Affinity Circles
We often hear from members a desire to connect with fellow writers in their genre or in their stage of the process. It can be helpful to discuss writing pickles, exchange resources and know-how, and trade work for feedback. Affinity Circles are topical gatherings to help facilitate this kind of connection. Here's how they work:
To organize a pop-up on any genre, stage, or craft (like query submitting, romance writers, effective dialogue, being a lawyer by day, children's authors, world building, etc.), email [email protected] with a preferred Wednesday OR Sunday and, optionally, an intention (feedback exchange, process discussion, analyze published work, prompted writing, etc.) so we can share with others.
If you're interested in participating in a scheduled Circle, you can just show up on the date (listed below and on the calendar). Feedback submissions are due the Saturday before. Here is all you need to know on the submission process.
- Circles meet on Wednesdays from 7:45 - 9pm
- Our Fantasy & Sci-Fi genre circle meets every 1st Wednesday of the month
- Four other circles meet once each season (February, April, June, and October)
- All alternative Wednesdays can be pop-up Circles, organized by any member on any topic of interest
- For each meeting, members can optionally submit writing OR a process question for feedback
To organize a pop-up on any genre, stage, or craft (like query submitting, romance writers, effective dialogue, being a lawyer by day, children's authors, world building, etc.), email [email protected] with a preferred Wednesday OR Sunday and, optionally, an intention (feedback exchange, process discussion, analyze published work, prompted writing, etc.) so we can share with others.
If you're interested in participating in a scheduled Circle, you can just show up on the date (listed below and on the calendar). Feedback submissions are due the Saturday before. Here is all you need to know on the submission process.
Short Stories2nd Wednesday dates in 2026:
Feb 11th, Apr 8th, Jun 10th, Oct 14th Potential discussion topics:
What are your favorite short stories? How do you keep stories actually short? Where are you looking to share or publish your work? 
Poetry4th Wednesday dates in 2026:
Mar 11th, Apr 22nd, Jun 24th, Oct 28th Potential discussion topics:
What poetry collections, publications, or sites do you read? How do you balance feedback and intuition? From where do you source inspiration? 
MemoirWednesday dates in 2026:
Jan 28th, Mar 25th, May 27th, Sep 30th. Potential discussion topics:
What helps you navigate the unique emotional, memory, ethical challenges of memoir writing? How do you decide what goes in and what's left out? |
Essays3rd Wednesday dates in 2026:
Feb 18th, Apr 15th, Jun 17th, Oct 21st Potential discussion topics:
What makes the form work? How do you balance truth telling and fallible memory? Where do you read or aspire to publish? 
Fantasy & Sci-Fi1st Wednesday of every month in 2026:
Mar 4th, Apr 1st, May 6th, Jun 3rd, Jul 1st, etc. Potential discussion topics:
What tools help you organize? How do you distinguish between planning and procrastinating? What books or authors get you inspired? 
Literary FictionWednesday dates in 2026:
Mar 18th, May 20th, Sep 23rd Potential discussion topics:
What makes your work literary fiction? What books or authors do you turn to as models or comps? What does your editing process look like? |
|
If you'd like to propose a genre or have other feedback, pop us a note at [email protected].
|