North Florida Writers Groups

9 min read

Although writing is considered a solitary occupation we all need help from time to time and being able to discuss our writing with our peers helps us keep connected to the everyday human existence. Joining a writing group in your preferred genre can also give you help with marketing your books, editing tips, and possibly even get an agent if that is the way you want to go. Personally, I like the Self-Publishing route but to each his/her own. Below is a listing of all of the writing groups we could find in the North Florida area. We include their website, meeting times, costs to join (if any), etc. If we haven’t listed your writing group please use our CONTACT US form and let us know and we will add them to the list. The writing groups are listed by county.

ALACHUA COUNTY

The Writers Alliance Group of Gainesville (WAG)
P.O. Box 358396
Gainesville, FL 32635-8396
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/WritersAllianceofGainesville/
Twitter Feed: https://twitter.com/WAGWriters
Website: https://writersalliance.org/

BAKER COUNTY

no online information available

BRADFORD COUNTY

no online information available

CLAY COUNTY

Clay County Writers a FWA Affiliate Group

Maureen Jung, Writers Group Leader mjung@wordspringconsulting.com
Agenda: speakers
Meets third Wednesday of the month, 6:15 PM to 8:00 PM
Orange Park Public Library, 2054 Plainfield Avenue, Orange Park FL 32073
https://claycountywriters.wordpress.com/ not been updated since July 2013

Clay County Writers Critique Group a FWA Affiliate Group

Melissa Kosciuszko, Critique Leader melissa@booksbymsk.com
Agenda: critique
Meets second & fourth Thursday of the month, 6:30 PM
Panera Bread, 1510 County Road 220, Orange Park FL 32003
http://booksbymsk.com/?page_id=90 It’s just a webpage on the Critique Leader’s own author website.

COLUMBIA COUNTY

Meets the second Tuesday of each month at the downtown Lake City, Florida library. The meeting starts at 7 pm and the library closes at 9 pm. For more information contact RuthAnn Conway at (386) 466-6376

DIXIE COUNTY

Could find no information on the internet so far

DUVAL COUNTY

North Florida Writers Group
http://www.northfloridawriters.org/
The website no longer works correctly and hasn’t been updated in a while. Their Facebook page is updated regularly though. https://www.facebook.com/groups/NorthFloridaWriters/
The dues rate of $20 a year. the NFW decided to go from quarterly meetings to six meetings a year beginning in 2017: January, March, May, July, September, and November. They will be held in the meeting room of the Riverside-Avondale Watson Realty branch (on the corner of Herschel and San Juan). The meeting will start at 1 p.m.

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of Jacksonville, Florida
They are an extremely active group and have a website with information on the MeetUp.com area at: http://www.meetup.com/SFFJAX/ You can join MeetUP for free and asked to be included in the group to receive email updates on the latest meetings. They schedule regular monthly meetings and everyone is encouraged to bring a sample of what they are currently writing on.

Monthly Meeting Places

Southeast Branch Library 10599 Deerwood Park Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32256
or
Beaches Regional Library 600 3rd Street Neptune Beach, FL 32266

It looks like they have added a small Critique Group Meeting in a home in Riverside or at Panera’s Bread on Beach and Hodges you can get more information on both by joining the MEETUP page or Facebook Group Page.

https://sffjaxwritersgroup.com/ but that hasn’t been updated since 2013. 🙁
Facebook Group Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/338585926228467/ that seems to be updated pretty regularly. You have to get permission to join as it is a closed group.

strong>First Coast Romance Writers

The chapter is dedicated to promoting excellence in romantic fiction through monthly meetings and workshops in a comfortable forum where published and unpublished writers share knowledge about the constantly evolving publishing industry.

FCRW holds monthly meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month at the West Regional Branch of the Duval County Library located at 1425 Chaffee Rd S Jacksonville, FL 32221-1119 (904) 693-1448 unless otherwise posted.

You must be a member of Romance Writers of America® to join FCRW.
FCRW membership costs $40.00 per year beginning January 1, 2023.

http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/

Ancient City Romance Authors

Chapter meetings are held on the fourth (4th) Saturday of each month from 12:30 – 4:00 PM.
ACRA’s “official” meeting location is the
Southeast Regional Library, Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville FL. Phone 904-996-0325.
ACRA does not meet in November and December.
Must be a member of the National Romance Writers Association to Join
Membership is $24/year, prorated at $2 a month. So if you join in February, your membership would be $22.
http://www.acrarwa.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ancientcityromanceauthors/?fref=ts
website doesn’t have anything on it but one page.

Serivilous Panerians a FWA Sponsored Affiliate

Cheri L. Roman, Writers Group Leader cherileigh9@me.com
Agenda: critique
Meets second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, 6:30 PM
Panera Bread, 4720 Town Crossing Drive, Jacksonville FL 32246
No website, Facebook page or Twitter to follow but found one of the members website that mentions the group on 2013 post: https://thebrassragcnr.wordpress.com/

Townie Critics a FWA sponsored Affiliate

Krys Kenner is Group Leader email to see if the group is full and when next meeting krysfenner@gmail.com
Agenda: Critique
Meets every other Sunday 1:00 pm
Panera Bread
St Johns Town Center
4720 Town Crossing Dr
Jax, Fl 32246
no online presence found so far.

River City Writers a FWA Affiliate Group

Gregg Golson & Melissa Kosciuszko, Writers Group Leaders gtgolson@comcast.net
Agenda: speakers
Meets second Tuesday of the month, 7:00 PM to 8:45 PM
Southeast Branch Public Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Boulevard, Jacksonville FL 32256
http://rivercitywriters.blogspot.com/ not updated since May 2015

First Coast Christian Writers Group a FWA Affiliate Group

Lynn Rix, Writers Group Leader firstcoastfictionwriters@yahoo.com
Agenda: critique
Meets every Thursday (except holidays), 6:45 PM to 8:45 PM
Wesconnett Library, 6887 103rd Street, Jacksonville FL 32210

The First Coast Christian Writers, an FWA affiliate, has changed its meeting place. They now meet at the Oakleaf Christian Fellowship at 6195-7 Lake Gray Blvd., Jacksonville 32244. The meeting schedule remains weekly, each Thursday at 6:45 p.m.
http://firstcoastchristianwriters.blogspot.com/ last updated June 2016

Northeast Florida Sisters in Crime

President: Rainy Anderson/Kirkland Email: info@nefloridasistersincrime.org
Main Focus: Speakers
Meetings are held 1st Saturday each month at 10:00 am at Southeast Regional Branch Jacksonville Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Dues are $20/yr if you download the app and mail it or bring it to a meeting
Dues via Paypal are $22/yr. (Includes Paypal processing fee.)

Web site: https://nefloridasistersincrime.org/

Florida Region Critique Groups – Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
Duval County – Jacksonville Group
https://florida.scbwi.org/critique-groups/duval-county/
Group leader: Jim Belich
Contact info: jamesbelich@gmail.com or 651-428-5714 (cell)

When, where, and how often the group meets: Once a month, on the second Saturday of the month, at the Southeast Branch Library from 3:00-6:00 pm. The room varies from month to month; please ask the leader prior to the meeting or inquire at the information desk. Members of the group: 10 Open to new members? YES. What to bring to meetings: Members email up work two weeks prior to the meetings. First-time visitors may bring an entire picture book or 3-5 printed pages of a longer work. Focus/Genres: Picture Books, MG, and YA all welcome

GILCHRIST COUNTY

No information available on the internet so far

HAMILTON COUNTY

nothing available online

LAFAYETTE COUNTY

The “Writer’s Ink” group meets every Tuesday or Wednesday at 10:00 am at the Lafayette County Public Library. Ms. Delores Leggett Walker is one of the leaders of the group and can answer any of your questions please “Friend” her on Facebook and receive reminders of the group’s meetings.

LEVY COUNTY

no information so far available online

MADISON COUNTY

No information on the internet so far

MARION COUNTY

Information Pending

NASSAU COUNTY

Writers by the Sea at FWA Affiliate Group

Nadine Vaughan.Williams, Writers Group Leaders nvaughanwilliams@gmail.com
Agenda: speaker
Meets the third Thursday of the month, 6:00 PM
Amelia Island Museum of History, 233 South 3rd Street, Fernandina Beach FL 32034
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/WritersByTheSea.Amelia/

PUTNAM COUNTY

Information Pending

ST JOHNS COUNTY

Ancient City Romance Authors

Chapter meetings are held on the fourth (4th) Saturday of each month from 12:30 – 4:00 PM.
ACRA’s “official” meeting location is the
Southeast Regional Library, Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville FL. Phone 904-996-0325.
ACRA does not meet in November and December.
Must be a member of the National Romance Writers Association to Join
Membership is $24/year, prorated at $2 a month. So if you join in February, your membership would be $22.
http://www.acrarwa.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ancientcityromanceauthors/?fref=ts

Ancient City Writers a FWA Affiliate Group

Judy Weber and Diane Ell, Writers Group Leaders JudyMikeW@aol.com
Agenda: discussions, speakers
Meets third Saturday of the month, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM except February and October
St. John’s County Public Library, 1960 N. Ponce de Leon Boulevard, St. Augustine FL 32084
http://fwaacc.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AncientCityWriters/?fref=ts

Ponte Vedra Writers a FWA Affiliate Group

Vic DiGenti, Writers Group Leader
Agenda: speakers
Meets fourth Saturday of the month, 10:30 AM
Ponte Vedra Beach Library, 101 Library Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach FL 32802
More Information at http://fwapontevedra.blogspot.com/

SUWANNEE COUNTY

Lively Ladies Literary Group meets every other Thursday at 11 on Zoom. We have published writers from Columbia, Suwannee Counties in Florida a Voice Actor now living in Ohio, and another writer who moved to North Carolina. If you would like to participate for feedback on your writing please contact Jolene MacFadden for more information.

Small writer’s group was meeting once a month at the local library information still pending

UNION COUNTY

no information available online

VOLUSIA COUNTY

Information Pending

LAST UPDATED 01/28/2018