Cocoa Village Fall Art & Craft Fair
2026-10-17 00:00 - 2026-10-18 23:59 UTC
SHOWCASE YOUR WORK!

Four times a year, the Space Coast Writers Guild is honored to participate in the Cocoa Village Art Shows, one of the region’s most vibrant cultural gatherings that draws thousands of visitors from across Florida. As a recognized nonprofit, we’re given a free booth—and in the spirit of community, we pass that opportunity on to you, our members.

If you’re a published author and ready to connect with readers, sell your books, and represent the Guild, this is your chance to shine in a lively, supportive environment.

We have up to 6 table spaces available per show.

The event generally runs from 10 AM to 5 PM, with different setup and teardown times for each day.

Spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and applications are reviewed by the Table Space Crew Committee.

For more information regarding the Table Space Crew, guidelines, and the required application for event participation, please click HERE.

Good luck to all the participants!

Monthly Guild Meeting
2026-10-17 13:00 - 15:00
Valerie Allen: Mega Marketing with Mini Money

Valerie Allen is a well-known figure in Florida’s writing community, celebrated for her expertise in publishing, marketing, and the business of being an author. A psychologist and award-winning writer, she has published across genres—fiction, short stories, children’s books, nonfiction, and guides for writers—and has long been active in local literary organizations, including the Cape Canaveral Pen Women, serving on the Space Coast Writers Guild Board, and co-founding Authors for Authors. Many of our members know her from her popular workshops, conferences, and book fairs held throughout Brevard County.

In her presentation, Mega Marketing with Mini Money, Valerie will break down the essentials of book marketing in a way only she can—clear, practical, and refreshingly doable. She’ll explore the three skill sets every author must master (writing, publishing, and selling) and reveal how readers truly make purchasing decisions. From effective word-of-mouth strategies to leveraging hard-copy materials, to navigating the “electronic highway,” Valerie will show you how to promote your work with confidence—without breaking the bank.

Location:Lamplighter Village Clubhouse500 Lantern Dr, Melbourne, FL 32934

Monthly Guild Meeting
2026-11-21 13:00 - 15:00
Cindy Foley: The Space Coast Writers Guild: More than Four Decades of Launching Writers to New Heights

This is going to be a thoughtful, reverent presentation on the illustrious history of the Space Coast Writers Guild, soon to celebrate 45 years of Launching Writers to New Heights.

More information to come, so stay tuned.

About the Speaker:Coming soon

Location: Lamplighter Village Clubhouse 500 Lantern Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32934

Cocoa Village Art & Craft Holiday Bazaar
2026-12-05 00:00 - 2026-12-06 23:59

Monthly Guild Meeting
2026-12-19 13:00 - 15:00
Our Annual Q&A Holiday Session

Join us for our annual Holiday Session & Writer Q&A—a warm and festive tradition for members to reflect, reconnect, and recharge for the year ahead.

We’ll share Guild highlights from 2026, preview upcoming opportunities for 2027, and host a lively Q&A roundtable discussion where writers can ask their most pressing questions and exchange ideas with fellow members.

As always, your SCWG Board has planned a gift giveaway with small surprises and lots of laughter.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Location:Lamplighter Village Clubhouse500 Lantern Dr, Melbourne, FL 32934

Monthly Guild Meeting
2027-01-16 13:00 - 15:00
Terry Shepherd: How to Be a Dynamic Podcast Guest and Sell Stuff

More Information Coming Soon

About the Speaker:Coming soon

Location: Lamplighter Village Clubhouse 500 Lantern Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32934

Second Annual Space Coast Writers Guild Book Fair!
2027-02-20 10:00 - 15:00
Showcase Your Work!

INFORMATION COMING SOON

Monthly Guild Meeting
2027-03-20 13:00 - 15:00
Melissa Jordan: Topic To Be Announced

More Information Coming Soon

About the Speaker:Coming soon

Location: Lamplighter Village Clubhouse 500 Lantern Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32934

Monthly Guild Meeting
2027-04-17 13:00 - 15:00
Monica DuBois: Character Development, Title of the presentation to be announced

More Information Coming Soon

About the Speaker:Coming soon

Location: Lamplighter Village Clubhouse 500 Lantern Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32934

Monthly Guild Meeting
2027-05-15 13:00 - 15:00
Jody Wheeler: Topic To Be Announced

More Information Coming Soon

About the Speaker:Coming soon

Location: Lamplighter Village Clubhouse 500 Lantern Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32934

Monthly Guild Meeting
2027-11-20 13:00 - 15:00
Jim Nelson: Writing a Novel with the Marshall Plan: Building Scene-Driven, Dual-Story Stories

In this 40-minute craft-focused presentation, mystery author James R. Nelson, creator of seventeen atmospheric regional mysteries set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Florida, will walk writers through his complete novel-building method using The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall.

Jim has used this structured, scene-based system for every book he’s written, adapting it into a reliable workflow that keeps his plots tight, his pacing sharp, and his dual storylines seamlessly woven together.

What This Talk Covers

1. Why Structure Matters for Mystery Writers (and others): Jim opens with the challenges mystery writers face—complex plots, rising tension, red herrings, emotional arcs—and how The Marshall Plan provides a blueprint that prevents sagging middles and unfocused storytelling.

2. Core Principles of The Marshall Plan: Attendees will learn how the Plan organizes a novel around a Lead character, an Opposition character, and two parallel storylines: the external plot (the mystery) and the internal or secondary plot (emotional arc or subplot). Jim explains how this architecture creates momentum and clarity.

3. Writing in Scenes Instead of Chapters: Jim demonstrates why scenes are the true engine of a novel. He shares how he uses scene sheets to define purpose, POV, conflict, and outcome for every scene—ensuring each one advances the story. He also discusses his personal adaptations developed over seventeen novels.

4. Weaving Two Separate Stories into One Cohesive Narrative: A hallmark of Jim’s process is the deliberate interlacing of two storylines. He explains how alternating scenes maintain tension, how to escalate both threads at the right pace, and how to avoid common pitfalls such as imbalance or stalled emotional arcs.

5. Jim’s Complete Workflow: From blueprinting the novel to building character grids, drafting from scene sheets, and revising with structural clarity, Jim walks writers through a practical, repeatable process they can apply to their own work.

Takeaways:

A clear understanding of The Marshall Plan’s structure

A practical method for writing scenes

Techniques for balancing and weaving dual structures

A repeatable workflow for drafting and revising a full-length mystery

Insight from a working indie author with deep experience in regional storytelling and direct-to-reader publishing

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James R. Nelson is the prolific indie author of seventeen atmospheric mystery novels set across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the sunwashed coastlines of Florida. Known for his warm, steady storytelling voice and his deep sense of place, James crafts mysteries rooted in small-town secrets, regional history, and the quiet tension that builds when ordinary people find themselves entangled in extraordinary circumstances.

Author page: mysteryauthorjamesrnelson.com

Location:Lamplighter Village Clubhouse500 Lantern Dr, Melbourne, FL 32934
