Quick and Easy Book Writing Course

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Hi I’m April O’Leary and I’m reaching out to offer your writers something in this time of isolation due to COVID-19.

I am offering my spring Quick and Easy Book Writing Course free (discounted 100% off the $995 normal pricing) just as a way to give back to the local writing community. We’ll have a lot of fun together and hopefully, come out of this time with a book in hand ready to publish.

For more info go to www.olearypublishing.com/events. There is a Promo Code they can use to create the discount and get in free. If you have any questions reach out. I’d be happy to answer them. Have a great day!

April O’Leary

Founder, O’Leary Publishing
28089 Vanderbilt Drive, Suite 202

Bonita Springs, FL 34134

Southwest Florida Writers Conference CANCELLED

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Southwest Florida Writers Conference Cancelled

It is with deep regret that we feel it is in everyone’s best interest to postpone the Southwest Florida Writers Conference (April 18, 2020)  until the danger posed by the coronavirus has passed. New cases are popping up here in Florida in the conference area. Our agents are from New York, an area severely hit by the virus. Flights from NY are already affected.

We are offering a refund to anyone that wishes for registration fees, one-to-one fees, and for the networking dinner that they have paid. If you do not request a refund they will be applied to the conference when rescheduled. It will also protect you from an increase in cost. Contact us if you request a refund.

We hope that when the crisis is over and a new date is set, possibly in April 2021 that you will attend.

The Hudson comes to the PeaceSouthwest Florida Writers Conference
Saturday, April 18, 2020

Be sure to register for the 2nd annual (2020) Southwest Florida Writers’ Conference to get the discounted Early Bird rate. The price increases on January 15th. Scheduled for April 18th at the Port Charlotte Cultural Center, this huge 1-day event will offer 45 workshops, 2 masterclasses, and private sessions with the New York and Florida literary professionals. Last year’s event was so successful that many of the agents, editors, publicists, and marketing experts are returning to find new writers to represent. For more information go to:  www.southwestfloridawritersconference.com.
Program:   
One jam-packed day of writing possibilities featuring individual classes, discussion panels, and a special keynote speaker.
Date:       
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Location: 
Cultural Center of Port Charlotte, 2280 Aaron St, Port Charlotte, FL 33952

 

ArtPoems 2020

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Art Poems
ArtPoems is a creative collaboration of artists and poets. As a platform for the creation of new art and poetry it adds a unique vision and voice to the Southwest Florida cultural landscape each year. Founded in 2007 by Lorraine Walker Williams and Joe Pacheco, ArtPoems will celebrate its fourteenth year in 2020.
 
Each season ArtPoems artists and poets are paired and exchange art and poetry. The artists create new art works inspired by poetry and the poets write new poems inspired by artwork. New creations emerge from this shared inspiration and collaboration.

Multimedia Stage Presentation
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Reception 7:00pm
Stage Presentation 7:30pm
Alliance for the Arts
10091 McGregor Blvd
Fort Myers, Florida

CANCELLED Multimedia Stage Presentation
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Reception 7:00pm
Stage Presentation 7:30pm
Rush Auditorium
Florida SW College
8099 College Pkwy
Fort Myers, Florida

Gallery
April 2 – 30, 2020
Reception Friday, April 3, 2020 6:00pm
Arts for ACT
2265 First St
Fort Myers, Florida

The Sandhill Writers Retreat at Saint Leo University CANCELLED

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The Sandhill Writers Retreat at Saint Leo University
Friday May 15-16, 2020
Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, Florida

The Eighth Annual Sandhill Writers Retreat is our biggest yet! The retreat takes place on the beautiful, serene University Campus, located in rural Saint Leo, Florida, approximately 35 miles north of Tampa. Based on participant feedback over the years, the retreat has grown from one day to two, with the addition of select master classes and this year, for the first time, a reading by celebrated veteran writer and award-winning poet Brian Turner (Here, Bullet; Phantom Noise; My Life as a Foreign Country). What a way to kick off Central Florida’s most popular writers retreat!

  • Brian’s reading on Friday, May 15, 2020, at 7:00 pm is free and open to the public and takes place in the SLU Boardrooms.

On Friday afternoon we offer master classes in poetry, fiction, nonfiction and writing for veterans taught by Saint Leo Creative Writing faculty and suitable for experienced writers. Acceptance is determined through manuscript submission and limited to six participants per class. Each master class will include expert craft talks and a writing workshop that focuses on a discussion of your work.  

  • Master Classes take place on Friday, May 15, 2020, from 1:00-4:30 pm on campus. To Apply for a Master Class, see the Master Class tab.

Our full-day retreat on Saturday features up to sixteen hands-on writing classes in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for veterans, environmental writing and publishing. Classes will focus on lessons in craft and imaginative exercises that lead to new works and new skills. Also included are a faculty reading and book signing, and an optional lunch-time open reading for participants. A very limited number of private one-on-one manuscript consultations is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

            Retreat classes are led by a nationally-acclaimed faculty. Along with Brian Turner, visiting faculty include naturalist, memoirist and earth advocate Susan Cerulean (Coming to Pass: Florida’s Coastal Islands in a Gulf of Change); award-winning poet Yolanda Franklin (Blood Vinyls); creative nonfiction writer Bob Kunzinger (A Third Place: Notes in Nature); Saint Petersburg Poet Laureate Helen Pruitt Wallace; and novelist and founder of Writers in Paradise Sterling Watson (The Committee).

These outstanding writers will be joined by Saint Leo writing faculty members Steve Kistulentz (Panorama; Little Black Daydream); Patrick Crerand (The Paper Life They Lead); veteran writer Brooke King (War Flower: My Life after Iraq); award-winning poet Anne Barngrover (Brazen Creature) and retreat director and founder of YellowJacket Press Gianna Russo (One House Down; Moonflower).

            The Sandhill Writers Retreat is open to writers of all levels who wish to hone the craft and renew the joy of writing. Teachers, students, service members, and the general public are all invited to attend.

To read more detailed information and register online, visit this page:

https://www.saintleo.edu/sandhill-writers-retreat

For additional information contact Director Gianna Russo at gianna.russo@saintleo.edu

Indie Author Marketing Workshop — Sarasota, FL

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The Art of the Sell: An Indie Author Learn and Do Workshop Saturday, March 21, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Seasons 52, UTC Mall, Sarasota. Presented by Pat McKanic & Associates, LLC

 You accomplished a monumental task—writing your book! Now, let’s get that book into readers’ hands!

 WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Utilizing instruction, role-play, hands-on design and coaching, we’ll give indie authors tips and tools needed to create customized, functional, versatile marketing strategies and collaterals to boost books sales, expand awareness, attract readers and continually engage followers.

COST: $129 per person, includes workshop materials, lunch, and beverages throughout the day.

REGISTRATION: Jan. 16, 2020 – Feb. 28, 2020. Seating is limited; ABSOLUTELY NO WALK-INS.

TO REGISTER: Email your name, book title (one per registrant) and best contact number to: brookgranpublishing@gmail.com (we will contact you)

 WORKSHOP SESSIONS:
—They’re not buying your book, they’re buying you!
—Social Media Marketing: Finding, Being, Doing, inhabiting your niche (aka You Are A Rock Star!)
 —Let’s create!

WORKSHOP BONUS FEATURES:
+ Lunch & Learn: “Maximizing LinkedIn, building your author brand” presented by Microsoft

First 20 registrations receive one of the following:
-Certificate for a 25-minute one-on-one coaching session
-Certificate for a 30-minute podcast interview
-A gift certificate from Microsoft for a one-hour personal training session

Marketing matters!

Writers on the Air

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Every Sunday, WKDW 97.5 FM nonprofit radio invites amateur writers, poets, and comedians to perform or read on its program “Writers on the Air.”  Organizers are looking for funny or family-friendly content.

Sign up at 2:30 p.m.  The show airs live at 3:00 p.m.  After the show, a participating visitor who reads may be eligible for a three-minute author interview that is posted on the “Writers on the Air” Facebook page.

The public is invited to:
Common Grounds Meeting Hall
12735 Tamiami Trail
North Port, Florida
next door to WKDW 97.5 FM radio station in the Springs Plaza.

For more information, contact Linda at Lschell2@verizon.net and visit the Writers on the Air page on Facebook.

The Elephant — Storytelling Naples CANCELLED

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The Elephant

“Stories You’ll Never Forget”

the elephantJoin the showcase of oral storytelling performances. We breath new life into this ancient art of one person sharing a story with another. Tellers tell their tantalizing tales. This is HUGE! Unforgettable! Captivating and fun! Sponsored by Storytellers of the Round Table. Emcee: Dr. Joel Ying

Naples, Florida

The Elephant 5: Stories You’ll Never Forget
Monday, April 6, 2020
7pm – 9pm
Sugden Theatre (Tobye Hall), 701 5th Ave South, Naples, FL 34102
Tickets: $20
Box Office: 239-263-7990

Creative Writing Workshop in the Vineyards of Tuscany

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IN VINO VERITAS
Creative Writing Workshop in the Vineyards of Tuscany

FABULOUS NEW PROGRAM FOR 2020
THREE SESSIONS:

Alison MacLeod     May 3 – 9, 2020
Tobias Jones     September 6 – 12, 2020
Writing Retreat     October 11 – 17, 2020


In Vino Veritas is a residential writing workshop in the vineyards of Tuscany featuring personalized encounters with teacher/writers, morning workshops, guided wine tastings, and wonderful Italian cuisine. Limited to a maximum of 15 participants, In Vino Veritas brings together a small group of international writers who work on memoirs, fiction, and poetry, learning about writing in the morning and wine in the evenings. All is accompanied by exquisite food and conversation.
In 2020, we are thrilled to announce three exciting sessions. Alison MacLeod, author of Unexploded, long-listed for the Booker Prize, will lead a Fiction workshop in May. Best-selling author of The Dark Heart of Italy, Tobias Jones will lead a Non-fiction workshop in September. And for those who do not want to attend a morning workshop, a Writer’s Retreat in October affords the opportunity to find inspiration in the landscape and wines of Tuscany, while discussing your day’s writing at mealtimes with the other writer-participants. For more information, see our website: www.invinoveritaswriting.com
The backdrop to this exciting week is the Donatella Cinelli Colombini wine estate in Trequanda, between Florence and Siena. The day begins after breakfast with a three-hour workshop. The afternoon is free for writing, reading, swimming (in season!) or wandering through the vineyards. In the evening, wine flows over long Italian dinners that include sommelier-led guided tastings and exquisite food pairings. Some star-filled evenings are dedicated to readings.
Participants stay in superbly comfortable private bedrooms in rustic buildings in the middle of the vineyards. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner feature Tuscan specialties, like the famed Chianina steak, and produce comes from local farms in the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or the very gardens of the Cinelli Colombini estate itself (vegetarians won’t get bored!).
Please do not hesitate to contact me for an electronic brochure.
Thank you for your attention. Cin-cin! Cheers!