Welcome!
The Gulf Coast Writers Association is proud to provide a forum for fellowship, education, and information for writers in our community. Whether you write for pleasure or profit, you’ll find support from our members. And with an average of 175 members, there’s always encouragement and friendly guidance to help you improve your writing skills. Plus, our monthly speakers’ events are informative and fun, providing expert advice on topics such as writing techniques, publishing, marketing, and others. So no matter what your genre: general fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s, young adult, historical fiction, romance, mystery/thriller, memoirs, and more, you’re in good company. Check out our website and see what exciting things we have in store for you.
Announcements
The SWFL Writer’s Conference is looking for volunteers. If you haven’t registered for the conference, consider volunteering to help. List of Volunteer positions.
Meet your Officers and Directors for 2019
Interested in joining a new critique or reading group? [list of current groups] Looking for new members for your critique group? Contact Al York.
New Writing Game
April 2019
GCWA Writing Contest Awards
Awards presented for the 2019 GCWA Writing Contest and recipients read their winning entries. To learn more and to read winning entries, visit our Contest Page.
Meeting: April 27, 2019 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
Location: [map, this will get you to the community; do not go to the Golf Course] Seven Lakes Community, [layout of the community grounds]
1965 Seven Lakes Blvd,
Fort Myers, FL 33907
To get to the meeting in the main building at Seven Lakes Community, enter at US-41 and Seven Lakes Blvd. Once in the gate, make an immediate right, and the building is on the left. Plenty of parking available and a restaurant on site.
Join Us!
Gulf Coast Writers provide ideas, support, encouragement, resources and networking opportunities to fellow writers. Don’t miss out on all the great speakers we have planned for the upcoming year. Click button below to learn what you will get within our association. Only $40 annual ($50 for families). Come join the fun!
LIKE our Facebook page and check out our meeting photos.
Dear Members: Renew now! We value your membership and don’t want you to miss the exciting events we have planned for this year. Dues are payable from Fall until January 31. If you haven’t renewed and plan to attend our next meeting, please bring your money or check with you. Or you can pay today! Simply click the Membership Application tab and renew your membership online via PayPal. If you aren’t sure if you have paid your membership dues, please e-mail website@GulfWriters.org.
Latest Good News
If there is an ellipsis (…) at the end of a post here, that means there is more to read. To read a complete post, click on the headline. Or, if you want to scroll through ALL of our Good News, Click Here for more good news. Good news is for members only. If you would like to join in the fun, visit the Membership Application Page to learn more about joining. If you are are a GCWA member with Good News, please send email to website@gulfwriters.org.
2019 PoetryFest on WGCU, 90.1 FM
2019 PoetryFest on WGCU, 90.1 FM, Gulf Coast Live Thursday, April 4, 1:00 Our 2019 PoetryFest will be featured on 90.1 FM WGCU's Gulf Coast [...]Jill Jennings New Book of Poetry is Published
Pineapple Wine: Poems of Maui, Jill Jennings' third full-length book of poetry,was published in December 2018. It is available for $12.95 from [...]Patricia Wentling’s book accepted by online e-zine
I am Patricia Wentling. I joined Gulf Coast Writers Association, Inc. in August of this year. My picture book story, Lucky's Violin, has been [...]
Events
We get a lot of upcoming events sent to us, from all over Florida and even beyond. If there is an ellipsis (…) at the end of a post here, that means there is more to read. To read a complete post, click on the headline. Take a look at all the events. You can Click Here for more Events, and you can go to our calendar to see those that are posted in our local Lee county and surrounding areas. If you are affiliated with a group that is hosting an event that is relevant to authors, please send email to website@gulfwriters.org.
Sandhill Writers Retreat
Saturday, May 18, 2019 9:00am-5:30pm Early registration closes at midnight May 15, 2019. Late registration from May 16-18, 2019, incurs an [...]Sand ‘n Stories Weekend Retreat
Sand 'n Stories Weekend Retreat When: Jun 21, 3:00 PM – Jun 23, 5:00 PM Where: Coldwater Gardens, 7009 Creek Stone Rd, Milton, FL 32570, [...]Florida Library Association Annual Conference
Author Tables Now Available at 2019 FLA Conference Hundreds of Florida librarians alike will be attending our 2019 FLA Annual Conference. [...]
Writing Contests
If there is an ellipsis (…) at the end of a post here, that means there is more to read. To read a complete post, click on the headline. Or, if you want to scroll through ALL of Writing Contests we have heard about, Click Here for more writing contests. If you are affiliated with a group that is hosting a writing contest, please send email to website@gulfwriters.org.
Pittsburgh Press Drue Heinz Literature Prize
The Drue Heinz Literature Prize recognizes and supports writers of short fiction and makes their work available to readers around the world. The [...]WOW! Women on Writing Contests
WOW! NOW HAS TWO CONTESTS! WOW! Women On Writing now hosts two quarterly contests: one for fiction writers and one for nonfiction writers. [...]Kaleidoscope Women’s Writing Contest
Ladies get those pens and laptops ready. We are starting our next writing contest. Below is a brief description. When you are ready to get [...]
Announcements and Opportunities
If there is an ellipsis (…) at the end of a post here, that means there is more to read. To read a complete post, click on the headline. Or, if you want to scroll through ALL of our Announcements, Click Here for more announcements. Also, if you would like to make an announcement of your own, please send email to website@gulfwriters.org.
Pen America Grants and Fellowships
Grants & Fellowships Since 1963, the PEN America Literary Awards, Grants, and Fellowships Program has honored many of the [...]Anthology Open Call for Submissions
2019 NCW Anthology - Call for Submission NCW is excited to announce a new mixed-genre anthology exploring the concepts of change, renewal, and [...]Book Signing Opportunities
Book Signings Opportunities at Southwest Florida Military Museum and Library in Cape Coral The Southwest Florida Military Museum and Library [...]
GCWA officers
Meet the officers and directors for 2018/19.
Members Poetry and Prose
See the latest contributions by our members, Lorraine Walker Williams, Jim Gustafson and Joe Pacheco. Send your own poetry and short prose to website@gulfwriters.org.
New GCWA meeting agenda
We are replacing our long business meetings with contributions from our members. If you would like to speak at one of our meetings, please contact Bob McCarthy at Programs@GulfWriters.org or Irene Smith at Membership@GulfWriters.org
Information wanted
GCWA members — send us your photos, your bios, your books to be listed on the website — email website@gulfwriters.org.
Visit your local book stores
There are several book stores who sell books by local authors. Visit, buy books, check on selling your books on their shelves. List of stores
Looking for Word Song editor
Due to time constraints our News Magazine WORD SONG is needing an Executive Editor with MailChimp experience in order to continue. If you would like to know more about it, please email TheWord@gulfwriters.org We will continue to send out a basic meeting announcement until then. If you are not seeing these emails, please search your SPAM and PROMOTIONS folder and then add the address to your contacts list. Or contact membership@gulfwriters.org to verify that your email is in the system. You can click here to see the current edition and get instructions for how to find our emails.
Services page on website
We have added a Writing Services page to the website. GCWA members, if you have a writing-related business you would like listed, please contact website@gulfwriters.org. No fancy ads, just listings for editors, illustrators, publishers, ghost writers, website designers, etc.