Dear Writer Friends
It’s hard to concentrate in December. Every shiny object launches me on a tangent. This is especially true after passing a landmark.
Saturday December 7 was a landmark day. GCWA had its first strictly social gathering in years. The committee of April James, Jan Porter, Sheryl Stillman, Ginger Wakem and Christie Zarria put together a warm and cordial event which seemed effortless but surely was not. From the festive music and decorations to the bountiful food to the silent auction and book donation benefiting our treasury, it was an afternoon of cordial friendship.
We got to know each other, we had meaningful conversations, we celebrated our lives.
Let’s do it again! Next month begins the 30th anniversary year of Gulf Coast Writers. Can we find a way to commemorate our beginnings and look forward with new purpose? A way that brings us together as writer-friends and helps us find new meaning in our writing lives? Do we go on a short retreat? Do we conduct a workshop series? Do we have a party? Or do we do all these and more?
Help us decide how to celebrate 30 years. This organization belongs to each of us, and we should all have a say in how we prioritize our needs and wants. I sense a new energy in our membership, and I want every view represented in ongoing decisions. So speak up. Help us go forward in a way that benefits us all. Send your thoughts and ideas to the GCWA Executive Committee: executive@gulfwriters.org.
The first meeting of 2025 is Saturday January 18 at 10 AM. We’ll be back at the Lakes Public Library on the corner of Gladiolus and Bass Road. Our excellent program team of V&V [Charley Valera and Claudia Volkman] have lined up an entire year of interesting speakers and workshops.
Our January presenter is Brenda Spalding, the award-winning Florida writer whose novels’ themes are ripped from the headlines of SWFL criminal enterprise. Her villains are wildlife poachers; her heroes are a conservation officer and a native Seminole. Come and learn how Brenda Spalding finds plots in our very backyard.
That wonderful meeting room just off the lobby at the Lakes Public Library is our temporary home. We cannot be assured of its availability from month to month. So please keep your eyes and ears open for a venue that we can call home. Our budget is tight. The fee must be reasonable. Please let us know if you find a solution. We are vagabonds until then.
I wish for you the many joys of the holiday season. December has holy days in many cultures. Christians and Jews, Buddhists and Pagans all have revered customs, many linked in history. Join me in celebrating the coming of the light according to your faith.
Please keep in touch.
Mary
