Northern Virginia Writers Club

August 2026 Meeting: Summer Social
2026-08-15 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 7426 Idylwood Road, Falls Church, VA, 22043, United States
Back by popular demand, our Summer Social will be largely unstructured, with no featured speaker, to allow ample time for networking and sharing our experiences in writing and publishing. If you’re published, bring a book for the raffle.

September 2026 Meeting: The Writers' Rx with Dr. Jasmine Sandoval
2026-09-19 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
From Pulse to Prose
Discover how to harness the body’s most visceral reactions and turn them into powerful storytelling tools. In this session, you’ll learn to translate racing pulses, constricted breaths, trembling hands, and subtle somatic cues into gripping narrative beats that drive tension and emotion. We’ll break down how the human body naturally responds to fear, desire, conflict, and revelation—and how to mirror those sensations on the page with precision. By the end, you’ll know how to craft scenes so physically immersive that readers don’t just follow your characters… they feel them.
Workshop Activity: “Visceral Revision Lab”
OPTIONAL: Writers will bring a short scene (150–300 words) from their work in progress—preferably a moment involving tension, emotion, or internal conflict. In small groups or paired breakout sessions, they will identify the character’s dominant emotional state, then rewrite 3-5 lines of the scene using visceral body reactions instead of abstract emotion words. Participants will focus on replacing “telling” phrases (fear, anger, shock, excitement) with pulse changes, breath shifts, autonomic responses, muscle tension, micro-movements, and sensory cues.
After revising, volunteers will share their before-and-after versions to see how the added somatic detail heightens immersion, tension, and emotional authenticity.
With over 25 years in the medical field and 15 years as a registered nurse, Dr. Jasmine Sandoval brings a unique blend of expertise and storytelling to every stage and page. She is the author of The Writer’s Rx, a guide for writers who want to master the art of immersive storytelling. Writing under the pen name J.C. Sang, she explores fiction that delves into resilience and human connection.

October 2026 Meeting: Overcoming the Fear of Self-Promotion
2026-10-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Learn to promote yourself and your work with confidence
When you’re reluctant to broadcast your accomplishments and capabilities, your ideal readers, as well as editors and influencers, never get the chance to find out about you and your work. Learn to identify when fear, resistance, and your inner critic are getting in your way; which fears are causing you the most trouble; how to develop antidotes to your fear; and quick fixes to manage your inner saboteurs. Discover how to transform your relationship with marketing – and with your desired audience – so you can promote yourself and your written work confidently.
C.J. Hayden is the bestselling author of Get Clients Now! A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants, and Coaches. Since 1992, she’s been a business coach and writing mentor, helping self-employed professionals and creatives thrive. C.J. has taught for John F. Kennedy University, Mills College, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. She is the author of 8 books and hundreds of published articles and blog posts. Her newest book is Overcoming the Fear of Self-Promotion.

November 2026 Meeting: Writing History vs. Writing Historical Fiction
2026-11-14 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Writing History vs. Writing Historical Fiction
NVWC member David K. Wessel is a retired U.S. diplomat who served at embassies in Central America and Europe and is the former Mayor of Duck, NC. His recent publications include an article for American Historical Association’s Perspectives magazine and his first novel, Choosing Sides, which explores how ordinary people living in Germany between the two world wars responded to the loss of their democracy, a subject he has studied for some fifty years. In this presentation, David will share the perspective he has gained on the differences – and similarities – between writing history and writing historical fiction.

December 2026 Meeting: Holiday Social
2026-12-19 13:00 - 15:00 UTC
Join your fellow writers for some socializing. A favorite event every year, as it’s no business and all fun and getting to know your fellow writers!
