Charlottesville Writers Critique Circle

Charlottesville and Albemarle wordsmiths come join our Quiet Writing Session!

Unlock your creativity and enjoy a peaceful writing retreat at the Central Library. Whether you're working on a novel, penning poetry, or jotting down journal entries, this is the perfect opportunity to dedicate two solid hours to your writing projects. Bring your laptop or notebook and settle into a distraction-free environment.

Connect with other local writers in a supportive, quiet space where the main conversation is between you and your words. Don't miss out on this chance to clear your mind and get your ideas flowing onto the page!

Please note, this is a quiet event designed to maximize productivity—no conversations or critiques, just uninterrupted writing time.

While our group meets at JMRL, we are neither affiliated with nor endorsed by the library.

That's about it... see you at the Circle!

Come find your Cville/Albemarle writing community!

Meet with your fellow wordsmiths to offer and receive feedback on short stories or manuscript chapters. New members are always welcome. We meet in the Madison Room of the JMRL Central Library on Market St.

Presenters: Catherine/Jake S./K.G.

Backup: Leigh

Scheduled presenters and our backup presenters should bring a printed copy of their work for each attendee, in the following format:

-strictly between 1,000-2,000 words (please note wordcount on page 1)

-1.5 line spacing

-line numbers noted on pages

If your writing tends towards short stories/flash fiction of fewer than 1,000 words, please bring two pieces (no more than two) that combine to fall within our wordcount range.

After a first observer-only meeting, new members will be allowed to participate as regular members in subsequent meetings, and will be invited to present their own work for critique after their third meeting.

To help cover fees charged by Meetup, an annual contribution of $15 will come due on your third meeting.

Attendance is capped at 13 critiquing members for each meeting, so please don't RSVP unless you have every intention of attending. If you find you won't be able to attend a meeting after having already RSVP'd, please remove your RSVP as soon as possible, but no later than 1pm the day of the meetup. Late RSVP changes may get you barred from the following meeting. Two No-Shows will result in removal from the group. Feel free to message James B with any special circumstances.

IMPORTANT: If you are waitlisted, you may still attend but won't get to participate fully. If you're not planning to attend please change your RSVP, so presenters have a good idea of how many copies to print. If you're waitlisted, don't change your RSVP and don't show, that counts as a No-Show.

After the meetup, we'll continue the conversation over a beverage of your choice at an establishment on the downtown mall.

And continue the conversation further online in our Discord Server. Contact James B for an invitation link.

While our group meets at JMRL, we are neither affiliated with nor endorsed by the library.

That's about it... see you at the Circle!

(Read the entire description before RSVPing)

Contests! Workshops! Prizes! Badminton! Ping Pong! Billiards! Fishing! Midnight Hikes! S'Mores! Grills! Cold drinks! Hot drinks! Your erudite, articulate, and helpful writing colleagues!!!!!

Wordsmith, what more could you ask for in the CWCC 3rd Annual Spring Retreat?!?

It's all taking place at Brian's beautiful home (Near Palmyra - 15 minutes south of I-64 Exit 129). Plan to stay the night if you like, either camping, or inside member Brian's spacious guesthouse. Spouses/Significant others are welcome as are well-behaved children and pets

RSVPing early will help us plan the event.

The price of admission is participating in the writing contest and presenting a mininar. This requirement applies only to CWCC members. Family, friends, and guests may participate, but are not required.

To be eligible to attend, you must have a minimum of four (4) CWCC critiques under your belt by May 14th OR are a veteran of a previous retreat. If you are unsure of your status, message James.

Brian does an excellent job of feeding the attendees, but consider bringing a tempting dessert or bottle of your favorite adult beverage to share with the group. If you have special dietary requirements, please let Brian know.

The Writing Contest

Write a well-crafted 200-250 word story with a prompt of FIREFLY
1.5 spacing
Garamond or Calibri font
A title
NO IDENTIFYING INFO/NAME.

Email your story to James (jamesblakey1965@gmail.com) by 11:59pm Tuesday, May 27th to have it included in the contest.

We will vote for our favorite story, and we will try to guess which of our fellow wordsmiths wrote which stories. Prizes for best story, the person who read the best story, and most correct guesses!

The Mininars

Member attendees should also come prepared to present an 8-minute workshop/seminar (mininar?) on any writing-related topic of their choice, in prose OR poetry. Examples: best use of commas, creating a believable villain, how to self-publish, tips & tricks for outlandish open-mic poetry presentations, how to sell your book on Amazon, words you should only use once per manuscript... etc, etc. Ideally, presenters will bring a 1-page handout for all attendees. Come ready to teach us something!

RSVPs will receive directions to Brian's forest retreat via direct message, as we draw closer to the event. Feel free to message me or him with questions.

Come out to 2nd Act Books, pick up a signed copy, and meet some of the contributors to CHARLOTTESVILLE FANTASTIC!

Visit a Cville that's not quite like the one you know.

Charlottesville Fantastic: Arcane Echoes from Virginia's Heartland invites you to explore the mysterious, the supernatural, and the humorous.

Meet unforgettable characters including a vampire at a UVA sorority, a four-hundred-year-old dragon hidden in Shenandoah National Park, and an enigmatic tuxedo cat on the Downtown Mall. Twenty tales in total, each exploring the mystical essence of the region, revealing a place where the past, present, and future intertwine in unexpected and enchanting ways.