BCGS Writers Group

The BCGS Writers Group meets on the last Tuesday of each month from 6:00 PM -8:00 PM.
They are hybrid meetings held in person at the BCGS library or online via Zoom

Bringing your own writing is unnecessary, but you are welcome to do so.
We enjoy sharing our written projects to gain clarity in the story.
We help each other discover, learn and write in a more engaged style.

To register or for more information, contact: coffeechat@bcgs.ca.

  • Announcements and News

    Please refer to the calendar on the Home Page for the date of the next scheduled Writers’ Group Coffee Chat.

  • Books in the BCGS Library

    The following is an example of books held in the BCGS library that pertain to writing. If you are looking for a particular book, check the Library Catalogue and then come for a visit. Reference Books must remain in the library but all others can be checked out by BCGS members for two weeks.

    Write it Right : a Manual for Writing Family Histories and Genealogies
    BARNES, Donald R.; LACKEY, Richard S.
    Call Number: 929 BAR

    Getting Ready to Write - Organizing You, Your Research & Your Ancestors
    PALERMO, Lynn
    Call number: 929.1 PAL V 01

    How to Write Your Family History
    KYLE, Noeline
    Call number: 929.1 KYL

    Bringing Your Ancestors to Life (Heritage Book Series No 27)
    HOLIK, Jennifer
    Call number: 929 HP No 27

    Evidence – Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian
    MILLS, Elizabeth Shown
    Call number: 929 MIL

    Ancestry’s Concise Genealogical Dictionary
    HARRIS, Maurine; HARRIS, Glen
    Call number: 929.01 HAR

  • Websites and Resources

    Scrivener is the go-to app for writers of all kinds, used every day by best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. Scrivener won’t tell you how to write—it simply provides everything you need to start writing and keep writing.
    https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

    Family History Writing Studio: Lynn Palermo’s website helps you learn to write stories that share your family’s unique heritage.
    https://www.familyhistorywritingstudio.com/

    Some Google recommendations are:

    Writing Craft and Development

    - Critique Circle: An online writing community where writers can exchange feedback and critiques on their work to improve their skills.

    - Scribophile: A large online writing community facilitating workshops, tutorials, and critiques across genres. It allows writers to post work for critique and offers lessons from published authors.

    - The Write Life: Offers daily tips on various writing topics, including open-ended prompts, grammar, and editing advice.

    - Helping Writers Become Authors: Provides guidance on aspects of writing and story structure.

    - 750 Words: Encourages daily writing practice with prompts and a focus on building writing habits. 

    Publishing Resources

    - Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): A free self-publishing platform for ebooks and paperbacks, allowing authors to retain control over their work and earn up to 70% royalties.

    - Reedsy: A marketplace connecting authors with professional editors, designers, and marketers, also offering free online tools for formatting and publishing knowledge.

    - PublishDrive:  An online self-publishing platform aiding in distribution, marketing, and royalty reporting. They are known for their focus on ”going wide” and distributing to many platforms beyond Amazon, according to publishdrive.com.

    - Barnes & Noble Press: Provides free ebook and print publishing, offering 70% royalties for ebooks and 55% for print books.

    - IngramSpark:  Focuses on print-on-demand and allows authors to distribute their books globally to over 39,000 channels.