The Room to Write

Support New England authors and illustrators by learning who they are and what the titles of their books are. Watch and Share this Show & Tell video introducing you to twenty different authors and illustrators who published books during three very challenging years: 2020, 2021 or 2022. Want to find out more about each author or illustrator? Want to purchase their books? Click HERE! Congratulations to all the published authors and illustrators! Thanks to Monica Acker, Sarah S. Brannen, Phaea Crede, Kerry Crisley, Carol Gordon Ekster, Sara B. Fraser, Jannie Ho, George Jreije, Heather Kamins, Leigh Lewis, Linda Malcolm, David McCoubrey, Tim O'Leary, Ammi-Joan Paquette, Kari Percival, J. C. Phillipps, Lisa Stringfellow, Ralph Tufo, Joy Nelkin Wieder, and Kip Wilson for participating in this project and for ushering your books into a world the needs them. Special Thanks to Ryan Boyd and Amy Couture at  Wakefield  Community Access Television Studios ...

As we slowly get our regular programming back up and running, we thought it would be fun to coordinate one of our very popular, quarterly Writers and Illustrators Meet & Greets --with a twist. Of course we would prefer to see you all in person, but the times being what they are dictate that we meet virtually.  In addition to the actual meeting "event" with writers and illustrators of all genres and levels, we want to do a little extra to celebrate the books created and published by local authors and illustrators during two very challenging years as well as those being released in the year ahead.  (2020, 2021, & 2022) BEFORE : Wed, January 26th: Receive the meeting link by emailing: colleen@theroomtowrite.org Published authors and illustrators can send a video where they show us and tell us about their book. Sending the video ahead is our preference so we can show them during the event . Please send your 30-60 second Video through We Transfer to ryan.boyd@wcat.tv...

I have to admit that I have no problem stepping over the threshold from 2021 to 2022. Much of the past year was like the last few cloudy, dreary days of this year of 2021:  -- Gray, but warmer than expected.  Not necessarily a good thing. Cloudy. Moist. A bit solitary, dankly so. Sluggish -- Someday I will fill some "vacation" days with activity whether it be of the fun or the necessary sort, but these last few days deserved a cozy, lazy resignation. A recovery--the kind you can't rush or pretend away. The kind that proves the old adage: time heals. In 2021 time ticked or often flew by, and I for one couldn't decide whether I regretted the pace either way. It was a year to be gotten through--for me anyway.  But, as a gardener the days that are difficult and that feel like a grind are those I label: Sowing Days. Those who farm or garden know that there are the boring--paint primer--kind of days that don't show tangible progress and sometimes feel like a backward mo...

  Whether you are savoring warm memories of Hanukkah past or looking forward to Christmas ahead, hopefully there is something celebratory each of us can focus on as this year comes to a close and we head toward another new year. I hope and have to believe that the year 2022 will be an improvement in the quality of our lives and contentedness. So much stress, anxiety and patience in the face of difficulty has been a constant that many, if not all, of us have come to just deal with, cope with--expect as "normal." But, it isn't.  If you feel tired. You should. The last two years have been exhausting. We have all been through an extraordinary period of time--of history. Go easy on yourself and those around you. Be kind and feel grateful, but know that you need to heal and it will take time. Create space in the weeks ahead to rest, recover, renew, and maybe do some writing, a little reading, napping--laughing. We are looking forward to 2022 and seeing YOU in the new year!

The Room to Write 's website has a new look. As with a new hair cut or an updated wardrobe--it may take a while for all of us to get used to it. But, this decision was easy to make because we had no choice. Ha! It's always good to change things up a bit and since it's been five years, it was time. Much of the content remains the same (most likely) but is formatted differently. Some of the buttons are not working properly yet, but we are working on those. And, since we have recently received new subscribers to our newsletter and generous donations from supporters like YOU we are grateful to know that you have been patient, still managing to find a way to get through to us.  We appreciate your patience! In the coming months we will iron out the webpages. One area in particular that did not transition well was the Events category. In order to improve mobile viewing, content and photos were shoved into boxes and columns that don't always suit them, so we will be shifting th...

As the world continues to (hopefully) transition from pandemic to post-pandemic, many of us are shifting and changing in so many ways, too. The Room to Write is excited to be putting the building blocks in place this fall and winter so that in the spring of 2022 we can finally start to get back to digging our heels in and fulfilling our mission to bring all of you writers of every age, ability and means together and to support your writing efforts.  It's amazing how much goes on behind the scenes of any business or nonprofit organization, but a sign of our modern times is the need to keep up with the ever-evolving technology that enables us to communicate effectively. Being a small non-profit, these tasks are done in-house on a volunteer basis and so things may move forward slowly. But--slow and steady wins the race.  This month we hope to finally make the leap from "old" website (this current one I am posting on) to "new" website. This is a transition we must m...

The Room to Write is a nonprofit and like all nonprofits we have a Board of Directors who work behind the scenes to ensure our mission is fulfilled, keep things in check, infuse energy, generate ideas and support all The Room to Write does in the community.  Recently we said goodbye to founding board member of TRtW and secretary Jeanette Murray of North Reading. We are so thankful to Jeanette for her dedicated service to our organization and to the writers of all ages, abilities and means in the region since 2018.  The Room to Write would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Jeanette for serving as Secretary for the past three years as we thank Brian McCoubrey of Wakefield, who joined TRtW's BOD in 2019, for taking over the position of board secretary. Keeping with our attitude of gratitude, we thank Roseline Giglio ( in post below :) of Saugus who joined our Board of Directors in 2020 and has taken on the position of Treasurer, which had been tended to by founding ...