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!
Tracee Garner
From 10:45 until 1:00 pm
At On Zoom - local members can watch at the Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Tracee Garner
Tracee Lydia Garner is an international best-selling author of more than 20 books, a motivating speaker, humorist and book coach. She has taught at the academic level as an adjunct professor for 14+ years, teaching several courses including, Small Business PR and Promotion, Self-Publishing Boot Camp, and How to Write the Novel. Offered a book publishing contract at just 24 years of age, back then with one of the “Top 5,” Tracee went on to write more work for publication and has also been published in her alma mater’s literary magazine. Tracee loves public speaking, teaching workshops, and talking about the craft of writing at every opportunity. Tracee holds a BS in Communications, and a nonprofit management certification. While her heart is in romance, she also writes self-help, books on craft and publishing for writers, and teaches two, intensive writing courses for RWA's Pen to Paper programs.
Workshops: In the 90 Day Plans for Authors, Make This Year Your Best Author Year
Plans for Authors, Tracee will help you get a jump start on a year filled with lots of writing and publishing the work you may have been trying to finish. She will cover a few different ways to plan, pros and cons of each, and LOTS of tools, and resources so you can be sure to find something that fits your writer type and personality which will mean greater success and productivity. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to set yourself up for success!
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Writers Workshop with Kelle Riley
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Kelle Z. Riley, writer, speaker, global traveler, published Ph.D. chemist, inventor, and martial arts expert has been featured in newspapers and on national television. Her varied life experiences have all found their way into her writing.
She is a contributing author in "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer's and Other Dementias," and a fiction author of cozy mystery and contemporary romance.
Her publications include the Undercover Cat Mysteries: The Cupcake Caper; Shaken, Not Purred; The Tiger's Tale; and Studying Scarlett the Grey, which feature a cupcake baking scientist-turned-sleuth, and her award-winning Riches and Royals Series: Read My Lips; Royally Scandalized; Reluctantly Royal; and Counterfeit Commoner, in which modern working women discover loving a prince is harder than it looks.
A Golden Heart and Feathered Quill finalist, Kelle is a popular speaker and member of the Chattanooga Writer's Guild, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers’ of America.
https://www.facebook.com/KelleZRiley
https://www.twitter.com/KelleZRiley
WORKSHOP
Workshops Workshop 1: Cozy Mystery presentation - including similarities and differences from romance writing.
Workshop 2: Poison for writers. Murder One: Poisoned Pen: This educational and interactive writer's workshop combines the best of chemical and plant based poisons, most of which are surprisingly easily available, to discuss ways to kill and--hypothetically-- get away with it.
As a bonus, the presentation will include tips on cozy mystery writing and how romance authors can succeed as mystery authors.
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Writers Workshop Laurie Schnebly Campbell
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At On Zoom
Laurie Schnebly Campbell loves giving workshops for writer groups about “Psychology for Creating Characters,” “Making Rejection WORK For You,” “Building A Happy Relationship For Your Characters (And Yourself)” and other issues that draw on her background as a counseling therapist and romance writer.
Her first novel was nominated by Romantic Times as the year’s “Best First Series Romance,” and her second beat out Nora Roberts for “Best Special Edition of the Year.” But between those two successes came a three-year dry spell, during which Laurie discovered that selling a first book doesn’t guarantee ongoing success.
WORKSHOP,/p> Boffo Beginnings and Fab Finales
How can you make sure your book will draw readers in from the very first paragraph, through the next several pages, continuing, until they realize they can't put this story down? How can you leave them, after reaching The End, so wonderfully satisfied with the book they just finished that they're already vowing to read whatever else you've written and are going to write next? That's what this class is about.
Showing EmotionEveryone knows how important it is to show rather than tell. But when it comes to showing emotion, that can be...well, tricky. How do you keep from going over the top and making readers roll their eyes? How do you avoid not going far enough and sending their attention downhill with every word? Learn the tricks of conveying emotion for readers of whatever genre you're writing and how to find the right balance between plummeting, purple prose and perfection.
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Writers Workshop with Pat Haggerty
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At On Zoom - local members can watch at the Library
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Patrick Haggerty - Consultant and trainer with extensive experience in Google Cloud technologies, Databricks, Generative AI, Cloud migration, Databricks migration, Kubernetes, Data Processing and Analytics, SQL, AI/ML, Python, DevOps, OOAD, Java, .NET, Node.js, and general application development. I have been doing training in one form or another back to the early 90s and have worked with the cloud as long as it's existed.
Email: hagg@haggconsulting.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickhaggerty
AI-Powered Romance: Enhancing Your Writing with Generative AI
Discover how generative AI can revolutionize your romance writing process in this engaging workshop. Whether you're an aspiring author or a seasoned professional, you'll learn how to harness the power of AI to spark creativity, overcome writer's block, and streamline your creative workflow.
Key topics include:- Introduction to generative AI and its applications in creative writing
- Exploring popular AI tools, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini
- Techniques for using AI to generate plot ideas, character backgrounds, setting descriptions, outlines, etc.
- Ethical considerations and maintaining your unique voice
Join us to explore the exciting intersection of technology and romantic storytelling. You'll leave with new skills, inspiration, and a toolkit to enhance your writing journey in the digital age. Suitable for all experience levels. Bring your passion for romance writing and an open mind!
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Scott "Scooter" West - Weaponry
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library and on Zoom
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Scott "Scooter" West - Weaponry
Scott “Scooter” West has possessed an insatiable love of swords and sword-like objects since he was a child. After years of typical play with prized toys and whittled sticks Scott started formal fencing training and was introduced to theatrical combat in late high school. Scott developed a keen interest in the build, use and history of medieval and Renaissance weaponry and has now pursued this interest for an excess of 25 years. He has participated and lead any number of combat shows, historical reenactments, combat and choreography training sessions, and even a few lectures. Scott lives in Gainesville Florida with his very patient wife, two teenage kids, and a revolving door of Labrador retrievers that his family raises for Dogs Inc, where they will be trained as guide dogs for the visually impaired or other service jobs. Scott has written, directed, choreographed, armored, trained, presided over and anything else you can think of for Thieves Guilde Productions, a stage combat and improvised theater group in Gainesville. Professionally Scott is a Registered Nurse at UF Health Shand's Hospital, and also plays in the Celtic folk band Jig to a Milestone.
Writers Workshop: Fantasy Weapons and the Writer
A comprehensive overview of pre-modern weapons, terminology, tactics and historical thinking. This workshop will include physical examples of some of these weapons, discussion about and opportunities to handle these items. We will also discuss ways to more accurately describe combat with the written word. This workshop focuses on European based techniques and technologies. For example the Katana (samurai sword) and Japanese cultural combat traditions are not covered by this content. That being said, please feel free to submit specific questions to me (swordscooter@gmail.com) and I will come prepared to address them.
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Susie Baxter
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library and on Zoom
1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Susie Baxter
Susie Baxter teaches memoir writing in the Community Education program at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida. She is the author of Pumping Sunshine: A Memoir of My Rural Childhood, which won gold in the Royal Palm Literary Award contest for memoir in 2018. Her other books are C.G. & Ethel: A Family History; Write Your Memoir: One Story at a Time; and I, Susanette…, a coming-of-age memoir. For more information, see https://susiehbaxter.comWorkshop: Historical and Memoir Writing with Accuracy
Susie Baxter believes that every person has a story to tell, and she wants to help you tell your story whether the goal is to discover yourself, leave a historical record for your family, or create a bestseller.
In this workshop, you will receive prompts, handouts, exercises, and other tools aimed at helping you create a compelling memoir by writing about one experience at a time. She will discuss the use of pictures, letters, and other memorabilia to help you tell your story and the importance of your voice as you write past fear, dig deep, and show vulnerabilities. “The goal,” Susie says, “is to make your book read—not like a history book with boring dates, names, and places but—like a novel that readers will not want to put down.”
The workshop will also answer questions like these: Why write a memoir? How to begin? What if my memory is patchy and imperfect? How can I improve my storytelling skills? When does dialog work and not work? How do I structure my stories? How do I keep my reader turning the pages? When and how to show and tell? When and how to protect my work? When do I share my work with others? How best to obtain constructive feedback? How long will it take to write the book? How will I find the time? How do I avoid hurting others? How can I get my memoir published?
