ORANGE PARK – A popular writer’s group is looking to return to Clay County.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clay County writing group more or less petered out. Lou Pugliese, a retired auto executive, writer and teacher, is looking to change that.

He’s been tasked with resurrecting the Florida Writers Association’s local chapter. There are dozens of chapters around the state and each group is independent, he said.

The group’s first meeting is 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 6 in the Orange Park Library meeting room. The first meeting is organizational and will lay the groundwork, Pugliese said.

“I like writing that fills your time and takes you to a weird place,” he said. “We want to support all of that.”

Pugliese said writing and editing collaboratively make writers better. The FWA has several resources, whether its speakers, conventions and contests. He can be reached at lou_gwu@yahoo.com.

“Somebody knows what they know, you have no idea what that might be,” Pugliese said. “We want to use the resources available … We have access to anything in the way of a resource for writers to use to better their craft.”

The first speaker will be Vic DiGenti, the regional director and a former vice president of the association. DiGenti also helms the Ponte Vedra chapter of the organization. The pair met and Pugliese joked he ended up leading the Clay County writers group by default. “(DiGenti) mentioned they were looking to get Clay County restarted and well-attended,” he said. “Here was a strong group and it frittered away because of COVID.”

Led by Maureen Jung, the Clay County Writers group was very productive, DiGenti said. After a five-year process, the group wrote a 2019 anthology, “Embedded in Clay.”

“They had a core of writers who attended, it varies, but they wrote and published an anthology,” he added. “(Groups are) important to writers. It’s such a solitary craft, so it’s important to get out and network and learn from other writers.”

DiGenti quotes Stephen King’s saying that talent is cheaper than table salt. However, King continues, what differentiates a talented individual from a successful person is hard work.

DiGenti likens the value of writing to the fulfillment of a dream.

“For most writers, they have a voice in their head telling them to write,” DiGenti said. “You realize it’s not that easy. You can find that motivation at meetings, and learn from other writers and successful writers.”

More information is available at floridawriters.org.