Northern Virginia Writers Club
October 2025 Meeting Minutes
10/18/25 1:00 PM
- Call to order
- Meeting started at 1:05 PM
- Roll call
- In-person attendees: 15
- Online attendees: 9
- Distribute printout of agenda
- Newcomer introductions
- Cicely – young adult novelist, first novel published this year, working on second; website for arc readers: http://www.indiearcdirectory.com
- Jeremy – working on first book
- Drew – writer and editor, working on book and writes on Substack (Drew’s Letter)
- Angie – writing a children’s book about bereavement, almost done figuring out logistics
- Triumphs and failures
- Carolyn – querying her novel
- First proof copy of children’s book
- Giving talk at Leesburg library about driving submarines
- Drew finding stride in editing
- Approval of minutes from last meeting
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- Isabelle Missud moves to approve
- Kevin Connor seconded
- Unanimously approved
- Officer’s Reports
- President Carolyn McBride
- Open officer positions for 2026: VP, Secretary
- New Coordinator positions:
- Writers Room: Collaboration, Critique Group Moderators
- Libraries (Marissa Naggi)
- Indie Bookstores (open)
- Video Interviews or Podcasting (interest?)
- Vice President Casie White
- Treasurer AJ George
- Secretary Kevin Connor
- Replacement position would start at the February meeting
- Time commitment is about an hour a month in addition to attending meetings
- Membership Chair Isabelle Missud
- 170+ membership total
- About 20 active members in the portal
- Attempting to streamline the on-boarding process
- Event Coordinators: Lois Wren, David Wessel, Jennifer Milder, Marissa Naggi, Patricia DiVecchio
- Jump on and Write Zoom meetings on Monday evenings, Wednesday and Friday mornings
- Elaine’s monthly NVWC book club: 10/29 – Bryan Nowak; contact Jennifer to be scheduled for 2026
- NVWC Winter Book Festival: organized by Dave Wessel
- Website Coordinators: Carolyn McBride, Rotty Mendez (nonmember)
- Status of automated membership system for 2026 renewals
- Social Media Coordinator Allie Nelson
- Manages Facebook group – link at bottom of newsletter
- Golden Nib Coordinator Suzanne Davenport
- Double-winner at state level: Ben East in fiction and nonfiction!
- Old Business
- New Business
- Upcoming writing resources/contests
- Self-Published Science Fiction Competition submissions through 11/9: https://spsfc.space/2025/10/13/how-to-enter-spsfc-5/
- 10/26: A Storytelling Brunch @ Friends Kitchen & Cocktails w/ Tabbie Mann
- 2/27 – 3/1/26: The Mid-Atlantic Romance Writers Conference in Glen Allen (The Washington Romance Writers, Virginia Romance Writers and Chesapeake Romance Writers)
- Calling local high school alums: Fairfax County Public Schools partnership with alumni authors to mentor students (Carolyn working w/ FCPS superintendent starting w/ Falls Church High School)
- Business from the Floor
- Walk-through of website portal
- 15-minute networking
- Featured speaker: Laura Di Franco on Building a Platform
