Our Story (As we choose to tell it)
In the summer of 2003, authors Therese Boyd, Bruce Mowday, and Carla Westerman met at a book signing at the Christian Sanderson Museum in Chadds Ford. They started comparing notes on their writing and publishing experiences. When they met up again at another book signing that December at the Chester County Books and Music Company, the same subjects came up. They agreed that it would be useful—and fun—to meet with other writers more regularly to talk about writing, books, publishing, freelancing, or anything else.
The Brandywine Valley Writers Group was born.
Organizational meetings began in March 2004, with a group goal of being open to everyone—writers published and unpublished, readers, anyone interested in the literary arts in any form. The first “official” meeting, held at Chester County Books that September, featured author Marion Winik reading from her latest release, Above Us Only Sky.
Over the next few years, the group found a home at West Chester Friends Meeting House, gathering on the third Tuesday of each month. We eventually migrated to the Four Dogs Tavern in Marshallton, which offered several significant advantages (not the least of which was beer). The lighting and the acoustics at Four Dogs proved less than optimal for presentations, though, so in 2011 we moved back into West Chester and took up residence on the 2nd floor of Ryan’s Pub on Gay Street (which offers beer and better acoustics and lighting). Meetings are still held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 pm.
We typically have guest speakers eight times per year, and those speakers are as diverse as literary agents, copyright attorneys, and comedy writers. We’ve hosted authors working in every genre imaginable—from historical fiction to flash fiction, screenwriting, and more. Some meetings are workshops, with hands-on instruction; others are open readings or discussions of craft. In the spring and the fall, we typically dedicate one meeting to the critique of the manuscripts of dues-paying members (many other critique groups operate independently of the regular monthly meetings). We also have two “social” meetings, in August and December, which provide an unstructured opportunity just to kick back and relax with others passionate about writing.
BVWG Officers change (or not) every September. We depend on volunteers to keep the pages turning and the ideas fresh.
Visitors are always welcome to drop in. There is no charge to attend meetings, though a donation at the door is always welcome. Formal membership in the BVWG – which enables you to share a manuscript to be critiqued during our spring and fall critique nights and also enables you to have your work and website promoted on the BVWG website – can be claimed by the payment of $30 in annual dues. Click here for more information.
The Brandywine Valley Writers Group was born.
Organizational meetings began in March 2004, with a group goal of being open to everyone—writers published and unpublished, readers, anyone interested in the literary arts in any form. The first “official” meeting, held at Chester County Books that September, featured author Marion Winik reading from her latest release, Above Us Only Sky.
Over the next few years, the group found a home at West Chester Friends Meeting House, gathering on the third Tuesday of each month. We eventually migrated to the Four Dogs Tavern in Marshallton, which offered several significant advantages (not the least of which was beer). The lighting and the acoustics at Four Dogs proved less than optimal for presentations, though, so in 2011 we moved back into West Chester and took up residence on the 2nd floor of Ryan’s Pub on Gay Street (which offers beer and better acoustics and lighting). Meetings are still held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 pm.
We typically have guest speakers eight times per year, and those speakers are as diverse as literary agents, copyright attorneys, and comedy writers. We’ve hosted authors working in every genre imaginable—from historical fiction to flash fiction, screenwriting, and more. Some meetings are workshops, with hands-on instruction; others are open readings or discussions of craft. In the spring and the fall, we typically dedicate one meeting to the critique of the manuscripts of dues-paying members (many other critique groups operate independently of the regular monthly meetings). We also have two “social” meetings, in August and December, which provide an unstructured opportunity just to kick back and relax with others passionate about writing.
BVWG Officers change (or not) every September. We depend on volunteers to keep the pages turning and the ideas fresh.
Visitors are always welcome to drop in. There is no charge to attend meetings, though a donation at the door is always welcome. Formal membership in the BVWG – which enables you to share a manuscript to be critiqued during our spring and fall critique nights and also enables you to have your work and website promoted on the BVWG website – can be claimed by the payment of $30 in annual dues. Click here for more information.
