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January Meeting

In blatant disregard of how we always do things, we will be having a January meeting prior to the conference. Our new president, Joyce Henderson, will be speaking on "How to Get the Most out of the Conference and the Guild for '09."

FIT Creative Writing Institute

The Humanities and Communications Department is offering a Creative Writing Institute from May 17-May 22 2009 for the entire Melbourne community. If you would like to be a participant in this program as either an instructor, speaker, or a student, please respond directly to Profs. Denius, Harris, and Lavelle:
emails: mdenius@fit.edu, harrisj@fit.edu, jlavelle@fit.edu

We'll have writers from right here at FIT, as well as from the larger Florida community, to offer classes on novel-writing, short-story writing, poetry, journalism, scriptwriting (for stage and screen), writing about monsters, writing for role-playing games, science fiction, folklore and fantasy, mystery and suspense, and more! All suggestions are welcome. Let us know what you'd like to experience.

More updates on this fun new program will be coming next semester, but we need to hear from all of you now as we continue our preparations and recruitment. Would you like to take (or teach) a single class? An entire day? The entire session?

Exact fees are yet to be determined. Remember, this is for the entire Melbourne community, so forward this to friends and family who might be intrigued.

Here's the times you need to mark on your calendars:
Creative Writing Institute: Week of May 17, 2009 to May 22, 2009

Sunday, May 17: Orientation and Welcome to Writers
1-2 Registration
2-2:15 Welcome
2:15-3 Key-note Speaker
3-4 Writers Social and additional registration

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, May 18, 20, 22
9:00 AM-10:30 AM class
10:30-12 class
12-1:30 lunch/speaker
1:45-3:00 class
3:15- 5:45 Writer's Coffee/Tea Hours/Poetry/Prose Readings & TBA
6:00-7:30 class
7:30-9:00 class

Congrats to Gloria Douglas

Gloria's book, Alpha Rising (G.L. Douglas) received Honorable Mention at the 2008 London Book Festival, where judges determine winners based on story-telling ability of the author and the potential of the work to win wider recognition from the international publishing community. Festival director Bruce Haring said this was "...one of our toughest competitions to date."

Change in conference speakers

Sadly, Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch had to cancel out of this year's conference due to an illness in the family. Not to worry. Their friends, J. Steven York and Cristina F. York, have offered to step up and fill in for them. These two couples have such similar bios, they may have possibly been separated at birth. To read more, check out our speaker descriptions.

Marshall Frank releases new book

In his newest book, Essays by a Career Cop, Marshall Frank exposes the crippled justice system as a quagmire of Injustice affecting tens of millions and unnecessarily costing the taxpayer upwards of $200 billion a year. Powerful arguments are presented for modernizing laws and procedure that would solve many aspects of these problems including the failed war on drugs, capital punishment, sex offenses, cops, courts, prisons and more.

The author points out how draconian laws have produced a morass of social oppression, creating more crime than it prevents, and serving a prison industrial complex that has grown into a cheap labor pool for corporate America. Only a politically incorrect, thirty-year career cop with the muzzle removed can dare offer such candid and startling alternatives to a failed system that now houses 2.3 million inmates in America’s prisons, many of whom do not belong there. Definitely a book for thinkers.

Congrats to Bill Allen for The Hero Who Slayed Ruuan

Congratulations to Bill allen for the release of his second book, The Hero Who Slayed Ruuan, sequel to Greg Hart, Dragonslayer?

The Canarazas are fierce, razor-toothed warriors who can run much faster than a man, or more to the point, much faster than Greg. Soon they will attack Pendegrass Castle, and according to prophecy, the "Hero who slayed Ruuan" will fight with the strength of ten men and make the difference that leads the king to victory.

But no one slayed Ruuan. Greg knows the prophecy can't possibly be true--except, of course, for that one bit about him having to fight the Canarazas.

Guild Announces Don Argo Florida Fiction Award

At the September Second Saturday meeting, Jim Harris announced that the Board of Directors has created the Don Argo Florida Fiction Award. This award will recognize the novel or collection of short stories that best displays life in Florida, may it be historical or contemporary in nature. The Florida Fiction Award was named in honor of the late Don David Argo for his tireless work for the Guild as a founding member and past president. Don and his historical novel, Canaveral Light, has been given the honor as first award recipient. Due to his poor health, the announcement of the award was presented to his wife Kathy. Don died Sunday, October 19th with the knowledge that his name and his love for writing will be remembered and honored for many years to come. More information on the award will be announced in January’s newsletter.

SCWG gone national?

Who says SCWG is not known nationally?

Recently I received an announcement from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky asking me to inform our members of their new MFA program in Creative Writing:

"Spalding University’s four-semester, brief-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing combines superb instruction with unparalleled flexibility. At the beginning of each semester, students and faculty work together at a 10-day residency (in Louisville or abroad), after which they return home to correspond one-on-one through an exchange of 5 packets between the student and the faculty mentor for the rest of the semester. Study fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, screenwriting, or playwriting. Request brochure FA35 by email: mfa@spalding.edu, by phone: (800) 896-8941, ext 2423, or see our website: www.spalding.edu/mfa."

Let Florida Today know about your book

A recent Florida Today article tells us how to let Florida Today know about our newly released books:

"Local authors have a new way to trumpet their new books. Space Coast authors can go to www.floridatoday.com/authors and fill out the form there. The information will go to our staff, and much of it will end up in a column on local authors in our Sunday books coverage. We'll also write features about some of the new authors. This is the best way to get your information to FLORIDA TODAY writers and editors. If your book has been published recently (August or later) or will soon be published, and you haven't already been mentioned in FLORIDA TODAY, please fill out the form. It will ask you, among other things, whether there's a review copy of your book available, so you don't have to send us a copy unless we ask for it. The form also asks for a summary of the book, information on the author and book signings, the price, where to buy it and more. Any time you have a new book to tout, fill out the form two weeks in advance, or as soon as you can, so we can publish the information in a timely fashion."

Florida Book News

For all the latest news about writing on the Space coast, check out our own Lou Belcher's new Florida Book News site. If you have any news about your books, writing projects and presentations, writing organizations, conferences, workshops...anything about writing and books...send it to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

Congrats to Valerie Allen

Congratulations to Valerie on the release of her new book, Summer School for Smarties, a children's book for grades three to six about a girl who suddenly finds her long awaited summer vacation interrupted due to an end-of-the-year low grade in reading. For more info click here.

Book Xchg Presentations

Meet your local authors. The first Saturday of each month, three local authors from the Space Coast Writers' Guild will present a short presentation on their most recent published books. Where? In Cocoa Village at the Book Xchng, 604 Brevard Avenue at 1pm. Call Rich for details at 321-693-5624.

Volunteers Needed

Rolling Readers of Brevard needs volunteers to read to school age children at various Title I schools. They provide books and materials.

Contact: Bonnie Daniels
Phone: 254-9976
Location: Pineapple Ave near Eau Gallie Library
GRIP: Grade Level Intervention Program
Amicorps VISTA: Volunteers In Service to America