**Hi everyone and welcome.**

**2024 MARKS OUR FIFTEENTH YEAR  OF CONTINUOUS OPERATION!**

**MEETING TIME AND LOCATION**

* **Programming meeting 1st Tuesday of the month - hybrid Zoom and in person.**
* **Physical location: Screwballs Bar and Tavern,** 216 W Beidler Rd Unit 600, King of Prussia, PA 19406.
* **Start time 7 pm** but many show up as early to eat and socialize.
* Meetup members receive notifications by email.
* **We have a great private room. You are expected to buy your meal**...*it is a requirement for in-person attendance.*

**Founder Gary Zenker** serves as the group leader. He also founded the [Wilmington Writers Group](https://www.meetup.com/Wilmington-Writers-Group/) which now runs independently of this group.

**PROGRAMMING**
Programming includes critique, readings, and presentations designed to help writers better their craft and assist with getting published. Even those guests who come to present on a specific genre should be of interest to most of the group, as much of the core information applies across genre. On occasion, our guests lead group writing exercises.

**MEMBERSHIP SUPPORTED**
**To attend meetings in person or online, please contribute the $10 meeting fee or get a $60 annual membership.** Please pay at the meeting in person or in advance via PayPal (garyzenker@gmail.com) or venmo (@Gary.Zenker). You will not be admitted to either the in-person unless you pay in advance at the meeting.

**WRITING CRITIQUE**
Our membership has expressed interest in having critique of their works. On regular meetings when we do critique, bring 8 copies of up to 6 pages typed content for critique to the group, one inch margins, 12 point Times Roman type. A page refers to one side of a piece of paper.  It can be a complete piece or an excerpt of a longer piece. But if you don't have work for that purpose or aren't ready, no worries: you can learn a lot from the critique process on others' work. Bring a pen and be prepared to read and discuss your thoughts on the others' work.

For guidance for how we run critique during those sessions, watch this video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH-x5Mg6thU](https://www.y...)

**OTHER PROGRAMS**
The group sponsors public readings from the members and group friends, held at different locations in the area. It's a great opportunity to do a short reading (7 minutes or less) for a friendly audience. These events are typically listed in multiple places, including Meetup and our Facebook page. We have done general readings and Noir at a Bar evenings twice a year: [www.NoirAtABar.com](https://www.noiratabar.com).

**OUR WEB SITE - [www.MainLineWritersGroup.com](https://www.MainLineWritersGroup.com)**
A repository for information on the group, photos, etc. Accessible to everyone, including those who are not part of MeetUp. NOTE: information on the site lags. Content on the Meetup site is always the most up-to-date.

**OUR FACEBOOK PAGE** 
Check out Main Line Writers Group on Facebook. Lots of writer-related information there. [https://www.facebook.com/mainlinewritersgroup/](https://ww...)

**UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE: VOICES OF THE MAIN LINE WRITERS GROUP - THE BOOK**
Our first group publishing project, Voices of the Main Line Writers, was released in Fall 2013 and our launch party was held  on October 27, 2013 at Nestology in the King of Prussia Mall. The book is available on Amazon as both a printed paperback and a kindle ebook. Get a copy and leave a review on Amazon, GoodReads and any other place that you can. [https://www.amazon.com/Unclaimed-Baggage-Voices-Writers-Gr...)

**NOIR AT A BAR - THE OXFORD FILES** 
We released a print volume to accompany our Noir at a Bar benefit for the Oxford Library, thanks to the contribution of the authors. You can find it on Amazon: [https://www.amazon.com/Noir-At-Bar-Oxford-Files/dp/1941028...)

**GROUP MEMBERSHIP DETAILS**
**The Main Line Writers Group** is membership based. You are welcome to join the Meetup group and get ongoing information about the meetings without any cost to you. You can continue to receive these notices for as long as you like.
**When you attend in-person meetings, you will be asked to contribute to defray the costs of running those meetings.**
**You are invited to try out your first meeting for $10**. If you decide it does and want to attend again, **membership is $60** (less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks and less than $5 a meeting). Fees help pay for the various expenses of the group. **If you pay your annual membership the night of your first meeting, your $10 meeting payment will be credited to the $50 annual membership.** You can pay your membership at the group meeting or through the meetup site. If you choose to pay the single meeting fee, on your next attendance you will be expected to either again pay the meeting or the membership fee. Please bring exact change and **pay for the meeting prior to its start**.

If you are somehow offended by being asked to contribute for attending meetings, please feel free to start and run your own group with your own rules. :)

**GROUP TRUST**
**Trust is a key component and core value of the group.** Writers are presenting their work in various stages of development to get feedback and direction for moving forward. As such, concepts presented and discussions on work-in-progress should not be shared by participating group members with anyone outside the members who had the discussion. Nor should participants view another author's work as an opportunity to use for their own work. While ideas themselves cannot be copyrighted, violating the trust within the group means that writers will no longer feel safe bringing their work to critique and rob the group of it's core goal and power to help authors. Mutual respect is important for a successful group where so that we all get value from it.

**I put a lot of time and effort into creating a positive, useful environment for all of the groups members. This is a community and depends on members to participate in positive ways and respect others. I call on everyone to behave in ways that are positive, welcoming, and helpful to achieving all of our goals.**

We mourn the loss of our friends Gary Buehler, Bill McCambley, Kendall Redburn, and Tony Conaway.

**LEAVING THE MEETUP GROUP**
***If there comes a time when you want to leave the group, you need to do that yourself.*** You signed up and you control your Meetup account. Feel free to edit your membership on your end. **Please don't send me notes requesting that I do it for you or teach you how to use Meetup.** I manage the group and the meetings, but I cannot monitor or control your individual memberships. I will not answer requests to do this for you. If you are too lazy to try to learn it for yourself...I really don't want to finish this sentence.

**MORE QUESTIONS?**

Write us at MainLineWritersGroup@gmail.com.

**PLEASE JOIN US!**
I really hope to have you join us. We have a lot to offer AND a lot to learn from YOUR involvement.
Gary Zenker
[MainLineWritersGroup@gmail.com](mailto:garyzenker@aol.com)