Pine Island Writers
The Pine Island Writers originated in the late 1990s when a few amateur writers came together to discuss how they could improve their writing skills. Word spread quickly on the island and by 2000 the group was too large to continue to meet in each other’s homes.
A generous member volunteered her office in the industrial park as a meeting place. An ad was placed in the Pine Island Eagle and before long there were 20-25 members at the Monday night gatherings. Not only Pine Islanders came, but published and unpublished writers from the surrounding area joined.
Finally it was decided to form an organization with the aim of providing support to those wishing to pursue and improve the craft of writing. In 2004, Pine Island Writers became a non-profit community-based organization.
The mission statement of the Pine Island Writers is: “To encourage writers of all genres, abilities, and experience by critiquing in a gentle and positive manner, to educate about the interactive art of the written word, to promote a pride of community through the craft of writing, and to produce and manage occasional publications.
“Put a voice to your work by reading your poem or a section of your current work. You may choose to write on the week’s topic or you may just choose to listen. We limit the length of a reading to 500 words, depending on the number of participants.”
Pine Island Writers meet at St. John’s Episcopal Church Fellowship Hall in St. James City, every Monday evening at 7. For more information, visit pineislandwriters.org/