Introducing the Hourlings

I’d like to introduce you to the Hourlings Writing Group. They’re a writing group in the Northern Virginia area which has been instrumental in my development as a writer. I’m one of the founding members of the group, from way back in 2013 when they were still called the Loudoun Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers (which is still the name of the group’s legacy Meetup account).

Our members include both traditionally published and indie-published authors, a New York Times best-selling writer, and another writer who retired from a high-paying IT job to write full-time.

The Hourlings meet weekly to critique each other’s writing, and this has continued despite holidays, snowstorms, and even the current pandemic (although we’re using Zoom right now for virtual meetings). As a teaching/learning exercise, the group puts out an anthology every year:

Here are some notable links for the Hourlings:

• Hourlings Writing Group: Public Facebook page for the group. Keep up with the books our members are publishing, the events we’re attending or running, the workshops we’re conducting, and other activities that Hourlings members are participating in.
• Hourlings Meetup Site: Legacy site under our old Loudoun Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers brand that we use for meeting scheduling and recruiting new members. Contact us through this site if you’re interested in joining, but note that there is a qualification process.
• Hourlings Publications: A list of all of the recent publications (later than 2013) published by Hourlings members.
• Hourlings Writing Exercises: Diverse writing exercises on subjects like ideation, writing blurbs, crafting characters, defining interesting SF/Fantasy occupations, plotting, and more. Even better, new exercises are added all the time.
• Hourlings Podcast Project: A weekly video podcast from the Hourlings Writing Group. Real writing advice from working authors on topics like finding time to write, writing on vacation, character development, worldbuilding, and more.

As you can see, Hourlings members stay pretty busy.