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Creative Writing San Francisco

Explore Creative Writing Groups and Events in San Francisco

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Sit Down and Write

Sun, Jul 5, 6:00 PM

From Oakland Creative Writers

4.8

Writers write. And if you haven't written in a room full of writers writing, you haven't lived! It's a nice feeling, at the least. 11:00 a.m. Arrive, find a spot, support our patron by purchasing a beverage and/or snack and tipping well. Then socialize until writing-time begins! A few minutes before, we'll go around the circle introducing ourselves, our writing passions, and our goal for the day. 11:15 a.m. The organizer will start the clock, and for the next 1 hour conversation shall be discontinued as everyone works on whatever writing or reading (or what-have-you) strikes his or her fancy. The key here is a nice, courteous quiet. Headphones are recommended. 12:15 p.m. Writing-time ends. You're welcome to continue writing, resume socializing, hail a cab, do whatever you want, because you're an adult.

5 attendees

At the Edge of Becoming: A Gathering on the Unfinished Self

Sat, Jul 11, 9:00 PM

From Kaavya Connections: World Poetry, Literature & Music

5.0

There are moments in life when we no longer recognize ourselves in fixed shapes. Not entirely who we once were. Not yet who we are becoming. Only suspended somewhere in between — between memory and transformation, between grief and renewal, between the lives we inhabited and the selves still slowly emerging into form. A solitary figure sits beside the sea. Blurred at the edges. Half light, half weather. The body itself seems unfinished, dissolving gently into wind, horizon, and sky. The image feels less like a portrait and more like a human threshold — a person caught in the quiet motion of becoming. Perhaps this is where poetry begins. Not in certainty, but in transition. Not in answers, but in the fragile spaces where identity loosens, shifts, and reforms itself. “At the Edge of Becoming” is a gathering devoted to the unfinished nature of being human — an evening of poetry, literature, music, and reflection exploring transformation, longing, memory, tenderness, solitude, and the strange beauty of lives still unfolding. Across traditions, poets and artists have returned to these threshold spaces where the self is neither fully lost nor fully found. Rainer Maria Rilke wrote of loneliness as necessary for becoming. Fernando Pessoa filled entire books with fragmented identities and shifting inner worlds. Mahmoud Darwish transformed exile into emotional geography. Forugh Farrokhzad wrote fiercely about reinvention and interior freedom. Agha Shahid Ali turned memory and distance into atmosphere and music. This gathering invites us to inhabit those unfinished spaces within ourselves — the places where identity changes quietly through love, migration, grief, time, healing, solitude, and desire. We will read poetry that inhabits stillness rather than spectacle. There may be music — sparse piano, cello, ney flute, ambient soundscapes drifting quietly between readings. There may be long pauses. We will read poetry that resists finality. Poems that remain open. Poems that understand incompletion. Poems that leave room for becoming. There may be music — sparse piano, cello, ney flute, ambient soundscapes drifting softly between readings. There may be long silences. There may be moments when a poem feels less like language and more like weather moving slowly through the room. You are welcome to bring: * A poem about transformation, longing, identity, memory, or becoming * A piece centered on thresholds, migration, reinvention, healing, or emotional change * A fragment, unfinished poem, journal entry, or letter never sent * An original work inspired by ambiguity, transition, tenderness, or the evolving self We invite poetry from all languages and traditions. Together, we will read, reflect, interpret, and listen — allowing meaning to emerge gradually, like something appearing through mist. As always with Kaavya Connections, the event may wander beyond the theme. We follow where the words — and silences — lead. There may even be an empty chair facing outward toward the horizon — a quiet space for someone absent, remembered, unresolved, or still waiting somewhere within us. Because perhaps what we are gathering for is not resolution, but recognition. Not spectacle, but presence. Not the finished portrait, but the trembling human outline still sitting quietly beside the sea. > “Perhaps a human being > is not a fixed shape at all, > but a motion between arrivals.” Join us for an evening where silence is honored, longing is given language, and the unfinished parts of ourselves are welcomed gently into the room. Please find more about us here — [Kaavya Connections Website](https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Please also join the mailing list for upcoming gatherings and events: [Kaavya Connections Mailing List](https://www.kaavyaconnections.com/mailing-list/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) If you would like to volunteer to help organize future gatherings and performances, please email: Bring a friend, a poem, or simply come to listen. Above all, bring your unfinished self. **Kaavya Connections**

11 attendees

*\*please [register here](https://luma.com/hbvuk0rw?utm_source=meetup&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=event_launch_2026&utm_content=event_page)\** **Baking = mindfulness?** **We think so.** Consider the weight of the flour in your hands, the warm aromas coming from the oven, the quiet focus of dialing in the perfect balance of tastes and textures. For our facilitator Naomi, baking has always been more than a hobby. It's healing. And her vision for this gathering is to share that with you. This is an afternoon of hands-on baking, creative expression, and genuine community. You will mix, bake, and decorate your own cake from start to finish, treating it as an edible canvas for memories, emotions, or intentions. Along the way, there will be space to slow down, reflect, and dedicate your handiwork to yourself or someone you love. The act of making something beautiful with your own hands and offering it with care is its own quiet form of compassion. No baking experience needed. Anyone can do this. **What to Expect** * Guided soulful baking from batter to buttercream * Reflection and conversation while the cakes are baking * Cake decorating as a creative and expressive practice * A compassion card or dedication written to yourself or someone who matters * A heartfelt moment of community sharing **[register here](https://luma.com/hbvuk0rw?utm_source=meetup&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=event_launch_2026&utm_content=event_page)** **About Naomi** Naomi Kakatin is a talented Bay Area pastry chef and home food artisan known for appearing on Hulu’s *Baker's Dozen*. A 2019 graduate of the **Culinary Institute of America at Greystone**, she specializes in creative desserts that frequently celebrate her Filipino heritage. Check out her [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/pastry.notes/) **About Soul Seated Journey** Soul Seated Journey is a contemplative wellness community for emerging adults built around one simple belief: that you are already whole. Our Discover events are open to everyone, through creative expression, shared ritual, and real conversation. No prior experience needed. Just curiosity.

2 attendees

Shut Up & Write Already! Fremont & East SF Bay

Wed, Jul 8, 12:00 AM

From Shut Up & Write!® SF Bay Area

4.8

**IMPORTANT NOTICE:** This event is listed on the Shut Up & Write! website. To see full event details, RSVP, or ask any questions, make sure to join the group here: [https://www.shutupwrite.com/series/id2vH3i21V00](https://www.shutupwrite.com/series/id2vH3i21V00) Please see the listing on the Shut Up & Write! website for full and updated event location details. \-\-\- Hello, Starting a Shut Up & Write group in Fremont. Location : Tables in large open atrium area in the back of the Fremont Library (May be changed later, with notice, to reserved rooms in Library, or to local Niles area cafes) Simple Format : 15 min : Meet & Catch up, share what you like about your writing goals 1 hour 30 min : Write in quiet 15 min : Share what you like (or didnt like) about your writing session! \*\*\* Join fellow writers each week to show up, sit down, and get words on the page. No critiques. No sharing. No pressure. Just focused writing time alongside others doing the same. After the session, you're welcome to stick around to chat, connect, and build your writing community. Wherever you are in your project, you're not doing it alone—this is your space to write.

1 attendee

Take Time to Write at Cafenated Coffee

Sun, Jul 5, 5:00 PM

From East Bay Time to Write

4.8

Let's meet up to write on Sunday at the Cafenated Coffee Company in north Berkeley. Anyone who writes is welcome! We'll be inside of Cafenated, and I'll have a sign saying "East Bay Time to Write". We'll write in two 50-minute blocks, with breaks in between and after. Come find us between 10:00 and 10:30 to get set up in time for our first one at 10:30. Schedule: 10:00 - arrive, get drinks, chat 10:30 - first focused writing block 11:20 - break 11:30 - second writing block 12:20 - finish, optionally hang out About the location: There will be WiFi and some (limited) outlets. We'll be indoors, but they typically leaves the doors open so that the space is well-ventilated. The coffee shop offers coffee, tea, bottled drinks, and typically some pastries and cooked food. Please buy something to support them! About the group: Anyone who writes is welcome -- novelists, playwrights, academics, journalers. This isn't a critique group, and there's no pressure to share your work. We're here for camaraderie, moral support, and friendly peer pressure, so you can focus on taking time to do what you love to do.

6 attendees

Second Sunday: Writing & Weeding

Sun, Jul 12, 7:00 PM

From Art in the Garden at Hayes Valley Art Works

4.4

Join us Sundays for Writing & Weeding! Join us for Writing & Weeding! We've all had times when we just can't seem to figure out how to the words out. Sitting with other writers in the garden really helps break writer's block. In our unique garden setting, you can also literally weed out your thoughts by taking some time to pull weeds in a community garden. Getting our hands in the dirt can sometimes inspire creative flow. (Note, we recommend you bring your own gardening gloves.) We are at the gallery and garden at Hayes Valley Art Works - 295 Oak Street at Octavia - writing and pulling some actual weeds! We usually meet at the tables by the gate at Lily / Octavia. In damp weather, we may meet in the gallery in the converted shipping container with the red and black mural 295 Oak Street corner of Octavia. I Please note, we do not have heat in the gallery and run on solar power, so bring your laptop charged and dress appropriately for the weather! Writers are welcome to sit in either south or north garden, or the gallery, both are between Page and Oak on the east side of Octavia. We suggest bringing any devices fully charged as we don't have outlets or a restroom. We recommend stoppping at Mercury Cafe across the street at Page and Octavia - they have a restroom and great food and drinks we recommend stopping in there on your way over for a beverage and use the facilities if needed. If possible, or in bad weather, we will also open our Zoom meeting but this is not always an option due to internet access at the garden. Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84912436792?pwd=R0FOq4fHuBXaaz0zdoTVbiiSbCUtY8.1 Meeting ID: 849 1243 6792 Passcode: 94102 Theme is open. Poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction. Bring your own project to work on, or use the suggested themes and writing prompts announced at each meeting. Writers are free to share from their writing or not, as they wish. Introductions at 12:00. 12:05-12:45 writing/weeding time 12:45-1:00 discussion, weeding time, share writing if inspired share how the session went, stay on if you wish to discuss, share, or continue writing or help pull weeds! This event is linked with the Shut Up & Write event - https://www.meetup.com/shutupandwriteSFO/events/280885360 There is no fee for the meetup. Donations to support Hayes Valley Art Works are welcome either in our cash tip jar or at the link below. Suggested $5-10, but not required. Donate: [https://hayesvalleyartworks.org/donate/#:~:text=Learn%20more%20about%20our%20campaign,open%20space%E2%80%9D%20in%20Hayes%20Valley.](https://hayesvalleyartworks.org/donate/#:~:text=Learn%20more%20about%20our%20campaign,open%20space%E2%80%9D%20in%20Hayes%20Valley.) Hayes Valley Art Works is focused on building community through art. More about Hayes Valley Art Works: https://hayesvalleyartworks.org/

3 attendees

Shut Up & Write!® in the Richmond

Tue, Jul 14, 5:00 PM

From Shut Up & Write!® SF Bay Area

4.8

Shut Up & Write!® hosts free in-person and online writing events for writers all over the world. Our goal is to ensure that every writer, regardless of genre or skill level, has access to the community, accountability, and resources they need to be successful in their personal writing goals. Our events use our proven formula: a few minutes of introductions, an hour of focused writing, and a final check-in to share the hour's progress. **What to Expect** RSVP and please arrive on time to get settled at an in-person event. Our host will lead introductions and then everyone will write for a quiet, focused period of time. Afterward, we’ll have an optional time to chat and get to know each other. Members often talk about their successes and challenges as writers. Our events are a safe space for writers to work on their craft. No one will read or critique your writing. For more information about our events, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://shutupwrite.com). Being Late is Okay: Just show up and get settled, then check in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write!® sign.) If you are on time, please be willing to make room for any friendly latecomers. **What Should I Bring?** Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block the cafe’s ambient music or the occasional conversation by other patrons. **Other Important Details:** GUIDELINES: Please thank our hosts by purchasing something. WIFI pw: Enchante!

1 attendee

The Write Time on Piedmont

Thu, Jul 2, 12:30 AM

From The Write Time

4.9

Welcome to Write Time! We'll meet up on Wednesday at 5:30 PM on the upstairs deck of Doña on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland and wrap up by 7:30 PM. In terms of structure, we'll write in two 45-minute blocks and aim to follow this structure: 5:30 - Meet up, say hello, settle in 5:45 - Writing block #1 6:30 - Break and check in (not required! keep writing if you're in the flow) 6:45 - Writing block #2 7:30 - Finish Doña has food if you're hungry and coffee, tea, beer, and wine if you're thirsty. They are kindly letting us use their space to meet, so please buy something to support them. A few common questions: * **Yes, there is wifi.** But it can sometimes be hard to join when there's a lot of people. * **You can come and go at any time.** Don't worry about showing up late or leaving early. * **You are welcome to wear a mask.** We'll be outside, but some people are still more comfortable masked and that is 100% fine. * **Everyone who writes is welcome.** It doesn't matter if you're writing a novel or a blog, a dissertation or a poem. If you write, this is is the space for you * **This** **gathering is about getting words onto the page**, not about getting feedback or critiques. We don't typically work from prompts either, but I'm happy to help you think of something to write about if you don't have any current projects or ideas. Finally, if you've found yourself on the waitlist but really want to come, I encourage you to just show up. It's common for people to RSVP, then not show up. We'll almost certainly have space for you!

4 attendees

Shut Up & Write!® in Potrero Hill

Mon, Jul 6, 8:15 PM

From Shut Up & Write!® SF Bay Area

4.8

Join us for some focused writing time. You can write poetry, your resume, do research, write a novel, screenplay, short stories, song lyrics or work projects, create apps and games, etc. All types of writing and writers at all levels of experience and expertise are welcome. But don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. When you show up, say hello to everyone and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions. Writers can say what they are working on if they choose. I then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://shutupwrite.com) WiFi Access: Patrons will find WiFi at all San Francisco Public Library buildings. Travel / Parking info: Muni #55 bus. Abundant Street parking.

1 attendee

Take Time to Write at El Jardin

Sat, Jul 4, 7:00 PM

From East Bay Time to Write

4.8

Let's meet up to write on Saturday at El Jardin in South Richmond. Anyone who writes is welcome! We'll be inside of El Jardin, and I'll have a sign saying "Take Time to Write". We'll write in two 50-minute blocks, with breaks in between and after. Come find us between Noon and 12:30 to get set up in time for our first one at 1:30. Schedule: 12:00 - arrive, get drinks, chat 12:30 - first focused writing block 1:20 - break 1:30 - second writing block 2:20 - finish, optionally hang out About the location: There will be wifi and some (limited) outlets. We'll be indoors, but they typically leaves the doors open so that the space is well-ventilated. The casual restaurant offers coffee, tea, bottled drinks, and a wide range cooked food. Please buy something to support them! About the group: Anyone who writes is welcome -- novelists, playwrights, academics, journalers. This isn't a critique group, and there's no pressure to share your work. We're here for camaraderie, moral support, and friendly peer pressure, so you can focus on taking time to do what you love to do.