Creative Writing London

Shut Up and Write! [London/Waterstones Piccadilly]

Join us at the top of the biggest bookshop in Europe to work in company on your own writing, be it a book, blog, screenplay, dissertation, poem, song, coursework, memoir, play, journal, travel writing, work stuff or anything else. Newcomers always welcome. No one will see what you're writing or give you unsolicited advice. \*\*We often fill the room, so you must RSVP below and please arrive by 11.40 at the latest. \*\*And if you can't make it change then your RSVP to "not going" ASAP to free it for someone else, thanks. WHERE? The Fifth Floor Cafe, Floor 5, Waterstones, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9LE, right by Piccadilly Circus. TIMINGS:- 11.00 - Café starts serving 11:30 - Host of the day will be there - say hello, especially if you’re new. 11.40 - Brief introductions for everybody - your name and what you’re working on. 11:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 12:30 – Break, chat to your neighbours if you like 12:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 13:30 - The End…feel free to stay and keep writing or chat some more. Bring whatever you need to be able to write. It’s a café, there’s some noise so earbuds/headphones/earplugs are handy. There’s very few mains sockets so charged-up laptops are a good idea too. And please remember everybody, thank our venue by buying a drink or food, and don’t consume anything from outside while you're here. \*\*If you arrive after 11.45 - everyone will be quiet and writing. If there's no spare places then there's sofas on the sales floors below as well as one cafe at the back of the ground floor and another in the lower ground floor. We’re looking forward to writing with you, your hosts, Sarah, Nick, Laura, Anna, John and Solitaire

Shut Up and Write! [London/Waterstones Piccadilly]

Join us at the top of the biggest bookshop in Europe to work in company on your own writing, be it a book, blog, screenplay, dissertation, poem, song, coursework, memoir, play, journal, travel writing, work stuff or anything else. Newcomers always welcome. No one will see what you're writing or give you unsolicited advice. \*\*We often fill the room, so you must RSVP below and please arrive by 11.40 at the latest. \*\*And if you can't make it change then your RSVP to "not going" ASAP to free it for someone else, thanks. WHERE? The Fifth Floor Cafe, Floor 5, Waterstones, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9LE, right by Piccadilly Circus. TIMINGS:- 11.00 - Café starts serving 11:30 - Host of the day will be there - say hello, especially if you’re new. 11.40 - Brief introductions for everybody - your name and what you’re working on. 11:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 12:30 – Break, chat to your neighbours if you like 12:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 13:30 - The End…feel free to stay and keep writing or chat some more. Bring whatever you need to be able to write. It’s a café, there’s some noise so earbuds/headphones/earplugs are handy. There’s very few mains sockets so charged-up laptops are a good idea too. And please remember everybody, thank our venue by buying a drink or food, and don’t consume anything from outside while you're here. \*\*If you arrive after 11.45 - everyone will be quiet and writing. If there's no spare places then there's sofas on the sales floors below as well as one cafe at the back of the ground floor and another in the lower ground floor. We’re looking forward to writing with you, your hosts, Sarah, Nick, Laura, Anna, John and Solitaire

Shut Up and Write! [London/Waterstones Piccadilly]

Join us at the top of the biggest bookshop in Europe to work in company on your own writing, be it a book, blog, screenplay, dissertation, poem, song, coursework, memoir, play, journal, travel writing, work stuff or anything else. Newcomers always welcome. No one will see what you're writing or give you unsolicited advice. \*\*We often fill the room, so you must RSVP below and please arrive by 11.40 at the latest. \*\*And if you can't make it change then your RSVP to "not going" ASAP to free it for someone else, thanks. WHERE? The Fifth Floor Cafe, Floor 5, Waterstones, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9LE, right by Piccadilly Circus. TIMINGS:- 11.00 - Café starts serving 11:30 - Host of the day will be there - say hello, especially if you’re new. 11.40 - Brief introductions for everybody - your name and what you’re working on. 11:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 12:30 – Break, chat to your neighbours if you like 12:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 13:30 - The End…feel free to stay and keep writing or chat some more. Bring whatever you need to be able to write. It’s a café, there’s some noise so earbuds/headphones/earplugs are handy. There’s very few mains sockets so charged-up laptops are a good idea too. And please remember everybody, thank our venue by buying a drink or food, and don’t consume anything from outside while you're here. \*\*If you arrive after 11.45 - everyone will be quiet and writing. If there's no spare places then there's sofas on the sales floors below as well as one cafe at the back of the ground floor and another in the lower ground floor. We’re looking forward to writing with you, your hosts, Sarah, Nick, Laura, Anna, John and Solitaire

Shut Up and Write! [London/Waterstones Piccadilly]

Join us at the top of the biggest bookshop in Europe to work in company on your own writing, be it a book, blog, screenplay, dissertation, poem, song, coursework, memoir, play, journal, travel writing, work stuff or anything else. Newcomers always welcome. No one will see what you're writing or give you unsolicited advice. \*\*We often fill the room, so you must RSVP below and please arrive by 11.40 at the latest. \*\*And if you can't make it change then your RSVP to "not going" ASAP to free it for someone else, thanks. WHERE? The Fifth Floor Cafe, Floor 5, Waterstones, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9LE, right by Piccadilly Circus. TIMINGS:- 11.00 - Café starts serving 11:30 - Host of the day will be there - say hello, especially if you’re new. 11.40 - Brief introductions for everybody - your name and what you’re working on. 11:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 12:30 – Break, chat to your neighbours if you like 12:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 13:30 - The End…feel free to stay and keep writing or chat some more. Bring whatever you need to be able to write. It’s a café, there’s some noise so earbuds/headphones/earplugs are handy. There’s very few mains sockets so charged-up laptops are a good idea too. And please remember everybody, thank our venue by buying a drink or food, and don’t consume anything from outside while you're here. \*\*If you arrive after 11.45 - everyone will be quiet and writing. If there's no spare places then there's sofas on the sales floors below as well as one cafe at the back of the ground floor and another in the lower ground floor. We’re looking forward to writing with you, your hosts, Sarah, Nick, Laura, Anna, John and Solitaire

Screenplay Critique - Killing Them Softly

A Sci Fi/Fantasy Feedback Session

Join us at Craft Beer Co. Brixton for our structured Sci-Fi & Fantasy Feedback Session. A supportive, focused space where writers can share their work and receive constructive, thoughtful critique. These sessions are designed not only to help authors refine their writing but also to strengthen our community. Giving feedback is as valuable as receiving it: by learning to critique effectively, we sharpen our own editorial instincts and deepen our understanding of craft. Whether you’re submitting work or attending as a reader, this is a collaborative, growth-focused environment. **FOR THOSE SUBMITTING WORK** **We allow up to 4 people to submit their work** **for feedback. In order to submit please RSVP and send your submission to** **scififantasyauthors@gmail.com no later than the Sunday prior to the session** to give organisers time to review submissions and arrange critique groups in advance. *Priority for submission slots is given to those who have attended a previous session.* To ensure quality and fairness, submission guidelines are as follows: * **A short introduction (2–3 paragraphs max.) explaining:** * The context and status of the piece (early draft? polished?) * What kind of feedback you’re looking for * **An excerpt (chapter or short story) of up to 4,000 words** * +10% flexibility allowed * Strict cut-off beyond that **FOR THOSE PROVIDING FEEDBACK** * Please RSVP and read the “How to Give Feedback” document that will be shared prior to attending. * Bring a device suitable for reading the submitted piece * There is no expectation to read anything in advance. All reading takes place during the session itself. We begin with dedicated silent reading time, ensuring that everyone engages with the piece equally and no one feels pressure to prepare outside the session. Just show up ready to read, think, and contribute. **SCHEDULE** Attendees will be placed into small critique groups of 5–6 people, each with an experienced facilitator to guide discussion and manage time. **6:30–6:45pm** – Arrival, drinks & group seating **6:45–7:30pm** – Silent reading & note-taking **7:30–8:00pm** – Structured feedback delivery **8:00–8:30pm** – Open roundtable discussion & author questions Each participant will have up to 5 minutes to share feedback during the structured critique section. Authors listen without interruption, with space for clarifying questions later in the roundtable. Whether you’re looking to polish a chapter, test an opening, or strengthen your editorial instincts, these sessions are an opportunity to grow together. RSVP early, as places are limited to ensure productive group sizes. If you can no longer attend, please update your RSVP.

WRITE CLUB: one hour of silent writing (or reading) in the company of others

The first rule of WRITE CLUB is that you do not talk ***during*** WRITE CLUB. This very simple meetup is based on the premise that public and peer accountability enables more productive writing than sitting at home and getting distracted by the fridge. We will write/read for an hour in silence. (I will be writing thought experiments for my other meetup group: [THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS](https://www.meetup.com/thought-experiments-in-pubs)) If you'd like to hang out afterwards, or if you prefer just to hang out, I have another event immediately afterwards in the same place :-) You can find that here: [HANGING OUT AT THE SOUTHBANK](https://www.meetup.com/experimentsin/events/315825126) And if you'd like to finish the evening with a dance, there is a free social salsa meetup just outside The Southbank Centre just afterwards. More info [here](https://www.instagram.com/salserosfriends/). **This event will take place in the foyer of The Southbank Centre.** You can find us by looking out for: * A tote bag with WRITE CLUB sewn onto it * My T-Shirt, which will have HANGING OUT embroidered on the back of it * If I get away with it: a big red flag with THE SUNRISE CLUB emblazoned on it (though this clearly isn't THE SUNRISE CLUB! If you want to find out about that, you can do so [here](https://www.meetup.com/the-sunrise-club/).) * Other writers - who may be spread out across the centre. They will have white pieces of paper with the WRITE CLUB stamp at the top of the page. There are plenty of places to buy refreshments, but you can also bring your own if you prefer. [WHATSAPP GROUP](https://chat.whatsapp.com/BpMwnRev0H237KMx4uPnek) [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/experimentsingroupwisdom) [SUBSTACK](https://experimentsingroupwisdom.substack.com/) Looking forward to meeting and writing with you :-) Bonny

Book Club: Piranesi

Join us for an evening of great discussion, favourite quotes and likeminded company! Explore Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy with LSFA. Circa 400 pages, published in and after 2010. **The Novel:** Piranesi - Susanna Clarke Check out our website to join or WhatsApp group where the next read will be announced in advance. Whether you are a prolific or slow reader, this is the perfect chance to connect with fellow readers. **Location:** The Lighterman **Address:** 3 Granary Square, London N1C 4BH **Tube:** King Cross / Euston **What to expect:** * 90 mins of casual question led discussion * After club lingering chatter **Notes** • Enjoy yourself, be opened minded and respectful • 18+ only • Please keep your RSVP up to date **Who should come?** Anyone who loves the classics but wants to discover new legends from the 21st century. No expertise required, just bring your curiosity and love for Sci-Fi /Fantasy. Looking forward to seeing you there

A Sci Fi/Fantasy Writing Session

**DUE TO LIMITED SPACE PLEASE ONLY RSVP IF ATTENDING. IF NO LONGER ATTENDING PLEASE UPDATE YOUR RSVP.** Join us in the upstairs room of the Grafton Pub in Camden for another writing-focused session. Bring whatever you’re working on, whether you’re outlining a new idea or deep into your current WIP. This is a space for writers to connect, share ideas, and find inspiration. Whether you’re looking for feedback, want to brainstorm with others, or simply need a quiet place to write, our goal is to build a supportive and collaborative community for sci-fi and fantasy authors at all stages of their journey. Writing will start at 6:30, but feel free to arrive and leave at your own convenience! We will end at 8:30pm, but the pub is open till 11pm so after it ends people can mingle or go home as they please. **While we encourage collaboration and occasional chat, we ask everyone to be mindful of those focused on writing until 8pm.** **Also please support the venue by buying food or drink from the pub!**

Weekday Fiction Feedback Workshop

A weekday feedback session for those who don't work 9-5 during the week. I hope you'll join these new weekday sessions. In these regular writing workshops, we have three writers sharing a sample of their writing for immediate feedback, advice and encouragement. Critique is led and moderated by your host. You learn more by listening to the writing of others and the feedback their piece receives on the night than you can imagine. We've been running these sessions since 2010 and there's a reason they fill up so fast! Usually, we have a group of up to 15 writers attending. For people reading, pieces must be **3,500 words or less** as you'll have about 45mins for reading and discussion on your excerpt from around the table. Most people bring 3,500 words from their novel or a short story of all genres and styles. If you'd like to read, please **post a comment below**. ***You must have booked your place before making a request to read.*** If you are reading, **please bring enough printed copies (at least 10)** of your pages so members can make additional feedback/editing notes for you during the reading. All copies will be returned to you after the feedback has concluded. New members are always welcome in these groups. Most people come along to a few sessions before offering feedback, commenting or requesting to read but it's up to you. If you want to read right away, great, but if you want to come along and see how we roll first, that makes sense too. Again, you'll be surprised by how much you can learn from others by listening to the pieces and their feedback. After the workshop, most of us head to the bar for a social drink or two and extended conversation about the joys and woes of writing. **TICKETS:** £12.00 and please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Williamson's have raised their hire fees and so ticket prices have to reflect that additional spend. It's also my role to organise and lead these sessions so ticket price incorporates my labour in hosting these sessions for you. Thanks for understanding. PLEASE NOTE: Refunds or credits will only be provided if the meetup is cancelled by us. We cannot offer refunds or credit for another session if you decide not to attend on the day. Please change your RSVP if you no longer plan to attend. We often have people on the waiting list and we'd hate for others to miss out. Location: **The Three Tuns,** 36 Jewry St, Aldgate, London EC3N 2ET. Closest stations are Aldgate, Aldgate East and Tower Hill. Try the official Meetup app to receive last-minute updates and notifications about our events as they happen to your phone. [Download it now](https://www.meetup.com/apps/). These workshops are hosted by me - Lisa Goll, Boss Lady at London Writers' Cafe - I'm a publishing professional with more than twenty years of working within the publishing industry. Added to that, I've been leading LWC feedback workshops for fiction writers since 2010 too. See more about [me on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisagoll/) or Insta me @LisasShare @LondonWritersCafe Question? Post a comment below.

In person meetup to critique work submitted by members.

This is a live session at The Mitre in Greenwich. The purpose of this meeting is to provide and receive critique on submitted extracts of members' creative writing, whether they're working on a novel, screenplay, poetry, a memoir or short story, etc. We share our extracts via email ahead of the meeting to give us all a chance to read the work in our own time and reflect upon it so as to be able to provide useful critique. If you want to submit an extract mail me at gpatrick66@hotmail.com to book a slot. If you are new to the group we ask that you participate in at least two of the Wednesday critiquing sessions before you submit work for review so that you get to know us and have a good understanding of how we operate. This will help you to get the most from a critique of your own work. Extracts should be approx 3,000 words and the full document (extract plus blurbs, questions etc) should not exceed 3,500 words in total. Extracts must be mailed to me (gpatrick66@hotmail.com) at the latest by 9pm on the Saturday before the session so that I can share your work with the rest of the group. We have a limit of 4 extracts per session to give adequate time to review work properly. Feel free to give guidance on any specific areas on which you would like feedback. E.g. Plot, pacing, structure or character development etc. (If you have not received the extracts by the Sunday before the session, mail me.) The group is friendly and relaxed, so please don't feel nervous about sharing your work! We will normally review extracts according to the order in which they are sent to me but if you need a particular slot let me know when you submit your extract and we will try to accommodate that. Please note that all phones MUST be switched to silent mode for the duration of the meeting.

Show and Tell Meetup

Hi All This is our addition session in August - the annual show and tell. This is a change from our usual session formt in that this will be a chance to chat about our favourite books, films, comics, music or whatever. Just come along with a few things in mind that you wish more people knew about. We will each have a chance to tell people about what we brought before falling into a general discussion. Our sessions are often a time where people enjoy sharing and learning about new media they would enjoy and this is a session dedicated to just that. Horror and weird preferred but feel free to stretch that to its limits. No need to actually bring the thing but also feel free to! This will be a physical meeting in the The Lamb, 94 Lambs Conduit Street. Look forward to seeing you there.