- 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.
Vic
Vic DiGenti
FWA Regional Director
2017 FWA Conference Faculty Chair
