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- Writers' Accountability Session #5Link visible for attendees£7.00
BECOME EVEN MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO YOUR WRITING.
If you've always wanted someone to hold you accountable to your goals around writing but can never seem to check off your list, here is a solution!In these monthly accountability sessions, we will gather to hold each other to account through brief exercises, prompts, goal setting (and reporting) with rewards and consequences. We're not going to be shy about cracking the whip.
We'll also have a group discussion about the reasons why writing is hard and how it can easily fall so far down the priority list. What's holding you back?
Do come along and see if this will motivate you to write and achieve those outstanding writing tasks.
You will be asked to report on the work you've done each month and we'll keep a shared tracking record for transparency. There will be forfeits for missing your target, but rewards are there for those who can deliver. Added bonus, if you manage to hit your writing goal consistently after six sessions, I'll reward you with a FREE editorial critique.
The first session was free but subsequent sessions are charged £7 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. Sessions will be held online to reduce costs and increase accessibility.
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.
- Read & Review: Editorial Reports & Agent Submission CritiqueNeeds location
*** INFORMATION PAGE ONLY***
Lisa is now offering manuscript critique services to all members of London Writers' Cafe who are looking for editorial support.A note from her: After 19 years working for major publishers and 13 years of leading critique workshops at London Writers' Cafe, I thought some of you might like to know exactly what I'm offering in my freelance editorial reports in more detail. Please read on if you do.
For my critique, I'll read and review your writing to produce an editorial report of the strengths and weaknesses against the key elements of storytelling. I'll do this with detailed comments on page, a written report that brings together critique and analysis, and meet with you in 1-2-1 mentoring check-ins at key stages to discuss the recommendations. I'm calling all of this work Read & Review reports for simplicity.
In brief, a Read & Review report from me will include:
1 x A written analysis (1-2 pages) of your writing's strengths and weaknesses against the key elements of storytelling (Point-of-View, Narrative Voice, Characterisation, Structure, Conflict, Pace, Tension, Causality, Sense of Place, Style, Dialogue, Themes etc.) so you'll know exactly where to focus your energy in the next draft.
1 x Your pages marked up with detailed comments, questions and critique in terms of storytelling techniques, fluency and continuity. Most of my focus is developmental/structural editing but I'll make notes at sentence level so there's always some copy editing too.
2 x Editorial Check-Ins (via video chat or phone call) before and after the editing is completed. We'll talk beforehand to discuss your story's origin, your aims for it and why you want it critiqued. Once I've completed my report, we'll discuss the feedback (via video/phone) before I send over the written analysis. I'll return most reports within four weeks of receiving the material but I'll need more time for longer pieces.As for the price of a Read & Review report: I want to work as affordably as possible so pricing is based on the number of words and time required for reading (often multiple times), critique, analysis and writing the report.
Here's my pricing guide:
- 5000 words or less for £60
- 5,000 - 10,000 words for £120
- 10,000 - 15,000 words for £180
- 15,000 - 25,000 words for £240
- 25,000 - 35,000 words for £300
- 35,000 - 45,000 words for £360
- 45,000 - 55,000 words for £420
- 55,000 - 75,000 words for £550
- 75,000 words or more** from £750
All that said, I'm happy to talk about what I could do within most budgets so don't be shy to approach me to chat through what you need. **If your manuscript is over 75,000 words then I'll be happy to discuss the full length and the level of analysis you'd like me to do.
For shorter pieces, I'll ask you to send me a brief outline of the story to provide context. Although, in my opinion, the story should pull me in without this being required, but it can be useful to check my understanding of the narrative as I review it. I'm not at all selective about style or genres. I read widely and a lot (I read 185 novels in 2021 alone). Working with writers and authors of all kinds, I've read and reviewed all genres and styles.
For writers who are about to submit to literary agents or publishers, I can give guidance on whether it meets the industry's 'publishable standard', a term used to judge a piece's readiness for publication. I'd hate for you to bungle your first impression and face rejection, so if you'd like me to give it a read over first, I can do that. I'll read your sample (first 10,000 words) and produce a 1-page quick-fire analysis for £125.
If you'd like a read and review of your whole submission packet i.e. covering letter, synopsis and writing sample (first 10,000 words) before agents or publishers see it, please just ask. You'll receive a 1-page report to support my comments on the writing and packet's ability to persuade and engage for £250.
Would this be helpful? I hope so. If you'd like to talk to me about assessing your writing, please do email me directly - or message me privately on meetup (click on my profile to send a message) and we can take it from there.
Best wishes,
Lisa - 121 Fast-Moving Edits *MEMBER OFFER* (up to 5,000 words)Needs location
I'm offering freelance editing for writers in our group and I love being useful in this way.
After 14 years leading writing workshops at LWC and more than 20 years + working for publishers, it makes all those years perspiring over words worthwhile! My thanks to all the members so far who have asked for my editorial input.
I want to make editorial input as accessible as possible so I've come up with a more affordable offer compared to my usual in-depth read & review framework.
For these 121 fast-moving edits, I'll read and review a short piece of work (Up to 5,000 words of a novel or short story) for writers who want a fast but thorough turnaround (within two weeks) and professional feedback for £35.
Plus, you can choose how you want to receive your 121 feedback:
Either a video call (45mins) with me to discuss the strengths and weakness of your writing and its feasibility for publishing or competition. I'll record our meet and send a copy to you for your reference.
OR
In an email where I'll summarise the strengths and weaknesses and its feasibility for publishing or competition. I will answer any specific questions you'd like answered in this email too.
Pieces must be 5,000 words or less. The £35 price reflects how this offer compares to my usual editing critique. Normally, I would be sending back a 1-2 page report after marking up your manuscript with annotations, questions and comments and we'd have a meeting to discuss all of my feedback in detail before I return the report. Read a bit more about my regular editing & critique services.
This has worked so well, so I'm extending my invitation for these fast-moving and affordable edits. I've enjoyed doing them and I know they've helped the writers who've taken up the offer. This will be an ongoing offer now for members of London Writers' Cafe.
Would you like one of these edits? Please RSVP 'going' to this meeting and I will message you (via meetup) to arrange your critique. Alternatively, you can email me right away lisagoll@gmail.com to get started sooner.
NOTE: This offer is for pieces of 5,000 words or less only. If you have a longer piece that needs editing feedback, please see this page with details about my editorial reports.
Questions? Post a comment below or send me a private message.
Many thanks for reading and best wishes,
Lisa*This is an information page only* There will no meetup at this day and time.
Reviews from past editing clients on my reports:
"Lisa's input helped shine a light on the routes to improving the chapters. Meticulous and precise, her analysis on perspective, dialogue and characterisation helped me plan my next steps. Without it I'd have taken ten times as long to figure out where the text was creaky. 10/10." - Chris
“Lisa’s editing report has allowed me to spot things that were missing within my manuscript, and make vast improvements to the plot, characters, and settings along the way.” - Nathan
'Lisa's editing report was clear, practical, encouraging and insightful. It has really helped me have a go at another draft when I was feeling I couldn't face ever reading it again! I would really recommend working with her and would certainly seek her advice again.' - Hedda
'Lisa's editing reports have been a great help for me to see clearer what I need to do to bring the best out of my manuscript. They were insightful, meticulously detailed and very useful to gain a professional perspective on how a future reader might find my writing. Everything Lisa suggested was on point, direct and clear, never once did I wonder what she meant by a certain point. Lisa's report gave clear guidance on how to improve my writing to a publishable standard. I'm very happy with her mentoring, I'd recommend her to anyone who is serious about getting work done.' - Nora
'Lisa’s editing reports helped me identify the ongoing issues I’d been having with my manuscript. She brought a keen editing eye and a wealth of knowledge on how to fix the core problem. Her feedback has given me new motivation to tackle the next draft! I would wholeheartedly recommend her mentoring to anyone.' - Melanie
'Lisa’s editing report has helped me view my writing with fresh eyes and identify some key areas to focus on when revising the draft. Her comments were insightful and both specific and big picture, helping to lift the writing to the next level and giving me tools that I will carry forward into my writing for this and other projects.' - Caroline
*This is an information page only* There will no meetup at this day and time.
PHOTO explainer: That's me on a recent trip to Seoul where I had to go and visit a the expats' favourite bookshop because I'm obsessed with the written word.