The Room to Write

Join us Tuesday, March 12th 6-8:30pm at 467 Main Street, Wakefield! I cannot tell you how excited we are at The Room to Write to shake the dust off of our Young Writers and Illustrators Meet, Greet & Create event and bring it back from its post-pandemic hibernation. The last time this event was supposed to happen was in March of 2020--and we all know what happened to events planned for that month. But, we reimagined the event as a drive-thru so we could get free books into the hands of young readers and we're doing it again this year.  If you'd like to see more about that fun event, during a very unfun time period, and meet some of the authors who were involved with it, check out this video:  The Room to Write Book Bonanza 2020 - YouTube After four years, we are eager to welcome TWELVE local authors and give away 100 BOOKS for FREE  to all ages, preschool to high school, thanks to an Employee Vibrant Community Grant from Corning Incorporated  and in collaboratio...

We were so pleased to see some early-birds at our most recent quarterly Writers and Illustrators Meet & Greet on Thursday, January 18th from 8am to 10am at Brothers Deli-Restaurant in Wakefield, MA. What a great way to start off the year and the day!  We love these casual gatherings that always have such a great mix of writers, artists, playwrights and musicians.  The Room to Write's entire Board of Directors was in attendance and Joy and Kathy, members of the Arts Collaborative of Wakefield , attended to share information and gather ideas about upcoming exhibits they are planning to hold at the local Albion Cultural Exchange building in Wakefield. We look forward to sharing information on their "Tell Me a Story" exhibit planned for April when details are available. The group got to know each other over a hot cup of coffee or tea and a delicious mix of freshly baked muffins, a mix of bagels and fresh fruit. A bit thank you to the owners and staff at Brothers Deli-R...

So, what is it that The Room to Write preaches? Write. When in doubt: Write. When you have a moment: Write. If you want change: Write. Don't say you don't know how or you're no good at it or you don't know what to: Write. When you want to express yourself creatively, think comprehensively, share knowledge, create healthy dialogue, connect with others: Write. As Founder and Director of The Room to Write, I have found myself pushing my own personal and professional writing projects to the back of the ever-growing list of "things to do." Finding that work/life balance is difficult for all of us. Making time for yourself when you have a family is a challenge. And saying, "No" doesn't always come easily. The list of responsibilities grows while the number of hours in a day remain the same. Still just the 24. So, we must sit and focus. Decide what we want 2024 to look like for each of us. I have my own website for my own writing and I'd like to sha...

On Saturday, November 18th from 1-4pm the Wakefield Public Library hosted the 2nd annual Local Author Fair in collaboration with The Room to Write and Whitelam Bookstore .  A huge shout out to Karen Stern, librarian extraordinaire, for making this event happen. 15 authors from Wakefield and surrounding towns came together to make their books available to the public.  This was a great opportunity for readers to find a locally written book and meet the writer behind the book cover. Another aspect of this fair that gets less attention is the fact that the authors get to meet each other. Part of our mission at The Room to Write is connecting writers, authors and creative minds with each other. Community is such an important part of creativity.  The Wakefield Library's Local Author Fair is a uniquely important event in that it allows both independently published and traditionally published authors to be able to gather together and make their books available to the public at o...

The Room to Write is hosting “Fountain Pens & Writing Culture,” a presentation by pen enthusiast David Watts, Jr.  On Tuesday, November 14th, David will give his talk at two locations— arrive early to receive a free fountain pen! The morning presentation will be from 10:30 am – 11:30 am at the Stoneham Senior Center , 136 Elm Street, Stoneham, MA 02180.  Register by calling 781-438-1157. The afternoon presentation will be from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm at the Wakefield Senior Center , 30 Converse Street, Wakefield, MA 01880. No registration required for this location. In his talk, David journeys into the history of fountain pens, users, and the importance of cursive writing among younger generations.  David is an active member of Boston Pen People, whose members range widely in interests and levels of knowledge - from rank beginners to acknowledged experts. While some like vintage pens and others like modern styles, they all share a deep appreciation for pens and writing cult...

Wakefield Senior Center: October 3rd : Kick-off for a new session, "Writing Talk.” This month, a TRtW instructor will lead a chat about “What Writing Is,” a five-page chapter from Stephen King's book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Also, if you enjoy this chapter and want to read the whole book, consider joining Whitelam Books on Thursday, October 26th at 7 pm for Writer’s Book Club. The group will be discussing King’s book this evening.  October 10th : Gather & Write session led by an instructor from TRtW. Come with your own ideas of what to write or be inspired by prompts provided by facilitators from The Room to Write.  You'll have time to write, as well as an opportunity to share your writing. October 17th : "Open Mic" session where each person will have about 3 minutes to share something they've written or read. October 24th : Gather & Write session led by an instructor from TRtW. October 31st : Monthly Critique Group where writers will read...

  Critique Groups are coming! Critique Groups are coming . . . back from summer hiatus:) We are very excited to see our critique group members again. Please be sure to check the deadlines for submission below or by clicking the link to the Critique webpage on our site below. The Kid Lit Critique Group deadline is a week away--so gather up your writing and be sure to check our submission guidelines on our Critique page. See you soon:) Deadlines approaching!!   Click to see critique page for deadlines, meeting dates and guidelines. Next Multi-genre Critique Meeting: Thursday, September 21st (Submissions Due: August 31st) Kid Lit Critique Meeting: Tuesday, September 12th (Submissions Due: August 22nd)