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HISTORY OF EMERALD COAST WRITERS
In March 2002, out of desperation to meet other local writers, Julia Schuster attended a Barnes and Noble Writer's Guild meeting in Destin, Florida. She was new to Florida's Northwest Gulf Coast and had become disheartened by the lack of writers' groups and organizations available in the area. After the meeting, Barnes and Noble's Community Relations Manager, Michelle (Chi) Ruschman encouraged Julia to start a new group. Chi posted a message to her email list and within one week, Julia received over 30 email responses.
The first meeting was held in the coffee shop at Barnes and Noble. Eighteen people attended. Writers of every genre and interest answered the call -- novelists, journalists, essayists, poets, children's writers, screenwriters, and more, and soon it became clear that among the group, all had a desire to hone their skills, share their work, and gain assistance with publication. With the dedication of a small group of charter members--Lynn Bowling, Mary Brown, Mahala Church, Diane Harris, Sue Lutz, Ellen Martin and founder Julia Schuster at the forefront-- Emerald Coast Writers, Inc. was formed, and in November 2002 received 501-C-3 tax-exempt status.
Today, Emerald Coast Writers, Inc. is the one of the leading writers' group in the Northwest Florida region, boasting over 100 diversely talented members. ECW was founded upon the premise of nurturing, educating, and promoting established and aspiring writers to showcase and publish their work, and this continues to be at the heart of our mission. Our goals include, but are not limited to:
- the creation of unified, professional guidelines for organizational development
- the publication of a yearly digest, and other works, presenting quality work
- the presentation of workshops and invitational seminars, featuring published writers of merit and others who may constructively contribute to the personal goals of writers
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