Citrus Writers of Florida

Written Interview with the Group’s President

Paula J. Braley

Tell us About the Group's history.

Citrus Writers was founded in 2019 by Jim Meyer and other like-minded writers in Citrus County, Florida, seeking to learn from each other and encourage each other’s writing path toward publication. Jim Meyer served as the president of Citrus Writers for the first two years, and Judith Bozeman succeeded him in 2022. In 2023, Paula Braley became president, and it was during that year that the membership voted to change the name of the organization to Citrus Writers of Florida.

When and where do you hold your meetings?

Citrus Writers of Florida meets the second Wednesday of every month at Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church, 9425 N. Citrus Springs Blvd., Citrus Springs, FL 34434, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Tell us about your group's creed.

The creed of Citrus Writers of Florida is “Writers helping writers.” We each have certain abilities and experiences that we can share within our membership in the fields of storytelling, world-building, critiquing, publishing, and marketing.

What does the group hope to accomplish for the authors?

As stated in the Citrus Writers of Florida’s Bylaws, the mission of Citrus Writers of Florida is to empower and encourage its members by providing educational, motivational, and networking opportunities, providing a positive community atmosphere where each member is inspired to advance their own career development, and create an environment that promotes communication within our membership.

What additional curriculum does the group offer?

Citrus Writers of Florida also promotes literacy and education within the surrounding communities by providing presentations, seminars, and workshops.

Do you have many published authors in the group?

In the past year (2023), more than half of our members have published books, novellas, short stories, plays, and poetry. Several members publish newsletters with a wide and varied following.

What genres(s) does the group represent?

The work of Citrus Writers of Florida covers all genres from fiction to non-fiction to poetry. Our members write mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, memoirs, sports, textbooks, history fact and fiction, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, and erotica.

Are the members self-published, traditionally published or subsidiary (vanity) published or is there a mix of different types of publishing?

We have self-published writers, traditionally published writers, and some writers who have been published through hybrid publishers. As there are many routes to publishing, one issue we focus on is determining which of the various publishing routes is best for the work and the author.

How important are book reviews?

I cannot stress the importance of good book reviews. Many booksellers, Amazon is one, focuses on the number of reviews more than the reviews (or stars). After a certain number of reviews, the algorithm kicks in and starts promoting the book within the site as a possible alternative to books in the same genre (or by the same author).

Do you have any suggestions to help a new writer?

My first suggestion to a new writer is just write. See where it takes you. There is information online and in books regarding how to plot a narrative arc, character arcs, how to hook your reader, etc., which is all good for research or reference, but until you know who you are as a writer, when you have found your voice and a message or story you wish to tell, buying “how to write” books won’t be of much help except to the authors who wrote them.

My second suggestion is that joining a writers’ group can be tremendously helpful. You will find writers who are at all stages in their writing careers who can help by critiquing, exploring publishing options, and sharing marketing techniques and strategies. That said, no one can pull the ideas and thoughts out of your brain and turn them into words for you. Just write and the words will find you.

What do you think makes a good story?

What makes a good story for me is character development. I want to know the characters well enough so that I can see them in my mind—but not so well as I know what they will do next. Another thing that makes a good story is the writing—carefully chosen words that stir my imagination and draw me into the narrative so that I am another character lost within the words—not just a reader or a bystander.

Tell us about your Group’s anthologies.

Citrus Writers has self-published two anthologies solely from the submissions of its writers: Citrus Writers Anthology (2021, currently out of print) and Citrus Writers – Adventures on The Nature Coast (2022).

Citrus Writers of Florida has published one anthology – Secrets of the Nature Coast (2023) and is currently calling for member submissions for its forthcoming anthology – Spirits of the Nature Coast. These anthologies all have one common requirement: the story, poem, essay, etc., must be within the Nature Coast of Florida - eight coastal counties along the Gulf of Mexico at Florida’s Big Bend: Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor, Dixie, Levy, Citrus, Hernando, and Pasco counties.

Your Personal Writing Journey

What is your favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite part of being a writer is the writing; telling the story, building the world, and giving the characters who live in my head a voice.

Did you always want to be a writer?

I don’t know if I ever made a conscious decision to become a writer. I only know that I have always written stories, essays, poetry (bad poetry), and thousands of pages of homework for school, college, and graduate school. I am always writing…something.

What genre(s) do you write?

I am a published writer of science fiction, but I recently had my urban fantasy novel accepted by my publisher. I have also written a children’s Christmas story that will be published in the fall, just in time for Christmas. That said, I also write non-fiction essays, poetry, research papers, and the occasional blog post which can be about (and I truly mean this) anything.

How many books have you published?

My publisher has released two science fiction novels, The Fire Slayers (2020) and Finding Persephone (2022). The third book in the series, Persephone’s Children, is forthcoming in the spring of 2024. The Painted Fan, an urban fantasy, has been recently accepted for publication, forthcoming in the summer of 2024.

What are you working on at the moment?

Currently, I am working on the above-mentioned children's Christmas book entitled "Santa's Lost Hat," which is based on a play that the Valerie Players performed in December 2023. I am also working on "Training Ground," the fourth book in The Fire Slayers series.

Thank you, Paula, for the insight into your Group’s journey and your own. For more information: