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Resolve to Write

Resolve to Write

On January 9, The Writers Circle held two simultaneous special events to start of the new year: Resolve to Write – one in Ridgewood, hosted by Co-Director Michelle Cameron, and one in Montclair, hosted by TWC Founder and Director Judith Lindbergh, ably assisted by TWC instructors…

Ending 2015 on a Happy Note

Ending 2015 on a Happy Note

by Michelle Cameron, TWC Co-Director I don’t think I’ve ever been happier as a writer. I’ve spent these two holiday weeks responding to my agent’s comprehensive edits. (Yes, agents do sometimes edit manuscripts.) I’ve discovered that she’s even fonder of commas than I am (is…

‘Tis the Season! Gifts for Writers, Year 3

‘Tis the Season! Gifts for Writers, Year 3

Hard to believe the holiday season is upon us! We’re delighted to be able to share some truly wonderful gift ideas for the writer in your life. And if you are the writer in your life, well, these are great gifts to drop hints about!…

A Weekend of Peace, Companionship and Writing at The 2015 Writers Circle Retreat

A Weekend of Peace, Companionship and Writing at The 2015 Writers Circle Retreat

As the leaves drifted to coat the earth with a crackling carpet of golden brown, twenty writers gathered for The Writers Circle’s second annual weekend retreat in Mendham, NJ. “It feels like Vermont here,” said Writers Circle Director Judith Lindbergh about the sublime setting of…

Speaker Series Recap: What Is a Brand and Where Can I Get One? with Literary Publicist Claire McKinney

Speaker Series Recap: What Is a Brand and Where Can I Get One? with Literary Publicist Claire McKinney

by Mally Becker The idea of promoting my own literary work makes me want to hide under a blanket with a bag of leftover Halloween candy. Or maybe mint Oreos…, but you get the point. Noted literary publicist Claire McKinney understands. At a two-hour Writers…

A Good Local Bookseller Can Be an Author’s Best Friend: an interview with Margot Sage-El, proprietor of Watchung Booksellers

A Good Local Bookseller Can Be an Author’s Best Friend: an interview with Margot Sage-El, proprietor of Watchung Booksellers

I met Margot Sage-El, proprietor of Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, when I was brand new to New Jersey, making my rounds in anticipation of the launch of my debut novel, The Thrall’s Tale. After an exhausting day visiting bookstores in the region, I was anxious…

At the Beginning – Again

At the Beginning – Again

Walking through fog. With the headlamp on. Low. Paraphrasing a quote from E.L. Doctorow. This is what it’s like to write a novel. I keep telling myself that as I move forward, ever so slowly. These first infantile steps, as if I’ve never taken them…

Don’t Underestimate the Kids

Don’t Underestimate the Kids

Amidst the sense-bombarding chaos at the annual Summit Street Fair, one of the ways The Writers Circle draws attention to our booth is through our Add-a-Line story board. “Want to help us write our story?” we call out as kids and parents stream by. “We’re…

Speaker Series RECAP: Publishing Matchmakers: Top Literary Agents Advise on the Road to Publishing

Speaker Series RECAP: Publishing Matchmakers: Top Literary Agents Advise on the Road to Publishing

by Allison “A.J.” Colucci One of the biggest hurdles aspiring authors face is landing the right agent. Three of New York’s top literary agents shared their best advice to a packed crowd at The Writers Circle’s Speaker Series on Sunday, March 8. Marietta B. Zacker…

Default Words

Default Words

Every writer has them. The words that crop up, over and over again in their manuscripts, the ones where, when they reach for a phrase, this is what appears. I’ve been thinking about default words lately, because I’m doing a pass through my latest novel,…

Stealing Time

Stealing Time

On Friday, I finished my revisions. Again. At last. (It had better be!) No, I don’t share this fact for cheers, though I appreciate them, truly. I share it because so many of you – in my own Writers Circle classes or those of our…

NaNoWriMo Thoughts

NaNoWriMo Thoughts

by Heidi Sussman, TWC Adult Student After hearing about it for a while, I decided that 2014 was the year to take the NaNoWriMo challenge. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) happens every November when people commit to writing 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. To…