tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373608362024-03-18T19:51:13.524-07:00FWA NE Florida WritersThis blog of the Florida Writers Association supports the Ponte Vedra Writers Group and the other groups in the NE Florida region. Go to www.floridawriters.org for more information about FWA or write contactus@floridawriters.org. We're located in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (between Jacksonville and St. Augustine) and meet primarily on the fourth Saturday of the month at 10:00 AM at the Ponte Vedra Library. Check here for the latest news.Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-38397698682649183962022-03-31T08:22:00.001-07:002022-03-31T18:34:29.145-07:00Little Write LieContrary to what many of you might imagine, a career in letters is not without its drawbacks -- chief among them the unpleasant fact that one is frequently called upon to sit down and write. -- Fran LebowitzNot to be argumentative, Fran, but some of us enjoy the act of writing. Of course, some of us are also liars—we tell lies for fun and profit!But here's the truth about what's happening inVic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-67949888239962415142022-02-28T09:26:00.001-08:002022-02-28T09:26:55.818-08:00Book 'Em, Danno!"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." – Groucho Marx If you're a fan of the original Hawaii Five-0 series you know the line spoken by Steve McGarrett, played by Jack Lord, became a classic catchphrase. As writers, we can use our literary license to use the phrase as motivation to keep writing our book, or if it's already published go Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-77307181121356908452022-02-01T10:12:00.001-08:002022-02-02T10:08:36.233-08:00"February is for doers" "If January is the month of lasting change, January is for dreamers. February is for doers." ~ Marc ParentFor all the doers out there, we post opportunities to find inspiration, education, and positive reinforcement at FWA NE Florida meetings. Here's what's in store for this month.The River City Writers invite you to join the next Zoom meeting on Tuesday, February 8 at 6:30 P.M when they Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-69346170092663221402022-01-02T05:45:00.000-08:002022-01-02T05:45:29.465-08:00A New Year. A New Start! "We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives ... not looking for flaws but for potential."~ Ellen GoodmanThe internet is awash with suggestions on how to usher in a new year, set new goals, and resolve to make meaningful changes Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-56715325578204643722021-12-04T09:39:00.000-08:002021-12-04T09:39:03.794-08:00Happy HolidaysSending sleigh loads of good wishes to you from our household of two-legged and four-legged beings. In the picture above, my former editor, Duke, keeps a watchful eye out for St. Nick and dreams of the treats he'll receive. Here's hoping your dreams are fulfilled this year and next.Two of our FWA writers groups are taking a break this month, so this will be a brief blog post. However, January Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-88775721893326723382021-11-03T08:20:00.000-07:002021-11-03T08:20:32.415-07:00FWA November Blog Post November brings to mind the annual Thanksgiving holiday, but did you know that every day is a celebration of some National Day and usually numerous ones daily. For example, we began this month on November 1 with not one but twelve National Days. They included National Brush Day, National Calzone Day, National Deep Fried Clams Day, National Vinegar Day, and my favorite, National Authors' Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-88463827113829217192021-10-01T09:24:00.001-07:002021-10-01T13:11:47.306-07:00October Nights and Frights It's October when thoughts turn to falling leaves and pumpkin pies. As the adorable Lucy Maud Montgomery of Anne of Green Gables said, "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." But October also brings us Halloween and while the kiddies are collecting candy we can raise goosebumps by reading or rereading some of the more frightening novels ever written. I'm sure you have Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-37454011049048748272021-08-27T10:28:00.004-07:002021-08-28T12:45:47.122-07:00Write Your Own September Song “I’ve found you’ve got to look back at the old things and see them in a new light.” ~ John ColtraneMusic often accompanies me while writing. I'm listening to a Dave Brubeck classic—Blue Rondo a la Turk—at the moment, which may be why this is the second blog post referencing specific songs. Either that or a dearth of ideas. In July I focused on Summer Songs, and since we Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-43239836795109004922021-08-02T12:01:00.001-07:002021-08-02T14:32:47.966-07:00It's About TimeTime is the most precious commodity we've been given, and it's easy to fritter it away thinking there's always tomorrow. In fact, we have less time now than dinosaurs did when there were 370 days in a year. That's because the earth's spin has slowed due to the moon's gravity acting as a drag.Don't obsess over that time fact since those extra days didn't help the dinosaurs, but when you're making Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-55388438474519051192021-07-02T10:07:00.004-07:002021-07-02T10:07:52.701-07:00Summer Songs According to my friend Google, there are 323 songs containing the word SUMMER in the title. We all have our favorites, I'm sure. From Summertime to The Boys of Summer to Hot Fun in the Summertime, these songs help us celebrate a more laid-back time, possibly when we were young and we'd put school and homework behind us for a few months. As adults, summer still evokes memories of Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-78905763449802074632021-06-01T11:08:00.000-07:002021-06-01T11:08:56.165-07:00FWA June 2021 PostAfter many months of living under a dark cloud, sunlight has finally burst through bringing with it fresh hopes and promises of normalcy. Most of our libraries have opened the doors to their meeting rooms, and life is returning to normal. So, let's see what the immediate future has in store for NE Florida writers.Change has become a way of life in the past year, and it continues with the Clay Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-35016030097884995742021-05-05T10:03:00.001-07:002021-05-05T10:03:24.340-07:00Writers, May the Force Be With YouUsing a popular movie quote as the title of May's blog post may seem a bit over the top, but the more I thought about the task writers face and the long, hard road to success (for most writers) the more I realized it takes a special force to keep plugging away. Look at the obstacles that some of the most successful writers faced to reach their lofty perch. Dr. Seuss has been in the news for Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-8654031913951265612021-03-31T11:26:00.008-07:002021-04-10T08:39:53.825-07:00April Brings Showers of Possibilities If you're a writer you know how important it is to take advantage of every opportunity to improve your craft. Much of it comes from continued writing and reading, but learning from our peers also provides benefits. And this month brings us even more of those special opportunities. Read on.Join us in welcoming FWA Executive VP Arielle Haughee (pronounced Hoy) for this month's NE Florida ZoomVic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-19703155630373580932021-03-04T08:04:00.001-08:002021-03-04T10:16:11.117-08:00March GladnessWe're approaching the one-year anniversary of Pandemic Pandemonium, and I hope there's nothing but good news ahead. My wife and I have joined the ranks of the fully vaccinated and are counting the days until we can travel to visit loved ones again. That's one reason why I titled this blog post "March Gladness." The other reason is that we've continued to meet monthly via Zoom and receive Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-45148789919398459052021-02-02T09:12:00.001-08:002021-02-02T09:12:33.068-08:00February 2021Blog PostWe're charging ahead toward the new normal, whatever that proves to be. Virtual sessions have taken the place of in-person meetings for the most part, and we'll continue to provide you with high level speakers and workshops until we meet again. Here's what's on the February schedule via the Ponte Vedra Beach Writers:We welcome award-winning author E. J. Wenstrom on Saturday, February 27 at 10:30 Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-5408259552561390462021-01-06T09:30:00.001-08:002021-01-06T09:30:57.052-08:00Welcoming A New Year"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." ~ Edith Lovejoy PierceWe enter the new year looking for a fresh start, moving on from what has been a historically horrible year in so many ways. I hope 2021 allows you the opportunity to write many chapters in your book. And I will Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-87222240578893485742020-12-08T09:05:00.003-08:002020-12-10T10:15:15.282-08:00A Socially Distanced December"The ear tends to be lazy, craves the familiar and is shocked by the unexpected; the eye, on the other hand, tends to be impatient, craves the novel and is bored by repetition." ~ W. H. AudenAthletes and artists know that repetition leads to greater skill, but the sameness of these stay-at-home days can open the door to boredom if we're not careful. This is why the merry month of December Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-57679729715197410562020-10-30T14:17:00.000-07:002020-10-30T14:17:20.621-07:00FWA November Blog Post2020 certainly didn't turn out the way we had expected when we celebrated New Year's Day on January 1st, but most of us have soldiered on and continued working on our craft. Perched on the eve of November with Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays ahead of us, I'm looking ahead to brighter days for us all.And that includes two Zoom workshops for NE Florida writers, and other opportunities to stay Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-60247166372471413962020-09-30T08:14:00.001-07:002020-10-06T09:20:24.957-07:00The October Bubble ReportOctober rolls into our lives tomorrow, and we're still living large inside our respective bubbles. Other than the surprising start of a fall football season that had been in doubt, there's not a lot of news to make me giddy with anticipation. But life goes on. Here's what we know:The 19th Annual Florida Writers Remote Conference is swiftly approaching, October 15 - 18. Enjoy four days of Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-87624281013419801682020-07-29T12:54:00.000-07:002020-07-30T13:32:20.926-07:00Of Books, Storytelling, Marketing and More
We're approaching month #6 of living in the time of the pandemic. Some of us are still sheltering in place, others not so much. But writers gotta write. Am I right? And they have to read. A librarian stayed busy assembling a special collection of books. You'll have to enlarge the photo but read them starting at the top left.
Locally, a lot of writing is going on. A tip of the hat to Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-50367428513850526642020-07-07T08:50:00.001-07:002020-07-07T08:50:22.336-07:00Tips of the Hat & Tips for Writers
It's been two months since my last FWA blog post. Although I've written direct emails to all the NE Florida writers on my list I thought it was time to post online again. As I sat down at my iMac to create this post my mind pulled up one of Willie Nelson's poignant songs, Funny How Times Slips Away. I'm sure you've heard it many times, but I Googled the lyrics and the first stanza seems to haveVic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-33545100510735915482020-05-28T10:00:00.000-07:002020-05-28T10:00:01.074-07:00What Day Is It?
When I was a child, sometime between the end of the Civil War and the Woodrow Wilson administration, I recall watching a program that always opened with these words: "Hey kids, what time is it?" And the answer was always—say it with me—"It's Howdy Doody time!"
Today, that refrain has changed to "What day is it?" Most of us are stuck inside working from home or staying safe at home, and it's Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-43210633129141859462020-05-04T10:29:00.001-07:002020-05-04T10:29:08.376-07:00Groundhog Day All Over Again
Today marks Day 50 of sheltering at home in the time of the coronavirus. As Dana Carvey's Church Lady might have remarked, "Well, isn't that special?" Of course, it's not that special since most of the country is facing the same Groundhog Day scenario, where the days blend together, separated only by the news we're watching, which also seems pretty much the same, and whatever Netflix series hasVic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-74738014078210163582020-03-02T09:38:00.001-08:002020-03-04T05:30:20.044-08:00FWA March 2020 Blog Post
No bad puns about Marching toward your writing goals. Instead, we'll charge ahead into this month's group meetings.
Judith Erwin discusses the "Basics of Self-Publishing" at the River City Writers group on Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Library off Gate Parkway. Judith is a retired attorney who has penned six indie novels and is working on her memoir.
This month the Clay Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37360836.post-84080500251578109062020-01-30T10:08:00.002-08:002020-01-30T10:08:22.350-08:00February 2020 FWA Blog Post
We're charging full speed ahead into the new decade. In February, we can look forward to a trio of national holidays like Valentine's Day, Presidents' Day, and let's not forget Groundhog Day. And then there's the biggest holiday of all, the Super Bowl this Sunday.
It's also time for more FWA group meetings, and here's what you have to look forward to in NE Florida.
The River City Writers Vic DiGentihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336263837465009185noreply@blogger.com0