Arlington County Fair
2023-08-19 10:00 - 21:00, 2023-08-20 11:00 - 19:00 UTC | Thomas Jefferson Community Center, 3501 Second Street South, Arlington, 22204, United States
The club will have a table with anthologies, membership information, and rotating authors signing books!

August Meeting: Art Taylor on Pro Prose
2023-08-26 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Faith Lutheran Church Undercroft Meeting Room, 3313 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
PRO PROSE: TIPS FOR TIGHTENING YOURSWith an eye toward economy, efficiency, and focus, we’ll explore various ways to keep your prose tight and taut. How can you use and balance the five elements of scene-building? How do you keep the emphasis on the right place in your sentences? How might you be misusing dialogue tags? What does the word “filtering” mean—and why should you avoid it?

CreaturesCrimesandCreativity (C3) Convention
2023-09-08 - 2023-09-10 | Doubletree Hilton Hotel Columbia, 5485 Twin Knolls Rd, Columbia, MD, United States

September Meeting
2023-09-16 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Faith Lutheran Church Undercroft Meeting Room, 3313 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
Tara Campbell will give a talk on craft.

Fairfax Library Local Author Book Festival
2023-09-30 12:00 - 15:00 UTC | Chantilly Regional Library, 4000 Stringfellow Rd, Chantilly, VA, 20151-2628, United States
David Baldacci headlines this festival featuring 50+ local authors including NVWC member Anita Nahal!

Art on the Avenue
2023-10-07 10:00 - 18:00 UTC | Art on the Avenue, 1800 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
The NVWC will have a booth at this huge festival celebrating art diversity in vibrant Del Ray, Alexandria! Great art, food, crafts, and music.

Eat Local. Read Local.
2023-10-14 11:00 - 14:00 UTC | Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Pl, Potomac Falls, VA, 20165, United States
Come support members of our chapter, along with dozens of other local authors while you eat from some tasty local food vendors and listen to music.

The Write Women Book Fest
2023-10-14 12:00 - 17:00 UTC | Comfort Inn Conference Center, 4500 Crain Highway, Bowie, MD, 20716, United States
This event has 100+ authors tabling, selling and signing books, panel discussions, and live poetry readings all day with E.C. Poetry & Prose.

October Meeting
2023-10-21 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Reston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr, Reston, 20190, United States

Baltimore Writers' Conference
2023-11-04 08:00 - 20:00 UTC | Townson University, Liberal Arts Building, 8000 York Road, Townson, MD, 21252, United States
Time TBD. Sessions, quick critiques, guest speakers, and networking over wine and cheese!

Arlington Library Local Author Festival
2023-11-04 08:00 - 2023-11-05 20:00 UTC | Arlington Libraries
Arlington’s first ever local author festival! Library locations and time TBD.

State Annual Meeting
2023-11-04 11:00 - 14:00 UTC | VA
The Virginia Writers Club’s annual meeting includes lunch, a keynote speaker, Golden Nib awards, and elections. Details coming soon. Watch the state/local newsletter for more information.

Hanover Book Expo
2023-11-11 10:00 - 15:00 UTC | VFW Post 9809, 7168 Flag Ln., Mechanicsville, VA, 23111, United States
Free entry! Lots of local authors and three sessions. Authors interested in exhibiting should see the website for more information.

November Meeting
2023-11-18 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Sherwood Regional Library, 2501 Sherwood Hall Ln, Alexandria, VA, 22306
VP Jason Maddux will be publishing his first book -an anthology of sci-fi stories- in this meeting. If you’re curious about how KDP and self-publishing works, you won’t want to miss this!

January Meeting
2024-01-20 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Tyson’s-Pimmit Regional Library, 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 22043, United States
Elections and year planning are conducted at the January meeting. This is the most important meeting of the year to get your voice heard and consider volunteering for a position in the club.
We will be on Zoom and in meeting room 2 at Tyson’s-Pimmit Regional Library.

February Meeting on Book Design
2024-02-17 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | John Marshall Library, 6209 Rose Hill Dr, Alexandria, VA, 22310, United States
Book design encompasses the visual aspects of a book such as font, layout, and paper choice. Attention to design details is critical to produce a book that stands out and appeals to readers. This session will explore the design steps required to produce a visually appealing book that will lead to success in indie publishing.
Larry Issa is an award-winning book designer and author based in Vienna, Virginia, with a successful career spanning over 16 years. Collaborating with both local and international organizations, his impressive client list includes institutions such as The Louvre Abu Dhabi, Save the Children, and Northwestern University. Drawing inspiration from his global travels and his love for art and literature, Larry’s debut picture book, “Get Back in the Book!” marks the beginning of his journey into the world of children’s literature, with many more creative projects in store.

March Meeting- Author Panel
2024-03-16 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Shirlington Library, 4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA, 22206, United States
Our March meeting will feature a panel of writers with military/government experience explaining how they’ve turned that experience into gripping prose. Our three guests—both successful novelists—have done just that! One in the “Thriller”, and one in the Science Fiction genre, and one in non-fiction.
They’ll share tips for how to turn your government service experience into unputdownable prose and answer questions from the audience after.
Join us March 16 at 1:00 p.m. at the Shirlington Library in Arlington, Virginia, for light snacks, refreshments, camaraderie and writing tips. See you then!
Author Tom DeWitt weaves technology and current events into adult-themed SCI-FI thrillers. His 40 years of experience supporting the Federal Government provides the backdrop for his recent novels, “The SOUP Trilogy.” Tomdewitt.com.

C.E. Albanese is a former U.S. Secret Service special agent with over twenty years of law enforcement experience. His manuscript Drone Kings was the Grandmaster winner of the 2021 Clive Cussler Adventure Writers Competition. His short stories have appeared in The Mystery Magazine and Beyond the Shadows Anthology. He has contributed to CareerAuthors.com and serves as a board member of the Virginia Writers Club. Additionally, C.E. Albanese is the co-creator and co-host of The Crew Reviews podcast, where he interviews renowned thriller and crime authors. A graduate of Rutgers University, he resides in Northern Virginia with his wife, who is also a special agent for the U.S. Secret Service, and their two children. https://cealbanese.com/
I am a patent practitioner and have been both an innovation consultant and a solution salesperson. I am also an inventor on 52 issued US patent applications. My inventions include unmanned ground and aerial systems, distribution center logistics, blockchain, and inventions for the store of the future. From that work, I wrote OUTPACING THE COMPETITION: PATENT-BASED BUSINESS STRATEGY, published by John Wiley & Sons.
Before my career with commercial enterprises, I served as an Airborne Infantry Officer in the 101st Airborne Division. At the time I joined, we still had a Soviet threat. In 2003, I published a book titled UNDERSTANDING SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR, which was adopted for several years by the National Defense University, Navy War College, and Air War College. In 2011-13, I produced and directed a shark documentary titled SHARKS OF WAR: TRUTH, TALES, AND TERROR, which was a finalist at BLUE Ocean Film Festival in 2016. From that experience, I wrote and am shopping a book titled THE SHARKS, THE DARK, AND THE DEEP, which features a survivor from the U.S.S. Indianapolis, a cruiser sunk at the end of World War II.

April Meeting -The Author-Editor Relationship: Everything You Need to Know to Find Your Fit
2024-04-13 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA, United States
Hiring an editor is one of the most important decisions you can make as a self-published author. In this workshop, presented from both an author and editor perspective, you’ll learn about things like determining when you’re ready, what types of editing you’ll need, where to find an editor, what questions you should be asking, and why you need to find the right match to be successful on your path to publication.
Member Jennifer Milder and editor Elizabeth Merck will provide a joint presentation and talk.
Elizabeth Merck is a Northern Virginia editor and writer. After working more than twenty years in the Washington, DC nonprofit sector, using storytelling to raise money for a variety of causes, she became a deputy editor at Write My Wrongs Co. In January 2022, she opened her own freelance editing business, where she currently does beta reading, comprehensive editing (copy, line, and developmental), proofreading, and ghostwriting. She has a BA in Psychology from Marymount University and an MBA from Walden University. She’s a member of the Editorial Freelancer’s Association (EFA) and the proud mom of two teenagers. She’s also putting the finishing touches on her debut novel Jameson Heights.
Jennifer Milder is an American novelist, entrepreneur, and mother of teenagers. She has authored The Epilogue of August. Between those careers, she’s worked as a software consultant, project manager, play producer, non-profit founder, and tutor. She now lives in Washington, DC, with two daughters, two cats, and a dog. Milder grew up in North Carolina, graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, and hopes to never return to the 9 to 5 grind.

May Meeting - Comic Relief
2024-05-11 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Westover Library, 1644 N McKinley Rd., Arlington, VA
The Importance of Comic Relief.
Comic relief is a plot device used to lighten the mood and keep the reader engaged. Commonly used in dialogue and description, comic relief is essential in diffusing tension before, during, or after a difficult scene. Executed properly, comic relief can underscore themes in all genres—including nonfiction! Join us for a rollicking discussion on how we can best use humor in helping our readers both think and feel more deeply when reading our texts. We will also examine comic relief in classical literature; investigate the elements of satire, irony, wit, and sarcasm; determine what makes a scene humorous or contrived; and learn how to avoid breaking a reader’s willingness to suspend disbelief.
Deidre Lovegren
Deidra’s novel The Medicine Girl debuted in July 2022. The sequel, The Medicine Woman, was released in August 2023. The final installment, The Medicine Crone, will be released in Winter 2024. She has published shorter works including 21 Conversations, a collection of dialogue-only stories. The Lady of the Match, a short story collection translated into Arabic, debuted at the Cairo International Book Fair in 2024.
Deidra has also written over one hundred short stories and regularly competes in various international writing contests.
Over her teaching career, Deidra has taught scores of English classes to students from preschool to college. Currently, she is the humanities instructor at a private school in Central Virginia.
Deidra co-hosts “Read Lots Write Lots,” an Australian podcast featuring writers worldwide. In addition, she is a contest judge for the London-based Reedsy Prompts.
Along with the Blue Marble Storytellers team, she organizes writers’ conferences in the United States and Europe. She is also an engaging conference speaker who loves to share her knowledge about the writer’s craft.
She currently lives in Virginia with her husband of 30 years, three sons, and her rescue cats, General Sherman and Cinna.

Local Author Book Fair
2024-06-08 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | Purcellville Library, 220 East Main St., Purcellville, VA, 20132, United States
The Loudoun County Public Library in Purcellville will be hosting NVWC authors for a local author book fair. Further details to come!

June 15th Meeting (Zoom Only) - Audiobook Production
2024-06-15 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Scott is pleased to join this group and discuss the ins and outs of audiobook production, everything from understanding the different platforms, the payment lingo, narrator/author responsibilities and expectations, as well as being a part of helping authors think through all options of putting their stories in audio. Scott looks forward to speaking with you!
Scott Ellis is an audiobook narrator having narrated over 100 audiobooks. Together with his wife, Josie, they own Scott Ellis Reads, an audiobook production business having produced over 250 audiobooks. In addition, they have helped many narrators and authors bring their first projects to audio. With a degree in theater and nearly 30 years as an educator teaching Language Arts, Scott is all about performing and teaching.
Please visit Scott’s website at www.ScottEllisReads.com to learn more about his production company and www.SERclassroom.com to find out about online instruction for all things audiobooks.
The meeting on June 15th will only be held virtually.

Lansdowne Woods of Virginia Literary Festival
2024-06-29 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Lansdowne Woods of VA Clubhouse, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Lansdowne, VA, 20176, United States
Join many NVWC members and other local Virginia Writers for the 3rd annual Literary Festival!

July Meeting - Picnic
2024-07-20 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Cherry Hill Park, 312 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA, 22046, United States
Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church City – wheelchair accessible, restrooms available in adjacent Falls Church Community Center, grills, and playground

August Meeting - Demystifying the Publishing Industry
2024-08-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA, 22003, United States
Demystifying the Publishing Industry.
Nate Brown will discuss his past 20 years in publishing with a focus on the consolidation of what was formerly known as the “Big Five” and the parallel rise of small presses. These changes present challenges and opportunities for all writers seeking to get published. He will describe the editorial process at major houses and at smaller venues and provide a list of literary journals and websites doing particularly well these days. He also will provide information about revising your work, querying agents, and submitting to literary journals.
Nate Brown
Nate Brown’s stories, essays, profiles, and reviews have appeared in the Iowa Review, Mississippi Review, Five Chapters, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Electric Literature, Publisher’s Weekly, LitHub, and elsewhere. He is the senior editor of the award-winning literary journal American Short Fiction in Austin, TX, and has received fellowships from the Maryland State Arts Council, the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, the Vermont Studio Center, the Ucross Foundation, and multiple work-study scholarships to the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. He has taught creative writing and composition at the University of Wisconsin, through the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, at the George Washington University, Georgetown University, and elsewhere. He is a senior lecturer in the University Writing Program at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and a 2023-24 Engaged Faculty Scholar at JHU’s Center for Social Concern.

NVWC Author Book Fair
2024-08-31 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA, United States
Panel discussion, author readings, and an author meet and greet with 20 local authors! Participate in a raffle for beach reading bags with donated books and more. Books for sale throughout the fair. This program is a partnership between the Falls Church City Library and the Northern Virginia Writers Club (NVWC).
(click on image to enlarge)

September 2024 Meeting - Successfully Promoting Your Book
2024-09-21 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Burke Centre Library, 5935 Freds Oak Rd, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Successfully Promoting Your Book
Joe Marich is a literary public relations and marketing expert who represented best-selling author Michael Crichton for over 16 years and has launched over 800 books for other authors. He will share insider tips about literary marketing and public relations based on his 30+ years of experience. Topics covered will include:

How to use literary marketing and media relations effectively
Ten questions to ask yourself before starting to write your book outline
What you can do on your own to help market/promote your book
When you need to hire an expert (and when you don’t)
What to expect from a marketing and PR expert—and what not to expect

Pitch your book to Joe in a PR Lightning Round! In addition to getting answers to all of your PR questions, come prepared to “pitch” your book or book idea to Joe and he will give you a thumbnail sketch of how media-friendly your project may or may not be, and offer alternatives that might work even better.
Joe Marich
Joe Marich is founder and President of Marich Media. With an emphasis in literary, entertainment, and consumer product media relations and marketing, Marich has worked in public relations for more than thirty years, planning and executing local, national and international campaigns for book launches, consumer products, special events, fund-raisers and openings in the theatre, art, fashion, television and film industries. He has also been a Keynote speaker at a variety of literary conferences and workshops.
Representing author-director-producer, Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, ER) for over 16 years until his untimely death in November 2008, Marich coordinated global media tours, personal appearances, and interviews for Dr. Crichton, working closely with his publishers in the U.S., as well as his international publishers throughout Europe. In addition to Michael Crichton’s work, Marich has launched over 800 fiction and non-fiction books for various authors over his 30+ year career.
Adding to his impressive list of successful authors, Marich was responsible for the publicity and media relations for Australian best-selling author, David Rollins, who made a splash in America with his first best-seller titled The Death Trust.
Over the years, Marich has also been involved in public affairs and crisis management for all the Warner Music Group labels and has provided counsel to Virgin Records, United Talent Agency, and Oracle Corporation bringing special skills to the clients by preparing them in media training, special projects presentations, and developing and producing electronic media kits for satellite feeds.
Prior to starting his own company, Marich worked with such distinguished clients as Rock the Vote, DC/Marvel Comics, New Line Television and Alliance Communications, Virgin Records, Oracle Corporation, and United Talent Agency among others.
Marich is also the author of a public relations book for Delmar Publishers titled, Literary Publicity: The Final Chapter, which was launched February 2001.
Earlier in his career Marich worked for Douglas Cramer, a top producer and studio executive, and Aaron Spelling and Charles Rosin (executive producer) on the popular television series, Beverly Hills 90210.

October 2024 Meeting - Direct Sales Online & Via Kickstarter
2024-10-26 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Westover Library, 1644 N McKinley Rd., Arlington, VA
NOTE: Date changed to 10/26 (one week later than usual).
While ebook and print-on-demand physical books are the primary distribution channel for indie authors, tremendous financial gains can be achieved by selling direct to readers through online stores and Kickstarter. You don’t need to be Brandon Sanderson (whose record-breaking project brought in almost $42 million), to make direct selling work for you. In this presentation, Robin will discuss best practices that she has used in her crowdfunding campaigns (13 and counting) to earn more than $1M from Kickstarters and another $250,000 in sales directly from her online stores.
About the presenter:
Robin Sullivan is the wife and business manager of Michael J. Sullivan, a New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today bestselling fantasy author. Michael is a hybrid author with titles released by both big-five publishers (Penguin Random House and Hachette Book Group), as well as a pioneer in the indie movement. Robin manages all the non-writing aspects of Michael’s career including: contract negotiation, coordination with agents, copy editors, audio narrators, and cover artists, alpha reader, manager of beta and gamma readers. She also manages all the sales channels including bookstores and direct to readers.

November 2024 Meeting - NaNoWriMo Write-in
2024-11-16 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Burke Centre Library, 5935 Freds Oak Rd, Burke, VA, 22015, United States

Holiday Social
2024-12-14 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Shipgarten, 8346 Leesburg Pike, Tysons, VA, 22182, United States
Join us in Tysons at the beer garden at Shipgarten. Please register below so we can plan accordingly. The club will have a semi-private section of the Bier Hall tent, which has industrial-sized heaters to keep everyone comfortable in December! Parking is available in a nearby lot with a shuttle if you don’t want to do the 10-minute walk. Also walking distance from the McLean Metro.
