MISSION
To grow the writing community in South Jersey.

PURPOSE
To provide opportunities for members to develop the craft of writing.
To inspire members to achieve their writing goals by providing new challenges and support.
To educate members about the business of writing and the publishing industry.
To promote the work of our members, and a love of literacy in South Jersey.

VISION
To become the premier resource for writers in South Jersey.

VALUES
We believe that every person has a story to tell.
We believe that professional writers set goals, and reaching goals is a pathway to success.
We believe that a writing community inspires, supports, and celebrates both aspiring and professional writers.

2017 Board of Trustees

2017 Volunteers

PLEASE READ. This policy outlines our membership philosophy and what is expected of members and what will not be tolerated.- Acceptable Behavior Policy

To join a committee or volunteer for an open position, contact the Board of Trustees.

The South Jersey Writers' Group was founded in 2007 to provide networking and development opportunities for local writers. Meetings are held regularly for topic-based discussion about the craft of writing and the publishing industry. Some of our members are published, some are working on it, others just write for themselves. We are all ages, all genres, all backgrounds, and all levels of experience. You are welcome to attend and participate and share as much or as little as you are comfortable with.

General Meetings -- Third Thursdays
Our monthly meetings are the best way to get started with our group. The monthly meeting is a topic-based discussion. Our topics generally fall under four categories: Craft, the Publishing Industry, Inspiration/Life of the Writer, and Marketing for Authors. Some meetings are led by a group member, some by local authors or other subject matter experts. Contact Jessica Walsh, VP, if you would like to lead a meeting.

Critique Sessions
A critique session is focused on an in-depth review of some of the works of our group members, ages 18 years and up due to mature content. Space is limited to five or six people (no auditors permitted), and each piece to be critiqued is distributed ahead of time. You must be prepared for this session.

Write-Ins
A write-in is a chance for writers to gather with their laptops or old-school pen and paper to just write and write. Designate your writing time and get away from your at-home distractions. Folks from the NaNoWriMo world are familiar with this concept. There are no leaders, no discussion, just brief introductions and writing time. And coffee. If you're interested in hosting one of these, you can "Suggest a Meetup" on the home page, fill in the date, time, and location, and we'll post it for you!

Blogfest
For existing and new bloggers on any topic, as well as writers interested in developing a blog and a social media presence to publicize their books. This is an opportunity to tweak your existing blog, plan and schedule posts, or to get started with blogging, Twitter, etc. A computer is essential for this session. It's a chatty, social time, and we share each others' blogrolls and discuss social media and marketing techniques.

Workshops
A "workshop" for our group is a little discussion, a lot of writing focused on a particular element of the craft of storytelling. Examples: character development, making a sub-plot map, writing a timeline, dialogue, etc. These are all-day sessions and there are usually assignments and preparation to be done ahead of time. But you work on YOUR stories and topics of interest. Please contact Amy if you have an idea for a Workshop and you would be interested in leading. (If you're not interested in leading, you can post your ideas on the Discussion Board, and we can pick it up from there.)

Open Mic Night
Open Mic Night is where writers read their work out loud to an audience. Good for anyone preparing for a book signing.....! Open Mic Night is also an opportunity to see how your story sounds when read out loud, and is a great chance to socialize and network with the other writers in the group.

Writers' Retreat
A weekend for you to get away from home and hole up in a cabin to write, a la Thoreau, although unfortunately ours are for a weekend, not an entire season. We host one in November for National Novel Writing Month, and one in the spring, and may also add a summer session.

If you have another idea for a writerly type gathering, let your organizers know!

---

RSVP Courtesies
Space for our activities can be limited, as determined by what the activity leader feels prepared to manage. (We're all volunteers here!) So you have a history of no-shows or last minute cancellations, we may give your space to someone else. Kindly update your RSVP ahead of time if your plans change, and thank you for respecting the time of the leaders and the other members of the group.

About the Waitlist
Meetup.com provides a lovely, easy-to-manage waitlist. It can be a little confusing for folks unfamiliar with how the system works.

When an event is full, you can join the waitlist. If a space opens up, everyone on the waitlist will receive an email from Meetup saying "There's room in X event for you to attend!" You can then click the link in the email to get back to the event page, then change your RSVP to "Yes" in the green box at the top right of the page.

The catch is, the space is only open until someone else claims it! If you can't RSVP for the event, it means the space has been filled.

Of course, if you would really like to attend an event but just can't get to the computer in time, just send the organizer an email, and he or she will do their best to accommodate you. But hang in there; very often spots will open up at the very last possible minute.

A Note About Your Guest
Guests are welcome to write-ins, blogfests, and Open Mic nights. If you are hosting a critique session, you may invite a guest. However, due to limited space, guests are not welcome at any other SJ Writers' Group meet-ups. Exceptions may be noted in the event description.

Your guest is welcome to join the group when we are accepting new members, and RSVP as a regular member. If you have a special circumstance, please email the event organizer for permission to bring your guest. Thank you for abiding by these guidelines and for your respect of other members of the group.

Miscellaneous:
Occasionally, we use the Meetup group to advertise and participate in other activities for writers around the area. Costs and registration details will also be posted; in those cases you are responsible for following the external instructions. Our Meetup serves just as an opportunity to attend the event with some friends. :)

Currently, we have no age restrictions. Minors are expected to be accompanied by an adult. Our meetings are designed for adults, although they are generally "PG."

Dues Information:
2017 Annual Dues are $25. All new members have a free 60-day trial period to try out the group and different events (except retreats) during this period. Payments may be made at any Third Thursday meeting, or online using the "Member Dues" link in the left navigation bar. Payments for any meetup.com expense will be listed as "WePay" on your bank statement.

Your membership is active for one full year from your join date. Your "anniversary" is also your join date, not the date you paid dues. Late payments for the upcoming year make your membership retroactive from the day you joined.