishing scene by novelist and short story writer Laura Lee Smith.

Around the area

• Florida Sisters in Crime meets Saturday, October 1 at 10:15 a.m. at the Bartram Trail Library, 60 Davis Pond Boulevard, to hear from private investigator Steven Brown. Visit the website for more information.
• Don't forget to register for the FWA Foundation's Celebrity Workshop with bestselling author Tosca Lee. Or select a separate Foundation workshop with author John Rehg. Both full day workshops precede the annual Conference on Thursday, October 20. You'll want to arrive early anyway since the conference kicks off Thursday evening with five outstanding sessions.
• A Gathering of Poets meets on the first and third Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. This is a working group of poets, so bring four extra copies of your poems.
• Speaking of the Ponte Vedra Library, the library's Book Talk Cafe program will feature noir novelist Michael Wiley discussing his latest Daniel Turner thriller, Black Hammock on Monday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m.

And that's all the latest in the neighborhood until next month. Don't forget the FWA Conference, October 20 - 23, and for those of you who are finalists in the RPLAs, I wish you the best of luck. If you're not sure who the finalists are, you can see them here.

Cheers,

Vic

Vic DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

2017 Conference Chair

October 19 - 22, 2017

Stormy Weather

I'm one of those people who find good quotes to make a point. With the passing of tropical storm Hermine, it seemed appropriate to find a storm related quote, and I found several that fit.

"There some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm."

~ Willa Cather

Or what about this one?

"I never waited for my Irish Cream Coffee to be the right temperature, with a storm happening outside and my fireplace crackling ... I wrote every day, at home, in the office, whether I felt like it or not. I just did it."

~Stephen J. Cannell

It looks like NE Florida was spared once again, so let's hope all future storms fall into the metaphor category. And now on to September highlights.

• The Ponte Vedra Library is holding its semi-annual book sale the fourth weekend of the month, necessitating a move of the Ponte Vedra Writers meeting to Saturday, September 10 at 10:30 a.m. Award-winning writer Sandra McDonald will explore the evolving publishing world and the many options available in her workshop, "Picking Your Publishing Platform." Remember the meeting is on the second Saturday this month, not the fourth.
• River City Writers meet Tuesday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library. Contact Gregg Golson for more information.
• Writers by the Sea meets on Thursday, September 15 at the Amelia Island Museum of History at 6:00 p.m. Graphic novelist and illustrator Michael Regina presents "How Art and Illustration Can Help Sell Your Story." Please contact Nadine Vaughan-Williams for more details.
• Learn how to write an effective press release at the Saturday, September 17 meeting of the Ancient City Writers chapter of FWA. Nancy Quatrano will educate us on writing "Press Releases that Work." The group meets at the St. Augustine Main Library at 10:00 a.m.
• Maureen Jung and the Clay County Writers will focus on their anthology project, as well as learn "How to Write a Summary." Join the crowd at the Penney Farms Community Commons Classroom, Wednesday, September 21 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Contact Maureen if you need directions.
• FWA affiliate, First Coast Christian Writers, meet each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Oakleaf Christian Fellowship on Lake Gray Boulevard.

And in other news:

• The Florida Heritage Book Festival & Writers Conference, September 15 - 17, offers a diverse schedule of workshops and events for both writers and readers. Over 30 award-winning authors, workshops and critique groups, plus receptions honoring Stetson Kennedy and Elaine Konigsburg. Click here for more information and to register.
• Each year on the Thursday preceding the FWA Conference, the FWA Foundation presents a
  
  day-long "Celebrity Workshop." This year you may opt to join award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee in a fast-paced workshop covering everything from writing unforgettable characters to creating gut-wrenching scenes. Her workshop is titled "10 Secrets of a New York Times Bestseller." Tosca is the bestselling author of The Progeny of a Queen, Demon: A Memoir, Havah: The Story of Eve, and The Books of Mortals Series. You also have another Foundation Workshop choice this year as John Rehg presents "From Nursery Rhyme to Novel: Singing Your Story Structure." John's presentation will run from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Tosca's from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 20. Each one is $89. Visit the site for more information.
• Florida Sisters in Crime welcome Lt. Chase Mathews from the U.S. Navy Rescue Swimmers School to their Saturday, September 10 meeting. The group meets at 10:15 a.m. at the SE Regional Library.
• A Gathering of Poets meets each first and third Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library.This is a workshop group so bring four extra copies of your poems. Contact Sharon Scholl with any questions.
• Ancient City Romance Writers present its annual conference, September 9 - 10 at the St. Augustine Beach Hampton Inn. Spend the weekend at the beach with authors Jade Lee/Kathy Lyons and Cindy Dees. Deb Werksman, editor from Sourcebooks Casablanca will keynote and take pitches. Click here for details.
• If you have a one page short story, there's a contest for that. Visit this site for details, but hurry, the deadline's September 12.

One more storm quote before I clean up my yard.

"I pass my life in preventing the storm from blowing down my tent, and I drive in the pegs as fast as they are pulled up."

~Abraham Lincoln

Happy peg pounding,

Vic

Vic DiGenti

FWA NE Florida Regional Director

2017 FWA Conference Chair

August 2016 FWA Post

There's something desperately poetic about the month of August. Summer is racing by, and we know the less playful days of fall and winter lie ahead. I guess I'm channeling my childhood when summer months were the next best thing to Christmas. But on this last day of July, it's time to look forward and see what August has in store for us.

• River City Writers group leader Gregg Golson delivers a workshop he calls, "Novel Writing A to Z" at the Tuesday, August 9 meeting. The group meets at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library off Gate Parkway.
• Ponte Vedra Writers have another off-schedule meeting due to venue conflicts. The group will meet Saturday, August 13 at 1030 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Branch Library. Attorney Deborah Reid discusses the fundamentals of copyright law for authors in her presentation, "Copywrite or Wrong." Deborah has over 36 years of experience helping artists and authors with contracts, trademarks, licensing and copyrights. Group leader DiGenti will be away on a secret mission to sample California wines. Author and former CIA man Edward Mickolus will fill in for him.
• Maureen Jung offers good advice for writers at this month's meeting of the Clay County Writers, Wednesday, August 17. Due to early voting they will meet at the Penney Farms Community Room from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. In a program titled, "To Give and to Receive: How to Read and React to Writing in Progress," Maureen discusses the most productive ways to react to feedback from critique group members, If you're interested in receiving such feedback, Maureen suggests bringing three copies of your work (up to 3 pages double-spaced). Contact Maureen for more information.
• If you're ready to climb aboard the audiobook bandwagon, but not sure how, then you might want to attend the August 18 meeting of Writers by the Sea. They will meet at the Amelia Island Museum of History at 6:00 p.m. to hear from David D'Ardenne, a professional sound recordist, whose career spans three decades in network TV news programming. Dave will provide a demonstration with professional actor Augie Butinelli. More information from group leader Nadine Vaughan-Williams.
• There's a story to be told, and you can be part of it when you attend the Ancient City Chapter of FWA, Saturday, August 20 at St. Augustine's Main Library, beginning at 10:15 a.m. Author and former ad writer Rick Jones shows how to "Create a Scene" using improv and interaction with the audience (that's you). The meeting will conclude with a short play complete with costumes, props and prizes.
• First Coast Christian Writers, an FWA affiliate, meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Oakleaf Christian Fellowship 6195-7 Lake Gray Blvd. in Jacksonville.

Also in the area:

• If you act fast you can still take advantage of the early bird price for the FWA Annual Conference. The discount rate ends at midnight, July 31. Among the many benefits, the 3-day conference offers over 70 workshops and panels, keynote address by NY Times bestselling author John Gilstrap, the opportunity to network and pitch to agents, editors and publishers, and the Royal Palm Literary Awards Banquet. This is one of the best writers conferences of the year. Get details and registration info by clicking here.
• Florida Sisters in Crime moves to the beach for the Saturday, August 6 meeting. The group will meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library to hear from U.S. Postal Inspector Adam Schaefer.
• The Sisters (and brothers) will hold their annual Writers Workshop on Saturday, August 20 at the UNF Adam W. Herbert University Center. Bestselling author Hank Phillipi Ryan is the guest speaker. Click here for details.
• The Florida Heritage Book Festival & Conference comes our way September 15 - 17 in the heart of St. Augustine. Check out the writers conference schedule and the day-long book festival on the website.
• The Amelia Island Book Festival has announced a "Dream Team of Literary Stars" headlining the February 2017 event. In attendance will be Steve Berry, R. L. Stine, David Baldacci, Mary Kay Andrews and Joseph Finder. Details here, and you can also sign up for the Author Exhibitor's event.

And for those of you with a more fatalistic perspective, I'll leave you with this quote from Isaac Asimov, one of my favorite SF authors.

“If my doctor told me I only had six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.”

Enjoy summer's end to the very last day.

Vic

Vic DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

July 2016 FWA Post

No jokes about starting the month off with a bang because, like Alice's White Rabbit, I'm in a hurry. So here's what you need to know about our July meetings.

• Join the River City Writers on Tuesday, July 12 at 7:00 p.m. to hear about author Robyn Gioia's latest long journey to publication for her middle grade novel, The Siege, which is set in St. Augustine. The group meets at the SE Branch Library off Gate Parkway.
• St. Augustine's Ancient City Chapter of FWA meets Saturday, July 16 at the downtown Main Library. The guest speaker is writer Jeanne Moon Farmer who will speak on "How To Do What You Love and Love What You Do." The meeting begins at 10:00 a.m.
• On Wednesday, July 20, the Clay County Writers will gather at the Orange Park Library to review Lynn Skapyak Harlin's Shantyboat guidelines, "To Give and to Receive: Guidelines and Practice in Reading and Reaction." The group meets from 6:15 to 8:00 p.m.
• Writers by the Sea meets Thursday, July 21 at 6:00 p.m. at the Amelia Island Museum of History. Author, surfer, and environmentalist Paul Hayden will present "Having Fun in Different Genres: How to Write Adventure/Intrigue." Contact group leader Nadine Vaughan-Williams for more information.
• Ponte Vedra Writers group leader Vic DiGenti takes the stage for the Saturday, July 23 meeting, presenting a memoir writing workshop. In his workshop, "Life is Like a River," he'll talk about the best ways to start and finish a memoir, as well as using elements from the world of fiction to hook the reader. The meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library.
• The First Coast Christian Writers, an FWA affiliate, has changed its meeting place. They now meet at the Oakleaf Christian Fellowship at 6195-7 Lake Gray Blvd., Jacksonville 32244. The meeting schedule remains weekly, each Thursday at 6:45 p.m.

And in other news:

• Florida Sisters in Crime welcomes Rick Skinner, Duty Officer for the Florida Highway Patrol to its July 9 meeting. The group meets at 10:00 a.m. at the Bartram Trail Library in St. Johns County, 60 Davis Pond Road.
• And speaking of the Florida Sisters in Crime chapter, the group holds its annual Crime Writers Workshop next month on Saturday, August 20 at the UNF Adam Herbert University Center. The guest speaker is bestselling author and investigative reporter, Hank Phillippi Ryan. Click here for registration information.
• The Ancient City Romance Authors have a new location and time for its Saturday, July 23rd meeting. The group will meet at 1:00 p.m. (no lunch time planned) to hear from Pablo Creek Librarians Sara Roberts and Jackie Spirtas about "How to Get Your Book in the Library." The meeting will be held at the Pablo Creek Library, 13295 Beach Blvd. 
• The Florida Heritage Book Festival, September 15 - 17, has updated its Writers Conference and Book Festival schedules. Check them out here.
• Bestselling author Tosca Lee has been selected to present this years Celebrity Workshop prior to the FWA Conference on Thursday, October 20 at the Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs. Tosca is the New York Times bestselling author of The Progeny, now under development by Radar Pictures, as well as Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen, and The Book of Mortals series with Ted Dekker. The full-day workshop is titled, "10 Secrets of a New York Times Bestseller." Visit the Celebrity Workshop webpage for details and registration.

And that's all folks. Enjoy your July 4th holiday, and keep writing.

Vic

Vic DiGenti

FWA Regional Director 

June FWA Post

If the heat and humidity are getting to you, find a cool spot to hunker down and write—or read. Successful writers tell us that reading is a major part of a writer's toolbox. Even Stephen King, an author who never seems to stop writing, has said, "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that."

Reading gives us knowledge and inspiration. We'll learn to recognize good writing and absorb the rules of grammar while building our vocabulary. So read widely and read often. Read on for this month's FWA NE Florida June blog post.

• If you want to know more about blogging, then you should attend the River City Writers meeting on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Library off Gate Parkway. Author Janet Walter has just completed her 100th blog post (over 50,000 words), and will speak on "Why I Blog." Hint: Her blog has provided her with a solid platform.
• The Clay County Writers group meets on Wednesday, June 15 at 6:15 p.m. at the Orange Park Library. Group leader Maureen Jung has the details. Click here to contact her.
• Writers by the Sea meets Thursday, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the Amelia Island Museum of History. Award-winning children's author Jane Wood will discuss the art and craft of "Children's Story Writing."
• Kathryn Bain wants to play "The What If Game" with us. The award-winning author of Christian mystery and suspense novels is featured at the Saturday, June 18 meeting of the Ancient City Chapter of FWA. She says this is a surefire way to avoid writer's block. The interactive workshop will help generate story ideas, seal plot holes and prop up sagging middles. The ACC meets at St. Augustine's Main Library at 10:00 a.m.
• We're all interested in finding ways to be more creative, aren't we? Del Kiernan-Lewis addresses this topic in his workshop, "How to Boost Your Creativity," on Saturday, June 25 at the Ponte Vedra Writers meeting. Del will present twelve different ways to boost creativity by simply changing a few habits. He'll show us what such creative types as Twyla Tharp, Ray Bradbury, Beethoven and Agatha Christie had to say about creativity, and highlight the latest scientific research. Del has a Ph.D. in Philosophy, and is now publisher and editor at San Marco Press. The meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library.
• FWA affiliate First Coast Christian Writers meet each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Webb-Wesconnett Library.

And in other news ...

• Florida Sisters in Crime welcome Deputy Chief United States Attorney Mac Heavener, III to the Saturday, June 4 meeting, which starts at 10:15 a.m. at the SE Branch Library. Mr. Heavener will discuss the recent trial of the individual who attempted to kill a Federal judge.
• FWA's last mini-conference of 2016 will take place on Saturday, June 25 at the Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs. The "Non-fiction and More" conference includes extended sessions on marketing, editing, business and humor writing. Click here for all the details and to register.
• The Ancient City Romance Writers also meet on June 25, starting at noon at the South Mandarin Branch Library. The guest speaker is Sarina Rose.
• The Florida Heritage Book Festival presents a full day workshop with master storyteller Connie Regan-Blake this Saturday, June 4 at the Ringhaver Student Center of Flagler College. Visit the website for details.
• Heartfelt condolences go out to Judy Habeck Weber on the passing of her husband Michael last week. Judy has been an important part of the committee planning and coordinating the Ancient City Chapter for many years.
• The Ponte Vedra Library's Book Talk Cafe program presents a local author's book fair on Monday, June 20 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Four area authors will talk about and sign their books. The authors are Thomas Bragg (Nankipooh Ranger), Sheila Weinstein (Moving to the Center of the Bed: The Artful Creation of a Life Alone), Martin Olsen (We Were Amateur Soldiers), and Bill Yancey (Quantum Timeline). The book fair is free and open to the public.

Kudos to the following authors for recent publications and upcoming book launches and signings. Send in announcements of newly published books, signings or awards.

• Civil rights activist and author Rodney L. Hurst, Sr. will participate in "A Learning Exchange" followed by a book signing of his new book, Unless We Tell It ... It Never Gets Told as part of UNF's Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, Tuesday, June 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Adam W. Herbert University Center.
• Former forensic psychologist Linda Foley will sign her latest novel, Vigilante Justice, at Green Erth Bistro, Saturday, June 11 at 10:00 a.m.
• Congratulations to Florence Karsner, who has published Highland Circle of Stones as a Kindle ebook.
• Kudos to Biblical scholar and author Walter Schenk on the publication of his first books of poetry.

Until next time, remember to ...

“Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it.” 

~ William Faulkner

Vic DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

Write fast or slow, but write!

"The faster I write the better my output. If I'm going slow, I'm in trouble. It means I'm pushing the words instead of being pulled by them." ~ Raymond Chandler

Each of us has our own individual writing process and tempo. We know what works best for us, or do we? Don't be afraid of changing your writing habits. If you're a pantser, try using a broad outline to add some structure to you writing. If you outline religiously, give yourself permission to improvise from time to time. Force yourself to write faster if you're a deliberate writer, and tap the brake once in a while if you're an overly speedy writer.  Variety, as they say, is the spice of life, and it may help you become a better writer.

Another way to improve your craft is by attending any of the workshops offered this month by our NE Florida FWA groups. Check them out.

• River City Writers meet on Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Branch Library off Gate Parkway. Group leader Gregg Golson will present "Rewriting the Rules of Dialogue." Real life conversation is nothing like story dialogue, or it shouldn't be. Much of it is fragmented and boring, while story dialogue must move the story along and help define the characters.
• Maureen Jung's Clay County Writers meet on Wednesday, May 18 at 6:16 p.m. at the Orange Park Library. Christa Pitchford is the guest speaker, and she'll talk on "Strategies for Starting, Developing and Ending a Nonfiction Narrative." Crista is a 5th grade language arts teacher in the Clay County School District. Her first book, Letter from Dad, is a YA novel.
• Writers by the Sea will meet on Thursday, May 19 at the Amelia Island Museum of History in Fernandina Beach. The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. Actor and beginning playwright Doug McDowell will present, "Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard, Writing is Harder: Lessons from a Beginning Playwright." Doug will share what he's learned about writing for the stage, and provide tips about how to approach a playwriting project.
• Award-winning writer Sandra McDonald visits the Ancient City Writers on Saturday, May 21 to talk about book covers. The ACC group meets at St. Augustine's Main Library at 10:00 a.m. Sandra says a valuable gift deserves a memorable wrapping, and a book is a gift of the imagination. The cover must snag the reader's attention, slot the book into a genre category, and set the tone for the reading experience.
• Author and public relations guru Ron Whittington talks about how to get more book sales using social media at the May 28 meeting of the Ponte Vedra Writers, 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. From Facebook to Instagram, Ron will show you how to put your best social face forward with tips on best practices for social media, how to identify audiences using various social media platforms, and more.
• FWA affiliate First Coast Christian Writers meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Webb-Wesconnett Library.

But wait, there's more!

• Florida Sisters in Crime welcomes Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Tim Stull to its meeting this Saturday, May 7, 10:15 a.m. at the SE Regional Library. SAC Stull will discuss the many roles of the Secret Service.
• On the same date as the Florida Sisters in Crime meeting, but on a distant shore, FWA presents its Day at the Bay Mini-Conference at Tampa's Clarion Inn. The full-day conference has a number of outstanding workshops that make the drive worthwhile. They include "The Ingredients of Bestselling Thrillers and Suspense Novels" by award-winning author Dave Edmonds, D.L. Havlin talks about Historical Fiction, while other workshops cover memoir and screenplay writing. Afternoon workshops include "What Will Become of Us? An Exploration of Post-Apocalyptic Fiction" by Michelle Parker Randall, and "The Intuitive Writer" with Vic DiGenti. If you missed my presentation at the St. Augustine mini-conference, this is a good time to catch it.
• Submissions are being accepted for the Royal Palm Literary Awards competition through May 15. Time is running out, so get your entry in soon. All the details can be found here.
• The Florida Heritage Book Festival is still seeking applicants for the Executive Director position starting with the 2017 event. The successful candidate will shadow Jim Wilson, the current executive director, through this year's event in September, and take over immediately after the conclusion of the event. If interested, please contact me for more complete details of the position.
• Speaking of the FHBF, they're conducting a storytelling workshop on Saturday, June 4 with Connie Regan-Blake, one of America's most celebrated storytellers. Connie has entertained audiences in 47 states and 16 countries, and her workshops are always at full capacity. The June 4 workshop, "Finding the Storyteller in You," runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Koger-Gamache Theatre at Flagler College's Ringhaver Student Center. The cost is $75 through May 25, and $85 thereafter. The fee includes a boxed lunch. More details and registration here, or contact Debra Rhodes Gibson for more information.

That's it for the merry month of May.

Vic

Vic DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

April in NE Florida

It looks like spring has finally sprung here in NE Florida. Time to jump into another month of FWA meetings and other announcements for writers.

• River City Writers meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Branch Library. You may contact group leader Gregg Golson for details of the April 12 meeting.
• There's a double header of FWA meetings on Saturday, April 16. Due to meeting room conflicts at the Ponte Vedra Library, the regular fourth Saturday meeting of the Ponte Vedra Writers has been moved to April 16, dueling with the Ancient City Writers in St. Augustine. Sorry about the conflict, but you have two very different programs to choose from. Keep reading to learn the details.
• The Ancient City Writers meets at 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library to hear from Rik Feeney who will present, "Offline Marketing for Online Success." Rik will show you how to develop a marketing plan to create word of mouth campaigns,  and how to use your book as a business card.
• The Ponte Vedra Writers also meet on April 16, but at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. The guest speaker is Howard Denson, writer, editor, blogger and former professor of English-Humanities at Florida State College. Howard's talk is titled, "The Evolving Defaults of the Novel." He explains, "Just as computer programs have certain settings or defaults (i.e., rules that enable programs to work in a certain way) the writer has to discover what settings work for a novel, especially in the areas of Point of View, Voice, and the requirements of the narrative ethos." We'll be in the smaller PGA Tour meeting room this month, so come early to get a seat.
• The Clay County Writers gather at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20 at the Orange Park Library. Group leader Maureen Jung will have more information.
• Writers by the Sea meets at the Amelia Island Museum of History in Fernandina Beach on Thursday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m. The guest speaker is author and historian Berta Arias, who will discuss the exhaustive research she did for her novel Mango Rain. The book is set in Cuba and starts with the Cuban revolution when twin sisters are separated as infants, but find each other many years later as adults. This is a timely topic considering recent events.
• FWA affiliate First Coast Christian Writers meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Webb-Wesconett Branch Library.

And in other news:

• Florida Sisters in Crime will hear from FBI Jacksonville Division Special Agent in Charge Michelle Klimt this Saturday, April 2 at 10:15 a.m. at the SE Regional Brach Library. SAC Klimt leads the Jacksonville Division, which encompasses all investigative efforts in a 40-county area. She'll talk about the FBI's work to protect American citizens here and abroad.
• FWA's Writer's Nest Mini-Conference is scheduled for Saturday, April 30 at the Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs, the same hotel where the annual conference was held last fall. The conference offers a mix of full day and half day workshops for writers of every level of professionalism. An added bonus for you poets out there is Peter Meinke, Florida's Poet Laureate, will hold a workshop. Click here for registration and more information.
• The day after the mini-conference, FWA hosts the 1st Annual Multi-Genre Book Signing at the Hilton Orlando hotel. Fifty authors will be on hand to talk about and sign their books. A VIP Brunch with authors and readers will be offered from 10:00 a.m. to noon, and the Book Fair runs from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Join me and 49 other authors on May 1. Details can be found here.
• Riverside Arts Market will host its 4th Annual Local Authors Expo on Saturday, April 16. They're looking for local authors to join them for the day. The cost is $25 for a booth space. Contact Jennifer Paulk at vendors@riversideartsmarket.com to request a vendor application.
• The Ancient City Romance Writers meets Saturday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m. at the SE Regional Branch Library to hear from romantic suspense author Lorelei Confer who will discuss self editing. A Bring-Your-Own-Lunch gathering precedes the meeting at 12:00 noon.   

Author visits:

• New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry returns to the Ponte Vedra Library on Wednesday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m. to talk about his latest Cotton Malone thriller, The 14th Colony.
• David Sibley, author/illustrator of the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America will be at The BookMark in Neptune Beach on Saturday, April 2 at 3:00 p.m.

And that's all the news for now. I hope to see you at one of our FWA meetings.

Vic

Vic DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

A Leap Into March

Happy Leap Day! We've been given an extra day this year, and I'll use it to get the word out to NE Florida writers about all the happenings in March and beyond. So let's get started.

FWA MARCH MEETINGS

• River City Writers will meet Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Branch Library off Gate Parkway. Raffaela Marie Fenn, author of Thank You for the Shoes and a marketing communications consultant, will present "Marketing Matters: Seven Steps to Getting Your Book the Attention It Deserves."
• The Clay County Writers gather at the Orange Park Library on Wednesday, March 16. The time is 6:15 p.m. Subject: "So You Want to Write an Anthology: What Happens Behind the Scenes."  Author and life coach J Dianne Tribble shares lessons she learned creating an anthology and promoting her book projects.
• Writers by the Sea meets on Thursday, March 17 at 6:00 p.m. at the Amelia Island Museum of History in Fernandina Beach. Professional Op Ed writer Bob Langert presents, "Writing the Op Ed," (think New York Times)
• The Ancient City Writers chapter returns to St. Augustine's Main Library on Saturday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m. The guest speaker is someone you may be familiar with, as he's none other than me. I have a new workshop I titled, "Changes in Latitude: Embrace Change to Cure Common Writing Problems." While this workshop won't cure your fear of snakes or the dark, it will go a long way to curing what's afflicting your ailing manuscript. Everyone welcome. No doctor's note necessary.
• The Ponte Vedra Writers are off this month due to early voting and other conflicts with the meeting rooms. Attend the March 19 Ancient City Writers instead. We'll return on Saturday, April 16 with Howard Denson talking about "The Evolving Defaults of the Novel."
• FWA affiliate First Coast Christian Writers meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Webb-Wesconnett Branch Library.

And in other news ...

• Florida Sisters in Crime welcomes Paul Schlamm, formally of the National Transportation and Safety Board, to its March 5th meeting. The meeting starts at 10:15 a.m. at the Bartram Trail Branch Library on Davis Pond Blvd. in St. Johns.
• If you missed Saturday's FWA mini-conference at the Flagler College student center, you missed a good one. But not to worry, there are other mini-conferences on the horizon, including the Writer's Nest Mini-Conference on Saturday, April 30 at the Hilton Orland/Altamonte Springs Hotel. This one covers writing for children, poetry, writing the short story and more. If you go, stick around for FWA's first Multi-Genre Book Signing the next day at the hotel. Fifty authors are participating, and the signing runs from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., but there's even more you can check out here.
• FWA is accepting submissions for both the Royal Palm Literary Awards competition and the annual FWA Collection. This year's collection theme is Hide and Seek. Visit the FWA website for all the details. BTW, RPLA early bird fee ends today, with another increase due the end of April, so get your entry in early to save money. They've already received 114 entries, and if anyone is interested in being a judge for the competition, contact Chris Coward, RPLA Chairperson.
• Nick Boothman, author of Write a $aleable Book hosts a weekend workshop this Friday through Sunday, March 4 - 6, at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. The price is $299 for the weekend with a 20% discount for FWA members. Call Lisa Broderick at 212-750-6493 for details or visit Nick's website.
• Florida Authors & Publishers Association holds its annual FAPA Publishing University on Saturday, March 12 at Nova Southeastern University in Orlando. FAPA is also accepting submissions for the 2016 President's Awards.
• Ancient City Romance Writers welcome Heather Ashby to their March 26 meeting, 1:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Branch Library. Heather will speak on "Sh**ty First Drafts."
• April is Poetry Month, and Hope at Hand, a non-profit providing art and poetry therapy to at-risk youth in Jacksonville, is hosting a poetry festival on Wednesday, April 6 in conjunction with Art Walk in downtown Jax. The festival will take place at Hemming Plaza Cafe. They're looking poetry people to run poetry workshops from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., and anyone interested in performing during the festival,  from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. If interested, contact Steffani Fletcher.
• And speaking of Poetry Month, two local poets, Bonny Sanders and Sharon Scholl, celebrate the release of their new books with readings and refreshments at the Jacksonville Beach Library, Saturday, April 2. Contact Bonny Sanders for more details.

Author's Visits:

• Randy Wayne White returns to The BookMark on Sunday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. with his  latest Doc Ford thriller, Deep Blue. 
• Harrison Scott Key's talks about growing up with a Bunyanesque father, and his uproarious and heartwarming memoir, The World's Largest Man at the Ponte Vedra Library's Book Talk Cafe program, Monday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. 

Take a leap into the next month or simply march forth, but have a good time doing it.

Vic

Vic DiGenti
FWA Regional Director