We look forward to seeing you at this event in March

February 18th, 2026

Welcome back. 

Here we are nearing the end of February, and our winter season is drawing to a close. We may have another cold snap or two, but spring in Florida comes early, especially on the southern Gulf Coast.

It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of one of our founders, Susan Haley. Susan was instrumental in forming our group along with a small cadre of fellow writers, all of whom are no longer with us. Her poetry was inspiring and sometimes brought us to tears, but it addressed the issues important to her life. She was a loyal friend and supportive to all of us who knew her. May the Writing Dieties embrace her and welcome her to the afterlife.

Stories abound all around us. The baseball teams are in town for their annual Spring Training. Tourists flood the highways, and each one of them has a story to tell. Take time to look and listen to those old men gathered in the coffee shop, the women chatting as they get their hair done, and young couples walking on the beach. They are all stories. Use your imagination. What do you see? What do you hear? That old man with the walker may have been wounded fighting in Asia or Europe. That woman with the freshly coiffed hair, was she a nurse responding to the Twin Towers? Maybe she said she was from ‘New Yawk.’ Ya’ll are writers, so write.

 

Of the twelve persons attending this meeting, ten of us had work to share. 

Opening up the reading portion of the meeting was Ernie Ovitz. Ernie writes under the name E.G. Ovitz. You can find his work on Amazon. If you are a fan of historical fiction, especially the Roman Empire, his trilogy, Emperium Books I, II, III, will give you a glimpse of what it was like in the court of Constantine, the first Christian to rule Rome. Ernie shares his latest work with us tonight, delving into international financial espionage, crime, and violence. No stranger to the genre, the working title for this work is The Crucible, a follow-up novel for The Penitent Man. The characters are strong, driving these books through the maze of international money traps and government interference aimed at undermining the stability of Western Financial Institutions. Follow Lee Santino, Marco Rossi, and Lee’s beautiful wife, Maryam, as they spar with Yan Qing and his Chinese Secret Agency while under the threat of the Chiago mobsters. This book has it all–Mob ties, Spies, Corrupt Politicians, and Murder.

 

An expert in exotic plants, especially bromeliads, Dennis Cathcart is writing a memoir following his previous two book editions Koule’v–a Haitian word meaning ‘Snake’. He includes observations of his life with his lovely, vivacious wife, Linda. He has titled it The Edge of the World. While traveling in Ecuador, the couple encounters rare plants, some of which are unclassified. When Linda asks, “What is that plant?” Unfamiliar with the genus or having never come across a similar species, Dennis answers, “I don’t know.” Observing a crestfallen expression on Linda’s face, he asks, “What’s wrong?” She answers, “I thought you knew everything.” How does a man handle such a blow to his ego? Linda rebounded from her disappointment and made up for it by gifting the children and the people they encountered with lollipops and small, useful gifts for the remainder of their travels.

 

Roberta Molaro is a poet and a fiction writer. Tonight, she graced us with two poems. When We Were Only Kids highlights the 'different kid' in the neighborhood, the one who rarely comes out to play, the one who rides the special bus to school, the one who can’t tie his shoes. The ‘Special Kid,’ whom those of us who are older remember, how often we ignored that kid, and sometimes we made fun of them. Now we embrace them, as Roberta does, and we support the Special Olympics. Her second poem is very personal, a remembrance of a child taken from her, as she reads, Legacy, what a way to remember a love of your life.

 

James Harold Kelly continues the MacKenzie family story. This edition is titled The Tip of the Spear. Tonight, he reads from Chapter 13, “The Quiet Sector.” Newly minted Lieutenant MacKenzie arrives in France in 1918 and is assigned to lead his men into the trenches of an area designated The Quiet Sector. Arriving at his destination, they find the remnants of a village with only a few standing buildings, none of which are undamaged. Only a few residents remain; the rest have left or have succumbed to the intense barrages of Bosch artillery. The French and German forces have come to a stalemate in this sector. The troops MacKenzie’s men are replacing have enhanced the trenches into an almost permanent home. But will General Pershing allow the stalemate to continue?

 

As another poet takes the floor, Don Westerfield remembers in a piece he titled “Me”. The poem speaks of memories. Memories that become golden as the poet ages. A second piece titled “Another Me” explores the person within. The person whom the poet wishes to be but cannot find in the instant, the suave, witty, and debonair person, is desired. Maybe someday.

 

Bruce Haedrich is attuned to the world and watches its development, or at least that which is deemed “progress” by many. Robots? Are robots going to take over for mankind? In the story Bruce is composing, “Nadia,” society faces a flood of humanoid robots becoming increasingly human-like. Nadia started out as a replica of a beautiful, intelligent woman, a companion to a socially inept man who purchased this machine to fulfill his desire to have a companion in his life. However, after an upgrade or two, the company recalled the model for reprogramming. Now Nadia is nearly human and almost impossible to classify as a robot. The government has deemed them to be “Terrestrials,” another form of life. Some groups, the oligarchs of society, are set on eliminating these beings from the earth and have empowered humanoid robots with the authority to destroy those terrestrials they find. To combat detection, terrestrials are enrolled in schools to teach the skills needed to survive in a hostile environment. But what about the men and women who the terrestrials replace as lovers, boyfriends, girlfriends? Will they survive the wrath of the jilted?

 

Is AI dangerous in the wrong hands? Ursula Wong thinks so. A program written by a programmer in the USA, designed to help handicapped persons, has been corrupted by an unscrupulous and ambitious Russian agent who sees himself as the next ruler of his nation. He has used the program to alter speeches and comments made by the Secretary General of NATO in an attempt to discredit the powerful organization. Will it work?

 

Don’t Tell Me No! is the poem Anne Moore reads tonight. Don’t tell anyone they can’t do something based on their race, sex, or physical makeup; that’s the message this powerful poem, Anne will be reading to a group that has invited her to share it. Great job, Anne.

 

Bill Elam says there is something special about being High. Oh, no, not high as in intoxicated or stoned, but high as being at 20,000 feet looking down on the clouds. Above the earth is a special place that draws millions of people into its mystery. From the heights, a person can see things they miss by being too close to what’s happening. Being on high gives us a different perspective on the mundane and ordinary. If you can, give it a try, start with an easy way. Go to the top of the tallest building you have access to.

 

Some critics say every chapter of a story must drive it toward a conclusion. Probably a good idea for most chapters. However, writers must show, not tell, their characters’ personalities, and a short chapter that describes the feelings and emotions of important characters can do so. Rod Digruttolo brought such a chapter to read this evening. His newest work, The Garden’s Secret, Chapter 41, reveals the human side of a minor character as the protagonist assesses the man’s words. A character who has been seen as a resentful person shows his true self by forgiving those who injured him by accepting his role in the incident.

 

Well, I guess that about does it for this session. Stay tuned for more insights into the minds of writers, poets, and everyday people. Take time to read. Take time to write; stories, letters, poems, or anything that meanders through your mind. Readers are always looking for something new to read. SO–KEEP ON WRITING! We hope to see you again at the Firehouse on March 4^th. at 6:30 PM. 

February 4th, 2026

 

It’s good to see all of you again. It has been a little too chilly for my liking, but it’s nothing compared with the temperatures north of Tampa, you know, in that part of the country called Canada. Why, it even got chilly south of Fort Myers, you know, in Cuba. Oh well, spring will be here soon.

We opened the meeting with a question: “Do You Title Your Chapters?” Some do – some don’t, about fifty-fifty. Why?

1.         1.  More information for the reader

2.         2. To let the reader know what’s happening in the chapter

3.         3. To set a time frame

4.         4. It allows the chapter to tell its own story

5.         5. To allow a table of contents

6.         6. How about both? Chapter 1, Bob meets Sally

All good reasons. It boils down to a matter of personal preference. Do you like titles, or will numbers do the job? I have used both methods, Titled and Untitled, but always with Chapter Numbers. 

I’ve even gone so far as to have it look like this, Chapter One, Bob meets Sally, June 5^th, 2025. To be honest, do whatever you wish in this instance; there are no complex rules unless your agent or publisher sets them. Bestseller lists break down into three major categories.

1.         1. Chapter (sometimes called parts) Numbers but no titles

2.         2. Chapter titles but no numbers

3.         3. Combined numbers and titles

Remember, you are the writer, the author of a story. If you want titles on your chapter, if you want a Table of Contents, it’s your choice. Oh! Don’t forget, what are your chapter headings going to look like? Please be consistent; style all your Chapters the same in your book.

1.         1.  1,2,3

2.         2.  I.II.III

3.         3.  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

4.         4.  Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III

5.         5.  One, Two, Three

6.         6.  Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three

Note: Chapter numbers are rarely followed by a period unless a chapter title follows on the same line.

 ***  

As we moved into the reading portion of the meeting, Don Westerfield led off by reading two poems, The Park Bench Poet, and The Park Bench Poet II. Sitting alone on a park bench, our poet watches the world go by. People, creatures, the weather; nothing escapes his attention. As he ages, his view of all changes he may be a bit more understanding of faults, of the good, of the strengths he sees, but he is constantly aware.

 

We live in a world that is constantly changing. Politics, Social changes, and greed work their way into our daily lives. Every few decades, we go to war with people of different ideologies. Who would know more about this than a soldier? James H. Kelly writes of a family, the Mackinseys, who are soldiers. His latest chapter, of Advance the Line, follows the Mackenzie boys to France during 'The War to End All Wars,' WWI. A charge forward as the troops go over the top, rising from the trenches to assault the enemy, fear, religion, panic, and every emotion screams in the minds of the men as they face death or worse on a battlefield.

 

From a battlefield filled with men facing the worst moments of their lives to an equally stressful situation for a young woman. On the day of her graduation from the University, Jennifer’s parents gave her a nondescript manila envelope. Inside are the adoption papers and birth certificate she had never known existed. Why did they wait until today? Do they still love her? Do they want her to find her Birth Mother? Roberta Molaro gives us this story to ponder in Chapter One of The Reluctant Heiress.

 

Remember? In an essay about the music of past decades, Bruce Haedrich asks us to remember what many consider the Silent Generation, those born between 1925 and 1945, and their music. Among many of the great songs written during that era, 1940’s thru 1960’s, he focuses on a particular song that topped the charts in 1962. Where Have All the Flowers Gone, by Pete Seeger. Have you ever pondered the meaning of this lyric?

 

To open a novel about international intrigue, runaway Artificial Intelligence, and soul-crushing government, Ursula Wong starts her latest story in a setting where young immigrants live, meet, court, and marry without ever leaving the neighborhood. How does this take us to Russia and the former Soviet Bloc, where an AI program developed by an American is creating chaos in the delicate political balance of the region?

 

Gary Conkol is a technical powerhouse. Most of his writings are technical and very precise. However, he has now ventured forth into the world of Science Fiction. Tonight, he brings us Chapter XXX, Nancy’s Brother, from his new novel. A group of free-thinking scientists formed a group they call “Emerging New Age Technology Assisted Utopia” ENATAU, which has enabled faster than light space travel and established a colony on Mars. Earth is ruled by an Emperor/Dictator who has issued a proposal and sent an ambassador to negotiate who will rule the colony. The Ambassador has chosen the name, Hunttu. He is a ruthless man known to have caused the death of numerous citizens of Earth, including Nancy’s brother. What will happen? Stay tuned. I’m not sure this is all fiction.

 

When Bill Elam took the floor to read his Untitled poem, which became his mantra for entrepreneurship, we listened intently. The attributes of Honesty and Reputation took the forefront in how you must do business.

 

Anne Moore took a break from her interviews of mature women to delve into poetry. Reading her favorite poems, The Cows Are All Gray. The Twenty, and Then the Bird

Anne will be reading on Feb 16, 7-8 pm, Florida Studio Theatre https://www.floridastudiotheatre.org/

Doors open at 6:30.

Several of us were selected to read a favorite poem; mine’s “The Night House” by Billy Collins.

 

Feb 22, 5 - 6 pm, Arts and Central Restaurant https://artsandcentral.com/happenings/

I’ll be one of two poets, plus a visual artist, speaking at their monthly arts reception. I’ll read four or five original poems.

Can I bribe you with (the restaurant’s) free wine and appetizers? And if you’d like to stay afterwards and enjoy dinner with a 15% discount, let me know before February 15th so I can include you in the reservation.

 

I hope you can join me at one, or both, events.

And if you can’t make it, I know you’ll be there in spirit.

 

Well! There you go. That’s about all I have to say today. We had a great time as always, and I learned something, as always. I hope you can join us at our next meeting on February 18^th, at the firehouse. Until then, READ, Read, read some more, and WRITE, Write, and write some more.

January 7th, 2026

 

I must be getting old. It seems like just last week we held our writer’s group meeting at the Nokomis Firehouse Training Room. Wait a minute, it was last week, but I didn’t have time to sit down and write this blog until today, Jan 17^th. Sorry if you were looking to read it sooner. I hope to do better in the coming weeks.

We started off with a discussion about using timelines as we write. Most of us do, in one form or another. I use an Excel spreadsheet, as do several others. Other spreadsheet programs work just as well. 3X5 cards work well; if you so choose, any note-taking program will also work. The least reliable is the memory method of keeping track of the story arc and times. But if you have a good memory and are not easily distracted, go for it! Remember, keeping your story on track is a must. If the reader can’t follow the story arc or finds glaring errors in your timeline, they will put your book back on the shelf and not look for your name on the author’s page again.

Opening up the reading portion of the meeting, Ernie Ovitz read an offering from Linda Ovitz. Linda jotted down some interesting recollections of our own, Peter Frickel. Some of you were not privileged to know Peter. He, along with Don Westerfield and Rod Digruttolo, was among the early members of our group. I’m breaking my own rule and printing the entire piece as Ernie gave us.

Linda’s recollections of Peter Frickel

January 17, 2023

 

Soft spoken…orator’s voice—makes me want to listen. Graphic

writing…feeling and visualizing his words—gracious in every sense of the word, whether speaking casually as a friend or reading his words.

 

Body language - thoughtful. Acknowledging the other person always. Walks in

his “garden” bringing peace to his thoughts. Adventurous. Wishing I had heard more of his stories about Africa.

 

Wine connoisseur. Always knew what went with which food.

 

Discernment. When it came to eating. Same as my E.G., Peter enjoyed really delicious dishes and let you know it.

 

Conservative … voiced opinions on current U.S. policies—never seemed

“worked up.” But, very true to what he believed and not afraid to state it. Good

listening skills. Would pick out things said by others and use it as a topic of

conversation.

 

Concerns for others ideas and feelings, supportive. Finding the right words to

show his for others thoughts.

 

Loving. You could always see it in his eyes for Barbara. Her achievements and

knowledge were a source of great pride. His sons … so extremely proud of them.

 

Grandchildren … instant smile and thoughts all over his face—in complete awe of their inquisitiveness and energy.

 

Lucy … our dog who loved Peter and him speaking to her in French—

mesmerized her and me listening in. So gentle.

 

Love, Linda

 

 

Thank you, Linda. Those of us who knew him miss his spot-on suggestions and satire.

 

 

Don Westerfield brings insightful poetry to our group regularly, and tonight was no exception. Listening as he read, Shadow Song, I felt a twang in my chest as his words brought back memories of my own past. As he embarked on a journey to A Place Called Loneliness, I traveled with him, realizing that one can stand in a crowd and still suffer the pangs of loneliness.

 

Dennis Cathcart is a world traveler and an expert on tropical plants like bromeliads. How did he establish his reputation? Well, we heard the first chapter of his newest work, entitled The Woman Who Changed Everything. The opening chapter tells of the first encounter the world of exotic plants had with Linda Cathcart, Dennis’s wife of only five days. And that was only the beginning, even as we know Linda today.

 

 

Memoir writing can be a ticklish task. While listening to Bob Miller read an essay that may well be a prelude to his actual memoir. I realized he has made a good start. He knows things he wants to write about in the memoir; he simply has to tell the story. Leave behind the good times and bad times, but tell your story in a way that someone who reads it gets to know you.

 

 

Bruce Haedrich took the floor and read what might be a prologue to his latest work, Nadia. The summary describes a futuristic world that may well be evolving in the near future. Humanoid robots are being developed by a host of manufacturers to supplement the single-task machines now used in manufacturing. As builders tout the need for tireless workers, stress safety concerns, and seek to reduce costs, they turn to machines rather than humans to perform repetitive tasks. Bruce’s work looks at what might happen as man tries to replace humans.

 

If you enjoy reading Hiaku, Scott Anderson is your source. Tonight, we heard Scott read 14 of the verses he’s penned recently. These little three-line verses, with as few as six words, tell a story describing a multitude of things we see in our world. The blanket of fog, an image in a mirror, a bird stalking its prey. The world, the heavens, and Scott’s imagination are revealed.

 

From the fertile mind of Danny Spurlock, we hear a story of a suspicious husband, a take-charge wife, and an online book order. When a book entitled The Art of Embalming is delivered, and the husband asks his wife if she ordered it, her response of “I’ll take care of it” sets off a chain of events only a writer could think of.

 

In our daily routine, it is not unusual for us to encounter someone who appears to act differently from what we expect of those around us. Beth Socha brought us two poems depicting people who seem different, some might even say odd. In Rascal, a young man who danced to a different music, he and his girlfriend set up housekeeping in the desolate woods. With a new baby, what would happen when winter set in? As Beth read, Linda, The Galloping Horse, we could see and hear the girl’s footsteps as she galloped up and down the street, pretending to be a horse. In her mind, she was.

 

It was a great meeting; we heard some amazing work, and we look forward to the next one, 6:30 PM Wednesday, January 21st, at the Nokomis Firehouse. Until then, READ, Read, read and read some more, then WRITE, Write, write, and keep on writing.

December 3rd, 2025

 

Another year is drawing to a close, and our next meeting will be the final gathering for 2025. Traditionally, we take up a collection and present it to the Nokomis Fire Department as a gesture of appreciation for allowing us to meet in their training room twice a month throughout the year. We also encourage members to bring a significant other or a guest to join us in a potluck goodies snackfest. All leftovers will be donated to the firehouse staff.

 

On December 17^th, we will enjoy an evening with conversation, stories, idea-sharing, and readings. If you have a favorite Holiday Story, share it with us as well. Oh, BTW, all calories are suspended for the evening.

 

Tonight’s meeting began with a roundtable on what’s happening in our writing lives. Dennis Cathcart mentioned keeping a timeline of events to keep his writing in perspective. A number of our writers do this, including yours truly. A timeline helps keep the action and events in a story flowing. Even a short time span can get complicated when a lot of action is happening, especially when numerous characters are involved. Take a look at the action in your household on a hectic day. Your spouse is in the kitchen preparing to cook something; you are in the bedroom, changing clothes; a child is on the patio watching a pet in the backyard; and a neighbor is mowing his lawn next door. What can happen?1.  

1.      Your foot gets caught in the shorts you are putting on, you lose your balance, and you stumble towards the nightstand bearing your spouse’s grandmother’s Tiffany Lamp, worth thousands of dollars. You yell; your spouse looks toward the bedroom door.

2.      Whoosh, flames leap from the frying pan of warming oil on the stove. Where is the fire extinguisher your spouse just had checked at the hardware store? Your spouse yells.

3.      The pet outside sees a squirrel and bursts into a sprint in pursuit. Both animals are on a collision course with your neighbor’s riding mower. The pet howls.

4.      Your child recognizes the potential danger that the pet could be hurt or killed by the mower and joins the pursuit. The child yells

5.      Your neighbor is yawning, with both eyes closed, when the two furry creatures and a child burst through the row of peonies you planted along the property line.

You have to solve all these issues. What happens next, in what order, can you keep it all straight in your head? Did you plan ahead? Are you 'pantsing' it, or do you have an outline or a timeline? What is the most important event? Is the situation tragic or comedic? Are you telling it in real-time, or is this a flashback? Would a timeline help? A timeline might help in any writing situation. Fiction, Memoir, Technical, Short Story or Novel. 

You don’t want to have a character listening to a radio broadcast in 1915 on a commercial broadcast station that weren't established until 1920. Could you hear a radio broadcast in 1899? Things move fast in history; do your research and build a timeline. Accuracy establishes your credibility.

 THINK ABOUT IT

Of the nine attending writers tonight, six wished to share some of their work with us. Scott Anderson is on a mission to write Haiku. He is not slogging along at an excruciating pace; instead, the muse has him fully enveloped, as he races toward an expanding goal at blazing speed. Tonight, he graced us with fifteen gems, including one accepted for publication. We wonder at how descriptive so few words can be.

 

Some years ago, Roberta Molaro set out to write a story with a working title of The Reluctant Heiress. Somehow, she got sidetracked. Now that she has become involved with our little group, she has resurrected the story and shares it with us. A young woman, now 21 years old, is confronted by her parents with the fact that she was adopted as an infant. Why did they wait so long to tell her? How did they tell her? Roberta is working to present her story in a unique way and receives a multitude of suggestions with each reading.

 

Gary Conkol shines as a technical writer, but he has ventured into fiction since joining us at the firehouse. Drawing on much of his knowledge from the tech world, he brings us a story about a group of techno experts calling themselves the Emerging New Age Technology Assisted Utopia, or “ENATAU”. The group has solved the problem of traveling at speeds slower than the speed of light. With that problem solved, they established a colony on Mars and plan to expand throughout the universe. Fun, ain’t it? – We look forward to more with each reading.

 

Those of you who follow the blog and/or attend our meetings know that Bruce Haedrich has a rich imagination, as shown in his latest endeavor, Nadia. Beginning her life as a humanoid robot, Nadia has evolved into a new lifeform known as a “Terestrial.” Nadia is learning the ways of the humans. The new lifeforms find themselves hunted by humanoid robots employed by governments to eliminate the terestrials. An underground movement has formed, mainly in rural areas worldwide, to protect the terrestrial population, which is growing exponentially. As in many Sci-Fi stories of the past, Bruce’s Nadia seems to reflect on current political movements in government today. Look for Bruce’s publications online and in print.

 

IT’S HERE – STRATEGIC DECEPTION, by Ursula Wong, has been launched and is available on Amazon. A prolific writer, Ursula has finally allowed her latest book to join her published works. From the wilds of Peru to the boiling turmoil of Soviet Union-occupied Lithuania, her books encompass the world. Now, in independent Lithuania, she follows Grace Urban as she chases Soviet bloc criminals through a maze of lies and deception to save the world from their treachery. Thank you, Ursula. BUT WAIT A MINUTE, there’s more coming. Ursula is working on a new Grace Urban adventure with a working title of Deception Protocol. More good stuff is on the way; stay tuned.

 

Dennis Cathcart is a world-traveler and expert on Bromeliads, among many other plants and reptiles. As the owner and CEO of Tropiflora in Bradenton, he has traveled and lectured in many venues and over 25 countries. Tonight, he gave us a glimpse of standing on the edge of the world in Argentina. Having published two books about his adventures as a Snake Hunter, he is turning his attention to writing about his travels around the world with his lovely wife, Linda. – We look forward to hearing these stories as he begins a new era in his writing.

Well, that was a fascinating journey, beginning our trip with a taste of Japan in the Hiaku of Scott Anderson, visiting a young woman shocked to find out she was adopted, a trip to the red planet, standing alongside a new species of human, then looking into the world of spies and subterfuge, as we end up on the Edge of the World in Argentina. What a way to go.

Our next meeting will be on December 17^th, beginning at 6:30 PM. Join us if you can, and I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving. Until we meet again, READ, Read, and read some more, then WRITE, Write, and write more. Then bring it to a meeting and share it with the world.