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.
CubeSpace – Located on S.E. Grand in Portland’s inner S.E. neighborhood, CubeSpace is a shared workspace that’s used by lots of different kinds of freelancers, including writers. The facility has 10 private offices, 88 phone cubes, 18 quiet cubes, and The Forum, one large room with 18 desks, for people who’d rather work around other people. CubeSpace also rents out meeting space, and hosts a variety of user groups on a monthly basis, including a writers’ group and the newly formed WordPress user group. Check out the Website for more details.
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.
You have to be a member, and you have to make a minimum one-month commitment, but there are great writing spaces at The Loft in Minneapolis: http://www.loft.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=282
Also, there’s a local coffee shop in a renovated Victorian home that has a private second-floor room available for rent ($10 for 2 hours). It’s small, but more than functional for a writer with a laptop. http://www.dunnbros.com/locate_results.asp?location_id=94
There’s also a wonderful writer’s retreat nearby: http://www.andersoncenter.org/
Sounds like you know the pain of trying work with roommates in tow! I can’t get much work done in my bedroom, because 1) despite buying a longer cord for our router, it still doesn’t get a wireless signal and 2) I’m an insomniac, so I’m not supposed to work in there anyway.
I have been squatting in the living room with my laptop or walking to the library, but my roommate is on break from grad school, so she’s been watching daytime TV a lot and the library is closing (!) Jan. 31 for renovations.
Fortunately, I’m getting my own space (with room for a desk in one corner of the living room) in April! Until then, I’ll have to improvise. I do have a membership for a writer’s space, but I don’t use it as much as I should because of the commute. Isn’t that part of why we became freelancers?
PS Here’s another space in Portland (though it’s not specifically for writers): http://soukllc.com
Do they offer daycare services as well? I have this little boy who just won’t seem to go away 🙂
All kidding aside, these spaces are a great way to support and germinate the creative sector which makes this small big town of ours a more engaging place to live.
Workforce Management did a story in August about the “co-working” spaces like Green Desk in Brooklyn. Not just for writers, but any kind of freelancing professional who is going a little stir crazy: http://www.workforce.com/archive/article/25/70/74.php (registration may be required)
Here’s the link to Green Desk: http://www.green-desk.com/
Thanks for your blog, Michelle, and the wondrous mention of the Writers’ Dojo. I love the idea of compiling a list of writers’ rooms. When we started, I interviewed 10 directors of rooms from around the country. Their support and ideas were extraordinarily helpful. I’d be happy to offer similar assistance to folks who are starting a writers’ room. We’ve learned a ton over the last year. Mostly, it’s vital for many writers we know to discover solace and community. There can be a sense of urgency, at times, looking up from the page, to meet other serious writers, literary artists and professionals.
This is the first I have heard of these little paradises. If only Detroit were a “major metropolitan area”. 🙁
Maybe I will start one.
Toronto has a writer’s centre with writer’s room and other things.
http://www.writerscentre.ca/
Toronto has a writer’s centre with writer’s room and other things.
Hi Michelle – thanks for this; I am actually reading it while in the Writer’s Room in NYC because I am coming to Portland for a month and wanted a new space. Very helpful info!
What’s the most comparable space to the NYC Writer’s Room in Portland do you think?
Thanks!
Danielle