News & Events
Meetings & Events
Cocoa Village Arts & Crafts Festival
December 2 and 3, 2023
This weekend, your Guild was again at the Cocoa Village Arts & Crafts Festival in Downtown Cocoa Village. Several of our members came to sell their books. As usual, the festival encompassed two days, December 2 and 3. Lots of books were sold by our members. If you haven’t done the festival, this is a perfect venue for selling books! Your next opportunity will be March 2 and 3. Stay tuned to the SCWG Homepage for more details!
Joanne Fisher and Margaret Livermore at the Cocoa Village Arts & Crafts Festival
Cocoa Village Arts & Crafts Show March 2023
The 2023 Cocoa Village Arts & Crafts Shows have begun! On March 4, Joanne Fisher and Margaret Livermore set up shop at the Guild’s table at the festival, bright and early. The Guild provides a space at each of the four festivals each year, and authors who attend report brisk book sales. You’re welcome to come out tomorrow, from 10 AM to 4 PM. The Guild’s booth is on Orange Street at the west end of the festival. Don’t miss out on a golden opportunity to meet great people and sell books! Your next opportunity is May 13 and 14, October 21 and 22, and December 2 and 3.
Palm Bay Mulcultural Festival
On Saturday, January 28, 2023 our president, Joanne Fisher, attended the City of Palm Bay’s Multicultural Festival. This is an annual festival held at the Fred Poppe Regional Park near Malabar Road and St. Johns Heritabe Parkway. Joanne reports that, although the weather was overcast, cool, and breezy, sales were as brisk as the weather.
Satellite Beach Founders Festival
Well, here we are on a cold Winter morning in Satellite Beach! The temperature is a little over 40ﾟ, so it’s a good thing that we are inside. Stop by sometime during the day and say Hi, or you can even display some of your books for sale.
Cocoa Village Arts & Crafts Festival
December 3 and 4 brings yet another Cocoa Village Arts and Crafts Festival. Joanne was joined by Jay Heavner today. Every SCWG member is welcome to come, set up your books, and sell, sell, sell! Both Joanne and Jay have sold several books. already. Come and join the fun! We’re here until 5 PM today and we’ll be back here at 9 until 4 tomorrow. If you’re not a member, come and buy some books. Support local authors!
On Stage: James R. Nelson
On Stage Authors and the Merritt Island Library present monthly events with Space Coast prominent authors on the first Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m.
The September guest speaker is Space Coast Writers Guild’s own James R. Nelson, author of fourteen novels, and award-winning mystery writer. Mr. Nelson’s prolific writing is now available in e-book, audiobook, and paperback publications.
You are invited to this special On Stage Presentation to hear about creative writing skills, the successful outlining process, and the development of story elements that create a captive audience and devoted followers.
Please join On Stage Authors at the Merritt Island Library, 1195 N. Courtenay Pkwy
You are Invited!
We invite you to participate in MetaFest 2022, produced by bUneke.org, a nonprofit
educational organization that showcases others through professional storytelling. Let us help you on your mission to reach and teach world changers.
Merritt Square Mall is a historic, indoor mall located on Merritt Island, Florida. It is minutes off the Beachline (SR 528), only 45 minutes from Orlando, in the middle of Brevard County, just 15 minutes from Cocoa Beach. There will still be plenty of daylight to enjoy the beach after the event ends.
May Day Celebration
Date: May 1, 2022
On May 1, 2022, SCWG members Christopher Adams, Kathryn Flanagan, James McGurk, and Andy K. Stanfield, Ph.D. from Florida Institute of Technology, and our international guest, Principal Maria Angelica Batista, Ph.D., participated in celebration of this remarkable date with the event, “Poet as an Artist”. The participants shared their literary journeys and readings. Dr. Stanfield read the lyrics of “Marking off the Days” from his band Ojo de Rojo and a live demo of “Thanks for Nothing, Everything” that was recorded 7 Dec 2020 in Slack Labs by the Slackadaisicals Band.
The event was presented by Roseangelina Baptista, chair of the Space Coast Writers Guild Poetry Committee. It was livestreamed on Facebook Messenger and viewed by poetry lovers online in Brevard and in Sao Paulo, Brazil, “The Land of Drizzle”.
SCWG News
Jennifer Walker Wins Gold Medal at Readers’ Choice Book Reviews
Jennifer recently won the Gold Medal at the Readers’ Choice Book Reviews in Miami for her debut novel The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven.. Congratulations to Jennifer on this extremely prestigious award!
Canaveral Chapter of Pen Women Seeks Applicants for 2023 Scholarship
The Cape Canaveral chapter of the National League of American Pen Women is seeking applicants for its 2023 scholarship. This year’s scholarship will be awarded to a young girl in junior or senior high school, with an aptitude in writing, and also seeking a possible career in the field.
For guidelines and application, please email Cynthia Hall at [email protected].
Application deadline is April 7th.
Joanne Fisher Presents
So, You Want to Write a Novel!
Franklin T. DeGroodt Public Library
Beginning March 11, 2023 and lasting for four weeks, Joanne is presenting a class, So, You Want to Write a Novel! This will be a generalized, overview class designed for folks who have an interest in writing but know little to nothing about it.
Joanne will take you through conceptualizing, planning, writing, and publishing your book.
Classes begin at 10 AM and end at Noon, at the Franklin T. DeGroodt Library, 6475 Minton Rd. S.E., Palm Bay, FL 32908.
Jennifer Walker Interviewed
August 17, 2022
Jennifer Ivy Walker’s interview in The Bookshelf Cafe News was published on August 10. Although not a long interview, it sheds a light on one of our newer members. This is a good read for any of members to help get acquainted with Jennifer.
She also has been awarded two 5-star reviews from Readers’ Choice Book Reviews.
Regina is Written Up!
August 16, 2022
Regina Kear Reid has a news article in East Coast Equestrian about her book, Heels Down Hall. Please visit this site and give it some traffic. Congratulations, Regina!
Christmas in July!
Christmas fell in July, this year! On July 30, Specialty Pop-up Events presented Christmas In July at the Titusville Civic Center. Of course, SCWG had a table set up for any of our members to sell their books. Joanne displayed the Guild’s anthologies. Randal Agostini and Rose Padrick were there, with Rose purchasing her own table. If you weren’t there, you missed out on a great opportunity!
Guideposts Writers Workshop
June 12, 2022
Are you a born storyteller? You can conribute to Guideposts to inspire millions of people? Every two years, a small group of writers is selected to learn from Guideposts editors how to write for their magazines, website, devotionals, books, newsletters and other publications and platforms. This could be your year! The Writers Workshop is sponsored by best-selling author Debbie Macomber. For more information on how to enter this prestigious contest, click below.
And the Winners Are….
May 21, 2022
The Space Coast Writers Guild is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Short Story Contest! The competition was fierce, with many excellent submissions! Our Guild is the home of extreme talent, with most of the finalists determined by less than one point! Our President, Joanne, would like to thank all the participants in this year’s competition, from the members who submitted entries to the judges who gave their time and talent to score the entries. The contest has a “double-blind” rating system. The contestants do not know who the judges are, and the judges do not know whose stories they are scoring.
The First Prize went to Sheila Gillis, for Little Gains. Congratulations, Sheila!
The runners-up include:
2nd Place, Terry Friedlander, for Caller ID
3rd Place, John Contoupe, for The Three Hairs on Her Chin
4th Place, Steven Charles, for I Got You
5th Place, Jessica Broyles, for Luscinia T Bird
Congratulations, one and all! Your prizes were well-deserved!
Sheila Gillis, First Place Winner in the 2022 Space Coast Writers Guild Short Story Contest, reads her winning story, Little Gains.
The Guild in Cocoa Village. Again!
May 14, 2022
The Space Coast Writers Guild was again at the Cocoa Village Arts and Crafts Fair. On Saturday, May 14, SCWG members Ken Leggett, Jay Heavner, Margaret Livermore, and Joanne Fisher set up shop and sold their books to the passersby at the event. Everyone sold some books and, as the old saying goes, “a great time was had by all!” All members are invited to attend the quarterly event, paid for by the Guild. The Arts and Crafts Fairs are an ideal way to meet the public, sharpen your interpersonal skills, and sell your books! The SCWG display typically is directly across the street from Ryan’s Pizza on Harrison Street, but always check with Joanne. Hours are from 10 to 5 Saturdays and 10 to 4 Sundays.
News from Gene Luke Vlahovic!
May 2, 2022
SCWG’s Gene Luke reports that Amazon has read his books and has judged and elevated him into the upper echelon of renowned authors.
Gordon England’s Reflections Poem on his YouTube Channel
Gordon England reports that his poem, After the Rain, that appeared in the SCWG poetry anthology Reflections, appears on his YouTube channel
“My wife, a radio announcer in a previous life, made a dramatic reading of the poem.” Gordon said. “Also on that page I have recordings of my songs, plays, and Annie’s plays.”
You can listen to his poem at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpqQrlA6s50&t=6s. Visit Gordon’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC74cYzYtfw8RHYDoMW2NeTw/featured- YouTube.
SCWG at the Cocoa Village Arts & Crafts Fair
On the weekend of March 5 and 5, 2022, SCWG members gathered at the Cocoa Village Arts and Crafts Fair and sold their books. Joanne Fisher, Jay Heavner, and Margaret Livermore set up under the Guild canopy. Each made great sales of their wares. If you didn’t participate, you lost out on a great opportunity to sell books and create new readers for yourself.
The Arts and Crafts Festival runs four times per year:
- Spring Fine Art & Craft Fair : 1st full weekend in March
- Summer Art & Craft Fair : 2nd weekend in May
- Fall Art & Craft Fair : 3rd weekend in October
- Art & Craft Holiday Bazaar : 1st full weekend in December
The Guild pays for this spot for its members to have an opportunity to sell. All Guild members are invited to participate and sell their books.
SCWG Member In the News
SCWG member Thom Lofgren has made the news! In the January 28, 2022 edition of The Hometown News with his book, Too Late to Pray. In the article, Thom talks about his inspiration for the book and the title. The newspaper article mentions the Space Coast Writers Guild and the positive influence that Guild has had on his writing.
On Display!
The Space Coast Writers Guild is on display, yet again, at the Palm Bay Public Library, 1520 Port Malabar Blvd. NE. It’s tucked in behind the Palm Bay Community Center and the Turkey Creek Sanctuary park. Please feel free to stop in at the library and gaze at the books featured there.
Royal Palm Literary Awards
Paul Iasevoli, director of the Florida Writers Association, is reaching out to ask for members to join the team of 2022 RPLA judges.
The Benefits:
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- Bragging rights for your writing resumé and a badge you can use on your website or email signature line.
- The chance to read a fascinating array of works from a diverse group of writers.
- Reading the variety of entries may enhance your own writing.
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The Process:
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- From February-August, judges are sent an entry to read about once every two weeks. (See Survey information below.)
- Along with the entry, judges will be sent a genre rubric to complete with their constructive critique comments and scores.
- Instructions on how to work with the rubric and proceed with the judging are presented in a video link you’ll receive once you accept this invite.
- Judges are assigned a Rubric Coordinator (RC) as their point of contact for coaching and advice on the rubric or the judging process.
Anyone who would like to volunteer as a judge in 2022 can use this link: https://www.questionpro.com/t/ABslzZp8BM and complete the judge-preference survey.
Stormwater Expert
Gordon England
A new SCWG member, Gordon England, reports that he has been invited to be on the Advisory Board for Stormwater Magazine. Also, he will be giving a webinar on Testing Stormwater Pollutants for their Stormwater University. He also is set to publish another memoir of short stories about living in Texas years ago. You can look at the short stories he’s published on storystar.com and poems on allpoetry.com. Visit Gordon’s AMAZON page.
SCWG on Display at Local Libraries
Past Displays
Franklin T. DeGroodt Library
6475 Minton Rd SE, Palm Bay, FL 32909
On April 3, a scaled-down display of SCWG anthologies and members’ books was set up at the Franklin T. DeGroodt Library. The Guild is setting up monthly displays at county libraries. If you would like your book to be featured in a display, or if you would like to set up a display in your local library, please CONTACT US.
Contests & Anthologies
Indie Book Awards
Deadline: February 11, 2022
The Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers, is accepting entries now through February 11, 2022. Check out the categories and requirements and consider competing! Disclaimer: If you are a member of SCWG, Cathy Oasheim will recuse herself from editing your entry to the master judge. Click HERE for more information.
Join
Join the Guild
Annual dues are $40. Monthly meetings are held the 3rd Saturday of each month at 1 PM at the Eau Gallie Public Library, 1521 Pineapple Avenue.