West Regional Library, 1425 Chaffee Road, Jacksonville, Fl 32221
When: Sign in begins at 10:00 AM unless otherwise posted.
* OUR MEETINGS *
We LOVE visitors! Unless otherwise stated, our meetings are held on the second Saturday of every month at the West Regional Branch Library in Jacksonville, Florida. The address is 1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, Fl 32221.
Our Membership Dues is only $50 annually which includes all the workshops or you can pay $10 for any individual workshops throughout the year on Zoom. The public is welcome to come to the in-person workshops for Free for 2 learning sessions after which we ask that you pay the annual fee to join. To Pay for a Zoom Session CLICK HERE. Once payment is received you will receive an email with the Zoom link to attend the meeting you have selected.
Typically, we have a business meeting where you’ll learn about what we’re doing, followed by two workshops. When in person, we usually have lunch together at a nearby restaurant afterward. Romance writers know how to combine business and fun!
9:45AM log in to socialize and catch up with your fellow writers
10:00AM meeting called to order
10:40AM Meeting ends if it hasn’t already adjourned
10:40 5-minute break
10:45 First workshop (approx. 50 min)
5-minute break in there somewhere
Second workshop (approx. 50 min)
MEMBERS: If you need the Zoom link to attend, email the chapter president: president@firstcoastromancewriters.com You will be provided with a link. It is helpful if you have a free Zoom account prior to attending any of the ZOOM sessions as they can be viewed on your smartphone, tablet as well as through your laptop/computer. You can log in virtually for social time at 9:45am, and our business meeting will begin promptly at 10:15am.
Meetings Below
Don’t forget to share the upcoming workshops with your friends, family and fellow authors out there. We have a Facebook and a Twitter (X) button below each one that will allow you to share quickly and easily!
APRIL 2024 MEETING IS ZOOM ONLY
Shirley Jump
At West Library Branch and on Zoom
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Shirley Jump
www.WritingCompellingFiction.com
Shirley Jump, author of Writing Compelling Fiction, is an award-winning, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and USA Today bestselling author who has published more than 80 books in 24 countries. She has spoken all over the world about the power of narrative and how to create compelling books. A former reporter and communications director for a marketing agency, she uses her diverse background to help clients create impactful books that readers can’t down.
She knows the path to publication isn’t all rainbows and unicorns, so to help writers write their best possible book, she offers monthly Manuscript Masterminds through her website above, On her channel, https://YouTube.com/@WritingCompellingFiction, she unlocks the secrets behind compelling novels and delves into the psychological aspect of overcoming creativity-stoppers like doubt and perfectionism. Follow her channel for more writing exercises, classes, and behind-the-scenes writing lessons or join her Manuscript Mastermind to build your tribe of like-minded writers and receive crucial feedback on your pages. If you have a writing question you’d like to see answered, email her at: Shirley@WritingCompellingFiction.com.
POWERFUL DIALOGUE
Want your book to be more powerful? Do you want your characters to do more than just talk on the page? Join multi-published, best-selling author Shirley Jump for an interactive workshop on making your dialogue leap off the page and actually work for your novel, not against it. Learn how dialogue can increase tension in a plot, show your characters (without telling) and ramp up the emotion on every page.
5 Secrets of Compelling Novels
What sets a compelling novel apart from a so-so novel? How do you create a book that grabs the reader and doesn’t let go until the last page? Join New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump, who has published 85 books in 24 countries, for this workshop on the 5 common elements that compelling novels have—and how you can apply those elements to your own book.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Jenna Grinstead
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Author Jenna Grinstead
https://www.jennagrinstead.com/
Jenna Grinstead is a whimsical Midwesterner with a penchant for magic and a deep desire for a world where the weird and different are embraced and celebrated. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she studied journalism. She found a way to turn her imagination and creativity into a career in marketing, while writing young adult and middle grade fiction. She often conducts workshops and speaks on writing, world-building, social media and marketing. Jenna is a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and Central Ohio Fiction Writers. Her young adult romance manuscripts have won several regional writing awards, including
The Maggie, The Stiletto and The Indiana Golden Opportunity.
When she's not plotting her next story you can find her devouring novels and mint chocolate chip ice cream in her house with California Poppies painted across the garage.
She is represented by Analieze Cervantes with Rees Literary Agency.
ON ZOOM ONLY
Writing Across Generations
As writers we know that every character has their own unique set of aspirations, goals and personality. But those exist within a larger context. Every generation has its own set of expectations, shaping experiences, relationship with technology and ways of interacting that are norms among that cohort.
Marketers study these to hone messages to sell products and services. As authors we can use this information to shape realistic conflicts and build authentic multi-generational relationships among our characters.
We’ll cover each of the generations living today—what experiences shaped them, what makes them unique, how their values conflict with other generations. Join an experienced marketer and fiction writer in this interactive journey to improve how you write across generations.
The Power of Facebook Groups
In this interactive workshop we'll discuss the power of Facebook Groups for your writing. We'll discuss what groups are, how to form them, look at examples of authors who are using them to research their books, improve their craft, connect with other authors, connect with fans, and, most importantly, to sell books.
You'll have the opportunity to learn the secrets to how to find groups, interact in existing groups to promote your author brand, create a group, nurture a group and grow a group into a community that aligns with your goals. Whether you're a published author looking for tips on how to sell via Facebook Groups or a newbie seeking to understand how groups can help you in your writing, this workshop is for you!
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Author Panel with Alyssa Day
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Alyssa Day is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with more than a million books sold --all filled with kissing, laughter, mystery and magic. Alyssa's books have won many awards, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award and for Best Paranormal Romance novel of 2012 by RT Book Reviews magazine. She's a recovering trial lawyer, dog rescuer, pug fanatic, and mental health advocate. www.alyssaday.com
Alyssa Day workshops
First Page Reads: Will critique submitted pages from FCRW members. Author Panel: Will answer questions about writing and publishing from attendees in person and on Zoom in conjunction with FCRW authors, Abigail Sharpe and Charlee Allden.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Janice Hardy Author Workshops
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author and founder of Fiction University, where she helps writers improve their craft and navigate the crazy world of publishing. She teaches writing workshops across the country, and her blog has been recognized as a Top Writing Blog by Writer’s Digest. When she’s not writing about writing, she spins tales of adventure for both teens and adults, and firmly believes that doing terrible things to her characters makes them more interesting. She loves talking with writers and readers and encourages questions of all types—even the weird ones. Find out more about her and her books at https://www.Fiction-University.com or https://www.JaniceHardy.com
In Person and on Zoom
Creating Stronger Conflicts in Your Novel, the romance specific version
At the heart of every story is conflict. It's so central to good storytelling, that without it, you have no story. But despite its importance, it's not always easy to find the conflict in an idea. In this workshop, you'll examine what "conflict" really means and how to find the right conflict for your story. You'll learn to identify the different types of conflict, how to use internal and external conflicts to plot, and how to tell if you need a character arc or not. You'll also explore the most common reason for missing or weak conflict in a story and hear tips on how to fix them.
Ten Ways to Kick Your Writing Up a Notch
It's not uncommon for writers to hit a point where their writing is good, but not great. All they need is a little help to push their skills to the next level, but they're not always sure how to get that push. In this workshop, writers will learn ten ways to improve their writing skills and stories to take their novels from nice to "Wow!”.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Author Workshop with Scott Eagan
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library - ON ZOOM ONLY
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Bio:
Scott Eagan opened Greyhaus Literary Agency in 2003 with three goals in mind:
To remain a small agency focusing only on Romance and Women's Fiction; to provide educational opportunities for writers in these genres and to make efforts to enhance the romance and women's fiction genres; and to assist with increasing communications between the professional publishing community and the writers.
Being a small agency as well as being focused on a small number of genres gives him the chance to work closer with his writers as well as stay up with the ever-changing trends in romance and women's fiction.
Scott's education includes a BA in English Literature, An MA in Literacy, and an MA in Creative Writing.
Scott is an active member of the Romance Writers of America and still dabbles in writing as a hobby.
Outside of the agency, Scott is an instructor with the UCLA Extension Program. He also provides critiques with Writer's Digest and does book reviews with Publisher's Weekly.
His family continues to keep him busy with one who swims competitively, one who rides Hunter/Jumper equestrian, and one who dances. https://scotteagan.blogspot.com/
THIS WILL BE ON ZOOM ONLY
Workshop One: Marketing Your Research, Finding Your Audience.
Goals for the session:
Learning how to identify if there is a market for your writing.
Determining what type of writing you want to pursue – traditional, self-published, independent, or personal satisfaction
How to shape your writing to that market
Learning how to remember your audience as you write
Develop an understanding of how to shape your proposals
Learn how to market you book toward your readers.
Key points to be discussed will be a focus on the before, middle and after of writing. The goal is to help authors know if their writing is even right for the market, how to shape their writing to that market, and how to target your submissions to editors and agents. Finally the workshop will help participants learn how to market their book effectively based on audience analysis
Workshop Two: Demystifying romance and women’s fiction.
Goals for the session:
Rationale for knowing your subgenres: writing is about marketing and product placement.
Common myths about romance and women’s fiction.
Understanding romance.
Understanding women’s fiction.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Character Building with Barbara Evers
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Barbara V. Evers hails from the Dark Corner of South Carolina where she crafts fantasies with strong women matriarchies and clever animals. Her epic fantasy trilogy, THE WATCHERS OF MONIAH, won two Imadjinn Best Fantasy Novel awards, and her short story collection, PIECES OF HER, includes several award-winning stories including a Pushcart Prize nominee. When she’s not writing, Barbara uses her degrees in Zoology and Communication to conduct training for businesses. In other words, she can speak to animals! https://www.barbaravevers.com/
On Zoom Only
Creating Believable Characters Using Myers Briggs Types
Don’t make your readers toss the book across the room in disgust.
Taught by a certified Myers Briggs facilitator and award-winning author, this workshop will explain how the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can help you create believable personalities for your characters…and you might learn something about yourself in the process! We will explore your character’s behaviors by looking at:
- What makes your characters tick?
- What charges or drains their energy levels?
- What kinds of information do they trust and how do they gather it?
- What goes into their decision-making process?
- What’s their approach to organization, structure, and planning?
Mix up these traits in the wrong way, and you will send a frustrating message to your reader—you don’t know your character.
By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
- Establish your character's type
- Recognize examples of the four areas that create the sixteen MBTI types and how you might use this information to create characters who leap off the page
- Begin to develop how your character behaves under normal circumstances and how their environment might change those behaviors
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Shirley Jump
At West Library Branch and on Zoom
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Shirley Jump
www.WritingCompellingFiction.com
Shirley Jump, author of Writing Compelling Fiction, is an award-winning, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and USA Today bestselling author who has published more than 80 books in 24 countries. She has spoken all over the world about the power of narrative and how to create compelling books. A former reporter and communications director for a marketing agency, she uses her diverse background to help clients create impactful books that readers can’t down.
She knows the path to publication isn’t all rainbows and unicorns, so to help writers write their best possible book, she offers monthly Manuscript Masterminds through her website above, On her channel, https://YouTube.com/@WritingCompellingFiction, she unlocks the secrets behind compelling novels and delves into the psychological aspect of overcoming creativity-stoppers like doubt and perfectionism. Follow her channel for more writing exercises, classes, and behind-the-scenes writing lessons or join her Manuscript Mastermind to build your tribe of like-minded writers and receive crucial feedback on your pages. If you have a writing question you’d like to see answered, email her at: Shirley@WritingCompellingFiction.com.
POWERFUL DIALOGUE
Want your book to be more powerful? Do you want your characters to do more than just talk on the page? Join multi-published, best-selling author Shirley Jump for an interactive workshop on making your dialogue leap off the page and actually work for your novel, not against it. Learn how dialogue can increase tension in a plot, show your characters (without telling) and ramp up the emotion on every page.
5 Secrets of Compelling Novels
What sets a compelling novel apart from a so-so novel? How do you create a book that grabs the reader and doesn’t let go until the last page? Join New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump, who has published 85 books in 24 countries, for this workshop on the 5 common elements that compelling novels have—and how you can apply those elements to your own book.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Jenna Grinstead
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Author Jenna Grinstead
https://www.jennagrinstead.com/
Jenna Grinstead is a whimsical Midwesterner with a penchant for magic and a deep desire for a world where the weird and different are embraced and celebrated. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she studied journalism. She found a way to turn her imagination and creativity into a career in marketing, while writing young adult and middle grade fiction. She often conducts workshops and speaks on writing, world-building, social media and marketing. Jenna is a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and Central Ohio Fiction Writers. Her young adult romance manuscripts have won several regional writing awards, including
The Maggie, The Stiletto and The Indiana Golden Opportunity.
When she's not plotting her next story you can find her devouring novels and mint chocolate chip ice cream in her house with California Poppies painted across the garage.
She is represented by Analieze Cervantes with Rees Literary Agency.
ON ZOOM ONLY
Writing Across Generations
As writers we know that every character has their own unique set of aspirations, goals and personality. But those exist within a larger context. Every generation has its own set of expectations, shaping experiences, relationship with technology and ways of interacting that are norms among that cohort.
Marketers study these to hone messages to sell products and services. As authors we can use this information to shape realistic conflicts and build authentic multi-generational relationships among our characters.
We’ll cover each of the generations living today—what experiences shaped them, what makes them unique, how their values conflict with other generations. Join an experienced marketer and fiction writer in this interactive journey to improve how you write across generations.
The Power of Facebook Groups
In this interactive workshop we'll discuss the power of Facebook Groups for your writing. We'll discuss what groups are, how to form them, look at examples of authors who are using them to research their books, improve their craft, connect with other authors, connect with fans, and, most importantly, to sell books.
You'll have the opportunity to learn the secrets to how to find groups, interact in existing groups to promote your author brand, create a group, nurture a group and grow a group into a community that aligns with your goals. Whether you're a published author looking for tips on how to sell via Facebook Groups or a newbie seeking to understand how groups can help you in your writing, this workshop is for you!
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Author Panel with Alyssa Day
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Alyssa Day is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with more than a million books sold --all filled with kissing, laughter, mystery and magic. Alyssa's books have won many awards, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award and for Best Paranormal Romance novel of 2012 by RT Book Reviews magazine. She's a recovering trial lawyer, dog rescuer, pug fanatic, and mental health advocate. www.alyssaday.com
Alyssa Day workshops
First Page Reads: Will critique submitted pages from FCRW members. Author Panel: Will answer questions about writing and publishing from attendees in person and on Zoom in conjunction with FCRW authors, Abigail Sharpe and Charlee Allden.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Janice Hardy Author Workshops
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author and founder of Fiction University, where she helps writers improve their craft and navigate the crazy world of publishing. She teaches writing workshops across the country, and her blog has been recognized as a Top Writing Blog by Writer’s Digest. When she’s not writing about writing, she spins tales of adventure for both teens and adults, and firmly believes that doing terrible things to her characters makes them more interesting. She loves talking with writers and readers and encourages questions of all types—even the weird ones. Find out more about her and her books at https://www.Fiction-University.com or https://www.JaniceHardy.com
In Person and on Zoom
Creating Stronger Conflicts in Your Novel, the romance specific version
At the heart of every story is conflict. It's so central to good storytelling, that without it, you have no story. But despite its importance, it's not always easy to find the conflict in an idea. In this workshop, you'll examine what "conflict" really means and how to find the right conflict for your story. You'll learn to identify the different types of conflict, how to use internal and external conflicts to plot, and how to tell if you need a character arc or not. You'll also explore the most common reason for missing or weak conflict in a story and hear tips on how to fix them.
Ten Ways to Kick Your Writing Up a Notch
It's not uncommon for writers to hit a point where their writing is good, but not great. All they need is a little help to push their skills to the next level, but they're not always sure how to get that push. In this workshop, writers will learn ten ways to improve their writing skills and stories to take their novels from nice to "Wow!”.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Author Workshop with Scott Eagan
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library - ON ZOOM ONLY
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Bio:
Scott Eagan opened Greyhaus Literary Agency in 2003 with three goals in mind:
To remain a small agency focusing only on Romance and Women's Fiction; to provide educational opportunities for writers in these genres and to make efforts to enhance the romance and women's fiction genres; and to assist with increasing communications between the professional publishing community and the writers.
Being a small agency as well as being focused on a small number of genres gives him the chance to work closer with his writers as well as stay up with the ever-changing trends in romance and women's fiction.
Scott's education includes a BA in English Literature, An MA in Literacy, and an MA in Creative Writing.
Scott is an active member of the Romance Writers of America and still dabbles in writing as a hobby.
Outside of the agency, Scott is an instructor with the UCLA Extension Program. He also provides critiques with Writer's Digest and does book reviews with Publisher's Weekly.
His family continues to keep him busy with one who swims competitively, one who rides Hunter/Jumper equestrian, and one who dances. https://scotteagan.blogspot.com/
THIS WILL BE ON ZOOM ONLY
Workshop One: Marketing Your Research, Finding Your Audience.
Goals for the session:
Learning how to identify if there is a market for your writing.
Determining what type of writing you want to pursue – traditional, self-published, independent, or personal satisfaction
How to shape your writing to that market
Learning how to remember your audience as you write
Develop an understanding of how to shape your proposals
Learn how to market you book toward your readers.
Key points to be discussed will be a focus on the before, middle and after of writing. The goal is to help authors know if their writing is even right for the market, how to shape their writing to that market, and how to target your submissions to editors and agents. Finally the workshop will help participants learn how to market their book effectively based on audience analysis
Workshop Two: Demystifying romance and women’s fiction.
Goals for the session:
Rationale for knowing your subgenres: writing is about marketing and product placement.
Common myths about romance and women’s fiction.
Understanding romance.
Understanding women’s fiction.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Character Building with Barbara Evers
From 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Barbara V. Evers hails from the Dark Corner of South Carolina where she crafts fantasies with strong women matriarchies and clever animals. Her epic fantasy trilogy, THE WATCHERS OF MONIAH, won two Imadjinn Best Fantasy Novel awards, and her short story collection, PIECES OF HER, includes several award-winning stories including a Pushcart Prize nominee. When she’s not writing, Barbara uses her degrees in Zoology and Communication to conduct training for businesses. In other words, she can speak to animals! https://www.barbaravevers.com/
On Zoom Only
Creating Believable Characters Using Myers Briggs Types
Don’t make your readers toss the book across the room in disgust.
Taught by a certified Myers Briggs facilitator and award-winning author, this workshop will explain how the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can help you create believable personalities for your characters…and you might learn something about yourself in the process! We will explore your character’s behaviors by looking at:
- What makes your characters tick?
- What charges or drains their energy levels?
- What kinds of information do they trust and how do they gather it?
- What goes into their decision-making process?
- What’s their approach to organization, structure, and planning?
Mix up these traits in the wrong way, and you will send a frustrating message to your reader—you don’t know your character.
By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
- Establish your character's type
- Recognize examples of the four areas that create the sixteen MBTI types and how you might use this information to create characters who leap off the page
- Begin to develop how your character behaves under normal circumstances and how their environment might change those behaviors
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