Welcome

Our Next Meeting: May 21, 2022

The next monthly SCWG meeting will be May 21, 2022.

This will be the SCWG Annual Meeting, as required by Florida Law. There are no elections this year, so the meeting will consist of a “State of the Guild” presentation by our president, Joanne Fisher. Following this will be an open duscussion, Q&A session on any and all topics. The winners of the Space Coast Writers’ Guild Annual Short Story Contest winners will be announced.

As usual, we will convene at the Eau Gallie Public Library in the meeting room. Enter through the main doors and make an immediate right turn. Again, the address is 1521 Pineapple Avenue, Melbourne, FL 32935.

President’s Corner

Joanne Fisher

May is the month of mothers, May flowers, and Memorial Day.

Being a mother and a writer can sometimes be challenging, to say the least. How many of you have adult children who don’t read your works? Many of us are in this situation, and sometimes they don’t take notice until something cool happens in their lives that connects them to you as a writer. It’s quite a rare occasion, but when they come to that realization, they suddenly become extremely proud of you and begin to probe into how it got all started.

This may not be the case for all of you, I’m sure, but it certainly is for me. During the April meeting, my adult son accompanied me and helped me set everything up. He stuck around a few minutes to see his mother speaking and going about her SCWG business at the front of the room. On our way home, he let me know how proud he was of me and how easy I made it look. I was beyond flattered, and simply brushed it off. But he didn’t let it go, so easily. He began to question me about my books. During this alone time with him, I talked about all my books. He was amazed at how much I had accomplished in  a short amount of time. Then he said something I’ll always remember. “Mom, your books would live on forever,” he said. “They will be your legacy.”

“Well, yes, my books are like children to me,” I explained. “Like a child just conceived, an idea pops into your head, then it grows and grows and grows until your masterpiece is published or is ‘born’. After this birth, it must be nurtured so it can grow and become an active part of society, just like a human child. In this industry, the nurturing is marketing, and the active part of society is the readers it captivates.”

“I never thought of it that way, but it makes sense.” Then he continued, “Well, I hope one of your books gets turned into a movie. Then I’ll watch it for sure.”

I rolled my eyes, quietly. I would rather he read the book and use his imagination instead of the silver screen, but the acknowledgement was the grandest part. I had been in a bit of a slump that day, but that conversation ignited a new spark that is slowly turning into a huge flame.

So, even if you’re not a mother, never give up your talent because—you never know, right?

Write on!

Your President,

Joanne Fisher