Shut Up & Write!® Wine Country

This event is hosted on the Shut Up & Write website, so please sign up here for your writing event.

ABOUT THE EVENT
Welcome! I will email passcode to those who register.
Be sure to enable email on MeetUp!
Then, please check your email!
Join us virtually for an hour + of writing using Zoom. Let's keep together as much as we can during these uncertain times and keep on writing. Look for the schedule online and join us.

We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 3pm on Friday afternoon. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done.

JOIN US!

1. RSVP - space is limited to 12 people. (registration closes at one half hour before the event starts). You will receive the link to access the event at that time. REMEMBER TO CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR PASSCODE!
2. Before or at 3pm join the meeting with the link you receive AND ADD PASSCODE.

Please note:

1. If you don't have Zoom set up on your computer yet, leave 15-30 minutes ahead of time to get it set up!
2. If you have difficulty with audio (don't have a microphone set up), as long as you have a speaker, you can call in (you'll see phone numbers when you log in).
3. If you are late, you won't be able to intro with us, but you are still welcome to join in.
4. If you won't be able to make it, please cancel so that the space is available to another writer.

SCHEDULE:
3:00 - quick intros.
around 3:10 - timer starts: write for 70 mins.
4:20 - (the end) wrap up

Wherever you are, we hope to see you online! Keep on writing...
Regards,
Lorraine Segal

Tuesdays at 6:30 PM • Main Reading Room by the Printers
Make time for your writing—quietly, together.
Shut Up & Write! is a global community that supports writers in overcoming procrastination, quieting their inner critic, and making steady progress on any project. I first came to Shut Up & Write! to do grad school work and loved connecting with others through their writing projects. So whether you’re working on a novel, dissertation, blog, poem, script, memoir, song lyrics, journaling, or any creative or academic project, you’re welcome here!

Where to Meet
Join us in the Main Reading Room of the Rohnert Park Cotati Regional Library. Look for the table sign marked “Shut Up & Write.” Go towards the Reference Desk and Printers.
What to Bring
Bring your laptop, tablet, notebook, or anything you prefer to write with. Stay close at the desks or spread out all over the library and write at their fireplace, or at the desks with the giant windows looking out, and other choice writing spots in the library. Drinking beverages is allowed in the library but not eating.
If you don’t have materials, we’ve got you covered—paper, pens, and writing supplies will be provided. A laptop kiosk with Dell Precision notebooks is available for in-house use with a library card, perfect for writers who need access to a computer with Microsoft Office.
Printing
Writers may use the library’s two large color printers to print drafts, outlines, or notes during or after the session (up to $5 free printing per day with your library card). https://sonomalibrary.org/join/getacard

6:30–6:40 PM — Introductions
Settle in, meet the group, and (optionally) share what you plan to work on.
6:40–7:40 PM — Focused Writing Time
A quiet, structured hour dedicated solely to writing. No distractions, no critique—just progress.
7:40–7:50 PM — Check-In
A brief, optional discussion to talk about how the session went. No one reads or shares their writing aloud.

Shut Up & Write! sessions are relaxed, supportive, and judgment-free. Everyone writes separately but together, creating a collective atmosphere of focus and motivation. Drop in any week—no registration required. If you need books on writing or any other resources, we can conveniently find it within reach!
Resource Link: Autobiography & Memoir Writing Books at Rohnert Park Cotati Regional Library
For writers seeking inspiration, structure, or practical guidance during Shut Up & Write!, the Rohnert Park Cotati Regional Library offers a curated selection of books on autobiography authorship, memoir craft, and personal narrative writing.
Browse the collection here:
https://sonoma.bibliocommons.com/v2/search?query=%22Authorship%22&searchType=subject&locale=en-US&f_FORMAT=BK&f_FICTION_TYPE=NONFICTION&f_STATUS=ROHN&f_AUDIENCE=adult
This subject search includes titles such as:

• Permission: The New Memoirist and the Courage to Create — Elissa Altman
• Memoir Writing — Ryan G. Van Cleave
• Write It All Down — Cathy Rentzenbrink
• The Story Cure — Dinty W. Moore
• The Art of Memoir — Mary Karr
• Your Life Is a Book — Brenda Peterson
• The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction
• Crafting the Personal Essay — Dinty W. Moore
• And many more

These materials are available at the Rohnert Park branch and can offer valuable encouragement and direction as you develop your own writing project.