What we’re about
Welcome! We're a fiction writing group of like-minded individuals gathering for writing confidence, advice and support.
Our community is here to give fiction writers a place to meet other writers, hear what others are writing and improve your own skills. If you could use some practical advice on developing your storytelling skills, our workshops and events will give you more confidence about being a fiction writer.
See a full list of what's on: https://www.meetup.com/londonwriterscafe/events/
Read on for more about us and how we roll.
We have members who write from all levels, abilities and genres and we aren't at all snobbish about 'worthiness' or literary merit. All we care about is if the story is well told or if it needs more work. We have writers working on stories for adults, young adults and children.
Our group was founded in June 2006 in a lovely pub near Liverpool Street with only a few members and now we're a bustling community of 4,400 so we must be doing something right! Most of us are in the process of writing fiction (novels, short stories and scripts) at every stage, but it doesn't matter if you've been writing for years, or mere months, we're here for every kind of fiction writer and we'd love to meet you.
On that, we don't believe in groups where everyone is forced to share/contribute/offer feedback *shudder* so we'll never pressure anyone to read before they're ready.
Read more about what makes a quality writing group.
That's all for now. We hope to meet you very soon and happy writing!
Lisa x
Email: londonwriterscafe{@}gmail.com
Follow what's on via Eventbrite.
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Socialise with us via London Writers' Cafe
Instagram: @LondonWritersCafe
X: @LDNWritersCafe
LinkedIn: @ldn-writers-cafe
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Fiction Feedback Workshop *CHANGE OF VENUE*Ye Olde Watling, London£12.50
Sorry all but Williamson's messed up the booking when they are closed for refurbishment on June 30th. Instead, they've arranged for us to go across the way to the room upstairs at: Ye Old Watling, 29 Watling St, London EC4M 9BR for this workshop.
Join us in 2025! In these regular writing workshops, we have three writers sharing a sample of their writing for immediate feedback, advice and encouragement. Critique is led and moderated by your host.
You learn more by listening to the writing of others and the feedback their piece receives on the night than you can imagine. We've been running these sessions since 2010 and there's a reason they fill up so fast! **see the note below about the change to seating**
For people reading, pieces must be 3,500 words or less as you'll have about 45mins for reading and discussion on your excerpt from around the table. Most people bring 3,500 words from their novel or a short story of all genres and styles. If you'd like to read, please post a comment below. You must have booked your place before making a request to read.
If you are reading, please bring enough printed copies (at least 10) of your pages so members can make additional feedback/editing notes for you during the reading. All copies will be returned to you after the feedback has concluded.
New members are always welcome in these groups. Most people come along to a few sessions before offering feedback, commenting or requesting to read but it's up to you. If you want to read right away, great, but if you want to come along and see how we roll first, that makes sense too. Again, you'll be surprised by how much you can learn from others by listening to the pieces and their feedback.
After the workshop, most of us head to the bar for a social drink or two and extended conversation about the joys and woes of writing.
TICKETS: £12.50 and please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Sorry folks, but Williamson's are now charging a considerable hire fee and so ticket prices have to reflect that additional spend. When we use other venues, tickets won't be as much. It's also my job to organise and lead these sessions so ticket price incorporates my labour in hosting these sessions for you. Thanks for understanding.
PLEASE NOTE: Refunds or credits will only be provided if the meetup is cancelled by us. We cannot offer refunds or credit for another session if you decide not to attend on the day. Please change your RSVP if you no longer plan to attend. We often have people on the waiting list and we'd hate for others to miss out.
Location: Sorry all but Williamson's messed up the booking when they are closed for refurbishment on June 30th. Instead, they've arranged for us to go across the way to the room upstairs at: Ye Old Watling, 29 Watling St, London EC4M 9BR for this workshop.
Try the official Meetup app to receive last-minute updates and notifications about our events as they happen to your phone. Download it now.
These workshops are hosted by me - Lisa Goll, Boss Lady at London Writers' Cafe - I'm a publishing professional with more than twenty years of working within the publishing industry. Added to that, I've been leading LWC workshops for writers since 2010 too. See more about me on LinkedIn or Insta me @LisasShare @LondonWritersCafe
Question? Post a comment below.
- Accountability & Craft Skills Workshop (Online)Link visible for attendees£10.00
BE MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO YOUR WRITING.
If you've always wanted someone to hold you accountable to your goals around writing but you could use some help, here is a solution!In these monthly accountability sessions, we'll gather to hold each other to account through reporting progress, sharing advice and practicing an aspect of our craft in more depth to hone our skills. We'll explore the reasons why writing is hard and how it can fall so far down the priority list.
These sessions will now also include a spotlight on an aspect of fiction writing with a recap of its essential function in any story, how to use it and why it matters. To test your current level of skill, we'll perform a writing exercise/activity to illuminate how it works in any story. We all write to our strengths and weaknesses but we're not always aware of which is which in our own writing.
This is a great session for new writers as well as those who need added motivation to move ahead of any writing blocks.
As for accounting, you will be asked to report on the work you've done each month (words written, scenes planned, characters defined etc) and we'll keep a shared tracking record for transparency. You will be asked to share your progress against the goal you set the previous month. Showing up to these meetings once a month will mean you write more often and that's got to be worthwhile, right?
Monthly Agenda:
- Introductions (10mins)
- Progress & Accountability (15mins)
- Craft skill spotlight & exercise (50mins)
- Goal setting, motivation & current challenges (15mins)Do come along and see if this will motivate you to write, illuminate your process and achieve more on outstanding writing tasks list. Sessions will be held online (via Google meet) to increase accessibility. It will be a regular online session on the third Tuesday of every month. I hope it will become popular and we may be able to host in person as well as online.
Cost: £10 to cover hosting, content and organising. These sessions will be professionally run and organised by me, someone with 20 years experience in the publishing industry, plus my experience of leading this community of writers since 2010. I can't work for free, sorry.
More about me and my past experience on LinkedIn if you're curious. I'm obsessed with story, books and writing so much so that I've made a life out of it. I want to add that I was raised by two primary school teachers and - ask anyone in the group - it shows. I'm more Dead Poets Society than Dolores Umbridge though!
PHOTO credit: https://alexawriter.wordpress.com
The link to attend will be made available to you once you've booked your spot.
Questions? Post a comment below.
