The Writers' Connection: January

Looking for a writing partner who you click with? Join us for an evening of literary speed dating on January 5th, 2027 at 6:00pm. The Doylestown Bookshop is excited to announce a new series: The Writers' Connection, a monthly "speed-dating for writers" event. These workshops will be led by local author Philip William Stover, a.k.a. Georgie Kain. Join us for our third monthly event on Tuesday, January 5th, 2027 at 6:00pm. Looking for a writing partner who you click with? Join us for an evening of literary speed dating. We'll kick things off with a quick lesson on a simple, effective feedback technique so everyone's speaking the same language. Then rapid-fire rotating rounds of reading, giving, and getting feedback with fellow writers in the room. Fast connections, fresh perspectives, and maybe an introduction to a future critique partner. This is a ticketed event with limited capacity. Tickets include general admission only. The event leader's books will be available for sale. Writing is a solitary practice, but our words require an audience. To understand how our work truly lands, we need a clear, authentic mirror—not a critic. The Writer's Connection is intentionally structured to provide rapid, non-judgmental feedback and a space for genuine connection. It works like speed dating. I'll start with a brief explanation of the workshop technique we will agree to use. Then you'll read a short piece to a few different people and receive very structured feedback. You'll also participate as a responder. Everyone will be in both roles. Schedule 6:00–6:15 | Welcome & Method: Brief introduction to this month's feedback technique. 6:15–6:35 | Round 1: 20-minute paired reading and reflection. (includes a 1-minute transition) 6:35–6:55 | Round 2: 20-minute paired reflection (includes a 1-minute transition). 6:55–7:15 | Round 3: 20-minute paired reflection (includes a 1-minute transition). 7:15–7:30 | Wrap-Up: Group reflections and closing connection. Format During each 20-minute round, you will read your work aloud for up to 5 minutes. Your partner will provide you with structured feedback based on the technique we learned this month. Then, you swap roles. There are no critiques, judgments, or fixes offered—just clear, restorative reflection. What to Bring The Excerpt: Any genre, any stage of completion. The Limit: Strictly 600 to 650 words maximum (this ensures the reading remains under 5 minutes). The Copies: Bring five printed copies so your partners can follow along and physically map the energy on the page. About our Guest: Philip William Stover is the author of The Problem with Perfect, also from Hera, as well as The Hideaway Inn, The Beautiful Things Shoppe, and There Galapagos My Heart. He lives on the Upper Eastside in New York City and in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He has an MFA in writing and is a professor in Global Liberal Studies at New York University. He grew up tearing the covers off the romance novels he devoured so he wouldn't get teased at school. Now he enjoys traveling the world with his husband of over twenty years and would never consider defacing any of the books he loves. Georgie Kain collects vintage paint-by-numbers, well-read copies of Jane Austen and Jackie Collins novels, and brownie recipes. When he was fifteen, he won an award for a short story about a male stripper who crashes a neighborhood Tupperware party. Since then, he has written everything from epically long grocery lists to ad copy for antique rugs, but this book is a fresh start, and he hopes it finds its way to you.