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 (except for February, when we hold our annual retreat). Because of holidays and/or other conflicts, the date or venue may change. We will announce changes here on our home page. We do hybrid meetings most months (in-person part at the Exeter, RI library, ZOOM for the online part).
Gather at noon, 12:30 PM Meeting starts
1:30 p.m. Workshop/Speaker
Check us out on our public Facebook page (click here!)
We welcome Visitors. Visitors may attend up to two meetings before they need to join. [Non-members who want to check us out, just email BY NOON (EDT) day before the meeting (Friday) via our Contact form https://www.rirw.org/officers/ and we’ll send you a link.]
June 1, 2024: Renita McKinney:
Tropes & Trends
Renita McKinney will return in June to talk with us about tropes and trends in romance novels. As the founder and owner of A Book a Day Author Services (https://www.abookaday.biz/), Renita reads hundreds of books each year. She provides developmental and sensitivity edits for many authors and gives public presentations from her areas of expertise. Because she sees so many books and because she is active in the Romancelandia of social media, Renita is a great person to fill us in on the latest. Please spend some time ahead of the meeting thinking about what you’d like to ask her.
About Renita: Renita McKinney was born in Texas, but raised in Arkansas and Texas. As an only child, she started reading around the age of 2 and books became her best friends. The characters became her family, and she developed a love and respect for writing, reading, books, and authors. Reading developed into more than a hobby to Renita; it’s a passion, an unquenchable thirst. Not being able to read would seemingly be a slow and torturous death.
She has been fortunate to live and travel all over this world due to being the former wife of a military man. So often she would visit foreign countries that would not seem so foreign at all, because she had already traveled there within the confines of a book.
Her passion for books, desire for writing and love for words have afforded her the opportunity to work with many New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling authors.
Renita found her niche in sensitivity editing. Where she works with authors to step outside of their comfort zone and write stories with all types of diverse characters
“It’s exciting to be on the inside of a story as it comes together and even more amazing that my opinion and input is requested by these phenomenal storytellers.”
Renita now lives in San Antonio, Texas, is the mother of three amazing adults: Holly, Lamontre, and Brandon, and two beautiful grandchildren, Ashanti and A’Zari. She is the owner of A Book A Day Author Services, tries to read at least 300 books a year, and loves to hang out with her small circle of friends that have become family.
Come join your fellow writers in person at the Exeter Library [Exeter Public Library: 773 Ten Rod Road Rt, 102, Exeter, RI 02822] and on ZOOM for a free-ranging discussion!
gather to chat at noon; Meeting starts at 12:30
RIRW meetings start at 12:30, with workshops starting after that (c. 1:30). Again, non-members who want to check us out, just email BY NOON (EDT) day before the meeting (Friday) via our Contact form https://www.rirw.org/officers/ and we’ll send you a link.
Upcoming Meetings (before the summer break):
June 1 Renita McKinney: Tropes & Trends
Fall Schedule:
September 7 (Labor Day 2 Sept.)
October 5 (Note: Columbus day is Oct. 14th)
November 2
December 14 (ARIA Expo is Dec 7)
2025:
January 4
Jan. 31 -1 February 1(Retreat, no meeting)
March 1
April 5 (Easter 20 April)
May 3
June 7