SOUTH FLORIDA

writers association

Welcome to SFWA

The South Florida Writers Association conducts programs, activities and special events that are in accordance with its mission and purpose. Our monthly hybrid meetings are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC with educational presentations about writing, publishing, marketing or award-winning or best-selling authors, agents or publishers.

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Membership Benefits

Among others boons, we award four semi-annual grants of $500: for marketing and publishing, awarded at our June meeting along with the installation of the new Board, another pair in December at our annual Holiday Party.

All members can apply and winners are selected by random lottery.

Hybrid Monthly Meeting

The next General Meeting of the South Florida Writers Association will be on

Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM at

Pinecrest Library

5811 SW 111th Street

You can also join us on Zoom at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83899718493

Click Here to Join Zoom on 8/2

Junior Orange Bowl
Creative Writing Competition

We're thrilled to have recently celebrated the finalists of the 36th annual Junior Orange Bowl & South Florida Writers Association Creative Writing Contest, and honored first-place winner, Kirsten Hug from Gulliver Preparatory, along with her teacher, Ms. Maria Gonzalez.

Open to South Florida 8th graders, the prompt for the competition was:

“In an age characterized by sea level rise and rising temperatures, write an essay inspired by Miami’s ocean and its sea creatures.”

Chair Sophia Espaillat led the Creative Writing Contest with South Florida Writers Association as lead sponsor. Out of more than 100 submissions received this year, the finalists, three winners, and their teachers were honored at an awards ceremony held at the Newman Alumni Center at the University of Miami on May 18. Second-place prize went to Jessica Portnoy of Gulliver Prep, and third-place to Rafael Moro of Riviera Prep.
At the award ceremony, guest speaker Colin Foord, marine biologist, filmmaker, and co-founder of Coral Morphologic, gave a rousing presentation on his innovative work and shared Coral Morphologic’s mission to raise environmental awareness through creative expression with a spotlight on Miami’s unique biodiversity. Coral City Camera, a 24/7 underwater livestream from a coral reef along PortMiami, played on in the background. The Coral City Camera served as inspiration for the entrants.
Connie Goodman-Milone, South Florida Writers Association member and Junior Orange Bowl Creative Writing Committee past chair said;
"I’d like to congratulate our finalists. We’re here to honor your writing and encourage you all to continue down this path. Teachers, thank you for sharing our contest with your students and providing them with this opportunity. Today,
we honor your students’ imagination, dedication, and art of storytelling. These young writers have transported us to a new world and offered fresh perspectives."

The top 10 finalists will all receive Certificates of Achievement, prize bags, and - most importantly- the Golden Quill pin. The top 3 award-winning essays will
appear in the Author’s Voice newsletter of the South Florida Writers Association and will be announced in the Miami Herald. The top 3 prize winners will also be invited to appear on the Junior Orange Bowl float during the
parade in December.

From left to right, Kevin Arnoux, Sophia Espaillat, Jessica Portnoy, Kirsten Hug, Rafael Moro, Jennifer Forbes, Colin Foord.

Join us on October 4th,

at Pinecrest Library

Our Guest Speaker is:

Giancarlo Diago Cevallos

Ever wanted to use AI to help you write, but you're not sure how it works or what to even use it for? Want to give your novel professional formatting, but have no idea how word editor settings work? How about finding professional, excellent software for free? Want to give your work flare and style to make it stand out from the rest? Then, this presentation is for you!

President Giancarlo D.C., when not writing or walking dogs, also learned coding and hacking. This presentation, included with many sources to later be linked in the Member's Resources, aims to present levels of tech for the tech illiterate. The coding worlds of open-source, Github, downloads and more will be simplified and taught to you!

Topics will include software and resources involving; word editors, AI (LLM models/image generation), visual design apps, typing, audio-to-text programs, and more!

An opportunity not to be missed. All advice and programs will focus on what is useful to writers. If you want to suggest a topic, to ensure I cover it, or ask advice about some non-writing software, then email Giancarlo D.C.

Free and open to the public.
Coffee, tea, and light Refreshments will be served.