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The first time I worked as a freelance writer I shared an apartment with a roommate and had my office in my bedroom. Between working and sleeping I probably spent 18 hours a day in that 12 x 12 room. A few years and several full-time jobs later I once again found myself temporarily working from a desk just a few feet away from my bed. In either case, it was not an ideal set up.

Now I live in a house big enough to have a dedicated home office, and for that I am grateful. But I know a lot of work-at-home writers – freelance or otherwise – who work out of a bedroom, whether it’s theirs or a guest room that doubles as an office.

That kind of a set up might be OK most days. But sometimes you need a change of scenery – especially if you share your living-working quarters with roommates or family members, or if you’re cramming to meet a major deadline.

That’s where writer’s rooms come in. Writer’s rooms are communal work spaces that have desks and Internet access that writers can use on an ad hoc, part-time or full-time basis.

Writers’ rooms aren’t new. The Writers Room in New York City’s Greenwich Village opened in 1978. The trend has slowly worked its way across the country until now writers’ rooms can be found in many major and not so major U.S. cities.

Here in Portland, I know of no less than three separate work spaces writers can rent by the day or longer if they can’t or don’t want to work at home. Some of them offer classes or host regular writers’ groups.

If you’ve used a writer’s work space before, I’d love to hear about the experience. And if you’re looking, here’s a list of spaces for writers in Portland, as well as a list for finding writers’ rooms in other cities:

The Attic, a Haven for Writers – The Attic, located in the Hawthorne district in S.E. Portland, offers a variety of services for writers including classes, private consultations and use of private work spaces that are rented for three or six months. Visit the Website for more details, or read this
Q & A about The Attic from PDX Writer Daily, a blog for Portland writers.

Portland Writers’ Dojo This North Portland workspace just celebrated its first anniversary. Writers can pay $10/day or $120/mo and need to apply to join; for a tour, visit the Website or call (503) 706-0509.

Colony House

Oregon Writers Colony – This 25-year-old non-profit organization holds workshops, retreats, conferences and author readings, but might be most well-known for running Colony House, a log cabin at the beach in Rockaway that’s available to members only. Contact the group for details.

About.com writers’ rooms list – List of mostly urban writers’ rooms.

Do you know of a writers’ retreat in your city or state? If so, please send me a link and I’ll compile a complete listing to post at a future date.