Next Meeting

Effective November 22, 2019, the St. Petersburg Writers Group is inactive. We hope meet again sometime in 2020.
Thank you for your interest.





Friday, November 22, 2019

The St. Petersburg Writers Group is inactive, effective November 22, 2019.

We hope to become active and meet again sometime in 2020.

Thank you to everyone who has attended, supported, and presented at our meetings.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

November 21 ~

Methods of Research for Fiction and Non-Fiction
Speaker: Sylvia Weiss Sinclair


Sylvia Weiss Sinclair is a first generation American on her father’s side, who came from Szatmar, Hungary.  Her mother was born of immigrant parents from Austria and Hungary.  She was born in Los Angeles, California after World War II, one of the first “Baby Boomers.”  She started journaling when she was thirteen years old and continued throughout her life. Her mother was a story-teller, recounting what life was like raised in Alabama on a farm and about her parents who came from Europe.  

Sparking interest in family history, she interviewed the oldest members of her family and researched their origins.  Putting it all together, she wrote family histories of her mother’s parents for all the relatives on her mother’s side of the family and her two brothers and two sons.  Fledermama’s Son is her first published novel bases on her travels to Romania.  She now lives in Bay Minette, Alabama, not far from her maternal grandparents’ farm and is a member of the BayMinette Writers' Group, the Alabama Writers' Forum and the Alabama Writers Conclave. 



sylsinclair@gmail.com

Friday, September 20, 2019

October 17 ~

There will NOT be a meeting in October 2019, as the third Thursday in October is the first day of the FWA Conference.

We hope to see you there!

https://floridawriters.net/conferences/conference-2019/

Friday, August 16, 2019

September 19 ~

Cover Design:  Tips to Create a Cover on Your Own or to Prepare for Hiring a Designer
Speaker: Deb Von Cannon



This mini-course will cover the basic elements of cover design, how writers can develop their own basic cover and what should be prepared for and provided to a cover designer for-hire. The participants will have a hands-on experience of design elements, learn about some of the tools they can use to create their own covers and discuss a checklist of what to prepare should they decide to hire a cover designer.



Deb Von Cannon is an Army veteran and the small-business owner of Urban Artist Florida Studio LLC in St. Petersburg, Florida.  In 2019, two divisions were added: 1) ZoĆ«-Milles Publishing, to assist those needing technical assistance and writing services for their self-published works and 2) Forward Flight Photography, photo services for custom photography, author bio photos and the artist's private collection of work. Deb has designed over 15 book covers since 2017 for local-area authors in addition to creating a food-truck wrap design, custom logos, business cards and multiple fine art pieces. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a minor in Studio Art, and an A.A. in Drafting Technologies with over 14 years of drafting and design experience. She is currently working on a degree in English in preparation for graduate level studies at USF St. Petersburg. She lives in the Historic Kenwood District with her husband, Martin, and dog, Luna. Deb has been a member of the Artist Enclave Historic Kenwood (AEHK) since 2016. Her studio website can be viewed at www.urbanartistflorida.com.  She can be reached at deb@urbanartistflorida.com.

Monday, August 5, 2019

August 15th ~ Thursday

The Basics of Marketing

Speaker: Elle Andrews Patt


The Basics of Marketing will cover why and how to set up an author page at Facebook, boosting posts, targeted ads, autoresponders and the role of landing pages in email list creation, and highlight ad basics on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have a laptop or iPad, please come prepared to work. 

Elle Andrews Patt's short fiction has been published in online and print magazines such as Saw Palm, Solarcide, and The Rag, as well as several anthologies. She has won several RPLA awards in both short fiction and novel categories, and an honorable mention from The Writers of the Future for "Prelude To A Murder Conviction", which was originally published by DarkFuse Magazine. Her book-length work is represented by the Donald Maass Literary Agency. She blogs for the FWA on "The Writing Life", and speaks on the writing life and marketing basics for authors. 


Monday, July 8, 2019

July 18th ~ 

Scheduled talk unfortunately canceled due to a family emergency.

Please join us instead for 
a round-table discussion of whatever issues people would like to bring up about the craft and business of writing. Tips, advice, networking, information-sharing, brainstorming—here’s a chance to tap into our members’ experiences (both good and bad) and knowledge!


Cover Design:  Tips to Create a Cover on Your Own or to Prepare for Hiring a Designer

Speaker: Deb Von Cannon


This mini-course will cover the basic elements of cover design, how writers can develop their own basic cover and what should be prepared for and provided to a cover designer for-hire. The participants will have a hands-on experience of design elements, learn about some of the tools they can use to create their own covers and discuss a checklist of what to prepare should they decide to hire a cover designer.


Deb Von Cannon is an Army veteran and the small-business owner of Urban Artist Florida Studio LLC in St. Petersburg, Florida.  In 2019, two divisions were added: 1) ZoĆ«-Milles Publishing, to assist those needing technical assistance and writing services for their self-published works and 2) Forward Flight Photography, photo services for custom photography, author bio photos and the artist's private collection of work. Deb has designed over 15 book covers since 2017 for local-area authors in addition to creating a food-truck wrap design, custom logos, business cards and multiple fine art pieces. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a minor in Studio Art, and an A.A. in Drafting Technologies with over 14 years of drafting and design experience. She is currently working on a degree in English in preparation for graduate level studies at USF St. Petersburg. She lives in the Historic Kenwood District with her husband, Martin, and dog, Luna. Deb has been a member of the Artist Enclave Historic Kenwood (AEHK) since 2016. Her studio website can be viewed at www.urbanartistflorida.com.  She can be reached at deb@urbanartistflorida.com.


Thursday, May 30, 2019

June 20th ~ 
Hook Your Readers with Effective World-Building

Speaker: Bria Burton

All genres (fantasy, science fiction, literary, thriller, mystery, etc.) have an element of world-building. Come learn how to build a world (real or imagined) to suit your readers while immersing them in a place that keeps them reading. For those who are interested, bring pen and paper (laptops/iPads, etc.) for a writing exercise at the end.

Author Bria Burton has over twenty short fiction publications in magazines and anthologies. Her imagination often gets carried away, which is why world-building is one of her favorite aspects of writing. She lives in St. Pete with her wonderful husband, darling son, and two wild pets. 
Visit her website: http://www.briaburton.com

Monday, May 6, 2019

May 16 ~  How to Submit Prose and Poetry to the Literary Journal Marketplace

Speaker: Julieanna Blackwell

Come with your short story, poem, novella, novel, or memoir that is ready for publication! We will explore the benefits to publishing in literary journals, reviews, and magazines to strengthen your author’s platform. Learn how to research, shop, and understand the ins-and-outs of publishing a piece in a literary journal or magazine. After this evening’s presentation, you will have the tools to submit your work for publication. 

Julieanna Blackwell is an editor for 805 Literary and Arts Journal, the first literary journal published by a library in the country. She is also the instructor of the Elements & Arcs series of writing classes and workshops. Her short stories and essays have appeared in several publications including Lunch TicketSlippery Elm Literary Journal, Ragazine, and featured in SCENE Magazine’s yearly beach read issues. She was a finalist for the Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Award. The Naples Daily News published her humorous column of personal essays. A native Chicagoan, she lives in Florida. You can visit her at www.julieannablackwell.com.

Tuesday, April 2, 2019


FWA ST. PETE LIVE CRITIQUE



For our Thursday, April 18, 2019, meeting, writers are welcome to join us for a Live Critique Session. We'll meet at the Seminole Community Library at 6:00 PM. Networking and mingling begin at 5:30 PM. As always, this meeting is open to the public.

Activity: One Page Critique

Moderator: Bria Burton

What to bring: A single page of your novel, short story, or other writing (double-spaced, up to 250 words)

Who can participate: First-come first-serve, members and non-members. Sign up when you arrive.



How the critique works:


·         After the author reads their page, listeners will offer their comments.


·         Listeners will be encouraged to provide positive feedback and constructive criticism in combination.


·         Author will not be allowed to talk during the critique (a buzzer will be on hand--if the author talks, they will get buzzed).


·         The critique will be timed for each author. At four minutes, the moderator will announce that the critique is over. The next author will then read their First Page.


Does everyone have to read?


No. But all in attendance will be encouraged to provide feedback, even those who choose not to read their work to the group.


Hope to see you there!

Friday, February 22, 2019

March 21 ~  Book Fairs - Author Book Selling Success


Speaker: John Hope


Selling books at book fairs and other various events can be a challenge for authors, who are typically introspective by nature. This tutorial will provide tips on making the most out of a book event, including how to approach readers while coming across genuine and not a greasy salesman. Also provides advice on researching events and finding your audience.


JOHN HOPE was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. John earned his BS in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and since 1999 has developed and designed software for simulators, websites, traveler information systems, and numerous other technical widgets. All the while, he has quenched his creative hunger with writing a few novels, hundreds of poems and short stories, several short plays many of which he's acted and/or directed, puppeteered in countless skits, and built a number of toy train layouts. To keep a steady rhythm in his life, John has run over 30,000 miles in various road and trail races and training runs through the years, including captaining the UCF Men's Cross Country team, achieving TAAC all conference, managing 5k races, and at times traversing entire states in relay teams and triathlons.
John is married and the proud father of two.

Saturday, January 12, 2019

February 11th~MONDAY

Barbara S. Ponce Public Library
(also known as Pinellas Park Public Library)
7770 52nd Street North
Pinellas Park 33781
727-369-0669

Please note different location and day of the week from past meetings.

Presentation begins at 6 PM; mingling at 5:30 PM

Tools of the Trade for the Independent Author - 
Lose the Stress and Keep Your Hair

Speaker: Martin Von Cannon


Martin is a science fiction / fantasy writer living in the St. Petersburg area. As he read way too many comic books as a kid, he writes superhero stories in both novel and short story format. His books can be found on Amazon, Smashwords, and other eBook retailers.