Your support keeps our pages turning!
The MetroWest Writers’ Guild is a community of writers that centers accessible learning opportunities, community-building, experimenting, and growth through positive risks. Many of our members start with us because of National Novel Writing Month, learning how to start stories and finish them.
Over time, Guild writers learn what they love about storytelling, strengthen their voice, learn how to talk about their writing, and put their work out there via workshops, exchanges, readings and even publishing.
This year, the Guild welcomed 47 new writers, introduced the community to 10 new instructors, put on 136 events and meetings, put on a spectacular in-person retreat event at the MIT Endicott House, and introduced our newest project, Puddingstone Press and the Fiddlehead Folio. The Folio will launch this December with stories from 7(!!) Guild authors!
In 2024, we will welcome 20 instructors for craft talks on everything from screenwriting, plotting, social justice, podcasting, and much more! Our instructors will include award-winning authors, accomplished screenwriters, professors from at least 2 universities, and much more!
Quick Facts and Accomplishments
It costs $126 a month to run the Guild.
That’s the basics: our safe, private Circle.So community, our helpful monthly Mailchimp newsletter that reaches over 300 people, and our Zoom account so our classes are accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Currently, we do not pay any of our cohort or workshop facilitators. We are working to build a more sustainable Guild in 2024.
Our programming is expanding.
We started as a community centered around NaNoWriMo. Now we do retreats, field trips, and classes throughout the year! By expanding our programming, we’re attracting new writers. Having funds to be able to rent venue space, offer refreshments, and offer fun extras like goodie bags and stickers is a wonderful bonus and another way we can build our community. In 2024, we’re revamping our Workshop model, iterating on our quarterly supportive cohorts, expanding our craft talks, welcoming even more instructors, and focusing on capacity-building.
Our average honorarium for our professional instructors is $100.
We’ve been fortunate to host Grub Street instructors, Emerson professors, award-winning authors, Sunday Times bestsellers and more. In Fall 2023, all of our instructor-led classes were free thanks to the support of our sponsors and donors. We welcomed 100 unique writers to our Fall classes this Fall thanks to that support! This year, with your support, we hope to keep class fees small and honorariums stable so we can continue to attract great instructors who want to share their awesome knowledge.
Your donation is tax deductible.
The MetroWest Writers’ Guild is a recognized 501(c)3. The money you donate is for the tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed. Being a nonprofit means that we are focused on delivering supportive programming and not on building profits for investors. Your contribution nourishes our community and makes it better.
Here are three ways to support the Guild:
Give Directly
Make a 1-time donation to the Guild via PayPal.
- Funds our general operations and future programming.
- Give however much you feel comfortable.
- $126 gives us a month of digital operations.
- $100 means a 2024 Guild class could be free or nearly free.
- $50 helps us thank a facilitator for their work.
Get a Match
Encourage your employer to match your Guild donation.
Is your employer using BrightFunds for charity contribution-matching? We’re on that system! Please find us here.
If your employer isn’t using Brightfunds, but you want to get a matching donation anyway, please share our EIN (87-3434630) with them.
Testimonials
“The MetroWest Writers’ Guild is an indispensable part of my growth as a writer. The community is welcoming and inclusive, and the classes and workshops are informative, convenient, and affordable. The Guild offers opportunities for members to meet and network both in person and online. The MetroWest Writers’ Guild is not just a resource for established writers, but a home for anyone who dreams of telling their story.”
Jennifer Lewy, Author of The One Game, A YA Sci-Fi Adventure
“My debut novel would not have happened if it weren’t for the support and community of the MetroWest Writers’ Guild. I started the book when I first joined the guild, and the entire community was helpful and encouraging throughout the whole process. Prior to that, I always thought writing was a lonely, solitary endeavor. The classes the Guild offers are wonderful, and to be able to work alongside these other writers is absolutely incredible. I would encourage anyone in the area who finds joy in writing to join the Guild!”
Howard Wolke, Author of Cryptid Academy