by TWC Founder/Director Judith Lindbergh For anyone who doesn’t know what a “beta-reader” is, just think about software launches.  How often do you get a warning that you’re using the beta version of an app and are invited to share your experiences using the software? …

The weekend of November 9th through 11th, an intrepid group of writers gathered at St. Marguerite’s Retreat Center in Mendham for The Writers Circle’s annual weekend retreat. As you might recall from last year’s recap, the retreat features plenty of quiet time to write—along with…

By Michelle Cameron, TWC Director In my last post on this topic, I reported how I’d gone rogue before my agent subsequently dumped me and had two possible publication paths practically in hand – a small press who was reviewing my work, and the hybrid…

by TWC Founder/Director Judith Lindbergh As TWC’s writers and their works mature, more and more of you are submitting for publication.  We cheer you on and share your hopes and dreams, as well as rejection letters, hard decisions about self-publishing, embarking on yet another draft,…

By Michelle Cameron, TWC Director I have nothing but praise for my no-longer-agent. She worked with me on my Jewish historical manuscript for about a year, making it legions better than it was when she first accepted it. She sent it on two rounds of…

by TWC Director Judith Lindbergh You’ve sold your book!  Or you’re publishing it yourself.  Either way, with the publication date in sight, it’s tempting to think the hard work is done.  In fact, it’s time to “put on a different hat,” roll up your sleeves,…

by Lisa Romeo A perennial topic: how to write about family. Do we have the right? Can we include others we hold dear—or even those we are related to but perhaps do not hold so dear? How to protect privacy, preserve relationships, avoid lawsuits? Can…

by Michelle Cameron, TWC Director  I am a huge proponent of the power of poetry and how it can transform lives, even if I don’t personally practice the art myself right now. And it is even more important today, during these trying times, to pay…

by Michelle Cameron, TWC Director Well, it’s another snowy Wednesday in a series of them, like wet, white pearls that keep tumbling off the string, making us trip over them. Is it spring yet? At The Writers Circle, we’re scrambling to make sure all of…

by TWC Director Judith Lindbergh After years of watching my students develop their novels, a handful are finally ready to submit.  I’m thinking of two in particular – you know who you are (and Michelle tells me there are others!) – who have truly worked…

It’s holiday time again – and here at The Writers Circle, we’re celebrating with our fourth annual Gifts for Writers compilation. Personally, I get tons of great holiday gift ideas from scouring the Internet and hope this particular list is useful for the writers in…

by Laura Romain Do you remember how Sarah Palin (as imagined by Tina Fey) could see Russia from her house? Well, I can see St. Marguerite’s Retreat Center from my front window. The historic building perches at the top of Mendham’s second-highest hill, about a…