Fiction 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.*

In-Person Writing Session in NYC

Society of Women Writers - Mixer [In Person]

Join us at The Ragtrader for an evening designed for meaningful connection and lively conversation with fellow writers. From those just beginning their journey to seasoned published authors. **Location:** The Ragtrader, NYC **Date & Time:** 6/26/26 @ 6PM **Age Requirement:** 21+ \***Food and drinks will be available for purchase at the venue.** **General Access: $15** **FREE for SOWW Members ❕** Not a member yet? Check us out at [www.sowwriters.com](www.sowwriters.com) OR Join our Discord Server - [https://discord.gg/5K65vMRvp3](https://discord.gg/5K65vMRvp3) \*\*\***Please note that in-person gatherings are reserved for members aged 21 and over, as they may take place in venues that serve alcohol or require age verification.** *About us:* *The Society of Women Fiction Writers is a creative community based in NYC metro for aspiring and emerging women authors who are passionate about the art of storytelling. We host a mix of in-person and online gatherings focused on craft, accountability, and encouragement. This is a space to connect with other writers who understand the creative journey and are looking for a community.* *This group is intended for those who identify as women, and is meant to be a supportive, women-centered community. We ask for your understanding as we maintain this dedicated environment. There are many wonderful writing groups open to all, but this one is meant to nurture a sense of shared experience specifically for women writers.*

Writers Meetup & Critique @OUTRO NYC - Bring pages from your screenplay

Bring pages from your novel, screenplay, short story, poetry or non-fiction - read out loud and get immediate feedback on your project. Get together with your fellow authors, screenwriters and filmmakers and talk through any hurdles or roadblocks. ***This meetup is free and open to everyone. Outro NYC asks that everyone buy at least one drink.*** UPLOAD YOUR SCREENPLAY OR STAGE PLAY TO https://scriptca.mp/feedback and check the box for "NYC Table Reads" UPLOAD YOUR NOVEL, SHORT STORY OR POETRY TO https://wordca.mp/feedback and check the box for "NYC Live Readings" Ideally 2000 words / 10 script pages or less. It may be possible to read through longer projects depending on the number of submissions. Also ok to just listen in if you don't have anything to submit. Look for Holloway, Peter or Ace on the patio - Holloway will be in a ScriptCamp t-shirt.

Writing group meeting on the Upper West Side

You know what makes me happy? Having meetings in new apartments, and thanks to one of our newer members named Brea, it's happening! The night before this meeting, I'll send all the details to the people with RSVP slots. For now, just be aware that (a) you'll need to walk up a flight of stairs, (b) there are no furry pets (but Brea does have fish), and (c) this place is small. Space will be very limited for this meeting, so please only RSVP if you're pretty gosh-darn sure you'll be able to make it. :) Thanks and looking forward! -Z

Writers Meetup & Critique @OUTRO NYC - Bring pages from your screenplay

Bring pages from your novel, screenplay, short story, poetry or non-fiction - read out loud and get immediate feedback on your project. Get together with your fellow authors, screenwriters and filmmakers and talk through any hurdles or roadblocks. ***This meetup is free and open to everyone. Outro NYC asks that everyone buy at least one drink.*** UPLOAD YOUR SCREENPLAY OR STAGE PLAY TO https://scriptca.mp/feedback and check the box for "NYC Table Reads" UPLOAD YOUR NOVEL, SHORT STORY OR POETRY TO https://wordca.mp/feedback and check the box for "NYC Live Readings" Ideally 2000 words / 10 script pages or less. It may be possible to read through longer projects depending on the number of submissions. Also ok to just listen in if you don't have anything to submit. Look for Holloway, Peter or Ace on the patio - Holloway will be in a ScriptCamp t-shirt.

Salon: How to Become a Writer Or, Have You Earned This Cliche? - Lorrie Moore

**NO ENTRY AFTER 7:15 PM!** **How to Become a Writer Or, Have You Earned This Cliche?** **by Lorrie Moore** **Get the story here:** **https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FL0vaHNjeaMpbXr-tkTb7SONk8NIt7JJ/view?usp=drivesdk** Join us for a good old-fashioned Parisian salon…in Jersey City! Once a month we gather to do a deep dive into a famous, not-so-famous, or even notorious short work of fiction. Our salon is a guided discussion intended to deepen our collective understanding of effective storytelling. Suggest a short story to be featured by emailing me at emilyfea9@gmail.com. **What you need to know:** * All short pieces for the salon are published pieces. Unpublished works are for JCW workshops. * Please read the story before the salon! **We will NOT be reading it out loud.** * We will NOT be providing printouts. Feel free to bring your own. * Wine and beer only. Please no spirits. * We would love a donation but it’s not mandatory to attend. * All writers are welcome. All writers are to be respected. Be kind. **Monthly Schedule for Tuesday:** * **1st Tuesday of the Month: JCW Short Story Salon** We give the salon treatment to a famous, not-so-famous, or even notorious short work of fiction every month. * **2nd Tuesday of the Month:** **Roundtable Workshop** Constructive criticism of unpublished work from JCW members. MUST SUBMIT IN ADVANCE. * **3rd Tuesday of the Mont**h: **Power Prompts** Constrained writing at its quirkiest. * **4th Tuesday of the Month:** **Roundtable Workshop** Constructive criticism of unpublished work from JCW members. MUST SUBMIT IN ADVANCE. *JCW follows current CDC COVID-19 mandates. Until further guidelines are announced, proof of vaccination and masks are not required for in person workshops. We do ask, however, that you respect your fellow writers by staying home when you are feeling unwell.*

JCW Writing Workshop Roundtable (In-Person Only)

**NO ENTRY AFTER 7:15 PM!** *At the in-person JCW workshop, we read the submitted work aloud then give the writer constructive feedback.* **GUIDELINES FOR WRITING WORKSHOP:** * To have your writing scheduled for a Tuesday workshop you must attend at least one Tuesday workshop first. * Sign up board in located in the JCW Loft. You must sign up in person. * Workshop pieces will be provided to workshop attendees via this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LTIAyBFOJit_uEDWBrIqGoDNJpoMs3vU?usp=sharing Questions? Reach out to **Kevin.Singer21@gmail.com** **Monthly Schedule for Tuesday:** 1st Tuesday of the Month: **JCW Short Story Salon**. We give the salon treatment to a famous, not-so-famous, or even notorious short work of fiction every month. 2nd Tuesday of the Month: **Writers’ Workshop**. Constructive criticism of unpublished work from JCW members. MUST SUBMIT IN ADVANCE. 3rd Tuesday of the Month: **Power Prompts.** Constrained writing at its quirkiest. 4th Tuesday of the Month: **Writers’ Workshop**. Constructive criticism of unpublished work from JCW members. MUST SUBMIT IN ADVANCE. ***Supported by public funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund.***

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)*

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.

JCW Power Prompts: TROPE OR CHOKE LIVE (In-Person)

***Please note: NO ENTRY AFTER 7:15 PM. (Doors open at 6:45 pm.)*** Jersey City Writers welcomes you to Power Prompts. This is an evening of guided, constrained writing exercises designed to boost your wordsmithing skills and tease your brain. **Trope or Choke Live** Join us as we draw from different bags and pick characters, a setting, a genre, a trope, and a POV/tense and write a story on the spot. Can you handle the tropes, or will you choke? Supported by public funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund.

Writing Under the Influence - the Keep

Drunk driving is not cool, but drunk writing is! This is a community event for writers, with drinks! Work on your own projects or use the creative writing prompts provided. Join us at the beautiful Keep bar, where we will have focused 20 minute writing sprints, with breaks in between. The Keep bar is at 205 Cypress Ave in Ridgewood. Please RSVP online! Bar is CASH ONLY. 21+ Bring photo ID. Keep in mind, there is also an online version of this group, which meets concurrently but has a separate event notice. The Keep version will be hosted by Jonathan, Nicole, and Cici, and the online version will be hosted by Meghan!! Be sure to RSVP to the correct event:)