Cincinnati Fiction Writers

The purpose of the Cincinnati Fiction Writers group is to bring together individuals who want to strengthen their writing with the goal of publishing. Whether you are already published, currently working on a novel or short story, or would like to get to work, there is a seat for you at our table. You are welcome to join us in this journey.

We meet for online critique sessions on the first and third Mondays each month. We meet in person for social sessions on the second and fourth Mondays, because although writing is often solitary and isolating, having a group of like-minded persons in your life can make it less so. Attendance at our events is fluid; attend when you can. Fifth Mondays are a wild card, but usually are a bonus social gathering.

Each critique meeting we look at up to two (2) writers' work (selected ahead of time).  We prefer unpublished material that you are preparing for publication. We read ten (10) pages, double-spaced, aloud (one page at a time taking turns), and then discuss. The focus of critique is to improve the writing. Make it stronger. We strive to be truthful, but constructive. You will encounter writing that is not your genre, but we have found this sharpens our awareness of what works and what does not. Writing fiction is a craft you must work on. There is value in both giving and receiving critique. All of it helps refine your skills.

Before submitting your own work for critique we require new members to attend at least one critique session. Learning how the process works will help you get the most value from our meetings. Even constructive critiques can be jarring.

Those chosen to present send their pages to the organizer approximately one week ahead of time for preparation. No one is required to present or to participate in discussion. It's OK to just listen. Really, that's totally okay. We look forward to meeting you.

We have no dues or fees, but, since Meetup and Zoom are not free, we will ask for your
help from time to time. Never required. Always appreciated.

We have only a few rules, but they include respect and kindness and constructive
discussions. You'll see the rules when you join.

We also have a private Facebook group where we share news, observations, articles, etc. If you do Facebook, then please look us up and request to join there too.

Note: We generally only promote books on the Meetup site that we workshop in the group. Unsolicited promotion is thus not cool. Our group is focused on turning works-in-progress into finished products. If you're only looking to sell us your book, then we probably aren't the right group for you. If you believe you have nothing to learn, then we probably aren't the right group for you. If you're looking for an honest group of like-minded folks who want to learn and grow together, then we might be the right group. Only you can decide.