About us
The Brandywine Valley Writers Group was founded nearly 25 years ago to help professional, amateur and aspiring writers improve their craft, achieve their goals and create a network of support around their writing. We strive to inspire writers through our various programs and to offer friendship and encouragement to our broad and diverse membership. We welcome all!
We hold monthly program meetings on the third Tuesday of the month upstairs at Ryan's Pub, 124 West Gay Street, West Chester (610-344-3934). Meetings begin at 7:00 pm but many of us arrive around six to order a meal and socialize. An important note: the meeting is held upstairs and the entrance is not handicapped friendly. Parking in West Chester is metered in borough lots, garages and on the street via the FlowBird parking app. Please make sure your parking is paid for the duration of the meeting.
We encourage you to use the RSVP system on Meet-up to help us predict the turn-out for the meetings and make appropriate arrangements. It also allows the rest of the group to know a little more about you! And please offer positive feedback on the meetings. It is the way new people may determine whether they will attend an in-person meeting.
Also, we'll be adding content to the various areas of the Meet-up page, so come back often to see what we have added.
You can also find more information on the group by visiting www.BVWG.org or our Facebook page.
We look forward to seeing you!
BVWG Board Officers
- Scott Pruden – President
- Jane Butler – Vice-President & Guest Speaker Coordinator
- Jorgen Flood – Treasurer
- Dennis Murray – Secretary
- Dan Brehm – Board Member-at-Large & Critique Coordinator
- Lisa Doan – Board Member-at-Large
- Richard Lolla – Web Master & Speaker Coordinator
Upcoming events
2
Pre-Revision Novel Prep: Know Where You Are Before You Dive In
Ryan's Pub, 124 West Gay Street, West Chester, PA, USNOTE THIS DATE - This meeting falls outside our normal schedule! Some authors who finish a manuscript start querying agents without a look back (note: not a good strategy!). Others spend months and months if not years revising, getting feedback, revising, getting feedback, even a pro edit, more revisions … And still other writers never make it past a first draft—not because they’ve stopped believing in their story or because they’re lazy. They grind to a halt at the very first “The End” because they don’t know what comes next.
After all, there is no obvious inciting incident for rewrites and revisions.
Dianna will be talking about how to systemically approach the revision process, sharing strategies, examples, and tips that will help you zero in on where to start revising and what to do.Dianna Sinovic is certified book coach and editor who runs her own editing services business, Diasin Books LLC. She’s also an author of speculative fiction, horror, and mystery. Her paranormal thriller, Scream of the Silent Sun, was released by Parisian Phoenix Press in spring 2025. Her short stories have been published in a number of anthologies, and her flash fiction appears monthly on the blog A Slice of Orange. She’s a member of the Horror Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Memoir Writers, and the Bethlehem Writers Group, where she serves on the executive committee. Connect with her via her website, www.dianna-sinovic.com, or on Instagram, @dsinovic94.
15 attendees
Critique Night - Brandywine Valley Writers Group @ Ryan's Pub
Ryan's Pub, 124 West Gay Street, West Chester, PA, USSubmit your work for a critique session or join us in assisting fellow writers to improve their craft.
If you plan to attend, please- FIRST, please RSVP on Meetup.
If you plan to submit -
- Submissions are due by April 7.
- Submissions should be 3000 words or less.
- Submissions should be formatted to professional standards. See https://www.shunn.net/format/ for further guidance.
- Email your submission as an attached PDF or Word file to bvwg.submissions@gmail.com.
- Provide context for the critique. Is this a flash fiction, a short story, or part of a longer work? If part of a longer work, explain how it fits into the larger narrative.
When your submission is selected -
- Please show up. We’re reserving a space for you. It’s normal to be nervous, but we’re very nice to anyone brave enough to submit. We’re extra nice if you’re just beginning your writing journey.
- Bring copies of your work. Generally, 5-8 people will need them.
After your submission is accepted -
- We will send a link for all submissions ONLY to those who RSVP’d for attending via Meetup. This is a secure link for members and attendees who RSVP’d to review your work before the meeting.
6 attendees
Past events
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