Maryland Writers' Association
















Critique Groups

MWA-sponsored critique groups are open to members and non-members alike. The designated contact person must be an MWA member, and group participants are asked to agree to join MWA's extended contact list to receive news about upcoming events of interest. (MWA keeps all contact information strictly confidential and will not spam you.)

Small groups meet regularly to review each others' work and offer constructive feedback. These groups are usually small (six to eight people) and are organized by specialty (such as Genresl fiction, children's literature, or script writing). The times and places of meetings vary and are determined by the members of each critique group

Many published writers say that critique groups contributed to their success. Critique groups can help you improve your writing, detect weaknesses in plot, structure, or prose, and whip pieces into shape so they catch an editor's interest.

The following is a list of the groups, along with the leaders' e-mail addresses. Since each individual group will meet separately, contact its leader for more information.

 

Anne Arundel County / Annapolis

Annapolis Historical Fiction Group

Genre: Historical Fiction
Leader: Hope Stewart

New critique group forming. Group will begin by meeting once a month. For writers of historical fiction to critique work as well as discuss specific aspects of writing in the genre. Accepting new members.

Annapolis Poetry Group

Genres: poetry
Leader: Dotty Doherty, doherty44@verizon.net

Group meets in Annapolis at Eastport Shopping Center, Mondays from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Currently closed to new members.

Annapolis Write On!

Genres: novels (except romance) and nonfiction books
Leader: Newton Love, newt@newtlove.com

Group meets every two weeks in the Annapolis area, weeknights, at members' homes. Currently closed to new members.

Annapolis Writers Bloc

Genres: fiction and nonfiction
Leader: Sonia Linebaugh, sonialinebaugh@hotmail.com

Writers of intermediate to advanced skill preferred. Meets monthly at members' homes in Annapolis and South County. Accepting new members.

Annapolis Writers' Critique Group

Genres: Women's' fiction, romance, and mainstream (no short stories, science fiction, or poetry).
Leader: Eva Kapitan, evakapitan@comcast.netor (301) 928 1300

Group meets once a month on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Annapolis. Currently closed to new members.

BayHill Writers

Various locations in Calvert & southern Anne Arundel Counties
Genres: All genres welcome
Leader: Les Dickey

Meets 3rd Monday of each month 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. We have been meeting for four years and have a mix of published/unpublished writers. Please contact coordinator Les Dickey for the next location and a copy of the group guidelines.

Broadneck Writer's Workshop

Cape St. Claire on the Broadneck Peninsula
Genres: Fiction and nonfiction
Leader: Jane Elkin

Group meets weekly. Contact Jane at the above e-mail address or call (410) 757-1008 to be put on a waiting list.

The Novel Experience

Genre: Novel-length fiction, all genres welcome
Leader: Cindy

Meets every 2-3 weeks on Sunday afternoons (1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.) at a member's home. Interested parties should be working on novel-length fiction. Accepting new members.

Scriptwriting Group

Genres: Any type of script (stage, screen, etc.)
Leader: Scott Morrow, scottdmorrow@hotmail.com

Usually meets in Annapolis. Accepting new members.

Tyke Writers!

Genres: Children's lit
Leader: Suzanne Alane, suzannealane@hotmail.com

Meets in Annapolis. Accepting new members.

 

Baltimore County / Baltimore City

Baltimore Area Writers

Genres: Creative/literary nonfiction
Leader: Lauren Eisenberg Davis, autumnleaves1997@gmail.comor (410) 526-6936

Members from Baltimore area including Columbia and Essex meet to discuss their creative nonfiction--essays, memoirs, family stories, etc. Currently closed to new members.

Charm City Writers

Genres: All genres welcome
Leader: Deborah Edelman, de@deborahedelman.com

Group meets once or twice a month in Baltimore City.

Hampden Writers' Group

Genres: Fiction, creative non-fiction, short stories and novels
Leader: Chris Kosmides, ckosmides@yahoo.com

New critique group forming.Group will meet one or two times each month in Hampden, Baltimore.

 

Calvert County

BayHill Writers

Various locations in Calvert & southern Anne Arundel Counties
Genres: All genres welcome
Leader: Les Dickey

Meets 3rd Monday of each month 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. We have been meeting for four years and have a mix of published/unpublished writers. Please contact coordinator Les Dickey for the next location and a copy of the group guidelines.

 

Carroll County

The Carroll County Writers' Group

Eldersburg Library
Genres: novels and short stories
Leader: Jack Downs

Meetings will be held once-a-month and there will also be a virtual (email) meeting each month between face-to-face meetings. Accepting new members.

 

Frederick County

Frederick Writers' Group

Frederick area
Genres: short stories (fiction) & novels
Leader: Kelly Conrad

New critique group forming. Group will meet every two weeks.

 

Harford County

Writers Critique Group of Harford County

Genre: Most genres welcome.
Leader: May Kuroiwa, makuroiwa@hotmail.com

Published and yet-to-be published writers welcome. Meets every third Thursday at 6:30pm

 

Howard County / Columbia

Columbia Fiction Critique Group

Genres: Fiction
Leaders: Ally P., ally@ambitiousenterprises.com; Angela Render, lioness@thunderpaw.com

Members meet weekly to discuss novels, short stories and flash fiction. Currently closed to new members.E-mail Ally P. or Angela Render to be placed on the waiting list.

De Fictione

Ellicott City-Columbia area of Howard County
Contact: Tom Glenn, tomglenn3@comcast.net
Genres: Fiction, short stories, novel chapters, and complete novels

Seasoned writers preferred. Please email with preferences for meeting times. Currently closed to new members.

LAVA (Literary and Visual Arts)

Columbia, MD
Genres: All, fiction and non-fiction
Contact: Carol Robinson at carolcourtreporter@comcast.netor call (410) 507-2373.

Group is open to published and non-published writers of fiction and non-fiction. Meets on second and fourth Tuesday of the month.

Savage Writer's Circle

Savage Branch of the Howard County Library, 9525 Durness Ln, Laurel, MD 20723 (410) 880-5975
Genres: Fiction, poetry, short stories, children's literature, historical, non-fiction, etc.
Contact: Claire Ferguson at claire@sunforge.com.

Meets on the second Monday of each month, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

 

Montgomery County

Rockville Area Critique Group

Genre: Mainstream and/or literary fiction
Leader: Judy Kelly, jckelly100@yahoo.com, (301) 929-0959

Members meet in the Rockville area at the Twinbrook or Aspen Hill Library, or member homes. Meets once or twice a month. Contact Judy Kelly. Currently has openings for two new members.

White Oak Writers (WOW)

Meets at White Oak Library and members' homes mainly in Montgomery County
Genre: all
Contact: Gale Deitch, gdeitch@comcast.net

Meets twice a month on the second Mondays and fourth Tuesdays. Currently closed to new members.

 

Prince George's County

Greenbelt Writers Group Critiquing Subgroup

Genres: All
Contact: Marjory Donn, (301) 474-1353, marjdonn6@mindspring.com

Meets Friday evenings in the Greenbelt Community Center.

Paint Branch Writers

Genres: All
Contact: Marjory Donn, (301) 474-1353, marjdonn6@mindspring.com

Meets Tuesday evenings at Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church in Adelphi.

Prince Georges County

New critique group forming. Focus is on fiction. First meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held at the Borders in Capitol Center Boulevard (Largo, MD), date TBA. Please contact Yvonne at yvoniks@aol.comfor more infomation.

 

Talbot County

Working Writers' Forum

Easton, MD
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Leader: Gerald Sweeney, sweeneygf@aol.com

The Working Writers' Forum is a group of experienced Eastern Shore writers that meets monthly on Tuesday evenings to critique each other's writing and discuss common issues facing writers. Forum critique guidelines assure nonjudgmental, confidential reviews of members' writing with a focus on craft. Currently closed to new members.Writers who are interested in being placed on a waiting list should contact the forum moderator at the above e-mail address.

 

Wicomico County

Salisbury Critique Group

Salisbury area
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, etc.
Leader: Amadou Samb, amadousamb@comcast.net

New critique group forming.. Serving writers in and around Salisbury. Contact Amadou Samb for more information


If you'd like to form a critique group, or find out whether an existing group matches your interests, contact Joya Fields.