Writing
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out writing events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the writing events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
Absolutely! Find writing events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Writing Events Today
Join in-person Writing events happening right now
Fiction Feedback Workshop
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! Usually, we have a group of up to 20 writers attending.
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:** £18.00 and please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Williamson's have raised their hire fees and so ticket prices have to reflect that additional spend. It's also my role 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: **The Three Tuns,** 36 Jewry St, Aldgate, London EC3N 2ET. Closest stations are Aldgate, Aldgate East and Tower Hill.
Try the official Meetup app to receive last-minute updates and notifications about our events as they happen to your phone. [Download it now](https://www.meetup.com/apps/).
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 feedback workshops for fiction writers since 2010 too. See more about [me on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisagoll/) or Insta me @LisasShare @LondonWritersCafe
Question? Post a comment below.
Join our weekly online writing group (now in it's 7th year)!
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*Please note: TO OBTAIN THE LINK FOR JOINING OUR MEETINGS, PLEASE MESSAGE ME, CAPRICE JACKSON, THE GROUP ORGANISER. We will send you a few simple questions first, so please allow enough time.*
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**A very big welcome to our friendly Queer and inclusive writing group!**
**We meet every week on Monday evenings (UK time) and have been going since 2018.**
**Here's the schedule of the group:**
7.30-9.00 Say hi and personal writing time
9.00-9.30 Discussion\*
The aim of the group is to provide a shared and safe space for people who regard themselves as part of the Queer community to write together. It is intended for you to work on your own writing, whatever form that takes. You can drop in and drop out as you wish.
\* The discussion is open and can take different directions. Typically, it focuses on writing: sharing of work, asking and answering questions, and so on. Taking part is optional.
Very best wishes,
Caprice
Artwork: Caprice - *Connect.*
London Bridge Writers' Group - Pub Meet
**The Talbot Room at the George Inn**
The George provides the room free of charge (they are awesome), and we encourage you to purchase drinks (and food – the burgers are great!). As it’s a pub and not a picnic area, please don’t consume your own food and drink there.
We usually meet in the Talbot room which is on the top floor on the left hand side of the pub as viewed from the courtyard. If lost please send a message here shortly before the meeting starts.
**We are sorry to say that there is no step-free access to the Talbot room, and it is at the end of three flights of stairs.**
**Format**
We start at 7pm and run until 9pm. We hear approximately six readings of 10 minutes (\~2000 words), then discuss the piece for 10 minutes. Email your work to: london60transmitter@emailitin.com as an attachment (It must be an attachment). A link for access to googledocs will be given at the start of each session to enable people to read along, which in turn enables more considered feedback. Work submitted will be automatically deleted after 10 days. We decide on readers/pieces at the beginning of each session.
**Safe and respectful space**
The group is run by volunteers, and we don’t have the capacity to read submitted work in advance. If there is anything in your work that might distress or disturb some readers, for example concerning any kind of abuse, please give a trigger warning before you read. Be specific and concise. If it becomes apparent during a reading that a piece is inappropriate, the moderator will stop the reading. In discussing others’ work, please be mindful of how you express yourself and do not use discriminatory language, even if such language features in the piece.
Shut Up & Write!® at The Stapleton Tavern, Finsbury Park
WELCOME!
We’re a supportive community, and I’m here to organise this Meetup space. I’m looking foreword to seeing it grow and become a regular place for people to get-together. I also invite likemindeded people with shared interests from society. I hope this develops into a fully fledged, shared, literacy lounging experience.
INTRODUCTION
Join us for some focused coworking writing or reading time. All experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing and reading done and meeting other literacy enthusiasts in the area.
EARLY ARRIVALS around 6:30pm
When you show up, the group will be located in the large room next to the fireplace. Take a seat and settle in and spend some time to chat with your fellow writers before the start of the session if you like.
START OF SESSION around 6:45pm
I’ll set timers for our no-talking and focused writing sessions (write, break, write, end).
END OF SESSION around 8:30pm
Afterward, there’s time to hang out, and many people stay for over an hour. Perhaps to chat and get to know each other. Everyone tends to talk about their successes and challenges as writers/readers or similar interesting topics. If we don’t have time to stick around, no worries! We’re here every week anyway!!
FORMAT
A note about the format: We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers andd readers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft.
VENUE
Sandwiched lovingly between Crouch Hill and Stroud Green, the Stapleton Tavern is a warm, welcoming, quirky pub fit for a vibrant community. home to a truly bizarre collection of ornaments, they serve a wide variety of tasty food and drink from all over the world.
LOCATION & TRAVEL
Located in the junction of Stroud Green Road and Stapleton hall, 10 minutes walk from the Finsbury Park Underground station and 2 minutes from Crouch Hill station on the Suffragette line.
INTERNET
Name: Stapleton Guest
Password: StapletonTavern
For our full event schedule\, visit \[https://shutupwrite\.com\]\(https://shutupwrite\.com\)
Practise Public Speaking at Bloomsbury Speakers London (Toastmasters)
This is our club competition. Feel welcome to see how Toastmasters can help you to become an extraordinary speaker.
Our regular club meeting with prepared speeches, speech evaluations and "Table Topics" - a chance to practice impromptu speaking will take place again in 2 weeks. Please arrive from 6:35pm for a prompt 6:45pm start.
**Guests are always welcome and it's completely free**, but we do request that you buy drinks at the bar on arrival and during the break to support the venue.
ABOUT BLOOMSBURY SPEAKERS
Hello! Bloomsbury Speakers is a fun and friendly Toastmasters club near Farringdon in central London.
We meet twice a month to improve our communication and public speaking skills by practising in a safe and supportive environment.
New guests are always welcome and it's completely free. No need to book in advance (other than to receive a helpful reminder) - just show up on the evening!
TYPICAL MEETING AGENDA
A typical meeting agenda is as follows:
6:35 Doors open - meet and greet
6:45 Welcome from Club President
6:50 Introductions from Toastmaster and other meeting roles
7:00 Prepared Speeches (from club members)
7:40 Guest Introductions (a quick hello from the guests)
Short break for refreshments
8:00 Speech Evaluations (of earlier speeches)
8:15 Table Topics (impromptu speeches of 1-2 minutes each)
8:35 Table Topics Evaluations
8:40 Reports and General Evaluation (of the meeting)
8:55 Awards (best speech, best evaluator, etc.) and announcements
9:00 Meeting close - retire to the bar!
COME ALONG TO FIND OUT MORE!
Visit our website for more information: https://www.bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk
Toastmasters has helped thousands of people overcome nerves and improve their speaking confidence. Come along and find out how!
Find your voice at #BloombsurySpeakers!
IN PERSON STUDY & CONVERSATION GROUP - KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS.
IN PERSON STUDY & CONVERSATION GROUP - KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORDS. HOW IS IT ACHIEVED ?
WITH TREVOR DANCE
**Knowledge of the Higher Worlds is an essential book for understanding Rudolf Steiner’s ideas. It contains practical exercises to set one on the spiritual pathway advocated by Steiner – a reliable and safe path based on a rational, scientific approach.**
**You are warmly invited to join the study group.**
**Further information: trevordance@hotmail.com**
This group is run under the auspices of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain and small donations towards expenses are welcome.
£ 3 / £2 .
Writing Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Shut Up and Write! [London/Waterstones Piccadilly]
A chance just to work in company on your writing, be it a book, blog, screenplay, dissertation, poem, song, coursework, memoir, play, journal, travel writing or work stuff. Newcomers always welcome. No one will see what you're writing or give you unsolicited advice.
WE FILL THE ROOM, so you MUST SIGN UP below AND ARRIVE BY 11.40 at the latest, or we can’t guarantee you a seat.
And if you can't make it CHANGE YOUR RSVP to "not going" ASAP to give someone else a chance, thanks.
WHERE? FIFTH FLOOR CAFÉ, Floor 5, Waterstones, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9LE
TIMINGS:-
11.00 - Café starts serving
11:30 - Host of the day will be there. Say hello, especially if you’re new.
11.40 - Brief introductions for everybody - your name and what you’re working on
11:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes
12:30 – Break, chat to your neighbours if you like
12:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes
13:30 - The End…feel free to stay and keep writing or chat some more.
Bring whatever you need to be able to write. It’s a café, there’s some noise so earbuds/headphones/earplugs are handy. There’s very few mains sockets so charged-up laptops are a good idea too.
And please remember everybody, thank our venue by buying a drink or food, and don’t consume anything from outside while you're here.
IF YOU ARRIVE AFTER 11.45 - everyone will be quiet and writing. If there's no spare places ASK THE CAFE STAFF, they may be able to seat you in the adjacent restaurant section (without having to buy food). If not then there's sofas on the sales floors below as well as one cafe at the back of the ground floor and another in the basement. The hosts won't have any other alternatives to offer you. Please feel free to join us for the break and afterwards.
We’re looking forward to writing with you, your hosts, Sarah, Nick, Laura and Anna
Shut Up and Write! SUNDAY at London/Waterstones Piccadilly
Join us at the top of the biggest bookshop in Europe to work in company on your own writing, be it a book, blog, screenplay, dissertation, poem, song, coursework, memoir, play, journal, travel writing or work stuff. Newcomers always welcome. No one will see what you're writing or give you unsolicited advice.
Now that our Saturday events are filling the room we're testing out a Sunday, same format but an hour later. In case it's as popular as our Saturdays we're saying that you MUST SIGN UP below AND ARRIVE BY 12.40 at the latest, or we can’t guarantee you a seat.
And if you can't make it CHANGE YOUR RSVP to "not going" ASAP to give someone else a chance, thanks.
WHERE? FIFTH FLOOR CAFÉ, Floor 5, Waterstones, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9LE
TIMINGS:-
12.00 - Shop and café open
12:30 - Host will be there. Say hello, especially if you’re new.
12.40 - Brief introductions from everybody - your name and what you’re working on
12:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes
13:30 – Break, chat to your neighbours if you like
13:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes
14:30 - The End…feel free to stay and keep writing or chat some more.
Bring whatever you need to be able to write. It’s a café, there’s some noise so earbuds/headphones/earplugs are handy. There’s very few mains sockets so charged-up laptops are a good idea too.
And please remember everybody, thank our venue by buying a drink or food, and don’t consume anything from outside while you're here.
IF YOU ARRIVE AFTER 12.45 - everyone will be quiet and writing. If there's no spare places ASK THE CAFE STAFF, they may be able to seat you in the adjacent restaurant section (without having to buy food). If not then there's sofas on the sales floors below as well as one cafe at the back of the ground floor and another in the basement. The hosts won't have any other alternatives to offer you. Please feel free to join us for the break and afterwards.
We’re looking forward to writing with you, your hosts, Sarah, Nick, Laura and Anna
A Sci Fi/Fantasy Writing Session
**DUE TO LIMITED SPACE PLEASE ONLY RSVP IF ATTENDING. IF NO LONGER ATTENDING PLEASE UPDATE YOUR RSVP.**
Join us in the upstairs room of the Grafton Pub in Camden for another writing-focused session.
Bring whatever you’re working on, whether you’re outlining a new idea or deep into your current WIP. This is a space for writers to connect, share ideas, and find inspiration. Whether you’re looking for feedback, want to brainstorm with others, or simply need a quiet place to write, our goal is to build a supportive and collaborative community for sci-fi and fantasy authors at all stages of their journey.
Writing will start at 6:30, but feel free arrive and leave at your own convenience! We will end at 8:30pm, but the pub is open till 11pm so after it ends people can mingle or go home as they please. **While we encourage collaboration and occasional chat we ask everyone be mindful of those focused on writing until 8pm.**
**Also please support the venue by buying food or drink from the pub!**
Torturing Your Characters with Internal and External Conflict
**Torture is a messy business but we writers must transform our characters by any means necessary.**
Join a torturous seminar on how to surface core conflicts into cruel but useful tensions that will transform your main characters as the story unfolds. Character growth, development, transformation - call it what you will - is a fiction fundamental but not every story achieves the promise of the premise when it comes to delivering for readers.
First though, you must understanding your story's capacity to 'torture'. This seminar will show how to create character transformations with practical writing techniques and you'll engineer more compelling stories for your readers, as a result. If a character doesn't grow, they die.
How will your story inflict the appropriate level of emotional and psychological pain to produce change in your core characters? Sounds tough but it is not. I believe this is the stuff that keeps readers guessing, hypothesising, riven mad, turning pages frantically until 3am to find out what happens and every writer must aspire to be read with greed, no?
In three hours (with a short break) we'll go through how to expand and apply internal and external conflicts for your protagonist, recognise which conflicts will drive your character forward, and pull that tension so tight it threatens to snap on any page. Brilliant.
'The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself ' - William Faulkner
LEVEL: This session is designed for writers with a basic understanding of plotting, story structure and character development. If you're unsure if that's you, please message me and I'll be happy to advise.
TIMING: Saturday, February 28th from 2:30pm to 5:30pm.
LOCATION: The Artillery Arms, 102 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8ND. Nearest stations are Old Street, Barbican and Moorgate. We have hired the room but please don't bring your own food and drinks. The pub landlord will have my head!
TICKETS: £20.00 to pay for content, preparation, venue hire and event organising. Please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Refunds or credits will only be offered if the meetup is cancelled by admin. Please change your RSVP to 'Not Going' if you can no longer attend as we often have people waiting and we'd hate for them to miss out. Download the Meetup app to manage your RSVPs quickly.
Please post below if you have questions above the above. Hope to see you there!
Write-in at the Mitre: work on your own material in convivial company
**We will be at The Mitre pub in central Greenwich.**
This meetup is free and casual. We just sit around for a few hours and write together. Bring a laptop, or use a pen and paper or clay tablet and stylus if that's what works for you.
The structure of the session is roughly:
2pm: chat
2:20–3:25: writing time
3:25: chat/coffee break
3:40–4:45 writing time
4:45: chat
But our Saturdays are very casual, so feel free to drop in and out.
**Our Saturday sessions sometimes rotate location. We're going to stick with the Mitre for now, but do check the location of the specific meetup before signing up. If you arrive later, you may need to ask the bar staff to show you through to the room.**
Writing Events Near You
Connect with your local Writing community
Shut Up & Write!® East Side Columbus
Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, March 25 at Streetlight Guild.
Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done.
**SCHEDULE:**
6:45ish - Quick introductions
7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour
8:00 - The End
**OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing.
**BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer.
Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild!
**WHAT SHOULD I BRING?**
Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you!
**OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:**
* **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space!
* **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels.
* **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay!
* **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.
Shut Up & Write!® Easton Town Center
We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator.
Join us on Sunday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking!
• What we'll do
Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at noon on Sundays.
Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done.
SCHEDULE:
12:00 - quick intros.
12:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour.
1:10 - chat / take off / keep writing.
OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 1-1:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing.
BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer.
Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you!
• What to bring
Whatever you need to be able to write!
Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible.
See you at The Café on Sunday!
Shut Up & Write!™ Easton Town Center
We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator.
Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking!
• What we'll do
Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings.
Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done.
SCHEDULE:
10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros.
10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour.
11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing.
OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing.
BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer.
Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you!
• What to bring
Whatever you need to be able to write!
Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible.
See you at The Café on Saturday!
Shut Up & Write! Kingsdale Shopping Center
Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington.
The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo.
Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine.
We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you.
The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly.
Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome.
The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit.
Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times.
Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have.
Happy writing!


















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