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July News From The President
July 19, 2024Successful writers tell us: read, read, read. Read writers whose work you respect. Read up-and-coming writers, read the classics, read pulp fiction, read biography, read the works of your writer friends. At the inspiring Lee County Library Reading Festival this March, I purchased every book by every author under our Gulf Coast Writers tent. It was not only a desire to expand my library, it was also a commitment to my fellow writers. If we are to know and help each other, we must read each other’s writings. That’s one reason we’re so pleased with the work Sheryl and Continue reading ...
June News from the President
June 13, 2024 Dear Gulf Coast Writer, If you were among the 37 who attended the May 18 meeting, you were part of a priceless experience: getting into the heads of writers about their publishing experience. Some were self published, some traditionally, some hybrid. It was fascinating to learn how our members journeyed from manuscript to print. Among the many learnings during that meeting, we heard that none of our authors is getting rich from publication of their works. This is typical. Statistically, a vast majority of authors earn virtually nothing after expenses. But at the end of the meeting, I Continue reading ...
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 ...
President Letter April 2024
April 1, 2024Dear Gulf Coast Writer, I’d like for us to become more than colleagues. I want us to become friends – people with whom we can share our highs and lows, our challenges and triumphs, in trust and mutual care. Several of our cherished members are enduring life-altering adversity. My heart goes out to those whose ordeals I’m aware of. My hope is for ours to be a forum in which we can support each other in crisis and in calm. Writing is a lonely pursuit. Friendship eases the alienation, and friendship with fellow writers doubles the connection. In our 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 ...
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 ...
October Meeting
November 4, 2023We all gathered together for our October meeting on Saturday the 18th. It was well attended and a great opportunity for members to meet and enjoy each other’s company. Speakers We were blessed to have two outstanding speakers, Claudia Volkman and April Lynne James. Claudia talked about her experiences in becoming a professional editor and presented the different types of editing recommended for every published work including Developmental Editing, Evaluation Editing, Line Editing, Content Editing, Copyediting and Proofreading. April Lynne James took us on a melodic journey that showcased her talents as a musician and renowned authority on opera Continue reading ...
Storm Stories Press Release
August 24, 2023The ‘Storm Stories – Hurricane Ian’ continues to get attention in the local press. See a recent release from the Pine Island Eagle, below: Gulf Coast Writers Association set to publish ‘Storm Stories — Hurricane Ian’ A collaborative effort to tell “Stories of Survival, Heroism and Humanity” has come together in “Storm Stories–Hurricane Ian.” With the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian making landfall in Southwest Florida approaching, the Gulf Coast Writers Association, in partnership with the Alliance for the Arts, will release a commemorative book complied from 83 submissions, including poetry and long narratives. The book’s cover art was done by renowned Continue reading ...
April Workshop – Tell Your Hurricane Story
April 11, 2023April 2023 Workshop: Tell Your Hurricane Story Topic: Develop Your Hurricane Ian Story April 15, 2023, 10 a.m. to Noon In person Only – No Zoom Meeting Location: Map Word of Life Church 6111 South Pointe Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33919 Plan to attend our meeting on Saturday April 15, 2023. This program is a workshop to help us develop our stories about the Hurricane Ian experience. Prose or poetry – whatever your favored writing style – the only rule is that it must be true (or mostly true). Jeanne Meeks and Mary Charles conduct memoir workshops in their Continue reading ...
PRESIDENT’S LETTER FOR APRIL 2023
April 3, 2023President’s letter for April 2023 In our broadest initiative in many years, Gulf Coast Writers Association is partnering with the Alliance for the Arts to remember Hurricane Ian in words and art. The words are the job of us Gulf Coast Writers, of course. We will produce a book of prose and poetry submitted by our members and the public, telling the story of Hurricane Ian from a personal perspective. This anthology will debut during the month-long art and interactive exhibit installation in September at the Alliance for the Arts. The deadline for inclusion in the printed Storm Stories Continue reading ...
GCWA Writing Contest 2023 News Release
March 31, 2023Gulf Coast Writers Association CONTACT: Jeff Bogart, 917-608-3477 For Immediate Release GCWA Announces Writing Contest –Open to GCWA members and the public Continue reading ...
PRESIDENT’S LETTER FOR MARCH 2023
March 12, 2023President’s Letter for March 2023 The new deadline for this year’s Writing Contest has been extended to May 31, 2023. This extension offers flexibility and perfect timing for any work you would like to submit for the contest. Overwriting rather than underwriting a script is challenging. We LOVE our work; however, like parenting, disciplining ourselves is difficult, but necessary. In the GCWA March 2023 meeting, take what you learn from Arielle Haughee to Crisp Up That Prose! We strongly recommend you bring some of your writing that needs revision for a hands-on portion of the class. Bad habits can Continue reading ...
March Speaker – Arielle Haughee
March 2, 2023March 2023 Speaker: Arielle Haughee Topic: Crisp Up That Prose! March 18, 2023, 10 a.m. to Noon In person and Zoom – Register here Meeting Location: Map Word of Life Church 6111 South Pointe Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33919 Crisp Up That Prose! – Tight writing is a necessity for attracting agents and editors as well as keeping readers interested. In this workshop, we’ll discuss frequently used fluff words, strategies for cleaning up sentences, and bad habits that can make prose cumbersome. We’ll utilize three strategies–cut, replace, and trim down–to make your writing as efficient as possible. Bring some Continue reading ...
The Best of Luck @ The Alliance for the Arts
February 21, 2023THE BEST OF LUCK STORYTELLERS BRING STORIES OF LUCK TO THE ALLIANCE FOR THE ARTS By Mary Lou Williams The storytelling series at the Alliance for the Arts began the 2023 season this January with stories of “New Beginnings.” The second program in the series was “Stories of Love” for the month of February and Valentine’s Day. The third and last program for this season will be performed on Friday, March 3rd, 7 pm to 9 pm. The Storytellers of the Round Table and the Elephant Showcase Storytellers will take the stage to tell “Stories of Luck,” Continue reading ...
*****News Flash*****
February 10, 2023 Hot news re the Truist/Suncoast situation! Mike received a call and letter from Chairman of Truist……. And a recent bad report about Suncoast. You won’t want to miss this. See you on February 18th!!!! Irene Smith, President Gulf Coast Writers Association Continue reading ...