Fiction Writing

Curl up with a good book and a hot cup of your poison of choice. Maybe start a book club to talk about your favs and read together.

Join us for a writing workshop! Please submit your pieces to our Google Drive folder here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F-XkwZC1UnL9CIRwSmfwVmpTRbfTKDBa?usp=drive_link When entering submissions, please consider the following guidelines: 1\. Keep submissions to approximately 2\,000 words\, maximum 2\. Consider adding a brief Author's Note to introduce your work and let us know what kind of feedback you are looking for 3\. Please ensure that your submission is appropriate for a general audience and include trigger warnings as necessary 4\. Try to post your submission by Saturday or Sunday at the latest so that people have time to read it before the event\. If you are coming to participate in Workshop, please read the submissions in the folder by Monday evening and prepare your feedback! We will aim to discuss each piece in the submission folder, although some pieces may be pushed to the following workshop if time runs short. Feel free to add your notes as comments on the document itself, write them up in a separate file, or jot them down so that you can provide them to the writer.

GRASP started on April 27, 2022 - exactly 4 years to the day and at this very location! (formerly Mod Pizza) Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate our community and see friends old and new while enjoying pizza that has become quite a hit in the DMV area! Andy's serves pizza by the slice and also wine by the glass or bottle. Two slices of pizza and a coke cost about $12. It all started with a ball of Trader Joe’s pizza dough. Over nearly a decade, Andy Brown has refined his recipe from semihomemade to a from-scratch crust that ferments for 72 hours before it’s baked in a hot stone oven. This location, in Kentlands, is the newest but Andy’s is quickly mushrooming around DC and NoVA. With its pliable crust, tangy tomatoes, and high-quality cheese, this is one of the most awarded pizzas in the DMV.

LIFT (Learn, Inspire, Fuel, Transform) Session Ever wanted to start lifting weights but weren't sure where to begin? LIFT is a welcoming, beginner-friendly group designed to help women build strength, confidence, and consistency together. Join this session for a structured strength workout and the accountability that comes from showing up alongside other women towards similar goals. **Agenda** * Brief welcome and introductions * Review of the day's workout plan * Guided group strength workout using free weights and machines * Cool down and check-in **What to Bring & Wear** * Water bottle * Comfortable workout clothes * Athletic shoes **Location Details** Meet by the cubbies at the front of the facility inside Pump24. First attendee to sign up will attend for free.

Fairfax County VA Real Estate Investors, Agents and Professionals! We just launched a Cash-Flow Breakfast Club for your area! This is the most unique real estate investor club, education, networking and mastermind event in the US! **Join us for our official launch event for Fairfax County VA** **on April 27.** **This is a 12 part education series with new topics every month. This event is session 2 of 12!** **This event is free but has very limited seating and we are limited to the first 50 to RSVP! Join us and become a founding member of this amazing community!** **Very limited seating. In-person only.** **Make sure to RSVP today to reserve your spot.** **When: April 27, 2026 @ 5:45PM – 9:00PM EST** **Where: 12700 Fair Lakes Circle, Ste. 120** **Fairfax, Virginia, 22033** The Cash-Flow Breakfast Club is NOT just a meet up. It’s the most unique Real Estate Investor Community of Mentors, Coaches & Masterminds. A community of growth oriented, abundance mindset, go-giver individuals with a BARE MINIMUM commitment to become financially free through real estate investing. We focus on providing education and building networks to help every member solve their cash-flow freedom equation, so they can have the time-freedom needed to follow their passions, make a lasting impact and even change the world! The unique format of this event, which consists of high-level education, gamified networking, mastermind breakout sessions, case studies, group deal analysis, market deep dives, and peer-to-peer coaching facilitation makes this the most impactful local real estate investor group a real estate investor can be a part of. The foundation of the group is built around the belief that everyone in the room has the potential to change the world… however most of us never have the time, energy or financial situation to even dare to dream big enough. Most of us have passions that will never be followed, amazing businesses or ideas that will never be pursued… unless we can solve the Cash-Flow Freedom Equation, which ultimately leads to Time-Freedom. Once that happens it is usually much easier for us to think bigger, dream bigger, be bigger. · Learn more about the Cash-Flow Breakfast Club [HERE](https://cashflowbreakfastclub.com/) · Get in the VIP List to be notified about the next event in your area [HERE](https://the.cashflowbreakfastclub.com/VIP) · Learn more about Launching your own Cash-Flow Breakfast Club Location [HERE](https://cashflowbreakfastclub.com/launch-your-own-club/) · Learn more about becoming an Affiliate-Sponsor at one of our club locations [HERE](https://cashflowbreakfastclub.com/affiliate-sponsors/) · View photos and videos of some of our recent events [HERE](https://cashflowbreakfastclub.com/about-the-cash-flow-breakfast-club/) · Looking to represent? Browse Cash-Flow Breakfast Club apparel and fly swag [HERE](https://cashflowbreakfastclub.com/shop/)

Join us for a cozy, in-person journaling session! Whether you’re new to journaling or a seasoned writer, this meetup is a great opportunity to carve out some intentional time for self-reflection, creativity, and connection with others. Event Outline: • We’ll begin with brief introductions so everyone can get to know each other. • I’ll provide a journaling prompt to help guide your writing. • Afterward, we’ll take about 10 minutes to write quietly. You can use the prompts or go wherever your thoughts take you! • Once we’re finished, we’ll come back together and share (if you feel comfortable). This is a chance to reflect on the process or share insights, but sharing is completely optional. • We'll repeat this process with another prompt or two as time allows. Bring your favorite journal or notebook, and get ready to enjoy some thoughtful, reflective time in a welcoming community. Grab a coffee or tea from the café, settle in, and let’s journal together! Feel free to come as you are—no prior experience necessary. We can’t wait to meet you!

Our May book will be Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Book summary: In a tiny cafe where time travel is possible under strict rules, customers revisit pivotal moments they can't quite change.

Come by for an hour of evening writing with fellow creative folks. Everyone works on their own thing, no obligation to share — just show up and make any kind of words happen. If you're spending too much time thinking about writing, join us for an hour of focused writing. Guidelines: * While some discussion is encouraged to get to know one another, strive for silent, focused writing from 6:45 PM - 7:45 PM. * Generally avoid disruptive sensory input/behaviors, such as repeated or unpleasant noises, smells, physical movements, etc. (if you have health-related reasons, or some other aspect out of your control due to which this could become an issue, show up anyway and explain that potential disruptions are not intentional.) * Repeated breaking of the above rules without a valid reason may result in dismissal from the group at any point during a session. **Why is Shut Up & Write(!) so effective?** [http://arsenalofwords.com/2015/10/14/why-i-shut-up-write/](http://arsenalofwords.com/2015/10/14/why-i-shut-up-write/) **LOCATION:** Gaithersburg Library, Study Room 2 (if we aren't in 2, check 1!) **SCHEDULE:** 6:30 \| Pre\-session check\-in \- What will you work on? 6:45 \| Shut up and write for 1 hour\! 7:45 \| Post\-session check\-in \- How did it go? Feel free to keep writing and finish your lingering thoughts past this point, but know that the library closes at 8 PM! **BRING:** Whatever you need to be able to write! ***If you are interested in a more collaborative and discussion-focused writing group, the Gaithersburg Library hosts such a group on Sundays from 4:00 to 5:30 PM! Ask Chris or the library staff for more details.***

\*UPDATED LOCATION\* Let’s hang out and journal together, trade stationery and stickers, and have a good time! Please note, we do not have a reservation, so we will do our best to find some good spots when we get there. We will be the table with notebooks and stationery spread out!

Let's talk about it!

This is the sign you've been waiting for. Come write with us Sunday at 7:30 am at Kaldi's Social House in Arlington. Kaldi's opens at 7. Grab a coffee and join the group! We generally have 10 to 14 writers attend each week, and new folks are welcome to drop in anytime. Intros start at 7:30 am. We will write for one hour. After writing, feel free to debrief, share thoughts or get advice. Our meetups are a safe space for writers to work on their craft. No one will read or critique your writing. Kaldi's Social House website: https://www.kaldissocialhouse.net/ \* Resource \* Many thanks to Justin for putting together a shared file of resource discussed at the meetings. Feel free to add to it! [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing)

Shut Up & Write! meets at Cascades Library Room D We hope to see you there! Shut Up & Write is not affiliated with the Loudoun County Public Libraries.

Shut Up & Write meets at Cascades Library in Room D. We hope to see you there! *Shut Up & Write is not affiliated with the Loudoun County Public Library.*

Shut up & Write! meets at the Gum Springs public library room C. We hope to see you there! Shut Up & Write is not affiliated with the Loudoun County Public Libraries.

*Shut Up & Write!* meets at the Brambleton Library in Room B. We hope to see you there! Shut Up & Write! *is not affiliated with the Loudoun County Public Libraries*.

Looking for a quiet, focused space to write? Come be part of our writing group—a dedicated time just for writing alongside fellow writers in your community. No readings, no critiques, no peer-review—just you writing within a supportive atmosphere. 11am-11:15am: Find your seat, set up your writing station, quick intro's. 11:15am-12:45 pm: An hour and a half of silent focused writing. 12:45pm-1pm: Quick debrief, pack and head home. We will be in Room C at Cascades Library. Can't wait to see you! :) Disclaimer: Shut Up & Write! is not affiliated with the Loudoun County Libraries or any other entity.

***Registration required - https://loudounwildlife.org/event/writing-in-nature-may/*** Join Nancy Morgan, Director Emeritus, Georgetown Lombardi Arts and Humanities Program, for this monthly workshop, presented by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, to enjoy the combined health benefits of time spent in nature and writing thoughts and feelings. Writing is often considered a solo, reflective practice, but writing in the company of others can be a supportive, community building activity that encourages regular practice. Each session is a stand-alone event – come when you are able. ***Questions:*** *Contact [info@loudounwildlife.org](mailto:info@loudounwildlife.org).*

**Saturday • May 9 • 2–5 PM • Ashburn, VA** Many people say they want to write a book someday — **this session helps you start.** Your life experiences already contain stories, lessons, and insights that could become books. The real challenge is **how to organize those experiences and actually turn them into writing.** In this interactive session, I’ll share the approach I’m using to build a **multi-book journey based on lived experience.** So far I have: 📚 **2 books published on Amazon** 📖 **2 more books releasing this year** (mid-year and end of year) 📝 **16 additional books planned** — and likely many more. This session is not about writing **just one book**. We’ll explore how your experiences can evolve into **multiple books over time**, and how to **use AI the right way to speed up your writing while keeping your voice authentic.** *** ### What We’ll Explore • Turning life experience into book ideas • How one journey can become multiple books • Simple ways to structure stories and lessons • Using **AI to organize ideas and speed up writing** • Practical strategies to actually finish a book **Everyone will leave with the outline of their first book idea.** **You don’t need writing experience — just curiosity about how your life experiences might turn into ideas worth sharing.** *** ### Event Details 💵 **$25 RSVP — includes coffee + snacks** 📍 **Ashburn, VA** (exact address shared after RSVP) 🕑 **2:00 PM – 5:00 PM** 👥 **Max 12–15 people** for a small, interactive conversation. Most attendees are professionals, entrepreneurs, and people navigating reinvention or new chapters in life. *** # Background — Writing & Reinvention Journey Writing has been one of the most powerful tools in my own reinvention journey. What began as reflections during a difficult life transition gradually evolved into published books and a growing body of work focused on reinvention, personal growth, and life transitions. My goal is not just to write books — but to help others realize that their experiences may also hold stories worth sharing. *** # 🔗 Midlife Reinvention Ecosystem 🌐 Website [https://midlifereinvention.co](https://midlifereinvention.co) ▶ YouTube (400K+ views) [https://www.youtube.com/@midlife_mindfulness](https://www.youtube.com/@midlife_mindfulness) 💼 LinkedIn (4K+ followers) [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anju-debnath-0061524/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anju-debnath-0061524/) 🤝 Meetup Community (300+ Members) [https://www.meetup.com/ashburn-transition-meetup-group/](https://www.meetup.com/ashburn-transition-meetup-group/) 📚 Amazon Author Page [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anju-Debnath/author/B0FFNBVZLQ](https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anju-Debnath/author/B0FFNBVZLQ)