Happy New Year 2020

"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.'" ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

And so we say goodbye to another year and look forward to better things in the new year. This missive goes out to all the writers in NE Florida hoping for a fresh start or possibly a continuation of the good things you've accomplished in 2019. Read on to see what the first month of the year has to offer us.

• The newly reconstituted River City Writers group begins afresh on Thursday, January 9 at their old digs at the SE Branch Library off Gate Parkway. The meeting commences at 7PM, and group leader Linda Feist and I welcome everyone to the first of many meetings. The meeting will be of special interest to anyone working on a memoir, or thinking about writing one, as I present "Life is Like a River: Navigating the Memoir Writing Rapids." We hope to see you there.
• The Clay County Writers group has a special program of interest to all poets. They'll meet on Wednesday, January 15 at 6:15PM at the Orange Park Library and Lynn Skapyak Harlin and Paula R. Hinton will present "Line by Line: Revising Poetry from Catharsis to Crystallization."  All good writing requires revision, and Lynn and Paula will lead the group through exercises designed to improve your poetry.
• Yours truly, Vic DiGenti, makes a return engagement to the Ancient City Writers chapter on Saturday, January 18 to disclose the "Seven Secrets to Writing the Thriller." During the one-hour presentation, I'll discuss the seven essential elements of a thriller, identify the differences between mysteries and thrillers, and illustrate the best ways to add tension and conflict. The meeting begins at 10AM at St. Augustine's Main Library.
• Join the Ponte Vedra Writers on Saturday, January 25 for a walk on the wild side of writing and an exploration of the Erotica market. Dr. Donna Jennings, a licensed Sex Therapist and the author of sex-positive literary erotica, will tell us all about "Writing in the Erotica Market." We meet at 10:30AM at the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library.
• To ring in the new year and the new decade, the Amelia Island Writers will discuss the "All Important First Fifteen Pages" at their Tuesday, January 28 meeting. They will gather at 4PM at Story and Song Bookstore in Amelia Park. 

And in other news ...

• We're sorry to report the passing of two area writers this month. Lillian Kiernan Brown died on December 4 from natural causes. Lilly, who wrote about her days as a burlesque queen in her memoir, Banned in Boston, was beloved by all who knew her and will be missed by the other Clay County Writers. And Steven Kerry Brown (no relation) passed away on Christmas day after a long battle with cancer. Steve was a licensed private investigator who began his career with the FBI. He was the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Private Investigating and several mysteries. Our condolences to their families.
• Need a critique group? The Bold City Writers critique group is looking for more members. They meet on the second and fourth Thursday of the month at Panera Bread, 9301 Atlantic Boulevard near Regency Square, at 11AM. Contact group facilitator Rod Sullivan for details.
• A Gathering of Poets meets twice a month at the Ponte Vedra Beach Library on the first and third Thursday at 2PM.
• Author Marketing Expert Penny Sansevieri leads a three-part FWA webinar on Amazon marketing over three consecutive Saturdays beginning January 11. Click here for all the details and registration information.
• The NE Florida Sisters in Crime meets on Saturday, January 4 at 10AM at the SE Regional Branch Library. The guest speaker is retired Fire Command Chief Officer Jeff Lewis.
• Shutta Crum has written an excellent review of the online service Duotrope, a comprehensive tool helping writers find a publishing home for their stories, novels, nonfiction or poetry. Read all about it here.
• And speaking of Shutta Crum, she will present a free program titled "Sound, Shape & Sense" on Satuarday, February 8 at the Pablo Creek Library. The program, which begins at 12:30PM, will help attendees understand how to sculpt picture books, poems, and novels into elegant objectsof art. Please RSVP to Eileen Meyer.

And finally, to help you keep your New Year's resolutions, read this quote from Wayne Dyer.

"I've learned over the years that when I go to that place of passion within me, there's no force in the universe that can interfere with my completing a project."

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Vic

Vic DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

FWA December 2019 Blog Post

In this season of good cheer, let's cheer each other on to another year of good tidings and improved writing. Did anyone complete their 50,000 words last month for NaNoWriMo? If not, you're not alone, but, hopefully, it spurred you on to write more. And to help motivate us, here are this month's NE Florida FWA group meetings:

• You can look forward to attending the first meeting of the newly reminted River City Writers group next month, on Thursday, January 9 at 7:00PM at the SE Branch Library. Linda Feist has stepped up to assume the group leader's role and rumor has it that she has booked an outstanding speaker for the first meeting. Stay tuned.
• The Amelia Island Writers host its annual December book chat on Tuesday, December 17 from 4:00 to 6:00PM at Story and Song Bookstore Bistro. Briefly discuss a book or two that has meant something special to you. Click here for more information on the Amelia Island Writers.
• The Clay County Writers gather together on Wednesday, December 18, from 6:00 to 8:00PM at Mackey's Munchies, 868 Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park. This will be a holiday celebration meeting.
• There's more holiday celebration ahead when the Ancient City Writers chapter hosts its annual pitch session and networking meeting, Saturday, December 21 at 10:00AM at St. Augustine's Main Library.
• The Ponte Vedra Writers group celebrated the holidays last month with its Open Mic meeting. The group takes this month off to refuel, hydrate, and returns on Saturday, January 25 with the first in a series of outstanding workshops. 

But wait, there's more:

• Rod Sullivan leads the Bold City Writers critique group, which meets twice a month at 11:00AM at the Panera Bread on Atlantic Boulevard near Regency Mall. The group is small, and Rod tells us they are accepting more members who write consistently. This the group's Facebook page and its Meetup page.
• The NE Florida Sisters in Crime chapter hosts its annual holiday social event this Saturday, December 7 at 10:15AM at the SE Regional Branch Library.
• A Gathering of Poets continues to meet twice a month on the first and third Thursday at 2:00PM at the Ponte Vedra Beach Library. All writers of the poetic persuasion are invited.
• Romance writers take note: the 2020 Hearts in the Sand Writers Conference, presented by the Southwest Florida Romance Writers, is scheduled for January 31 in Estero, FL (near Naples). Visit the website for more information.

That's it for this month and this year. Happy holidays to one and all!

Vic