Did you know non-members are allowed to attend two meetings for free? After that, a $5 fee will be charged via the PayPal button link on this website. Email connecticutrwa@gmail.com for more information. Members: the Zoom meeting link will be posted in the RWA Forums.


NEXT MEETING: Saturday May 13, 2023, 9:45 AM  at Wallingford Public Library, 200 N. Main Street, Wallingford, CT

Zoom link on CTRWA forum on the RWA website. Guest should contact us at Connecticutrwa@gmail.com

Presentation:  Building A Better World, by Amanda Arista


Writers have total control over the worlds they create and the heroes they manipulate. In this lecture, Amanda will explore the keys to the relationship between these worlds and the steps to walk through when creating a world from scratch to challenge your hero, or how to find the write hero to make your world a better place. Like building a pyramid, a strong foundation is key to creating inherent conflict within your story. From continents to cultures, this workshop will help beginning writers think of the big questions for new realms, past, present and future.
Amanda was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel. During the summer after second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, much to the surprise of the local librarian. So she started making up her own stories and hasn’t stopped.
She has a husband who fights crime, one dog who thinks he’s a real boy, and another who might be a fruit bat in disguise. She recently added a tiny human to the mix who is following in her mother’s footsteps of storytelling.
Along with her BA in English & Psychology and her MA in Education, Amanda is a graduate of the SMU Creative Writing Program and now teaches other aspiring authors. She has delivered lectures at several writer conferences and loves discussing craft, character, and structure. Her current favorite: Stirring up Trouble with Romantic Subplots. She is represented by Kimberly Brower, of Brower Literary & Management. www.amandaarista.com



For more information contact: Grace Hartwell, CTRWA President, ConnecticutRWA@gmail.com

​CTRWA Membership Benefits & details

Membership in CTRWA is open to any person who is a member in good standing of Romance Writers of America (RWA). If you are not yet an RWA member, you must join the parent organization before joining CTRWA.


View information on RWA membership.


Once you join RWA, on the RWA website you can select Communities, Chapters, then Connecticut Romance Writers to join.​


Or click here to join CTRWA.


© Copyright

Parent Organization


CTRWA Instagram

Who we are

www.twitter.com/ctrwa

Connecticut Chapter of

Romance Writers of America

CTRWA Facebook page

We are a local chapter of Romance Writers of America® (RWA), an international organization. RWA is a nonprofit trade association whose mission is to advance the professional and common business interests of career-focused romance writers through networking and advocacy and by increasing public awareness of the romance genre. CTRWA was established in 1981 and incorporated as a non-profit in 1986.


We welcome and support the efforts of authors, members, and guests from all backgrounds and strive to provide programming and events that are respectful, inclusive, equitable, and accessible for everyone.

CTRWA has authors writing in many genres. You don’t have to write romance to benefit from participation and membership. Published and non-published writers are welcome. 


For the time being, CTRWA meetings are held via Zoom, on the second Saturday of the month. Member check-in and chapter news is from 9:00-10:00 a.m. The workshop/speaker is from 10:00-11:00 a.m. 

Non-members can attend meetings to check out our fabulous group! Email connecticutrwa@gmail.com for information on attending an upcoming meeting.

Membership benefits include:

  • Members-only forums and archives.
  • Monthly meetings with speakers or workshops.
  • Monthly critique group.
  • Support and camaraderie for published members.
  • Information on the publishing industry.
  • Opportunities to meet professionals in the publishing industry.


Membership dues for CTRWA are $36 a year, payable in January each year. For more information regarding membership in CTRWA, email connecticutrwa@gmail.com with the subject line, "Membership Matters."


Join or renew your CTRWA Membership