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