Retreat, Yourself: Library Writing Crawl — Menlo Park Library

Writing alone is hard. Writing alone, together, is somehow easier. Retreat, Yourself hosts free library crawls twice a month in the Bay Area. A different, lovely library each time, writing alongside other writers. These are zero-pressure day retreats. No teaching, no critique, no pitch, no genre restrictions. You bring a project; the room brings the momentum; the community brings the accountability. Open to all serious creative writers—the published authors, and the working-to-be-published ones, too. How the morning goes: 10:30 — GATHER. A short read-aloud, quick hellos, find your spot.11:30 — THE LUDDITE HOUR. Phones away, wifi off, pen on paper. One honest hour.12:30— BREAK. Stretch, browse the stacks, compare notes.1:00— OPEN WRITING. Keep going at your own pace, any format you like.2:30 — SCATTER. Stay as long as the library will have us, or drift off when you're done. Nothing is mandatory. Bring: a project (any genre, any stage), a notebook and pen for the Luddite Hour, and a library card if you've got one. Cost: Free. It will stay free. If you love it, bring a writer friend next time. RSVP so we can save you a seat and send you the room details. Please bring your own snacks or a packed lunch! Tea and chocolate will be provided. Hosted by Retreat, Yourself — A growing community of professional writers who benefit from working alongside other writers. From Library Crawls to day retreats to a yearly large group retreat, we make the space so you can do the work. ** Crawls take place in public libraries. By attending, you agree to follow library rules and acknowledge that you attend at your own risk; Retreat, Yourself is not responsible for personal property or injury. ** Please be aware that we are a group of humans striving to create human-made art. If you are working on or with AI, we encourage you to find another group, as we consider each Library Crawl a time meant exclusively for human creativity. Thank you for understanding.