Where to Find a Local Writing Group
MeetUp.com - www.meetup.com/find/writing
Local Library
Local Bookstore
Organizations listed below may have a local chapter near you
Organizations Open to Unpublished Authors
These organizations all accept published authors, but are also open to unpublished authors, often as Associate Members.
American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) - www.acfw.com
The Authors Guild - www.authorsguild.org
Historical Novel Society - historicalnovelsociety.org
International Thriller Writers (ITW) - http://thrillerwriters.org/
Romance Writers of America (RWA) - www.rwa.org
Romantic Novelists' Association - romanticnovelistsassociation.org
Sisters in Crime - www.sistersincrime.org
Organizations for Published Authors Only
American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) - asja.org
Mystery Writers of America (MWA) - mysterywriters.org
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) - www.sfwa.org
Western Writers of America (WWA) - westernwriters.org
Resources for Finding a Literary Agent
Literary Marketplace (LMP) - www.literarymarketplace.com (Also available in print at your local library)
Association of Authors' Representatives, Inc. (AAR) - aaronline.org
Publishers Marketplace - www.publishersmarketplace.com (membership required)
Writers Beware - General advice provided by SFWA about literary agents can be found here.