James River Writers (JRW) builds community by connecting, supporting, and inspiring writers and lovers of the written word in central Virginia and beyond. We provide programming year-round to help writers at all skill levels develop their craft as well as the business side of their work. In addition to our signature event, the Annual James River Writers Conference, we offer Master Classes, a Writing Show panel discussion series, a Nuts & Bolts essentials workshop series, a Springboard! retreat, monthly JRW Write-Ins, and opportunities for our ever-growing community to socialize and connect through free, monthly Writers Wednesday and free, weekly Thursday Night Writes events. You do not need to be a member to join us for any of our events (though members get great discounts). We hope we’ll see you soon!
Conference Registration is NOW OPEN!
Early-bird rates available through July 31.
CLICK HERE to Explore our 2026 Options
2026 Write-Ins
Consistency is key to reaching your writing goals. JRW is here to help. Join us most Mondays for online Write-ins, to start the week strong. Use these two-hour blocks of time to cross off anything you have on your writing list. Choose from 8 am – 10am and/or 7 pm – 9 pm.
For details and registration, click HERE.
This programming is supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly.
Master Class: Submitting to Journals & Contests with Jenny Shank
Submitting to Journals and Contests
You’ve been polishing your story or essay and now you’re ready to take the big leap and submit it to literary journals, but just how do you do that? In this class, you’ll learn about many of the hundreds of literary journals out there waiting for your work, both the perennial heavyweights and the up-and-comers.
We’ll discuss cover letters, do’s and don’ts for submissions, the transition many journals have made from print to online submission and publication, and whether or not you have to obey the “no simultaneous submission” policy. We’ll investigate ways of tracking your submissions, useful websites for researching literary magazines, how to gauge whether you received a “good” rejection or a form rejection, and how to know when to keep submitting a piece, pull it for revisions, or put it in the recycle pile. By the end of this seminar, you’ll be armed with a thick-anti-rejection hide and a list of journals to submit your work to.Join us for an online Master Class with author Jenny Shank!
To register and find out more about instructor Jenny Shank, click HERE.
Members get $25 off tuition!
ROLL FOR JRW
A Dungeons & Dragons fundraiser for James River Writers at Coco + Hazel
Wednesday, July 22, 6:00–9:00 pm.
Whether you’re an old school adventurer or you’ve never before touched a 20-sided die, come play Dungeons & Dragons with James River Writers. We’ll have everything you need for a single-session adventure, including seasoned game masters prepared to explain the rules and character options ready for battle.
Coco + Hazel, our innkeepers for the evening, are even concocting an exclusive potion for this exciting experience.
Will you answer the call to adventure? Revel in community, participate in cooperative storytelling, and slay some monsters to benefit James River Writers!
Location: Coco + Hazel, 2733 McRae Rd, Richmond, VA 23235
Space is Limited. Registration required. Your $25 registration gets you a seat at the table and one raffle ticket, but there are more treasures to explore:
- For $150 you can sponsor a table for yourself and four friends and double your raffle tickets.
- Or you can go all in with the Deluxe Table Sponsorship and get 5 seats at the table, 5 JRW Travel Tumblers, 5 sets of mystery dice (containing 7 brightly colored dice in each set), 15 raffle tickets, and 5 special edition stickers.
- You can also pick and choose among an array of add-ons if you’d prefer to customize your collection.
Join the adventure! Register here
THURSDAY NIGHT WRITES | Every Thursday of Each Month | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, In-Person at Unplugged Games Cafe in Richmond, VA
Join us for this gathering of JRW members and general writing enthusiasts. Find inspiration, accountability, and a sympathetic ear for your writing journey. Bring your preferred writing paraphernalia, grab a drink or a bite, get some words written, and hang out with fellow writers.
HELP SUSTAIN JRW FOR YEARS TO COME! 2 WAYS TO GIVE…
Donate to the JRW Annual Fund
