It’s a great time to be a writer!

Look around. Listen. Feel. Smell. Taste. Inspiration is everywhere. Ideas jump from every corner. I’ve just returned from a visit to my late husband’s homeland, accompanied by American friends and facilitated by his Norwegian family. One of our group kept a daily journal of our journey. I documented it in photos. Together we have a priceless memoir of impressions, of wonders, of encounters, of discoveries.

And while I was abroad, my fellow GCWA members not only kept the ship afloat but also shined it up spectacularly. They launched our new website. They organized our 30ᵗʰ anniversary gala. They broadcasted our news. They judged our writing contest and announced the winners. We are an
organization of volunteers, and the team steps up to every challenge.

Take a look at the new website: sleek, modern, navigable. Go to gulfcoastwriters.org and poke around. It’s a thing of wonder, created and executed 100% by GCWA members. It will only improve as we members add our input. Make it your home. Use it as your platform. Let it work for you. That’s why it’s there.

Here’s another thing that sets GCWA apart. Our annual celebration of excellence in writing goes beyond ourselves: it honors all entrants whose work excels. This year, our GCWA members will take home 5 awards, while nonmembers will receive the other 4 awards. Honorable mentions included 5 members and 4 nonmembers. It’s a democratic competition. We should be proud. Please come on Saturday, September 20, to honor those whose writing rose to the top of this year’s competition. There will be a reception afterward with food and beverage. Please be there. It is our duty and privilege to celebrate our winning writers.

Your 30ᵗʰ anniversary celebration committee has worked tirelessly to create an event that will inspire us all. Please come November 1. Reserve your tickets now. Bring your family. Bring your friends. This is a celebration of you and us and the delirious joy of being writers. The keynote speech by acclaimed Florida author Robert Macomber will dare us to surprise ourselves, and we’ll also appreciate ourselves and our many achievements. Come to the lovefest.