Creative Writing New York

New York Story Night #79

New York Story Night is a literary community event based in Manhattan founded to provide creative writers, amateur and professional alike, a stage on which to share their stories and an audience with which to road test their works. Consider an open mic for stand-up tragedy, stand-up horror, stand-up drama if you will. A night of bedtime stories for adults. **For those who wish to share a story, please arrive before 7pm and sign-up for a reading slot.** (Find Randy or Maria at the front of the second floor event space.) For those who wish to be an audience, get a drink, find a favored spot, chit-chat with fellow story lovers if you like! At 7pm, reading sign-ups close and we beginning our story night. **Each writer gets 20 minutes in front of the microphone. (15 minutes for the story + 5 minutes for workshop/Q&A with the audience)** We have a 10 minute intermission at the end of every hour. **Rules for stories:** * Stories must be under 20 mins (around 3,000 words) * All stories must be written pieces * Stories can be fiction or non-fiction but must be narrative driven * No poetry, no essays We encourage you to email us at newyorkstorynight@gmail.com if you have questions or concerns on if your story is a good fit for our event. If you cannot attend this particular event but would like to be in tune with our next ones join our MeetUp group, check us out on Instagram @NewYorkStoryNight, or email us at newyorkstorynight@gmail.com to be added to our e-mailing list! New York Story Night is a free event. *\*By attending, you acknowledge that you may appear in photos and videos used for social media or promotional purposes.*

Writers Meetup at Brooklyn Art Haus

The Writing Group comes to Brooklyn Art Haus for the first time. Join us! Craft is in session. **Itinerary** People are welcome starting at **6 o'clock**, and you can come and meet other writers, get a drink, socialize and hang out as you like until 7 when we will start readings. At **7 o'clock** we formally get together as a group to listen to readings from those looking for feedback. * We do not select readers based on order of arrival or a sign-up sheet, so if you have work until late but still want to come and read, you can! * Each reader gets five (5) minutes to read, so please select a section of work which is appropriate for that time limit. * We welcome narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, the occasional essay, and scripts (be they for screen or stage), so long as it is writing that you're serious about. Please no ad copy, journal entries, memes, musings, idea pitches, works where performance is more critical than the writing, or other errata. Nothing AI, if that needs saying. * We'll then spend another five (5) minutes in discussion. This is time for the listeners to provide feedback on the reading and discussing the craft in general. We welcome (and encourage) constructive criticism, so long as it is done with respect. This is just as important as the reading, and is done as an open conversation not lead by the reader or the host, so no hand raising required! * We try to get to as many people who want to read as we can, so if there are a lot of attendees we will be very strict on time. * We take a short break at **8 o'clock** . At **9 o'clock** we finish readings and start our formal social hour. Meet new friends, connect with old ones, exchange longer works for review, or just let loose.

Writers Meetup in the West Village

**Itinerary** People are welcome starting at **6 o'clock**, and you can come and meet other writers, enjoy a happy hour, socialize and hang out as you like until 7 when we will start readings. At **7 o'clock** we formally get together as a group to listen to readings from those looking for feedback. * We do not select readers based on order of arrival or a sign-up sheet, so if you have work until late but still want to come and read, you can! * Each reader gets five (5) minutes to read, so please select a section of work which is appropriate for that time limit. * We welcome narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, the occasional essay, and scripts (be they for screen or stage), so long as it is writing that you're serious about. Please no ad copy, journal entries, memes, musings, idea pitches, works where performance is more critical than the writing, or other errata. Nothing AI, if that needs saying. * We'll then spend another five (5) minutes in discussion. This is time for the listeners to provide feedback on the reading and discussing the craft in general. We welcome (and encourage) constructive criticism, so long as it is done with respect. This is just as important as the reading, and is done as an open conversation not lead by the reader or the host, so no hand raising required! * We try to get to as many people who want to read as we can, so if there are a lot of attendees we will be very strict on time. * We take a short break at **8 o'clock** . At **9 o'clock** we finish readings and start our formal social hour. Meet new friends, connect with old ones, exchange longer works for review, or just let loose.

Writers Meetup in Alphabet City

We're back at Hekate, where they’re serving THC drinks, Kava, and sober cocktails while we meet, socialize, share, and discuss our work. Welcome to the Writing Group! Craft is in session. **Itinerary** People are welcome starting at **6 o'clock**, and you can come and meet other writers, enjoy a happy hour, socialize and hang out as you like until 7 when we will start readings. At **7 o'clock** we formally get together as a group to listen to readings from those looking for feedback. * We do not select readers based on order of arrival or a sign-up sheet, so if you have work until late but still want to come and read, you can! * Each reader gets five (5) minutes to read, so please select a section of work which is appropriate for that time limit. * We welcome narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, the occasional essay, and scripts (be they for screen or stage), so long as it is writing that you're serious about. Please no ad copy, journal entries, memes, musings, idea pitches, works where performance is more critical than the writing, or other errata. Nothing AI, if that needs saying. * We'll then spend another five (5) minutes in discussion. This is time for the listeners to provide feedback on the reading and discussing the craft in general. We welcome (and encourage) constructive criticism, so long as it is done with respect. This is just as important as the reading, and is done as an open conversation not lead by the reader or the host, so no hand raising required! * We try to get to as many people who want to read as we can, so if there are a lot of attendees we will be very strict on time. * We take a short break at **8 o'clock** . At **9 o'clock** we finish readings and start our formal social hour. Meet new friends, connect with old ones, exchange longer works for review, or just let loose.

Writers Meetup in East Williamsburg

A special, Thursday evening event at a new spot! So if you thought Tuesday was just too square a night to come out, don't worry, we got you. **Itinerary** People are welcome starting at **6 o'clock**, and you can come and meet other writers, enjoy a happy hour, socialize and hang out as you like until 7 when we will start readings. At **7 o'clock** we formally get together as a group to listen to readings from those looking for feedback. * We do not select readers based on order of arrival or a sign-up sheet, so if you have work until late but still want to come and read, you can! * Each reader gets five (5) minutes to read, so please select a section of work which is appropriate for that time limit. * We welcome narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, the occasional essay, and scripts (be they for screen or stage), so long as it is writing that you're serious about. Please no ad copy, journal entries, memes, musings, idea pitches, works where performance is more critical than the writing, or other errata. Nothing AI, if that needs saying. * We'll then spend another five (5) minutes in discussion. This is time for the listeners to provide feedback on the reading and discussing the craft in general. We welcome (and encourage) constructive criticism, so long as it is done with respect. This is just as important as the reading, and is done as an open conversation not lead by the reader or the host, so no hand raising required! * We try to get to as many people who want to read as we can, so if there are a lot of attendees we will be very strict on time. * We take a short break at **8 o'clock** . At **9 o'clock** we finish readings and start our formal social hour. Meet new friends, connect with old ones, exchange longer works for review, or just let loose.

Poetry Workshop at Poets House

Wednesday Writing

Come relax after your day job by hanging out with some fellow Bushwick writers for some coffee and a group writing session. \*\*NOTE: Tipsy bean opens just for us on Wednesday night. Google says it's closed but it's not!! May not be open until 7pm though, so if it looks closed don't panic\*\*\* We'll write in three highly-focused 25-minute sprints. In between all that, we'll also talk about what we're working on and trade thoughts and tips on writing. It's a great way to shake off some procrastination and find the creative push needed for that writing project you've been putting off. All writers are welcome, as well as first-time members. Come prepared to write with paper & pen or a laptop...and at least an idea of what you'll be writing about.

Silent Writing at NYPL

Join us in the big reading room at the library with the two lions. We'll be there writing in silence. This is not a structured event, but rather a designated time in which we can find each other here and write in solidarity with each other. Note: The official name of the room is the "Rose Main Reading Room," located on the third floor of Stephen A. Schwarzman Library by Bryant Park, and we are usually on the left side, by seat #226. You'll have to go past the people telling tourists that the area is not open to visitors (unless it happens to be when you enter). Don't be intimidated, just tell them you are there to study. After you pass by them, go through the catalog room, straight to the end, then take a left. The tables have numbers by each seat. Even numbers in the room on the left, odd to the right. There are a series of bag checks - once upon entering the library and once each upon exiting the reading room and library,

JCW: A Book Club for Writers

Many renowned writers stress how essential reading is to becoming a better writer. Joan Didion, for example, typed out Hemingway’s work to truly feel the rhythm of his sentences. Stephen King is clear: without reading, you can’t write well, urging us to “read a lot, and write a lot.” Francine Prose adds that reading should be done with intention and close attention to technique, not just for inspiration. Inspired by this, we’ve chosen books that invite a writer’s perspective. Join the JCW Book Club for Writers, meeting every 3rd Monday to discuss books under 300 pages. If you can’t finish all the selections, feel free to join the conversation on whichever you read. This month’s theme is **Moral Choice in Quiet Lives**, featuring: * *Small Things Like These* by Claire Keegan (128 pages) * *The Dead* by James Joyce (70 pages) * *Of Mice and Men* by John Steinbeck (optional, 100 pages) Each story explores moments of moral or emotional awakening within everyday life. ***Joshua Tedeschi*** *is a native Jersey City visual artist and writer working on his first novel. He writes literary fiction and urban-themed short poetry that probe everyday relationships and tensions for broader meaning. His writing appears on Substack and Instagram under his pseudonym Julius Germans (@juliusgermans).* ***John Schneider*** *is a teacher and writer from New Jersey. He reviews small and independent press fiction on Substack (@johnwschneider)*

Wednesday Writing

Come relax after your day job by hanging out with some fellow Bushwick writers for some coffee and a group writing session. \*\*NOTE: Tipsy bean opens just for us on Wednesday night. Google says it's closed but it's not!! May not be open until 7pm though, so if it looks closed don't panic\*\*\* We'll write in three highly-focused 25-minute sprints. In between all that, we'll also talk about what we're working on and trade thoughts and tips on writing. It's a great way to shake off some procrastination and find the creative push needed for that writing project you've been putting off. All writers are welcome, as well as first-time members. Come prepared to write with paper & pen or a laptop...and at least an idea of what you'll be writing about.

Writers' Social

Come meet other writers. Everyone welcome. No writing, just socializing with other writers.

JCW President & Volunteer Office Hours

JCW President Rachel Poy will be in-house at the Writers Loft for questions, feedback, and brainstorming! Also, we welcome you to stop by and put your mad skills to use during these hours help grow our amazing community of writers. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Feel free to bring a meal, if needed. We have a microwave! ;-) **Volunteer Opportunities** * Pitch and write articles for JCW's weekly newsletter * Create flyers for new and ongoing events * Organize community outreach initiatives * Manage social media campaigns * Help us strategize and execute a new corporate fundraising effort ***Questions? HMU president@jerseycitywriters.org.***