March 21, 2023 - Members and Attenders Critique Workshop


Members and attendees of the BVWG are eligible to submit manuscripts for which they'd like constructive input. This is a great opportunity to get your work in front of some experienced readers and writers. The goal is to help the writer make his or her work better. Here are the requirements:
Maximum word count is 3000 words. Double-spaced. New Times Roman font. 1 inch margins. Please include page numbers.
Your piece can be a section or chapter from a novel, a short story, flash fiction, creative non-fiction, non-fiction, or even poetry. We're open to all genres!
Members need to submit their work to bvwg.submissions@gmail.com. Please send your work as an attached PDF or Word file.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 10th.
On Sunday, March 12th, we'll make all the stories available for readers to download and review by posting a notice via meetup.com with a link to the stories. Please note that dues-paying members get priority if we need to prioritize submissions.
Christopher Alden will be moderating the Critique Workshop. We'll focus on the strengths of the submissions as well as areas that could be made stronger with suggested changes. The goal is for meeting attendees to read the submissions in advance, make suggestions for the writer and come prepared to discuss ways to help the writer make the piece better. The authors are encouraged to bring extra paper copies of their stories in case there are attendees who have not read the stories.
​Some notes for readers:
  • Watch the How to provide input at a critique session video that our own Gary Zenker put together. It's short (less than 3 minutes), entertaining, and critical for getting the tone of your comments right. You can view it on the BVWG Message Board.
  • Read these suggestions for receiving feedback on your work by Christopher Alden. You can view it on here on our Message Board.
  • Read the stories and be prepared to discuss them! If you can summarize your thoughts in a 1-page summary that you can share with the author at the conclusion of the meeting that would be helpful.
Anyone -- whether a dues-paid member or a first-timer -- is welcome to read the stories and participate in a BVWG Critique Workshop, but we prioritize the discussion of manuscript submissions from current dues-paid BVWG members.​February’s BVWG meeting will once again be a celebration of the stories and poems we’re writing!
When and Where? 

The usual time (7pm) and in the usual place. (Some of us come at 6:30 to order dinner, drinks, and hang out.)

Ryan's Pub (2nd Floor)
124 West Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19380

Where to park? Gay Street is still open to traffic and parking, but remember that the meters are active till 10pm. Click here for free parking options in W.C.
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April 18, 2023 - The Business Side of Writing: Bruce Mowday
This month, join us in a discussion about the “other” side of writing: the business side. Local author and one of the founders of the Brandywine Valley Writers Group, Bruce Mowday,
addresses the trials and tribulations of the working author. As a frequent speaker at various civic and historical groups, and with more than 20 books to his credit, Bruce is well-positioned
to talk about the “work” side of writing.

Bruce is an award-winning author and newspaper reporter. He has authored books on history, sports, business and true crime. He has appeared on PBS’s Emmy-award winning show Counter Culture, the Discovery ID channel, C-SPAN, the Pennsylvania Cable Network, Hollywood and Beyond, Our American Heritage, Journey into the Civil War, and Chronicles of the American Civil War. He is former chairman of the Chester County Historical Society, former president of the Brandywine Battlefield Park  Associates, and former board member of the Valley Forge Park Alliance and the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau. If you are having trouble keeping up with Bruce, check out his schedule of events at www.mowday.com.

Join us at Ryan’s Pub on Tuesday, April 18 at 7pm, where we’ll spend the evening with Bruce and learn more about his writing habits and how they have led to his fascinating career arc.


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April 25, 2023: Literary Agent, Marie Lamba will ZOOM IN with the BVWG

Have questions about finding and contracting with a literary agent? Then don’t miss our special zoom presentation by Marie Lamba! Our members have asked for a presentation such as this and we’ve been listening. So, get all your “how-to-get-an-agent” questions ready! Marie Lamba will answer them and more at our upcoming Zoom presentation.
Marie is a Senior Literary Agent at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in NYC (jdlit.com), where she represents fiction and non-fiction authors of picture books, middle grade, YA and adult works. She is also the author of young adult novels: What I Meant… (Random House), Over My Head and Drawn, and the picture books: Green Green: A Community Gardening Story (Farrar Straus Giroux), and A Day So Gray (Clarion).
Marie’s articles appear in more than 100 publications. She's a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest and has worked as an editor, an award-winning public relations writer, and a book publicist. She has taught classes on novel writing and author promotion. You can find her at www.marielamba.com, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/marielamba and like her FB page: Marie Lamba, Author.
This presentation is Zoom only on Tuesday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. The Zoom link will be published on our Meetup Event page for all those who RSVP. Hope to see you there.
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