TRENTON, Fla., Aug. 1, 2026 — Members of the GC Writers Group met Saturday at the library for their relaxed monthly gathering. The meeting was held at the library instead of American Grace Cafe and included both in-person and online participation. Mike and Donald began by setting up cameras, microphones, speakers and an online meeting room. Although attendance was light, the group used the meeting to make several plans for its first printed anthology, future writing contests and ways to reach more local writers.
First Anthology Proof Arrives
One of the main events was the first look at a proof copy of the group’s anthology. Donald had ordered one copy before placing a larger order so he could check the printing, page alignment and cover design. Mike was pleased with the result. “It rocks,” he said after looking through the book. Donald said the book was printed on thicker paper similar to that used in mass-market paperbacks. The printing cost was about $2.90 per copy, not including shipping. The current version is about 102 pages. The group plans to give copies to the writers whose work appears in the book. Copies will also be donated to local libraries for their local-author collections. Additional books may be sold for about $5 each to recover printing and shipping costs. Mike offered to contribute $100 toward the printing. He also suggested keeping one copy that could be signed by every writer represented in the anthology. Donald said future anthologies could use the same size and general design so they would form a matching collection on a bookshelf. He hopes seeing their names and stories in a real book will encourage members to keep writing.
Decision Needed on “The Great Wolf”
The group also discussed “The Great Wolf,” a contest entry written by local fantasy author Brantley Mason. Mason later identified himself as the writer, but had not responded to messages asking whether the story could be included in the anthology. Because the entry may be part of a larger work, members agreed that it should not be printed without clear permission. Donald said he would make another effort to contact Mason but would likely move forward with the anthology as it now stands if no reply is received. The issue led to an important change for future contests. Writers who enter will be told from the beginning that their entries may be published in a group anthology.
How Much Description Does a Story Need?
The meeting then moved into a discussion about writing styles and the amount of detail authors should give readers. Donald said different genres often focus on different parts of storytelling. Science fiction commonly depends on technical details and a clear sequence of events. Fantasy often focuses on places, travel and strange cultures. Romance depends more heavily on emotions and relationships. Members also discussed whether writers should fully describe a character’s appearance. Donald said too much description can interfere with the picture a reader has already formed. He recommended including physical details when they matter to the plot. For example, if a character later needs to crawl through a small opening, the reader should know earlier that the character is small enough to fit. Mike compared this approach to J.R.R. Tolkien’s elves. Tolkien often described them as tall and beautiful without giving every detail of their appearance. This allowed readers and artists to imagine the characters differently. The group agreed that writers may need a detailed picture of a character in their own minds, but not every detail needs to appear on the page. Donald also spoke about keeping track of time and location in stories with several connected characters. He said he has created a private reference system for one of his projects so that travel times, accidents and other events happen in a believable order.
Online Member Joins the Meeting
Heidi joined the meeting online while returning from a family vacation in Alabama. The group showed her the anthology proof through one of the cameras. The online connection gave members a chance to test the library setup. They agreed that future hybrid meetings should work better when people sit closer together and use one main microphone and speaker. The group hopes online access will allow members to participate while traveling, working or unable to come to the library.
Group Looks for Better Participation
Much of the second half of the meeting focused on the large difference between the number of people in the Facebook group and the number who attend meetings or take part in activities. The group has tried different meeting days, online access, writing prompts and gift-card drawings. Even so, most meetings continue to draw only a few regular participants. Donald said the group may need to ask inactive members whether they are seeing meeting announcements in their Facebook feeds. Facebook may not be showing group posts to everyone. Mike also pointed out that many younger people no longer use Facebook. Members discussed keeping the two meeting styles different. Wednesday meetings could focus more on lessons, workshops and improving writing skills. Saturday meetings would remain relaxed and social. Donald said useful criticism is an important part of becoming a better writer. “Please do not just tell me, ‘Oh, that was a great story,’” he said. “That’s useless. I need actual feedback.” Heidi said the group may also need to accept that some members will come and go as their schedules and interest levels change. “There’s only so much we can do as a group,” she said. “The rest is going to be up to those people.” The group agreed to continue meeting and allow participation to grow naturally.
Website Could Reach Writers Beyond Facebook
Members agreed that GC Writers needs a simple website where people can learn about the group, find meeting information and read about upcoming contests. Donald already owns the domain FLWrites.org and has web-hosting space available. One idea is to use that site as a home for several writing groups in the region. Visitors could choose their county or local group from a map. The group also discussed getting a domain name that more closely matches the GC Writers name. Donald agreed to look at available names and bring the choices back to the group. The website could eventually include pages for GC Writers and other groups in Cross City, Mayo, Live Oak and nearby communities.
Possible Table at Trenton Makers Market
The group discussed setting up a table at the Trenton Makers Market, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 14, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Trenton Train Depot. The table could be used to display and sell the anthology, hand out group information and invite local writers to upcoming meetings and contests. Group members who have published their own books could also be invited to attend and sell copies. Heidi suggested having the website ready before attending a public market so visitors would have somewhere to find more information. She also recommended announcing the next writing contest before the event, even if the contest does not begin immediately. Mike agreed to look into reserving a table, while Donald agreed to work on the website and contest information.
New Contest Rules Discussed
The meeting ended with a review of possible rules for the next writing contest. Members generally agreed that future entries should:
- Be submitted under the writer’s name rather than anonymously.
- Be no more than 10,000 words.
- Work as a standalone story.
- Be unpublished.
- Not have been entered in another contest.
- Include permission for the group to print the story in an anthology.
- Be subject to review before publication if the content is not appropriate for community distribution.
The group also supported opening the contest to members of other nearby writing groups. Donald agreed to prepare revised rules for members to review. He cautioned against spending too much money until the group sees how much public interest develops. “Let’s not start counting chickens that haven’t hatched,” he said. Despite the small turnout, the meeting ended with several clear goals: finish the anthology, create a website, revise the contest rules and look for opportunities to introduce GC Writers to more people in the community.
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