RIRW exists to promote excellence in women’s and popular fiction, to help writers become published and build careers in their writing field, and to provide continuing support for writers within the women’s and popular fiction publishing industry. Formed in 1983 as a Romance Writers of America chapter, we disaffiliated in 1988. We are an independent, nonprofit organization in Rhode Island.
We welcome everyone, without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, religion, cultural identity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical appearance, or any other identity distinction. Furthermore, we recognize that because racism, homophobia, and other forms of bias are systemic in our national culture, people from marginalized communities continue to be denied advancement in our industry. RIRW strives to address this by raising awareness within our membership and increasing our efforts to attract members from a variety of backgrounds to enrich our community of writers.
If you are serious about writing popular fiction, we invite you to join us!
We meet from September to June on the first Saturday of the month in the Hayden Center at the Cumberland Public Library in Cumberland, Rhode Island. (Because of holidays and/or activities at the library, the date or venue may change. We will announce changes here.)
12:30 p.m. General Meeting
1:30 p.m. Workshop/Speaker
We welcome Visitors. (We would appreciate a $2.00 donation at the door.) Visitors may attend up to two meetings before they need to join.
Check us out on our public Facebook page (click here!)
Next Meeting on ZOOM): April 10th
Alison O’Donnell:
Stupid Cupid
Local RI comedian Alison O’Donnell will share funny and painfully true stories about the men she’s met and dated from a variety of dating websites. Meet dozens of the author’s most memorable and unforgettable dates! The Weary Widower, The Desperado, Mr. Clean, and Ivan the Terrible are just a few. With each tale, you’ll learn a new and painful lesson that will make you laugh a little louder.
Stupid Cupid is a clever, funny, and infinitely useful guide. It’s for both veterans of the online dating world and those who are approaching online dating for the first time.
Great insights for romance writers writing in the age of online dating.
Alison O’Donnell was accidentally born in Connecticut, but is a lifelong native Rhode Islander. A self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie, Alison has been skydiving, bungee jumping, hot air ballooning, scuba diving with sharks, and zip lining. She’s exceeded the speed limit halfway around the world and is the mother of one teenage daughter.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Rhode Island College, a Secondary English teacher certification from Providence College, and a Master’s from the School of Hard Knocks. A creature of the stage, she has performed comedy in the Southern New England area for more than half her life. In addition, she’s played with various local bands as a singer/musician. In her spare time, Alison enjoys hiking with her two bichons, Rhett and Scarlett. She has taught high school English for the past 17 years, and doesn’t really know what she wants to be when she grows up.
Find her Alison online at: http://authoralisonodonnell.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlisonODonnell/
Upcoming Meetings:
10 April (Easter 4 April)
1 May
5 June
Summer break
11 September (Labor Day 6 Sept.)
2 October
6 November
4 December (ARIA Expo 11 Dec, change from usual)