What WAG Means to Me

A few months ago, I was asked to be the next president of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville (WAG). This is not only an honor, but a tremendous responsibility. Why did I accept?

Because WAG has done so much for me.

I don’t remember how I learned about WAG—probably from the Gainesville Sun. At the time, I was working on a novel and thought a critique pod would be helpful.

In February of 2013, I attended my first WAG meeting and joined. Since then, I have attended nearly every monthly meeting, unless special circumstances kept me away. Even when the program topic is not something I’m particularly interested in, I always learn something valuable.

WAG’s critique pods attract members, and that’s what drew me in. The pod I joined included Art Crummer, Skipper Hammond, and Fran Sweeney. At the time, pods didn’t have names, but Art called us “Peas” and that name stuck. We now go by Peas in a Pod. Over the years, our members have changed, but I’ve learned so much from everyone. Criticism and encouragement from my pod mates has helped shape my writing.

If you do not belong to a pod and would like to join one, contact the Pod Coordinator, Skipper Hammond. 

In 2015, I was thrilled to have a short story published in WAG’s print journal, Bacopa Literary Review. At last, I was accepted by the literary community and validated as a writer. I’ve submitted to Bacopa every year since and . . . well, I’ll keep trying. There’s a lot of competition. Not every writers group can boast of a journal that receives submissions from around the world.

Another attraction is our monthly programs. One meeting each year is devoted to Bacopa readings and another to readings by WAG members. The other ten months, we have a speaker talk about some aspect of writing. How we manage to fill such a schedule year after year is little short of a miracle, since Gainesville is not New York City. Somehow Program Coordinator Roz Miller and other members find new speakers and new topics. At most meetings, we sign up a member or two.

Not all WAG members can regularly attend the monthly meetings, but we have much more to offer. Our Facebook page and our website contain a wealth of information. Blog posts, written mainly by members, provide knowledge and inspiration from various perspectives. Our newsletter, the WAG Digest, which Wendy Thornton produces and emails to subscribers every other month, includes news, announcements, advice, and “Calls for Submissions,” that is, a list of potential contests and markets for writers. Issues of the newsletter are also available on the website. Some WAG members live too far away to participate in our local activities, but they have access to these media tools and can list their books on the website’s book page.

Besides teaching me to write better, WAG can help me take the next steps. The Marketing Coalition meets monthly. We share expertise and ideas to prepare a manuscript for publishing and bring it to readers. If no one in the group has an answer to a question, we research it.

Through a partnership with the Alachua County Library, several WAG authors have been able to launch their books at Local Author Series events. I look forward to participating when the time is right.

WAG also takes part in several art festivals every year, another opportunity for book promotion. These festivals don’t just happen. Our incoming Vice President, Jess Elliott, has stepped forward to plan and organize the booth, and members staff it.

WAG’s leaders have a vision to host our own book festival. Some of us visited other festivals, such as the Amelia Island Book Festival, to get ideas for what works and what doesn’t. WAG’s first annual Sunshine State Book Festival will take place in Gainesville in January 2020. This event will attract writers and book lovers from across the state and perhaps the country. We will have speakers and workshops for those who want to learn more about writing. This will be the best opportunity yet for WAG members who have books to sell.

Joining WAG was the wisest move I could have made. My eyes have been opened. Before I joined WAG, I self-published a novel. Later, I withdrew it from Amazon to rewrite it. I plan to have the much improved version out in 2019. Now I see mistakes I made before and am better prepared to give it a successful coming out.

In the fall of 2016, I was asked to be Membership Coordinator and took over the job in January, 2017. In two years, I have seen WAG’s membership grow from about 150 members to over 190. I can’t credit myself for this increase. I believe we are growing because of our relevance to the writing community.

Yes, WAG has done much to help me mature as a writer, but another reason I’m happy to serve as president is the people who make up the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. This is a hardworking group, dedicated to the craft of writing and, moreover, willing to share their talents to help others. If you are interested in sharing your talents as a volunteer, please contact me.