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May News from the President
May 8, 2024Dear fellow member: I joined Gulf Coast Writers during the Covid pandemic, when personal interaction screeched to a sudden halt in March of 2020. It was fascinating to “meet” fellow members virtually on my computer’s screen, to develop relationships with people I had never met in person, an adult version of my childhood experience with pen pals. We shared joys and sorrows, good news and sad news, all without the benefit (or burden) of personal contact. Participating in the GCWA writing contest that first year felt alien. Nobody knew me. I knew nobody. The competitive field was a cipher. Continue reading ...
GCWA April Monthly Meeting Recap
May 8, 2024Creating “Lyrical” Back Stories The Saturday, April 20th Member Meeting was a break from formal presentations, with an experiential, group writing exercise led by Charley Valera. Members formed groups of six, each group selecting printed lyrics to well-known tunes, including Barry Manilow’s lyrics to “Copacabana,” the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” by Jim Croce, and “Piano Man” by Billy Joel. Members were tasked with cooperatively creating a “back story” related to the song in a timed exercise. Stories were read to the larger group at the end. Watch your inbox for an email with the full stories! Continue reading ...
Four stories in 20 minutes: Piano Man
May 5, 2024Four stories in 20 minutes! At the April meeting of Gulf Coast Writers, everyone was talking at once. Amazingly, the result was not chaos. Four teams of writers collaborated to create stories based on lyrics from the American songbook of the 1970s. Members were given just 20 minutes to craft a story based on their song assignment. Take a look at the results, below. Teamwork opportunities will continue in future meetings. We are the new Gulf Coast Writers! “Piano Man” lyrics It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday The regular crowd shuffles in There’s an old man Continue reading ...
Four stories in 20 minutes: “Eleanor Rigby” the story
May 3, 2024Four stories in 20 minutes! At the April meeting of Gulf Coast Writers, everyone was talking at once. Amazingly, the result was not chaos. Four teams of writers collaborated to create stories based on lyrics from the American songbook of the 1970s. Members were given just 20 minutes to craft a story based on their song assignment. Take a look at the results, below. Teamwork opportunities will continue in future meetings. We are the new Gulf Coast Writers! “Eleanor Rigby” song lyrics Ah, look at all the lonely people Ah, look at all the lonely people Continue reading ...
Four stories in 20 minutes: “Copacabana” the story
May 3, 2024Four stories in 20 minutes! At the April meeting of Gulf Coast Writers, everyone was talking at once. Amazingly, the result was not chaos. Four teams of writers collaborated to create stories based on lyrics from the American songbook of the 1970s. Members were given just 20 minutes to craft a story based on their song assignment. Take a look at the results, below. Teamwork opportunities will continue in future meetings. We are the new Gulf Coast Writers! “Copacabana” lyrics Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl With yellow feathers in her hair and a Continue reading ...
Four stories in 20 minutes: Bad, Bad…” story
May 3, 2024Four stories in 20 minutes! At the April meeting of Gulf Coast Writers, everyone was talking at once. Amazingly, the result was not chaos. Four teams of writers collaborated to create stories based on lyrics from the American songbook of the 1970s. Members were given just 20 minutes to craft a story based on their song assignment. Take a look at the results, below. Teamwork opportunities will continue in future meetings. We are the new Gulf Coast Writers! “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” lyrics Well, the south side of Chicago Is the baddest part of town And Continue reading ...
GCWA March Monthly Meeting Recap
March 25, 2024GCWA March Monthly Meeting Recap Keynote Speaker: Sean Martinelli of NBC2 TV’s “Stories2Share” Sean Martinelli, journalist and host of NBC2 TVs “Stories2Share,” was the speaker at Gulf Coast Writers Association’s meeting on Saturday, March 16, 2024. Attendance hovered near 50 and 17 members gathered for lunch at Bucketts in Fort Myers, with Martinelli joining in. Childhood Dream Becomes Reality Martinelli heard his calling long before he recognized what it would mean in his lifetime. As background, Martinelli admitted to being an unusual child. He dressed as Regis Philbin for Halloween at age nine and convinced his parents to drive Continue reading ...
The Way Cancer Has Shaped Me
March 7, 2024By Brian Sluga Looking back on my experience with testicular cancer at a young age, I realize that cancer didn’t define me — it helped shape me. Illustration of a man with blond hair and rectangular glasses wearing a black t-shirt, smiling. My personal experience brought to life the all-pervading turbulence of testicular cancer. A harrowing impact on a youth. Turns out, that there was only one question for me: how to go about living? During this time, my mind had the capacity to understand the force of cancer and the limits of humans to affect outcomes, but I Continue reading ...
Presidents Letter March 2024
February 29, 2024 Dear Gulf Coast Writer: There’s a new energy in the air. To the dozens who attended our February meeting, thank you for your participation, your interest, your ideas, and for stepping up to participate in the activities of our organization. So far this year, ten or more new members have become part of us. We welcome Janet DeLeo, Kathy Klag, Mary Beth Leopold, Eddie Lydick, Sheryl Stillman, Geraldine McArdle, Laura Schueneman, Andrea West and Richard Allen. Whom have I missed? Let me know! To you who have recently renewed your membership or rejoined our association, a thousand Continue reading ...
President Letter February 2024
February 19, 2024My Dear Fellow Writers: Membership in the Gulf Coast Writers Association requires annual dues of $50. Those dues allow us to pay rent for a place to meet and to cover honorariums for presenters. They allow us to participate in the Lee County Library Reading Festival, maintain our website, and sponsor a noteworthy writing contest with a discounted entry fee for Members. We must also carry liability insurance. We are a nonprofit. No member or officer receives compensation for our work. All dues go toward essentials. Annual dues, which are due in January, cover the period Jan. 1 to Continue reading ...
PRESIDENT’S LETTER JANUARY 2024
January 8, 2024PRESIDENT’S LETTER Revised January 8, 2024 IMPORTANT ALERT: JANUARY 20 MEETING LOCATION HAS CHANGED. JOIN US AT THE MASONIC LODGE/PEACE COMMUNITY CHURCH, 17671 PINE RIDGE ROAD, NEAR FORT MYERS BEACH, 10 AM. Dear Gulf Coast Writers, I am disinclined to make New Year resolutions because I always disappoint myself. But I’ve made one on behalf of our organization this year: to help us become more relevant and energetic and inviting. To fulfill this resolution, I’ll need help from you. For us to succeed, we need to connect. As a first step toward connecting, we have a new program component. Continue reading ...
PRESIDENT’S LETTER DECEMBER 2023
December 26, 2023Dear GCWA Member,This is my first letter to our Gulf Coast Writers Association as our new president. Irene Smith,having served as president so energetically, has earned her emerita status. We are in Irene’sdebt for her tireless efforts on our behalf, especially in the difficult Covid years when we couldnot meet in person. That we continue to exist is a testament to Irene’s tenacity. I promise to stay connected, to foster a sense of community among writers, and to be open toyour wishes. Please do likewise: keep in touch, help us connect, and make your wishes known. I want to Continue reading ...