Creative Writing New York

Writers Social at Treadwell Park

UPDATE: Due to weather, our Central Park meeting we will be at [Treadwell Park on 1st Avenue](https://maps.app.goo.gl/U9Z3evMKkfVXgsC66) at 2pm, where we will do a little community social instead of our usual session structure, and you'll be able to [join us this coming Tuesday](https://www.meetup.com/thewritinggroup/events/314851385/?eventOrigin=group_upcoming_events) if you want your reading and discussion fix! You can DM the organizer if you have any Qs!

New York Story Night #82

New York Story Night is a literary community event based in Manhattan founded to provide creative writers, amateur and professional alike, a stage on which to share their stories and an audience with which to road test their works. Consider an open mic for stand-up tragedy, stand-up horror, stand-up drama if you will. A night of bedtime stories for adults. **For those who wish to share a story, please arrive before 6:50pm and sign-up for a reading slot.** (Find Randy or Maria at the front of the second floor event space.) For those who wish to be an audience, get a drink, find a favored spot, chit-chat with fellow story lovers if you like! At 7pm story night begins. **Each writer gets 20 minutes in front of the microphone. (15 minutes for the story + 5 minutes for workshop/Q&A with the audience)** We have a 10 minute intermission at the end of every hour. **Rules for stories:** * Stories must be under 15 mins (around 2,300 words) * All stories must be written pieces * Stories can be fiction or non-fiction but must contain a narrative arc * No poetry, no essays We encourage you to email us at newyorkstorynight@gmail.com if you have questions or concerns on if your story is a good fit for our event. If you cannot attend this particular event but would like to be in tune with our next ones join our MeetUp group or email us at newyorkstorynight@gmail.com to be added to our e-mailing list! New York Story Night is a free event. *\*By attending, you acknowledge that you may appear in photos and videos used for social media or promotional purposes.*

New York Story Night #83

New York Story Night is a literary community event based in Manhattan founded to provide creative writers, amateur and professional alike, a stage on which to share their stories and an audience with which to road test their works. Consider an open mic for stand-up tragedy, stand-up horror, stand-up drama if you will. A night of bedtime stories for adults. **For those who wish to share a story, please arrive before 6:50pm and sign-up for a reading slot.** (Find Randy or Maria at the front of the second floor event space.) For those who wish to be an audience, get a drink, find a favored spot, chit-chat with fellow story lovers if you like! At 7pm story night begins. **Each writer gets 20 minutes in front of the microphone. (15 minutes for the story + 5 minutes for workshop/Q&A with the audience)** We have a 10 minute intermission at the end of every hour. **Rules for stories:** * Stories must be under 15 mins (around 2,300 words) * All stories must be written pieces * Stories can be fiction or non-fiction but must contain a narrative arc * No poetry, no essays We encourage you to email us at newyorkstorynight@gmail.com if you have questions or concerns on if your story is a good fit for our event. If you cannot attend this particular event but would like to be in tune with our next ones join our MeetUp group or email us at newyorkstorynight@gmail.com to be added to our e-mailing list! New York Story Night is a free event. *\*By attending, you acknowledge that you may appear in photos and videos used for social media or promotional purposes.*

Writers Meetup in Williamsburg

**Itinerary** People are welcome starting at **6 o'clock**, and you can come and meet other writers, enjoy a happy hour, socialize and hang out as you like until 7 when we will start readings. At **7 o'clock** we formally get together as a group to listen to readings from those looking for feedback. * We do not select readers based on order of arrival or a sign-up sheet, so if you have work until late but still want to come and read, you can! * Each reader gets five (5) minutes to read, so please select a section of work which is appropriate for that time limit. * We welcome narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, the occasional essay, and scripts (be they for screen or stage), so long as it is writing that you're serious about. Please no ad copy, journal entries, memes, musings, idea pitches, works where performance is more critical than the writing, or other errata. Nothing AI, if that needs saying. * We'll then spend another five (5) minutes in discussion. This is time for the listeners to provide feedback on the reading and discussing the craft in general. We welcome (and encourage) constructive criticism, so long as it is done with respect. This is just as important as the reading, and is done as an open conversation not lead by the reader or the host, so no hand raising required! * We try to get to as many people who want to read as we can, so if there are a lot of attendees we will be very strict on time. * We take a short break at **8 o'clock** . At **9 o'clock** we finish readings and start our formal social hour. Meet new friends, connect with old ones, exchange longer works for review, or just let loose.

Writers Meetup in the West Village

**Itinerary** People are welcome starting at **6 o'clock**, and you can come and meet other writers, enjoy a happy hour, socialize and hang out as you like until 7 when we will start readings. At **7 o'clock** we formally get together as a group to listen to readings from those looking for feedback. * We do not select readers based on order of arrival or a sign-up sheet, so if you have work until late but still want to come and read, you can! * Each reader gets five (5) minutes to read, so please select a section of work which is appropriate for that time limit. * We welcome narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, the occasional essay, and scripts (be they for screen or stage), so long as it is writing that you're serious about. Please no ad copy, journal entries, memes, musings, idea pitches, works where performance is more critical than the writing, or other errata. Nothing AI, if that needs saying. * We'll then spend another five (5) minutes in discussion. This is time for the listeners to provide feedback on the reading and discussing the craft in general. We welcome (and encourage) constructive criticism, so long as it is done with respect. This is just as important as the reading, and is done as an open conversation not lead by the reader or the host, so no hand raising required! * We try to get to as many people who want to read as we can, so if there are a lot of attendees we will be very strict on time. * We take a short break at **8 o'clock** . At **9 o'clock** we finish readings and start our formal social hour. Meet new friends, connect with old ones, exchange longer works for review, or just let loose.

Wednesday Writing

Come relax after your day job by hanging out with some fellow Bushwick writers for some coffee and a group writing session. \*\*NOTE: Tipsy bean opens just for us on Wednesday night. Google says it's closed but it's not!! May not be open until 7pm though, so if it looks closed don't panic\*\*\* We'll write in three highly-focused 25-minute sprints. In between all that, we'll also talk about what we're working on and trade thoughts and tips on writing. It's a great way to shake off some procrastination and find the creative push needed for that writing project you've been putting off. All writers are welcome, as well as first-time members. Come prepared to write with paper & pen or a laptop...and at least an idea of what you'll be writing about.

Writers Meetup at Brooklyn Art Haus

The Writing Group returns to Brooklyn Art Haus. Join us! Craft is in session. **Itinerary** People are welcome starting at **6 o'clock**, and you can come and meet other writers, get a drink, socialize and hang out as you like until 7 when we will start readings. At **7 o'clock** we formally get together as a group to listen to readings from those looking for feedback. * We do not select readers based on order of arrival or a sign-up sheet, so if you have work until late but still want to come and read, you can! * Each reader gets five (5) minutes to read, so please select a section of work which is appropriate for that time limit. * We welcome narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, the occasional essay, and scripts (be they for screen or stage), so long as it is writing that you're serious about. Please no ad copy, journal entries, memes, musings, idea pitches, works where performance is more critical than the writing, or other errata. Nothing AI, if that needs saying. * We'll then spend another five (5) minutes in discussion. This is time for the listeners to provide feedback on the reading and discussing the craft in general. We welcome (and encourage) constructive criticism, so long as it is done with respect. This is just as important as the reading, and is done as an open conversation not lead by the reader or the host, so no hand raising required! * We try to get to as many people who want to read as we can, so if there are a lot of attendees we will be very strict on time. * We take a short break at **8 o'clock** . At **9 o'clock** we finish readings and start our formal social hour. Meet new friends, connect with old ones, exchange longer works for review, or just let loose.

Silent Writing at NYPL

Join us in the big reading room at the library with the two lions. We'll be there writing in silence. This is not a structured event, but rather a designated time in which we can find each other here and write in solidarity with each other. Note: The official name of the room is the "Rose Main Reading Room," located on the third floor of Stephen A. Schwarzman Library by Bryant Park, and we are usually on the left side, by seat #226. You'll have to go past the people telling tourists that the area is not open to visitors (unless it happens to be when you enter). Don't be intimidated, just tell them you are there to study. After you pass by them, go through the catalog room, straight to the end, then take a left. The tables have numbers by each seat. Even numbers in the room on the left, odd to the right. There are a series of bag checks - once upon entering the library and once each upon exiting the reading room and library.

Wednesday Writing

Come relax after your day job by hanging out with some fellow Bushwick writers for some coffee and a group writing session. \*\*NOTE: Tipsy bean opens just for us on Wednesday night. Google says it's closed but it's not!! May not be open until 7pm though, so if it looks closed don't panic\*\*\* We'll write in three highly-focused 25-minute sprints. In between all that, we'll also talk about what we're working on and trade thoughts and tips on writing. It's a great way to shake off some procrastination and find the creative push needed for that writing project you've been putting off. All writers are welcome, as well as first-time members. Come prepared to write with paper & pen or a laptop...and at least an idea of what you'll be writing about.

July at Poets House

Writing group meeting on the Upper West Side

For this meeting we'll be returning to the home of two longtime/regular members named Elisa & Jeff. Huge thanks to them once again for making it happen! The night before we meet, I'll send all the details to people who are on the RSVP list, but for now, be advised that there are two cats and a dog. Also, there's no wifi, the place is wheelchair accessible, and we're going to have a full hour at the start to arrive/hang. See you there! -Z

JCW One-Mic Stand with SJ

**Step up. Speak out. Stand tall.** **Jersey City Writers** invites you to **One-Mic Stand with SJ**—an open mic experience like no other! This is where raw talent meets electrifying energy, and every voice has a chance to shine. On the 2nd Friday of every month, **two incredible featured poets** will take the stage alongside a lineup of fearless performers from our vibrant poetry community. **Open mic slots are 5 minutes each**, giving you the perfect space to share your truth—whether it’s poetry, spoken word, or a story waiting to be heard. Come for the poetry. Stay for the magic. Join the movement. **$10 Suggested Donation (Cash, Venmo, Paypal)** **Doors open at 6:30pm, Open Mic starts at 7pm -- first come, first served!** *Our Host **Steve Willett (SJ)** is a sound poet who is actively involved in the poetry community and has had several feature performances around New Jersey. His poem ‘Petulance’ was a shortlisted selection for the University of Grimsby’s Hammond House International Poetry Competition in 2019. Steve serves as moderator for the **Jersey City Writers (JC Plums)** poetry group, which meets online every week to discuss poetry and improve participants' works. He was also one of the producers for the **Jersey City Writers JC Poetry Festival in 2023** and is currently working on the 2025 festival. He is also a teaching artist at Newark School of the Arts. He lives with his wife, 2 daughters, and 5 cats in the Heights. He is excited to have his own Open Mic, (One-Mic Stand with SJ), and give back to a community that has given so much support to him.* ***07/10 FEATURED ACTS: Ms. Jenn & DS Will*** "Ms. Jenn (she/her) is a Jersey City poet, mother of two, graduate student, and self-proclaimed collector of half-filled notebooks. A hard-of-hearing writer, she listens closely in her own way, finding poetry in observation, memory, grief, and the everyday moments most people rush past. Her work has appeared in Chill Mag, Afterworld, The Rutherford Red Wheelbarrow, Creative Stillness Anthology, New Jersey Bards Poetry Review, and other publications. When she's not writing or attending open mic events, she's usually behind a camera, working on a painting, chasing deadlines, or wondering why she agreed to add one more project to her already packed schedule. Through her poetry, Ms. Jenn hopes to remind people that even our most personal stories have a way of bringing us together." DS Will is a poet, performer, curator, and founder of Press Play Poets. He has been featured and has performed across the East Coast, Midwest, and internationally, including at Labyrinth Poetry Bar in Amsterdam. A former Department Head of Poetry for the Raleigh Film and Art Festival (2020–2023), he created Voices 2 Reel, a youth poetry initiative amplifying young voices through film and performance. His short performance film Kings was an Official Selection of the Raleigh Film Festival in 2022. DS has been featured in The Triangle Downtowner Magazine, EMBRACE, Voyager, Creative Rebel, and Bold Journey. He also served as a contributing writer for SUAVV Magazine. In 2023, he was selected as a judge for Rutgers University's inaugural Paul Robeson Week Poetry Competition alongside Susan Robeson, granddaughter of Paul Robeson. In 2024, he received the Arts in Action Award from BrainSTEMology and was featured at the 20th Annual Dodge Poetry Festival, the largest poetry festival in North America. His work was also featured in The Water's Soul Speaks, a poetic experience presented as part of the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour. Most recently, he appeared in A Night of Artistic Renewal: Representation Equals Power, an award-winning spoken word film recognized by the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival and the Virginia Black Film Festival. He currently serves as Brand and Marketing Chair for Poets Playground via Third Angle Poets, helping amplify poetic voices and cultivate community-centered artistic experiences. IG: ifyouwontdswill FB: DS Will *Supported by public funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund*