James River Writers (JRW) builds community by connecting, supporting, and inspiring writers and lovers of the written word in central Virginia and beyond. We provide programming year-round to help writers at all skill levels develop their craft as well as the business side of their work. In addition to our signature event, the Annual James River Writers Conference, we offer Master Classes, a Writing Show panel discussion series, a Nuts & Bolts essentials workshop series, a Springboard! retreat, monthly JRW Write-Ins, and opportunities for our ever-growing community to socialize and connect through free, monthly Writers Wednesday and free, weekly Thursday Night Writes events. You do not need to be a member to join us for any of our events (though members get great discounts). We hope we’ll see you soon!
Check out what’s happening in our writing community…
JRW WRITE-INS
COMMIT TO WRITING TIME EVERY MONTH! JRW IS HERE TO HELP!
UPDATE! Beginning in April 2024, due to popular demand, we are offering BOTH morning and evening Write-In times each month. Choose one or both times, as your schedule allows!
Commitment to writing time can be the best indicator of a writer’s success. To help you stay on track and prioritize your writing, we are offering monthly JRW Write-Ins in 2024. We will host Write-Ins online, each month, except in January and October, offering both morning and evening sessions
Write-Ins will be hosted on the Zoom platform and are intended to offer you a time commitment each month to dedicate to anything you may need to accomplish to meet your writing goals.
Write-Ins are free, but registration is required.
Details and registration HERE.
This series is supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
SPRINGBOARD! 2024: A Weekend of Transformational Self-editing
SPRINGBOARD IS CURRENTLY AT CAPACITY. IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE PUT ON THE WAITLIST, please email us at [email protected]
NEED HELP EDITING YOUR MANUSCRIPT?
James River Writers invites you to a hands-on editing retreat designed to transform your fiction or memoir manuscript, empowering you on the journey toward publication.You know your story better than anyone. Thus, the revision process is most powerful when it begins with you. Following this course’s step-by-step self-editing strategies, your manuscript can transform into the book you always knew it could be — whether you’re new to your craft or simply ready to empower (and speed up!) your creative process.
ONLY 20 SPOTS ARE AVAILABLE for this self-editing retreat, hosted at the beautiful Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
Featuring Editor, Author, and Writing Coach KRIS SPISAK
Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14, 2024
Details, including itinerary, can be found HERE.
WRITERS WEDNESDAY April 2024 (Online) featuring Poetry Spotlight
Community is at the core of everything we do, and Writers Wednesday is the perfect place to strengthen that. Writers Wednesday brings together writers of every experience level and genre in a casual atmosphere to connect, laugh, and revel in a well-deserved break. While hosting this program online, we create rotating, intimate groups of 3-5 people in breakout rooms, to allow attendees to have manageable conversations with others. JRW staff is always on hand to answer any questions you may have about James River Writers, or writing in general. This is a great entry point for those that are new to the James River Writers community.
Special Feature in April: Poetry Spotlight In celebration of Poetry Month, we will have special guests sharing their poetry at the top of the program. Featuring JRW poets Rosa Castellano, Dae Newman, and Ran Walker. This will last approximately 15-20 minutes. Following the poetry readings, we will commence with our regular breakout rooms. Come for the duration, or drop in as your schedule allows.
Date: April 10, 2024
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Location: Online, in the comfort of your own home. Via the Zoom Platform
Cost: FREE!
Registrants will receive a confirmation email with details and the Zoom link to join.
James River Writers is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
IN-PERSON WRITERS WEDNESDAY MAY 2024
Community is at the core of everything we do, and Writers Wednesday is the perfect place to strengthen that. Writers Wednesday brings together writers of every experience level and genre in a casual atmosphere to connect, laugh, and revel in a well-deserved break. We rotate hosting these programs online and in-person, and February will be in person at Ardent Craft Ales. JRW staff is always on hand to answer any questions you may have about James River Writers, or writing in general. This is a great entry point for those that are new to the James River Writers community. You do not have to be a JRW member to attend!
Look for us inside at reserved tables just inside the front entrance!
Date: May 8, 2024
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Location: Ardent Craft Ales, 3200 West Leigh Street, Richmond, VA 23230
Cost: FREE!
No registration is required.
James River Writers is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
THURSDAY NIGHT WRITES | 1st, 3rd, & 5th Thursday of Each Month | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm In-Person at Unplugged Games Cafe in Richmond, VA
Join us for this gathering of JRW members and general writing enthusiasts. Find inspiration, accountability, and a sympathetic ear for your writing journey. Bring your preferred writing paraphernalia, grab a drink or a bite, get some words written, and hang out with fellow writers.
DETAILS HERE.
2024 JRW Programming Schedule is Now Available!
We are excited to share the programming schedule for 2024! In addition to favorites like Writers Wednesday, The Writing Show panel discussion series, and the 22nd Annual JRW Conference, you’ll find some new programming elements we’ve developed to meet the needs of this incredible writing community. As we head into our 22nd year, our new programming schedule will include:
NEW! JRW Write-Ins (Begins in February) Commitment to writing time can be the best indicator of a writer’s success. To help you stay on track and prioritize your writing, we are offering monthly JRW Write-Ins in 2024. We will host an online write-in each month except in January and October. Sign in, share your writing goals and progress in the chat, and get to writing (or whatever else you need to accomplish to help you reach your writing goals). Check out the details HERE.
Nuts and Bolts | Lunchtime Writing Essentials Series (FEBRUARY & AUGUST) This 3-part lunchtime series will pack a ton of concrete information and takeaways into one-hour classes, and they’re designed to provide you with practical and actionable items to develop your writing skills and business savvy. This year features essentials for Submitting Your Work to an Agent and World Building. Check out the details HERE.
NEW! Headshots Mini Sessions (MAY) We offered headshots during our conference in October, and they sold out quickly. This year, we will offer them as a standalone service to allow writers to add this important element to your toolbox. Details coming soon!
Springboard! A Weekend of Transformational Self-Editing (APRIL) Author, Editor, and Writing Coach KRIS SPISAK will spearhead this mini retreat with a focus on self-editing. Check out the details HERE.
QueryPalooza (JULY) Start with a Master Class to get the instruction and guidance you need to craft a query letter to hook an agent and leave them asking for more. Then, we’ll give you a week to put what you learn to paper (or keyboard?). Round it out with a private consultation to get a personalized critique of your finished product. Check out the details HERE.
We will be providing a good mix of in-person and online programming. and are finalizing those details as we head into the new year. Take a look at the full schedule and mark your calendar! We’ve even incorporated a programming preview during January’s Writers Wednesday, so you can get an overview of all 2024 has to offer. We hope you’re as excited as we are about all that is on the horizon!