reetings
The Gulf Coast Writers Association provides a forum for fellowship, education and information among writers in the community. We promote writer welfare and spirit by encouraging members and others to pursue writing for pure joy or for compensation, whichever purpose better gratifies the individual.
Your 2012 Executive Committee and Coporate Board members are listed here.
2012 GCWA contest winners and their entries.
(Are you looking for Mississippi Gulf Coast Writers Association?)
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Date: May 19, 2012 May Speaker: Roger WilliamsRoger Williams is a columnist for the Fort Myers Florida Weekly. Topic: Storytelling in print journalism:How to find freedom in the form and throw stories like fastballs. |
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Members - $3.00 Non-members - $5.00 |
Time 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Directions to Meetings |
riters' Upcoming Events
Empirical Spring Writing Contest DEADLINE: MAY 15
A poetry reading at the Arts for Act Gallery, 2265 First Street, Fort Myers during the Friday May 18 Music Walk celebration. The readings will be at 7:30 and 8:15. Lorraine Vail, Larry Stiles, Sid Simon, Sandy Greco and Andi McCardle will be among the readers. The music walk is a great event and Art Poems is proud to be part of it. [see flyer]
Woman's Life #701 has rescheduled the Family Book Fair to Saturday, May 19, 2012. Location changed to the Hamton Inn 619 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral, from 10am to 2pm. They are looking for authors to sign and sell their books at this event for a donation of $25. Contact Michele Andre at thebridgenetworking@hotmail.com.
The Chameleon Theatre Circle's 13th Annual New Play Contest, deadline May 31, 2012.
Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest, deadline May 31, 2012.
The FPA 2012 President's Book Awards is now accepting your submissions. For more information about guidelines and how to enter, go to President's Book Awards. Deadline June 4, 2012.
Next Calusa Story Tellers meeting June 5, 2012, 7 PM.
CityWrights: Professional Weekend for Playwrights, Miami, FL, June 14-17, 2012
Southeastern Writers 2012 Annual Writers Workshop, St. Simons Island, GA. June 15-19, 2012
20/20 Screenwriting contest, deadline June 30, 2012
The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest, deadline July 31, 2012
Prairie Wolf Press Review, a semi-annual literary journal featuring new and emerging writers and visual artists, has gone live at www.prairiewolfpress.com. The next reading period for submissions is from July 1 to Sept 1, 2012 for both issues next year.
UNF Writers Conference at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, August 3-5, 2012.
The Florida Heritage Book Festival and Writers Conference, St. Augustine, FL. September 13 - 15, 2012.
It's Showtime! Foreign Film Series scheduled from May though Dec, 2012 at the South County Regional Library in Estero. See flyer for details.
The GCWA Twentieth Century Classics Reading Group meets the first Monday of February, April, June, August, October and December at the Fairfield Inn across from Barnes and Noble on U.S. 41. If you are interested in joining them contact Richard Georgian at rgeorgian@embarqmail.com.
The Peace River Writers Tea, held the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 1 to 3 pm, has moved to the second floor of the Library at the corner of Gertrude and Aaron Streets in Port Charlotte. [more]
nnouncements & Goodnews
Keith Donaldson's new book Rude Awakenings release date is May 19, 2012. Check out the YouTube promo video.
Stephen R. Cafaro, Jr., former member and Treasurer of GCWA, passed away Sunday, May 13, 2012. See obituary
Four of Lorraine Vail's poems won awards at the Biennial Conference of the National League of American Pen Women in Washington, DC in April. She received first place in Metrical Form (villanelle &sentience) and she read her poetry at the Library of Congress.
Jeri Magg's book Historic Sanibel & Captiva Islands made the top ten list of books on Sanibel Island.
Ernie Lijoi's book The Preyers is going to be made into a movie. Shooting will start this fall on New York, Florida, and Massachusetts.
Michelle James is going to jail! She is reading her poetry in the Lee County Corrections Facility as part of a drama production, ‘Unnamed Women of the Bible’ – reaching the lost in the prison system.
Jeri Magg's book Historic Sanibel & Captiva Islands received a good review by Philip Jason, VP of the Naples Press Club.
Ernie Lijoi's new book Destructive Obsession is now available.
David Hernley released eight books on Kindle, seven non-fiction books and his novel Journey to Paradise.
Pat Janda has written an article about Jeri Magg in the Ft. Myers magazine.
Richard Georgian's book Cossacks, Indians and Buffalo Bill is going into its second printing.
Finbar Corr's sixth book Broken Promises has just been released.
Dr. Carol Kennedy's fourth book A Taste of Chocolate for the Soul has been published.
See photos from the Southwest Florida Reading Festival.
Lew Knickerbocker's new novel The Earth Endures has a nice write-up by Dayna Harpster in the News-Press Tropicalia. Read the article here.
Once again, Amy Bennett Williams and the News-Press have been most generous in publicizing our poetry efforts. She writes about Joe Pacheco, the Sanibel PoetryFest and the Southwest Florida Poetry contest. [more]
Joyce (j.d.) Daniels` poem "Be Like Melting Snow" was published in riverbabble, an online literary journal out of Berkeley.
Marsha Perlman was awarded first prize for her published adult non-fiction book, SPIRIT LIFE, at the
Florida State Conference of the National League of American Pen Women.
Lorraine Vail has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2012, her second nomination. She was also awarded first prize in poetry at the Florida State Conference for the National League of American Pen Women and second prize by Artists Embassy International. She read the award winning poem at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, CA, on Sept. 24, 2011.
Joy Rocco has published a new book, 1+1=Murder. She has also started a new monthly E-zine, Between the Lines, which includes writer's tips and exercises. Contact Joy to sign up. Her website is joyrocco.com.
Mark Billson's book The Peninsula is being sent to Hollywood by Barringer Publishing. He has signed a contract "just in case."
Steve Ruediger has published his novel, P.S. I'm Innocent. See more at his website stevetheauthor.com.
The News-Press Tropicalia has done a wonderful cover and center spread on ArtPoems. Cover is painting by Pascale Doxy inspired by Joe Pacheco's poem Fibonacci Moon Song. Centerfold contains three ArtPoems by GCWA members, Lorraine Vail, Carol Drummond and Joe Pacheco, and back page by Marsha Perlman. Larry Stiles, Doug MacGregor and Dorothy Brooks are also ArtPoems collaborators.
Doug MacGregor is back every Sunday in The News-Press Views Section.
Kirkus Reviews, a professional book review company, has reviewed Lew Knickerbocker's book, The Earth Endures. Here’s a link to their review.
Ken Feeley is looking for Christian books (childrens books, adult books, self-help, etc.) by local authors for the First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs book store, which is open to the public.
The Sanibel Captiva Review Volume V is now available at bookstores and shops on Sanibel. GCWA members can buy the San-Cap Review from Joe Pacheco. GCWA contributors are Sandra Brown, Henry Heitman, Joe Pacheco, Lorraine Vail, Joseph K. Martin and Little Joe Micale. See book listing here.
Peace River Center for Writers website address has changed to http://www.edison.edu/charlotte/peaceriverwriters/
February speaker Bob Maxeiner's handouts available on the Lessons Learned page.
David Hauenstein hosts Listen to the Writer’s Words on Shell Point TV’s audio channel. GCWA members contributing include: Mark Billson, Nita DeWeese, Carol Drummond, Ken Feeley, Hank Heitman, W.C. Highfield, Pat Janda, Martha Jeffers, Judy Loose, Russ Miller, Dick Miller, Joseph Martin, Nancy McDowell, Tom Nelson, Jan Nieman, Joe Pacheco, Larry Stiles, Pat Washington, Dave Wilcox, & Chuck Wood. He is looking for your poems, stories, essays, and descriptive pieces. [more]
[See our Good News page for previous announcements about our members.]
Recent updates to our pages
Members who have not paid their 2012 dues removed from the mailing list and the website. (May 2012)
Check out the new BOARD MEMBERS page.
Oue SERVICES page in the Members Only section has been updated. Log in and check it out.
The CALENDAR has been updated through November 2012.
Please send any additions to webmaster.
CONTESTS have been updated [April, 2012] on the Events page. New updates on contests and conferences for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Scriptwriting.
NEW MENU - Check the top of the pages on the website for a revised menu. Check it out and let your web master know if it is easier to navigate. We've added members' Prose, Poetry, Books, Bios, and Photos to the top level menu.
Check out our members' new contributions on the Prose and Poetry pages. [Updated April 2012] Next we need contributions from script writers. You can vote and/or comment.
We now have 40 bio's and books posted for 51 members on the website. If you would like to add your books and bio, contact webmaster
Barnes & Noble has sent us their new Acceptance Criteria for placing your books in their store. This link is also listed under Publishing/Distribution and Publishing/Marketing.
Amazon's guidlines for Kindle self publishing can be found here. They are also listed under Publishing/Self Publishing and Publishing/Marketing.
Tim Jacobs created a Facebook page for Gulf Coast Writers Association. It is a good way to network. Members can post about their book signings and other good news and comments. Search for the page (Gulf Coast Writers Association Fort Myers) and click “Like.” Direct Link (There is another Gulf Coast Writer's Association in Mississippi - be sure to look for Fort Myers)
Members please send all news, events, etc. for the website to jcloose@looselinks.com
first time guests – free
except workshops & March Awards Meeting