More News for NE Florida Writers

Summer will be gone before we know it, but August still offers a heat wave of opportunities for writers. Let's starts with this month's meetings of FWA groups in our area:

• River City Writers meets tomorrow, Tuesday, August 9 at 7PM at the SE Branch Library off Gate Parkway. Nancy Murray will talk about how to create your own book trailer. Nancy recently won the International Book Awards in Young Adult Fiction for her book, The Night the Elephants Cried–A Story of the Tsunami. 
• The Amelia Island Writers will meet on Tuesday, August 16 at 6PM at Books Plus in Fernandina Beach. Contact Maggie de Vries for more information.
• Clay County Writers will host a panel discussion on what promises to be a very appealing topic to many of us old-timers. "Writing As A Second Career." The panel will include novelists Gary Showalter and Lydia Filzen along with biographer Susan Brandenburg. The group meets on Wednesday, August 17 at 6:15PM at the Fleming Island Library, 1895 Town Center. Contact Maureen Jung for other details. 
• Ancient City Writers tackles "The Power of Your Online Presence for Authors & Writers" at this month's meeting with Carol O'Dell.  Carol is the author of Mothering Mother: A Daughter's Humorous & Heartbreaking Memoir. She’s also an inspirational speaker and writing teacher. She tells us it's not enough just to have a website, and will teach you how to tap into the powerful online community and which tools to use to best access it. The Ancient City Writers meet on Saturday, August 20 at 10"15AM at St. Augustine's Main Library.
• First Coast Christian Writers, an affiliate FWA chapter, meets each Thursday evening at 6:45PM at the Webb-Wesconnett Branch Library. Contact Tracy Redman for details.
• Ponte Vedra Writers wrap up the month of FWA meetings on Saturday, August 27 at 10:30AM at the Ponte Vedra Library. Author and writing instructor Sarah Clarke Stuart will discuss her journey to publication in a talk titled, "The Fast Track: From Query to Publication in 12 Months." In her talk, Sarah will discuss how write a proposal for your non-fiction book, how to begin a work of non-fiction, and how to promote yourself with a strong online presence.

Other Happenings of Interest to NE Florida Writers:

• Congratulations to all who have been notified they are a finalist in the RPLA competition. The Awards banquet is Saturday, October 22 and we usually have a large contingent from NE Florida. Plan now to be part of the excitement by registering for the 10th Annual FWA Conference, October 21-23 at the Lake Mary Marriott. ALong with the RPLA Banquet, you can pitch to agents and editors, participate in valuable craft workshops, and network with your fellow writers.
• Also sign up for the special Foundation Day event with New York Times Bestselling author Steve Berry on Thursday before the start of the conference. In a daylong seminar, Berry will share much of what he's learned about how to be the best author you can be in his workshop, "Writing Lessons from a Bestseller."  The morning session covers "The Four C's of Story Structure," effective dialogue and POV, and Steve's Top Ten Rules of Writing. Following lunch he'll talk about the business of writing and answer questions.
• Children's Writers Jacksonville meet on the third Saturday of the month, August 20, at 1PM at the SE Branch Library. Janet Walter has the answer to your questions.
• The Florida Heritage Book Festival is fast approaching. Starting on Friday, September 23 with the Writers Conference at the Casa Monica Hotel, continuing with presentation of the Festival's Lifetime Achievement Awards to Peter Matthiessen and Randy Wayne White at that evening's  Literary Legends Awards at the World Golf Village Renaissance Center, and ending on Saturday at Flagler College with a day of talks and panel discussions by noted authors. All the details are on the website.
• The Ponte Vedra Friends of the Library is hosting a Book Fair featuring 11 area authors on Monday, August 29 at 6PM at the Ponte Vedra Library. Attending authors include Sigrun Buckley, Sharon Cobb, Ken Gorman, Karen Harvey, Richard Hebert, Bill Kerr, Mary Kohnke, Will Merrill, George Prom, Marie Vernon, and Ronald White. A portion of their sales will benefit the FOL. Come down and support your fellow authors.
• Ancient City Romance Writers welcomes author Nancy Haddock as their speaker, Saturday, August 27, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the SE Branch Library. Nancy, author of La Vida Vampire and Last Vampire Standing, will do a workshop on characterization. 
• The Riverside Arts Market haas announced its first annual Literary Day for Saturday, September 17. RAM is that cool venue under the Fuller Warren Bridge attracting about 5,000 shoppers each Saturday.They'll be renting booth space to authors to sell their books on a first come-first served basis for $37.45 per space. And they'll allow up to 4 authors to share the 10' x 10' space. Books may be traditionally or self-published. Applications are now being accepted. Contact the RAM Director, Teri Coutu, at director@riversideartsmarket.com for an application, or contact me.
• Books Plus proprietor Maggie de Vries recently announced the first annual Local Authors Market Place to be held on Saturday, September 24 at the Atlantic Avenue Recreation Center in Fernandina Beach from 9AM to 5PM. Tables and chairs will be provided, but Bring Your Own Books. It's a traditional 60-40 split with Books Plus on sales, but the event benefits the Family Resource Center of Nassau County. Other sponsors include High Pitched Hum Publishing and The Book Loft. There will be workshops, a children's book area, and other activities. Please let Maggie know if you want to participate and plan to arrive early to set-up.
• One Book One Putnam, along with the GFWC Woman's Club of Palatka present An Evening with the Authors, Tuesday, August 16 from 5:30 - 7:30PM at the Woman's Club of Palatka, 605 S. 13th Street. Bob Lee can send you the details. 

Always something going on in the writer's neighborhood. Look for more in the mid-month update. Until then, keep writing.

Vic

Victor DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

Beat the July Heat

One sure way to beat the heat is to stay indoors and write. Speaking for myself, it's easy to let life get in the way of writing. Errands have to be run, the lawn needs to be mowed, the plumber called for a leak in the ceiling (yep, just did that), and somehow the day gets away from us. If you attended last month's Ponte Vedra Writers group meeting you heard Sandra McDonald's 7-7-7 workshop in which she said to make a list of all the activities you consider to be essential in your life. Then decide what you're going to give up, because if you make a serious commitment to write on a daily basis you won't have time for everything else. Writing is either essential or it's not.

Here's what's happening at our FWA local chapters this month:

• River City Writers meets on Tuesday July 12 at 7PM at the SE Regional Library at Gate Parkway and Deerwood Park Blvd. Mystery writer June Weltman is the guest speaker and will address the topic of "Gripping Suspense." One of a writer's greatest challenges, June says, is to create a growing sense of suspense that ensnares the reader. June is the author of the award-winning novel, The Mystery of the Missing Candlestick, which features a teenage detective. She's also a writing instructor, and will teach a course on writing mysteries for children and teens at UNF in September.
• Mystery and romance author Maggie Toussaint talks about pacing at this month's meeting of Ancient City Writers, Saturday, July 16 at 10:15AM at the SJC Main Library. In her workshop, "Pacing: Why Do You Need It, How Do You Do It?" Maggie will discuss how to determine the correct pace for your book and how to build it into your manuscript. Maggie writes for three different presses. Her newest book, On the Nickel. was released in March.
• The Amelia IslandWriters chapter of FWA meets on Tuesday, July 19 at 6PM at Books Plus in Fernandina Beach. Group Leader (and store proprietor) Maggie deVries, can be reached at maggie1948@yahoo.com.
• How do you plan a virtual book tour? Find out at the Wednesday, July 20 meeting of Clay County Writers, 6:15PM at the Fleming Island Library. Paige L. Cummins, personal and professional coach and trainer talks about her experiences planning and hosting a virtual book launch party for the book, Transformation: Reinventing the Woman Within, which she co-authored. "The Ultimate 72-Hour Virtual Book Launch Party" will demonstrate how she did it.
• The Ponte Vedra Writers invites you to hear from a real live private detective at the Saturday, July 30 meeting at 10:30AM at the Ponte Vedra Library. Steven K. Brown began his career as an FBI agent, but for the last 25 years he's managed his own private investigative firm. He's also the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Private Investigating and the author of two unpublished mystery novels. Steven will give you his take on some of the most flagrant mistakes he sees fictional detectives make. If you're the author of any fiction involving private detectives or the police, then you'll need to hear and avoid these common mistakes. I know I'm looking forward to finding out what I got wrong in my PI mystery.
• FWA affiliate, First Coast Christian Writers, meets each Thursday evening at 6:45PM at the Webb-Wesconnett Branch Library. Contact Tracy Redman, tls172@yahoo.com.

Other Happenings of Interest To NE Florida Writers:

• North Florida Writers meets the second Saturday of each month at 2PM at the Willowbranch Library, 2875 Park Street. This month's meeting on July 9th will be a critique session.
• Florida Sisters in Crime didn't have a meeting this month due to the July 4 holiday, but make note of next month's special workshop with mystery/romance author Nancy J. Cohen. Nancy, author of the Bad Hair Day Mystery Series, will cover the topic, "Writing Fiction for Fun & Profit" on Saturday, August 6 from 10:30AM to 2:30PM at the SE Regional Library. The workshop is free, but registrations are required. RSVP to FloridaSistersinCrime@gmail.com.
• Children's Writer Jacksonville, an affiliate of SCBWI, meets on Saturday, July 16 from 1 to 3PM at the SE Regional Library (still the winner for the most popular branch library) for a Meet Greet & Critique session. Contact Janet Walter for details, jgwalter@comcast.net.
• The Ancient City Romance Writers meets on Saturday, July 23 at 12:30PM at the SE Regional Library.
• Only two days left to register for the full UNF Writers Conference, August 5 - 7. The deadline is Friday, July 8 if you want to be among those attending the entire conference, which includes Friday's workshops (3 tracks), Wine & Cheese Reception, Critique Workshops and the ePublishing Seminar. Critique Workshops cover a multitude of genres including General Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children's and YA, Romance, Poetry and Science-Fiction. You may register for the Friday Workshops or the ePublishing Seminar separately.
• It's never too early to get excited about the FWA Annual Conference. Especially this year since we'll be celebrating out 10th Anniversary. Officially, SOAR! Ten Years of Reaching New Heights kicks off on Friday, October 21 at the Lake Mary Marriott, but you might want to consider going one day earlier and signing up for New York Times Bestselling author Steve Berry's day-long workshop, "Writing Lessons from A Bestselling Author." The workshop is a benefit for the Florida Writers Foundation, a charitable organization in support of literacy projects in the state. Early bird registration runs through August 31.
• And speaking of early bird registrations, register for the FWA Conference before July 31 to avoid a late fee. The conference offers numerous pitch opportunities for agents and publishers, along with top flight workshops and the RPLA Banquet. Always a good time and valuable networking opportunities. Save money by registering now. Download the Conference brochure.
• Closer to home is the upcoming Florida Heritage Book Festival, September 23-24 in St. Augustine. The Friday Writer's Conference has a full day of workshops plus lunch with keynote speakers Les Standiford and James W. Hall at the Casa Monica Hotel. That evening the festival honors Peter Matthiessen and Randy Wayne White with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the Literary Legends Banquet at the World Golf Village Renaissance Center.
• A call for submissions has gone out for the 2011 Nonfiction Award from Jane's Stories Press Foundation. The award is for the best original and previously unpublished nonfiction work by a woman. Deadline is September 11. Entries should speak to the Foundation's special interest in work by and about women and the 2011 theme, "Bridges and Borders." Visit the contest website for more details.

FWA Members On The Move

• Clay County Writers leader Maureen Jung is presenting a 3-part workshop series entitled "Write Your Story, Find Your Voice." The workshop "incorporates breathing, guided meditation, vocalization, and writing tools to tap into your body's unique wisdom and develop your authentic inner voice." Click here for details on cost, times, and location.
• Mystery author Parker Francis signs copies of his first Quint Mitchell Mystery, Matanzas Bay, this Saturday, July 9 at the Barnes & Noble at St. Johns Town Center. Parker will be there from 1:30 to 4:30PM. He'll also be at Books Plus in Fernandina Beach on Saturday, July 30 at 1PM. As an unpublished manuscript, the book was named Book of the Year in the 2009 RPLA competition.
• FWA member George Prom is the featured speaker at the 5 O'Clock Whistle Talk, Friday, July 15 at the Beaches Museum & History Center, 380 Pablo Avenue, Jacksonville Beach. George will be talking about his latest book, The Thrift Store.
• Marie Vernon invites you to the book release party for Graceland Express, Saturday, July 16 at 5PM at the Harbor View Room at Kingfish Grill. Enjoy the music of Randy "Elvis" Walker and refreshments. RSVP by this Friday, July 8, to hrfeist@comcast.net.
• Author, writing instructor and general all-around good guy Vic DiGenti announces the follow-up to his popular Novel In A Day workshop. Creative Writing: From Manuscript to Publication takes writers through the various stages necessary to become published, from writing query letters and the synopsis, to building a platform, crafting a marketing plan, and includes an expanded section on ePublishing. The daylong workshop is set for Saturday, July 23 at the University of North Florida. Click here for details and registration information.
• Congratulations to Rita Malie, author of Goodbye America. She was invited to be a guest of the American Embassy in Bratislava, the capital of the Slovak Republic. Rita will be doing a reading and presentation of her book, which takes place from 1919-1924 with a backdrop of the flu pandemic of 1918. Rita and her daughter are touring the country this month.

Until next time, keep your quill sharp and your ink well filled,

Vic

Victor DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

What's Happening in NE Florida?

Thinking about heading to the mountains to cool off? Before you do, check out all the meetings and happenings for NE Florida writers.

• River City Writers meets on Tuesday, June 14 at the SE Branch Library, Gate Parkway and Deerwood Park Blvd., at 7PM. Contact group leader Gregg Golson, gtgolson@comcast.net, for details.
• Publishing coach Rik Feeney talks about "How to Get Published in 60 Days," and other approaches to completing your book project at this month's Clay County Writers' meeting, Wednesday, June 15 at 6:15PM at the Fleming Island Library. Group leader Maureen Jung, mjung@wordspringconsulting.com, has all the latest info,.
• Ancient City Writers of St. Augustine have a special guest speaker you will want to meet and hear. Longtime entertainment journalist Leslie Halpern has interviewed hundreds of celebrities as a writer for The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Variety, Just for Laughs, and dozens of other print and online publications. She will discuss how authors can overcome their fear of interviewing important people, and their own fears of being interviewed. The group meets at 10:15AM at St. Augustine's Main Library on Saturday, June 18.
• Amelia Island Writers meet on Tuesday, June 21 at Books Plus in Fernandina Beach. Gather round the book stacks at 6PM for a discussion of writing and publishing. Contact Maggie deVries for more information, maggie1948@yahoo.com.
• FWA Affiliate, First Coast Christian Writers, meet each Thursday at 6:45PM at the Webb-Wesconnett Branch Library. Contact Tracy Redman, tlsl72@yahoo.com, for details.
• The final FWA meeting of the month falls on Saturday, June 25 as the Ponte Vedra Writers gather at 10:30AM at the Ponte Vedra Library to hear writing instructor and SF author, Sandra McDonald. Sandra is the award-winning author of three SF novels (Tor Books) and a collection of short stories. She was also a winner in the 2010 Lambda Literary Awards. If you missed last year's UNF Writers Conference, you'll have a chance to hear Sandra's reprise of her packed workshop, "7-7-7 – 7 Skills, 7 Exercises, 7 Minutes," in which she'll share seven essential ingredients for improving your writing in her own masterful way.

Other Writer Meetings:

• Florida Sisters in Crime meets Saturday, June 4 at 10:30AM at the SE Regional Library. Special guest is Betsy Moore of the Jacksonville Medical Examiner's Office.
• Writers for children, YA and middle grade readers take note that the Jacksonville chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCWBI) meets on the 3rd Saturday of the month at the SE Regional Library from 1 to 3PM.
• You're one day late to take advantage of the early bird registration fee for the UNF Writers Conference, August 5 - 7. Beginning today through July 8, the cost increases to $349 for the 3-day conference, which includes a full day of workshops, intense critique workshops in a variety of genres, lunches, an author reception, and a Sunday afternoon epublishing workshop. Check it out here.
• The Florida Heritage Book Festival recognizes Florida authors Randy Wayne White and Peter Matthiessen with Lifetime Achievement Awards. The duo will be honored at the September 23 Literary Legends Awards banquet at the World Golf Village Renaissance Center, kicking off the 2-day festival. Among the line-up of outstanding authors appearing this year are Robert Olen Butler, James W. Hall. Mary Anna Evans, Les Standiford, Elizabeth Stuckey-French, James O'Neal and many others.
• FWA's 10th annual conference promises to be bigger and better than ever. SOAR! 10 Years of Reaching New Heights will celebrate the achievements and amazing growth of FWA from a germ of an idea birthed here in NE Florida by Glenda Ivey, to a multi-state organization with more than 1,100 members. Although the conference is set for October 21 - 23, you might want to take advantage of the Florida Writers Foundation special workshop on Thursday, October 20. The FWA Foundation, which supports literacy projects in the state, presents New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry's popular workshop, "Writing Lessons from A Bestseller." Berry's day-long workshop focuses on the craft of writing and covers "The Four C's of Story Structure," effective dialogue, POV, Steve's "10 Rules of Writing," and more. Keep checking the FWA Network and FWA website for details on how to register.
• Ancient City Romance Writers meet on the 4th Saturday of the month at the SE Regional Library at 12:30PM. Contact Kathy Bain for details, kathynbain@comcast.net.

Kudos to FWA Members:

• Congratulations to Nancy Murray, winner in the 2011 International Book Awards for YA Fiction for her book, The Night the Elephants Cried – A Story of the Tsunami. The novel is based on a BBC news report of elephants trumpeting three hours before the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit.
• Tony Tymbol announces the first in the Cybil Raven Chronicles series, Cybil Raven: Miracle at St. Rita, will be available as an ebook in early August. Tony and his co-author, Crystal Craven, are offering the short introduction to the series as a free pdf at the website. BTW, Tony is one of the epublishing instructors at the UNF Writers Conference epublishing seminar on Sunday, August 7.

In case you missed my last Novel In A Day workshop at UNF, another is planned for Saturday, June 18. The day-long workshop provides you with all the basics needed for your novel, from plot and structure to character development and dialogue. It's part of the UNF Continuing Education's Learn Jacksonville program. Look for registration information here.

Until next time, keep writing and enjoy life.

Vic

Victor DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

May You Write A Bestseller

My amaryllis bloomed briefly and passed on, but the daylilies are now pointing their bright yellow faces sunwards each morning. All this floral activity (not to mention the weeds in my lawn) convince me that summer is rapidly approaching. May brings with it a blossoming of activity for writers. And it starts with these FWA meetings:

• River City Writers meets Tuesday, May 10 at 7PM at the SE Regional Library, Gate Parkway and Deerwood Park Blvd. Dr. Lorraine Haataia will address the topic of setting goals. Lorraine, the founder and former president of First Coast Christian Writers, has helped countlessstudents as a Professor of English. She'll talk about the importance of writing everyday, and share her strategies for setting goals. For more information, click on the group's blog or contact group leader, Gregg Golson at gtgolson@comcast.net.
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• Amelia Island Writers meets at Books Plus in Fernandina Beach on Tuesday, May 17 ay 6PM. This month's speaker is Gerry Clare, author of Don't Forget the Toilet Paper. Contact group leader Maggie deVries for more information, maggie1948@yahoo,com.
• Clay County Writers meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Fleming Island Library. This month's meeting, May 18 at 6:15PM, features a workshop on how to get books started with "Great Beginnings." Regional Director Vic DiGenti provides tips and exercises designed to find just the right opening to keep the reader turning pages. Group leader Maureen Jung also reports that there will be a brief discussion about log lines and why they're needed. Clay County Writers also sponsors a fiction critique groupthat meets twice a month at Panera's on 220. For more information, write Maureen at mjung@wordspringconsulting.com.
• There will be a gathering of the Ancient City Writers on Saturday, May 21 at St.Augustine's Main Library at 10:15AM. Writing instructor John Boles discusses "Voice, POV & Style."
• Ponte Vedra Writers returns to its customary 4th Saturday meeting time on May 28 at 10:30AM at the Ponte Vedra Library. Sharon Y. Cobb, director of the UNF Writers Conference, reprises her standing-room-only workshop from last year's conference entitled "Characters On the Couch." Sharon shares a number of unique exercises designed to view your characters through a totally new prism to deepen and broaden them. When you place them on a couch and psychoanalyze them, amazing things can happen. More than likely, we can expect Sharon to also give us news of the August 5 -7 writers conference.

• First Coast Christian Writers (an affiliate of FWA) meets each Thursday at 6:45PM at the Webb-Wesconnett Library at 103rd Street and Blanding Blvd. Contact chapter president Tracy Redman, tlsl72@yahoo.com, for more details.

Meetings & Conferences:

• Florida Sisters in Crime chapter meets Saturday, May 7 at 10:30AM at the SE Regional Library to hear from local author Ken Gorman about his new novel of political intrigue, Compelled. And check out the guidelines to their contest while you're on the website.
• The Jacksonville chapter of SCBWI meets on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 1PM to 3PM at the SE Regional Branch Library (isn't that an amazingly busy library?). They will have a Meet & Critique session on May 21st. Bring no more than 10 pages.
• The Florida Heritage Book Festival toasts legendary author Ernest Hemingway at a gala celebration on Saturday, May 21 at 5PM on the grounds of the Markland House, 102 King Street, St. Augustine. "A Hemingway Night" will feature complimentary mojito tasting and voting for the best cocktail, as well as a Hemingway look-alike contest. Looking for Papa will highlight the evening with the grand prize a fishing adventure for four from Comachee Cove Yacht Harbor. For tickets and information, contact Kathy Dvornick at 904-940-0194.
• Scribbler's Retreat Writers Conference features New York Times bestselling thriller author Phillip Margolin as the featured keynote author. The conference combines the beauty of St. Simon's Island, GA King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort with craft workshops by authors June Hal McCash, Writing Historical Fiction, Vic DiGenti, How to Rev Up Your Narrative Drive, Dr. Anya Silver, Writing Poetry: The Enchanted Craft, Denise Tompkins, Effective Query Letter Writing, and more.
• You may still submit your work for the Royal Palm Literary Awards competition, but the fee has increased to $40 per entry as of May 1. Hurry and enter before it goes up again to $50 on July 1.
• And while you're on the FWA website, check out all the exciting workshops and programs in this year's annual conference, SOAR! 10 Years of Reaching New Heights. All the details are there from the workshop schedule to the faculty list. This should be a great conference as we celebrate our 10th anniversary.
• The UNF Writers Conference is also open for registration for the 3-day conference, August 5 - 7. The early bird conference fee of $299 increases to $349 on May 31. Remember the fee includes the day of craft workshops, the critiques workshops, the opportunity to participate in the Pitch Book, and the ePublishing seminar. All good stuff, and FWA is a partner in the conference.
• Chiczofrenic.com and Five Seas Ink announce a new writing contest with the winner receiving a publishing contract from Five Seas Ink. Visit the website for details.
• Ancient City Romance Writers meet on the 4th Saturday of the month at the SE Branch Library from 12:30 to 4PM. Elizabeth Sinclair presents "The Dos and Don'ts of Writing a Series." Contact Kathy Bain for more details, kathynbain@comcast.net.

Kudos to FWA Members

• Congratulations to June Weltman for her First Place Award in the National Association of Pen Women's 2011 At-Large contest for two mystery reviews June wrote for The Florida Times-Union. June is a former newspaper reporter and author of The Mystery of the Missing Candlestick.
• Dorothy Fletcher has been honored by the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission for the 2011 Historic Preservation Award for her book, Remembering Jacksonville: By the Wayside, and for her column, By the Wayside.
• Peppertree Press has published Carolyn Evans' book, Faith, A Disciple's Journey. It's the story of Carolyn's grandfather and his life as a missionary in China.
• Parker Francis (aka Victor DiGenti) has published his award-winning mystery, Matanzas Bay (Windrusher Hall Press). It's available as an ebook for both the Kindle and Nook platforms, as well as a trade paperback.

That's all for now. Keep writing and I'll see you at the library,

Vic

Victor DiGenti

FWA Regional Director for NE Florida

All new for April

An April shower or two won't stop the outstanding line-up of FWA meetings scheduled for this month. Or the other events for area writers. Check these out:

• First Coast Christian Writers (an affiliate of FWA) meets each Thursday at 6:45PM at the Webb-Wesconnett Library at 103rd Street and Blanding Blvd.. This Thursday, April 7, Lucille Ponte, Professor of Law at Florida Coastal School of Law, discusses the basics of copyright law. Under her pen name, Bridges DelPonte, she has written the mystery novel, Deadly Sacrifices.
• River City Writers meets on Tuesday, April 12 at 7PM at the SE Regional Branch Library. Group leader Gregg Golson, gtgolson@comcast.net, will talk on "How to Create A Logline for Your Novel."
• Author and photographer Jim Kern, The Wildlife Art & Adventures of Jim Kern, Photographer, speaks at the Saturday, April 16 meeting of the Ancient City Writers. They meet at 10:15AM at St. Augustine's Main Library. Kern will present "The How-To's of a Publishing Project, covering everything from formatting and proofreading to negotiating with printers.
• The Amelia Island Writers welcome FWA Regional Director Vic DiGenti on Tuesday, April 19 at 6:15PM. They meet at Books Plus in Fernandina Beach, located on Centre Street. Vic will present "Great Beginnings–The Importance of the First Page." Learn what it takes to have a great beginning. Vic will also sign books earlier that day at Books Plus.
• Author and playwright Mary Jane Hayes shows how to create three-dimensional characters at the Wednesday, April 20 meeting of the Clay County Writers, 6:15PM at the Fleming Island Library. In her presentation, "The Character Arc: Charting Character Development to Move Your Plot," MJ reviews three key components of story writing: character, plot and conflict resolution. Contact group leader Maureen Jung, ,jung@wordspringconsulting.com, for more info.
• This month's meeting of the Ponte Vedra Writers falls on Saturday, April 30 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. Seven Realms publisher, Kent Holloway, will discuss the state of today's publishing market, new trends, old myths and what's new at Seven Realms. With the way the industry is turning from a "tree-based" platform to a digital one, there is much to learn about. Aside from his publishing duties, Kent is the author of several action/adventure novels, Primal Thirst and Siren's Song. In his spare time, he's a forensic death investigator for St. Johns County.

More writing highlights:

• This year's UNF Writers Conference, August 5 - 7, will end with a 4-1/2 hour seminar covering the basics of ePublishing, with help from experts on formatting, cover art, marketing, and more. The eSeminar is part of the registration fee, or can be scheduled separately, as can the Friday workshops. Once again, FWA partners with UNF to produce this high quality writers conference which also offers intensive critique workshops in general fiction, YA, romance, science-fiction, and children's fiction. Also non-fiction workshops, screenwriting and new this year, poetry. Check the website for complete details.
• Clay County Writers leader Maureen Jung, Ph.D. announces a three-part workshop, "Write Your Story, Find Your Voice," that uses writing tools and exercises to "open a dialog with your inner voice." The intensive workshop incorporates breathing, guided meditation, vocalization, and writing tools to tap into your body's unique wisdom and develop your inner voice. Maureen has been a yoga practitioner and writing consultant for over 30 years. Click here to learn more about Maureen, and contact her at 904-298-5714 to register.
• Ancient City Romance Writers meet on Saturday, April 23 at the SE Regional Library at 12:30 p.m. Guest speaker Vic DiGenti presents "Effective Middles and Satisfying Endings," an interactive workshop on how to tighten your sagging middles and lift those dead ends.
• Lynn Harlin launches another Shanty Boat Workshop of writing classes on Wednesday, April 20. Workshops are designed for beginning writers who want to learn new techniques, or seasoned writers who need to refresh their skills. Fiction and non-fiction writers are welcome. Contact her at lyharlin@aol.com for details.
• Registration is open for the Rosemary Beach Writer's Conference, May 11 - 14 in Rosemary Beach, FL (on the Gulf in the Florida Panhandle). The conference includes general sessions, writing exercises, craft classes, and receptions. Featured authors are Lynne Barrett, Cindy Chinelly, William Cobb, John Dufresne, Frank Giampietro, Michael Lister, and Laura Lee Smith.
• Florida Sisters in Crime chapter here in Jacksonville is having a writer's contest consisting of the prologue or first scene of your story. Submissions should be no more than 750 words. Entry fee is $5 until May 31, and $7.50 up to June 30. Click on the above link for details.
• New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe returns to Amelia Island to launch her new book, The Butterfly's Daughter, with a special talk and breakfast, Tuesday, May 10 at St. Peters Episcopal Church. There will also be a butterfly gardening demonstration. Tickets are $50 per person and include a signed copy of Monroe's new book. Proceeds benefit Wild Amelia Nature Festival. Contact Dickie Anderson for ticket information, dickie.anderson@gmail.com.
• Deadline for the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition is May 1.
• May 1 is also the date fees increase for FWA's Royal Palm Literary Awards competition. Click for submission guidelines.
• And May 15 is the last day to submit entries for FWA's Collection #3, Let's Talk.
• Flagler College's Writers-in-Residence Program continues with Connie May Fowler appearing at the Flagler Auditorium, this Thursday, April 7 at 7PM. Her latest book is How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly. Les Standiford is the featured author on Wednesday, April 13. He'll discuss his book, Bringing Adam Home.

FWA Member News

• Ronnie Hart is the FWA Regional Director for Volusia and Flagler Counties. Her YA novel, Escape From Iran, made it into the Quarter Finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. There are 250 entries in the quarter finals, down from 5,000, and it will be cut to 100 on April 26. The competition awards two grand prizes, one in General Fiction, the other in YA, for a publishing contract with Penguin with a $15,000 advance. To vote for Escape from Iran, you must first have an Amazon account (it's easy to sign up), click on the above link, then find the YA Fiction link on the left side. Click on that then go to the 4th page to find her book under the name, Veronica Helen Hart. You can download the excerpt for free if you have a Kindle, or download the app for your PC. After reading the excerpt, return to the book's Amazon page, click Like and write a favorable customer review. Perhaps we'll next hear that Ronnie has made it into the finals.
• Parker Francis, aka Victor DiGenti, has published his award-winning mystery, Matanzas Bay. As an unpublished manuscript, MB won the 2007 Josiah W. Bancroft Sr. Award, and was named a Book of the Year in the 2009 RPLA Awards. Matanzas Bay is currently available as an eBook for both Kindle and Nook platforms, with trade paperbacks coming soon. Read about it on the Florida Book News.
• I'm sorry to report the passing of former FWA member Gertie Poole. Gertie's daughter Tiffiny reported that Gertie had passed away after a valiant battle with brain cancer. Gertie turned to writing science fiction later in life and was one of the winners of the 2007 Lighthouse Book Awards. Read more about her here, and sign the guest book.

FWA members may send me news of their accomplishments for future posts.

Until next time, keep writing,

Vic

Victor DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

New Publishing Models

The world of publishing is changing swiftly from a tree-based, ink platform to a digital one. More and more eReaders are joining the world of Kindles, Nooks, and iPads, with more and more authors becoming independent publishers. While formats and platforms evolve, one constant is the quality of the writing. In order to succeed, the author still needs to tell a good story with compelling characters. One way to stay on top of the shifting sands of publishing while honing your craft is to attend one or more of the monthly FWA chapter meetings, and possibly registering for a writers' conference. Take your pick from the following:

• River City Writers, meeting Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Branch Library, welcomes Dr. Gigi Morales David. Dr. David is a professor in UNF's Department of Childhood Education and the author of several children's books. Her topic is "Writing for Children: A Call to Create." For more information, contact chapter leader, Gregg Golson at gtgolson@comcast.net.
• Local author Charles Womack will discuss his new book, Things My Teacher Did Tell Me, at the Amelia Island Writers meeting on Tuesday, March 15 at 6:15 p.m. at Books Plus in Fernandina Beach. Chapter leader Maggie de Vries, maggie1948@yahoo.com, has the details.
• Come back to the mainland for the next night's meeting of the Clay County Writers, Wednesday, March 16 at 6:15 p.m. at the Fleming Island Library. Author and UNF writing professor Sarah Clarke Stuart will share her experiences with publishers, journalists, social networking, and TV producers during her presentation, "The Fast Track from Query to Publication in 12 Months." She'll talk about how she wrote, published and promoted her non-fiction book, Literary Lost, Viewing the World of Literature through the Lens of Television. Contact chapter leader Maureen Jung with your query, mjung@wordspringconsulting.com.
• The Ancient City Writers gather at St. Augustine's Main Library on Saturday, March 19 at 10:15 a.m. to hear from FWA Regional Director Vic DiGenti. Vic will address one of the constants in writing — revision. In his workshop, "Battle Plans for Attacking the Revision Process," Vic lays out strategies and tactics designed to help both the novice and veteran writer revise with confidence. Visit the website for details.
• Romantic suspense and mystery author Maggie Toussaint pays a visit to the Ponte Vedra Writers chapter on Saturday, March 26 at the Ponte Vedra Library at 10:30 a.m. Juggling both mysteries and romances, Maggie knows how important it is to polish your manuscript, and she'll provide seven clues for making your manuscript sparkle.
• First Coast Christian Writers, an affiliate of FWA, meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Webb-Wesconnett Library at 103rd and Chaffee Road. On Thursday, March 31, they will host RPLA award-winning authors, Rebekah Hunter Scott and Michael Ray King, who will talk about query letters from the author's and publisher's point of view.

Lots going on for writers:

• Sleuthfest 2011 starts tomorrow in Deerfield Beach. Presented by the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America, it features talks by major authors like Dennis Lehane, Meg Gardiner and SJ Rozan, plus panel discussions, a forensics track, and much more.
• Also this weekend is the Steve Berry Craft of Writing 5-hour workshop at World Golf Village. Visit the Florida Heritage Book Festival website for details.
• Playwright David Zellnik hosts a free writers' workshop on developing character and voice this Saturday, March 5 at 1:30 p.m. at the Hippodrome Theatre Cinema in Gainesville. Zellnik, whose play, Serendib, is currently on stage at the Hippodrome, says the "Finding A Voice" workshop contains both lecture and writing components. His play, Yank, opens on Broadway in the fall. More information here.
• Saturday, March 5 is a busy day for writers. The Florida Sisters in Crime chapter meets that day to hear from Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford. They meet at 10:30 a.m. at the SE Regional Library.
• Registration is now open for the UNF Writers Conference, August 7 - 9. Along with a day of workshops, the conference offers intensive critique workshops in many fiction genres plus non-fiction and poetry. For the first time, the conference offers a 3-hour seminar on the basics of ePublishing, plus a panel on "How I Got My Agent.". Visit the website for details.
• March 18 - 20, the Tallahassee Book Festival & Writers Conference features Cassandra King, James Scott Bell, Lee Gutkind and more. Details here.
• Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) meets Saturday, March 19 at 1:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Library in Deerwood. The topic is eBooks. Contact Janet Walter with questions, jgwalter@comcast.net.
• In May you can check out several conferences. The Scribblers' Retreat Writers' Conference, May 12 - 14 at the King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simon's Island, features bestselling authors Phillip Margolin and Diana Gaboldon, among others.
• Also in May, Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne presents its Creative Writing Institute, May 22 - 26. Keynoters and lecturers include Susan Hubbard, John Dufresne, and Leonard Nash.
• A reminder that FWA's "Let's Talk" Collection is open for submissions. The dialogue-only story should prove to be both challenging and fun. Visit the FWA website for guidelines and an example.
• Florida Sisters in Crime is sponsoring a short-short story contest for members and non-members alike. 75- words max, $5 submission fee, check the website for details.
• The University of Tulsa's Nimrod International Journal announces its 33rd annual Nimrod Literary Awards. The Awards offer hefty cash prizes for fiction and poetry winners. Click here for details.

FWA Members At Work:

• Tim Robinson has been invited to be a guest author at the MegaCon SF convention in Orlando, March 25-27. Tim is the author of three fantasy novels.
• Ken Gorman has published his fourth novel, Compelled.
• Janie Wilkins has published, Janie's Unbelievable Journey.
• Sharon Y. Cobb presents the 1-day class, "Blogging for Business & Pleasure," on March 12 as part of the UNF Learn Jacksonville program.
• Mary Bridgman presents "Market Your Work as a Freelance Writer," at the UNF Learning Center in April.
• And on April 16, Vic DiGenti presents his next "Novel in a Day" workshop at UNF. Course schedule and details here.

FWA members can send me their announcements of new publications and other accomplishments to share with the cyber world.

That's it until next time.

Vic

Victor DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

Writers Write

As a world champion procrastinator, I had to keep reminding myself that writers are people who write, not people who like to think of themselves as writers. When I first began writing, I actually made myself a sign reading, Writers Are People Who Write, and taped it above my desk to remind me to keep writing. Attending writer's meetings is a good way to stay engaged and motivated, which is why FWA brings you another month of outstanding programs.

• River City Writers meets Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Regional Library. Contact Gregg Golson, gtgolson@comcast.net, for more information.
• Amelia Island Writers meets at Books Plus on Centre Street in Fernandina Beach. Group Leader and store proprietor Maggie de Vries welcomes author Deborah Cottle, Success Simplified, on Tuesday, February 15 at 6:15 p.m.
• Clay County Writers convene at the Fleming Island Library on Wednesday, February 16 at 6:15 p.m. to hear from Jan and Hank Racer. The husband and wife author/illustrator team of Marky the Barking Bullfrog, will provide the steps necessary to getting published. They'll discuss how to take your book from manuscript to publication and decide between the various publishing options. Hank is also the author of the YA novels, The River Rats (which took 1st place in the RPLA's) and The River Rats: Riddle Me a Mystery. Contact Maureen Jung, mjung@wordspringconsulting.com, for meeting details.
• St. Augustine's Ancient City Writers will not meet this month as their venue will be co-opted by the tax preparers. Their next meeting is set for Saturday, March 19 at 10:15 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. Guest speaker, Vic DiGenti, presents a workshop titled, "Battle Plans for Attacking the Revision Process."
• Elizabeth Sinclair is an outstanding and multi-published romance author. She's also an excellent speaker, and at this month's Ponte Vedra Writers meeting, Saturday, February 26 at 10:30 a.m., she'll talk about some of the key building blocks of a novel's structure, "GMC — Goal, Motivation, Conflict." GMC will give strong, believable support to your plot and characters while sustaining your narrative through multiple plot twists. Her first romance reached #2 on the Walden Bestseller List, and Elizabeth has gone on to write 17 more with a variety of publishers including Harlequin, Kensington and Medallion Press.

• First Coast Christian Writers, an affiliate of FWA, has moved its meeting space to the Webb-Wesconnett Regional Library on Chaffee Road, but still meeting each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. Contact Tracy Redman, tls172@yahoo.com, for more information.

Also of Interest for NE Florida Writers:

• Florida Sisters in Crime meet Saturday, February 5 at 10:30 a.m. at the SE Regional Library. Nancy Quatrano, one of the leaders of the Ancient City Writers FWA chapter, has been published in short fiction since 1999. Several of her short stories have won awards, including placing in the 75th Annual Writers Digest Competition. Contact Pam Wells, wellspmw@aol.com, with any questions.
• The official submission guidelines are up for FWA Collection #3 – Let's Talk. All kinds of stories are eligible, as long as it's all dialogue. Kinda tricky, but should be fun. Entries will be accepted through May 15, and, of course, you must be a member to submit.
• You may still be able to get a spot in the Next Level Craft Intensive workshop presented by award-winning author Joyce Sweeney and Woodstream Writers director, Jamie Morris. Over three days, February 4 - 6, The Next Level: Scene & Structure, will cover POV, writing scenes, strategies for backstory, and creating suspense. Contact Jamie at jamie@woodstreamwriters.com, 407-644-5163, or Joyce at grackle@bellsouth.com.
• Amelia Island Book Festival presents a day of writers workshops on Friday, February 18 at the Betty Cook Nassau County Campus of Florida State College/Jacksonville. Cost of the workshop is $85 and includes lunch with keynoter, New York Times bestselling author Susan Vreeland. Saturday's sessions at St. Peter's Episcopal Church campus are free. Click on the link for details.
• For those of you not attending the Book Festival on Saturday, you have the option of attending the monthly meeting of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) at 1:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Regional Library. Janet Walter has details, jgwalter@comcast.net.
• Another February 19 option is the Novel In A Day workshop presented by award-winning author Vic DiGenti. The full-day workshop covers all the essential elements of the novel, including plot, characterization, scene and sequel, POV, setting and dialogue. Information and registration details may be found on the University of North Florida's Learn Jacksonville website.
• Steve Berry's Craft of Writing Workshop is beginning to fill up. Planned for Saturday, March 5 at the World Golf Village's Renaissance Center Resort, the workshop benefits the Florida Heritage Book Festival. Berry will cover the Four C's of Story Structure, effective dialogue, point of view, and more. Cost for the workshop is $100. More information may be found here.
• The First Coast Romance Writers meet on Saturday, February 12 at 10:30 a.m. at the West Regional Library, 1425 Chaffee Road, to hear from Lani Diane Rich and Lucy March on "Structure in Storytelling." And their Annual Southern Lights Writers Conference is set for March 12 at the Jacksonville Marriott. Details on the meeting and conference are on the website.
• Lonely crime writers don't have to spend Valentine's Day alone. Come to the Ponte Vedra Library at 6:30 on February 14 to hear Florida Book Award winner Michael Lister. Lister, a former prison chaplain who wrote a series of acclaimed mysteries featuring a cop turned prison chaplain, will talk about his love of writing and his love for the wilds of Florida's panhandle region where he lives.

That's more than enough to keep you motivated this month. I'll leave you with a word of wisdom from the pen of Jack London, "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."

Vic

Victor DiGenti

FWA Regional Director

2011 Resolutions

What are your writing New Year's Resolutions? To finish your book? To write more, procrastinate less? To get better at your craft? Whatever they are, staying involved with other writers and attending more FWA meetings can help you stay on course to achieve your goals. FWA brings together writers seeking common goals and motivates them with monthly chapter meetings offering speakers who will help you move from novice writer to published author.

Here's what's scheduled for January:

• River City Writers next meets on Tuesday, January 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southeast Regional Branch Library off Gate Parkway. Gregg Golson has the details, gtgolson@comcast.net.
• Barnes & Noble offers opportunities for authors to be published using their digital book system. Learn about it at the Ancient City Writers meeting on Saturday, January 15 at 10:15 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. Brad West, an assistant manager for the St. Augustine B&N store, will fill us in on all things electronic.
• Maggie deVries leads the Amelia Island Writers chapter, meeting on Tuesday, January 18 at 6:00 p.m. at Maggie's book store, Books Plus on Centre Street in Fernandina Beach. Call Maggie at 321-6180 for more information.
• Clay County Writers get you ready to write your memoir at their January 19 meeting at 6:15 p.m. at the Fleming Island Library. Lillian Kiernan Brown, author of Banned in Boston: Memoirs of A Stripper, presents "Creating Memoirs from Your Memories," and shows you how to get started recording your own personal history. Brown's memoir chronicled her days as a burlesque dancer, a brief career she started when she was only fourteen years old. Contact Maureen Jung at mjung@wordspringconsulting.com for details.
• After a holiday hiatus, I'm reconvening the Ponte Vedra Writers chapter for a Saturday, January 22nd meeting at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. Flagler College Creative Writing Professor Jim Wilson promises an entertaining and interactive morning with his presentation, "Hanging About Under Trees in Thunderstorms." He explains the title with a quote from playwright Tom Stoppard. "I know there are writers who are not going to live long enough to do justice to all the ideas they have, but to me it's like being struck by lightning—and I feel just as powerless to make it happen—even, as it were, by hanging about under trees in a thunderstorm." Dr. Wilson will discuss techniques for fiction writing that will help alleviate the frustration of not having ideas, or of having too many ideas. Bring along pen and paper.
• The First Coast Christian Writers chapter, an affiliate of FWA, meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church on Greenland Road. Contact Tracy Redman for more information, tls172@yahoo.com.

And in other news:

• New York Times best selling author Steve Berry will teach a day-long seminar on the craft of writing as a benefit for the Florida Heritage Book Festival. The workshop, which includes lunch, is scheduled for Saturday, March 5 at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village. Morning sessions include the Fours C's of Story Structure, effective dialogue, point of view, and Steve's 10 Rules of Writing. Following the luncheon, where Steve will entertain with stories of his 85 rejections before being published, he'll talk about the business of writing and answer questions. Early Bird registration through January 31 is $80, $100 through March 1, and $110 at the door. If you'd like to sit at Steve's table during lunch, you have to ante up $125. Visit the website to register.
• And if you can't wait until March to see and hear Steve Berry, he will appear at the Ponte Vedra Library this Monday, January 10 at 6:30 p.m. as part of the Friends of the Library program, Book Talk Cafe. Steve will discuss, sign and sell his newest international thriller, The Emperor's Tomb. The program is free and open to the public with light refreshments offered.
• FWA is offering a timely and comprehensive 4-hour E-Book Seminar with bestselling author James Swain. Swain is the author of 14 bestselling mysteries, and recently released four original novels as e-books on Amazon.com. The books are all listed as Kindle's Bestsellers, and Swain has used this experience to craft a workshop detailing the nuts and bolts of e-book publishing. He'll explain this rapidly growing market and talk about the basics like formatting, cover images, pricing and marketing. And if that's not enough, you'll receive Blueprint for Success, a 48-page notebook giving step-by-step instructions on how to be part of this publishing revolution. The workshop is set for Saturday, January 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 11802 N. Dale Mabry in Tampa. Click here to see more information on Swain's workshop as well as to register.
• This year's Flagler College Writers-in-Residence series gets off to a roaring start this month with a visit from master storyteller, Pat Conroy. Aside from working with the English and creative writing students, Conroy will speak at 7:00 p.m. at the Flagler College Auditorium on January 11. Other authors in the series include John Dufresne, Stetson Kennedy, Masha Hamilton, and Connie May Fowler. Each of the public talks is free, but tickets are available on a first-come basis. Visit the website for more information.
• Florida Sisters in Crime meets Saturday, January 8 at 10:30 a.m. at the SE Branch Library. Glynn Marsh Alam, author of the Luanne Fogarty mystery series is the featured speaker. Contact Pam Wells, wellspmw@aol.com, with any questions.
• Howard Denson reports that the North Florida Writers has a new home. They will meet at the Willowbranch Library in Riverside starting Saturday, January 8 at 2:00 p.m. and will hear from Steve Piscitelli, a Florida State College professor and author of 8 books. Write Howard at hdenson@fscj.edu.
• Author Marianne LaCroix gives a workshop on "Creating Your Online Presence," at the January 22nd meeting of Ancient City Romance Writers. They meet at 12:30 p.m. at the SE Regional Branch Library.
• Maybe it's a romance thing, but the First Coast Romance Writers, meeting Saturday, January 8 at 10:30 a.m. at the West Regional Library on Chafee Road, addresses a similar topic, "Building Your Online Platform with Websites, Blogs and Social Media."

And don't forget:

• Amelia Island Book Festival, February 18 & 19
• Sleuthfest, March 3 - 6
• Savannah Book Festival, February 18 - 20

That's more than enough to digest as we plunge into 2011.

All the best in the New Year,

Vic

Vic DiGenti

Regional Director

Florida Writers Association

Holiday Happenings

Even though December is crammed with social activities, holiday shopping and family visits, there are still FWA meetings planned and upcoming events for writers. Let's take a quick look at some of them.

FWA MEETINGS IN DECEMBER:

• As usual, the First Coast Christian Writers meet each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church on Greenland Road. Contact Tracy Redman at tls172@yahoo.com for details.
• River City Writers meet Tuesday, December 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library. It's rumored that Jennifer Swanson is the speaker. Group leader Gregg Golson has the details, gtgolson@comcast.net.
• Clay County Writers Group leader Maureen Jung is the presenter for this month's meeting, Wednesday, December 15 at 6:15 p.m. at the Fleming Island Library. Maureen's topic is "The Reader Profile: Who Reads, How They Read, and What it Means for Writers." Sounds like a good one. Email Maureen at mjung@wordspringconsulting.com.
• Amelia Island Writers will not be meeting this month.
• Award-winning author Elizabeth Sinclair will present her "First Chapters" workshop at this month's meeting of Ancient City Writers, Saturday, December 18 at 10:15 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. Elizabeth is the author of 20 romance, romantic suspense,and paranormal romances, including Baptism By Fire, which won the 2007 National Reader Choice Award for best Romantic Suspense novel. In the workshop you'll learn about inciting incidents, how to hook the reader, and whether your story needs a prologue, among others things.
• And because the Ponte Vedra Writers regular meeting date falls on Christmas Day, we'll take another vacation and urge area writers to attend one of the other group meetings. But the Ponte Vedra Writers return in January with a special program TBA.

LOOK FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Award-winning author Joyce Sweeney, and Woodstream Writers director, Jamie Morris, present an intensive 3-day workshop titled, "The Next Level: Creating Scene & Building Structure," February 4 - 6. The workshop will be held in the St. Augustine home of Linda Eadie, and includes snacks and dinner on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. For details, contact Jamie at 407-644-5163, or email her at jamie@woodstreamwriters.com.
• The Amelia Island Book Festival is planned for February 18 & 19 at various locations on the island. The Friday workshops will again be held at the Betty P. Cook Nassau Center of Florida State College. Workshop leaders include Bob Morris, Laura Castoro, Daniel Schafer, Laura Hope-Gill, Vic DiGenti, and more. A special fundraising author's reception will be held that evening at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation featuring food, jazz, and a keynote by New York Times bestselling author, Jamie Ford, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Call 904-652-1665 for information on the reception. Saturday's free signings and workshops return to the campus of St. Peter's Episcopal Church. The Author's Luncheon is on Saturday with keynote talk by bestselling author, Rick Bragg.
• The Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America knows how to throw a great conference. If you haven't been to Sleuthfest, then check out the website for all the details of the 2011 conference, March 3 - 6 in Deerfield Beach, FL. Guests of honor are Dennis Lehane, Meg Gardiner and SJ Rozan. BTW, they'll have a movie night, showing Gone, Baby, Gone, with author Lehane there to talk about the book and the movie.

Until next time, best wishes for a happy holiday season.

Vic

Victor DiGenti

Regional Director

Post Conference Post

The writers of NE Florida showed why we lead the state in so many ways at the Royal Palm Literary Awards banquet last month. We came home with a total of 21 awards, including the Book of the Year/Unpublished. If you missed the FWA Conference, you missed a good one. A total of 420 writers from several states registered for the workshops, at least 100 more than last year, and/or the banquet during the long weekend of craft workshops, agent and publisher pitch sessions, and numerous networking opportunities.

Jacksonville author Heather Nickodem took first place in the Romance Novel/Unpublished category with her manuscript, Red Sky At Night. She then went on to grab Book of the Year honors after accumulating the most points from the judges. This is the second year in a row that a NE Florida writer has captured this honor.

Pictured above are some of the NE Florida winners on hand at the banquet to pick-up their awards. From left to right: Susan Brandenburg, Vic DiGenti, David Lafayette, Hank Racer and Michael King. In front are Karen Harvey and Nancy Quatrano.

Congratulations to all the winners from NE Florida:

Humor / Satire [Fiction] (Unpublished)

FIRST PLACE

Vampire ... Control ... White House by David P. Lafayette – St. Augustine

Inspirational Romance (Unpublished)

FIRST PLACE

Breathless by Kathryn J. Bain – Jacksonville

Elementary / Middle-Grade Fiction (Published)

SECOND PLACE

The River Rats—Riddle Me a Mystery by Hank Racer – Orange Park

Short Story (Published)

SECOND PLACE

The Day Hemingway Died by Victor DiGenti – Ponte Vedra Beach

Short Story (Unpublished)

SECOND PLACE

Blind Faith by Marie Vernon – St. Augustine

Humor / Satire (Published)

FIRST PLACE

Motherhood Is Easy ... As Long as You Have Nothing Else to do for the Next 50 Years by Rebekah Hunter Scott – St. Augustine

Essay (Published)

FIRST PLACE

The Silver Lining by Mary W. Bridgman – Jacksonville

Mystery (Unpublished)

FIRST PLACE

Murder in Black and White by N.L. Quatrano – St. Augustine

Romance (Unpublished)

FIRST PLACE

Red Sky at Night by Heather Nickodem – Jacksonville

Flash Fiction (Unpublished)

HONORABLE MENTION

To Go by June Lands – Ponte Vedra Beach

Biography (Published)

FIRST PLACE

Sharecropper’s Son—the Story of Doc Garland Granger by Susan D. Brandenburg & Doc Garland Granger – Ponte Vedra Beach

Educational / Informational (Unpublished)

SECOND PLACE

Loose Change, Simple Ideas That Can Support Your Family by Michael Lee, PhD ­­Jacksonville

History (Published)

FIRST PLACE

St. Augustine Enters the Twenty-First Century by Karen G. Harvey & contributors – St. Augustine

Essay (Unpublished)

SECOND PLACE

Unprincipled Antipathy by Muriel McKinlay – St. Augustine

Children’s Picture Books (Unpublished)

SECOND PLACE

PARIS ABCs: A Photographic Sampler by Margo L. Hill – Atlantic Beach

HONORABLE MENTION

Abigail and the Vanishing Clothes by Margo L. Hill – Atlantic Beach

Short Story (Unpublished)

HONORABLE MENTION

Fast Time, Slow Time by Luke Francis Georgette – Ponte Vedra Beach

Creative Nonfiction (Unpublished)

FIRST PLACE

I Used to Believe by Olivia Bissell – Ponte Vedra Beach

Women’s Fiction (Unpublished)

SECOND PLACE (3-WAY TIE)

Once by Melissa Kosciuszko – Fleming Island

Young Adult (Published)

SECOND PLACE

Bad Lattitude—A Jack Rackham Adventure by David Ebright – St. Augustine

BOOK OF THE YEAR/UNPUBLISHED

Red Sky at Night by Heather Nickodem (Romance)

Additionally, Michael Ray King, who recently moved from St. Augustine's Ancient City Writers chapter to help form the new Palm Coast writer's group, won First Place in the Short Story/Unpublished, plus a First and Second Place in the Poetry category.

All in all, a great way to cap off an excellent conference.

Here's what's happening at November's FWA chapter meetings:

• The First Coast Christian Writers meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church on Greenland Road. Contact Tracy Redman at tls172@yahoo.com for details.
• River City Writers will meet on Tuesday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library off Gate Parkway on Deerwood Park Blvd. Group leader Gregg Golson reports that cookbook writer Belinda Hulin is this month's speaker. Belinda is the former food editor for The Florida Times-Union and knows her business. if you want to learn how to make a living writing about food, want to publish a cookbook, or just like to eat, then don't miss this meeting. Gregg can be reached at gtgolson@comcast.net.
• The Amelia Island Writers meet on the third Tuesday of the month, November 16, at 6:00 p.m. at Books Plus on Centre Street. Maggie deVries is store proprietor and group leader. Contact her at 321-6180.
• The Clay County Writers return to their home base at the Fleming Island Library for the Wednesday, November 17 meeting, which starts at 6:15 p.m. FWA member and author Jack Owen will speak on the future of "dead tree" books and the implications of the digital age on publishing. Email group leader Maureen Jung at mjung@wordspringconsulting.com with any questions.
• Due to the Thanksgiving holidays, there will be no meeting of the Ponte Vedra Writers this month, but you can double down as the Ponte Vedra and Ancient City Writers chapters combine for a special meeting on Saturday, November 20 at 10:15 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. The program is a panel discussion on "Publishing in 2010." If you're curious about the various publishing options available today—and there are many—you'll hear from publishers and authors about the changes in the publishing industry. Appearing on the panel are publishers Mike King and Bill Reynolds, fantasy author Tim Robinson, who published through Xlibris, Brad West of Barnes & Noble's new publishing technology to discuss ebook formats, and author Jack Owen will compare the print version of his book, Palm Beach Scandals to today's electronic versions. Vic DiGenti moderates and will talk about small independent presses like Ocean Publishing, which published his Windrusher series.

In other news

• The 6th Annual Other Words: A Conference of Literary Magazines, Independent Publishers, and Writers will be held at Flagler College this weekend, November 4 - 6. Click here for more information.
• The Florida Sisters in Crime chapter will hear from the Emergency 9-1-1 coordinator at their meeting on Saturday, November 6 at 10:30 a.m. at the SE Regional Branch Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd. Contact Kathy Bain, kathrynbain@comcast.net, for more information.
• Poet Annie Finch will appear at Jacksonville Main Library, 303 N. Laura Street, on Tuesday, November 9 at 6:30 p.m. Finch is the author of 15 books of poetry, translation and criticism, and the winner of the 2009 Robert Fitzgerald Award.
• North Florida Writers will meet at the Historic Grounds Bookstore, 420 Walnut Street in Green Cove Springs on Saturday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m. for a critique session.
• First Coast Romance Writers meet Saturday, November 13 at the West Regional Library on Chaffee Road. Award-winnning author Linnea Sinclair will present a pair of workshops, "Writing the Deep Third Person POV" at 10:30 a.m., and "Pissing Off Editors: Or How Not to Get Published," at 1:00 p.m.
• The Scribblers Retreat Writers' Conference, November 11-13, features Diana Gabaldon, Adam Davies, Karen White and more. Visit the website for details.
• If you missed my Novel in a Day full day workshop at the FWA Conference, you can register for the next one on Saturday, December 4 at the University of North Florida. There are also a number of other classes in creative writing and screenwriting. Visit the UNF Continuing Education Learn Jacksonville site for class schedules and registration details.
• Click here to view hundreds of photos from the FWA Conference taken by FWA's "Official Photographer" Karen Lieb.
• And speaking of FWA, did you know you could purchase ads on the FWA Network at very reasonable prices—only $40 for FWA members for six month and $60 for non-members. And if you're not signed on as a member of the FWA Network you should be. Scroll down and click on the Ad Rate bar along the right side for more details. This is a good way to get out information about your new book or event.

That's it until next month. Keep your hopes up for good things to happen and they will.

Best,

Vic

Victor DiGenti

FWA Regional Director