The Mechanics' Institute has always been a magnet for writers – indeed several of our earliest members wielded a pen more often than a hammer to earn their living. Today, I'd hazard a guess that a third of our membership claim to be writing something. To serve this population, the Library has hosted writers groups for twelve years, collected an admirable assortment of books to help its members learn to write their best, and gradually increased its activities that focus on the craft of writing. The interest in these activities has been growing so well that, I am thrilled to announce a new partnership with the organizers of the San Francisco Writers' Conference. This partnership will involve the joint hosting of writing classes taught by professionals involved with the Conference. Look forward to hands-on experiences that will impart "useful knowledge" about the craft and help you progress with your writing projects.
Our first date, July 
29, will be a complete exploration of the blogging platform WordPress with two classes in one day that cover the fundamentals of an "author website" and how to create a website with WordPress. Future classes will cover topics relevant to all genres and writer needs including crafting a memoir, writing perfect pitches and query letters, and the art of storytelling. The classes will be competitively priced with Mechanics' members enjoying a discount over the public rate.
In order to kick off this partnership in fine style, join us the evening of August 2 for a grand celebration! Meet the writing professionals who will be teaching the classes, the San Francisco Writers' Conference organizers including founder Michael Larsen, and fellow writers from the local community.
Meanwhile, please take advantage of some of the other writers' services offered at MI.
Indie Publishing Working Group has a long history, dating back to 2007. After a hiatus, the group resumed meetings in 2016 and has since enjoyed a robust following, hosting speakers, discussion, and topics of interest to independent publishers and writers.
- Third Thursday of each month
- 4:00 – 6:00 pm
- Library 3rd floor classrooms
- Open to drop-ins
- More information: www.milibrary.org/events
Writers’ Lunch arose from the desire of member writers to interact on a more casual basis. During these monthly brown-bag BYO lunch events, member authors and guests with expertise in the field speak on topics – from sustaining a fledgling practice to monetizing your writing. You’ll hear from a mix of established and emerging writers, enjoy coffee, tea, and snacks provided by the Mechanics’ Institute, and mingle with fellow Mechanics’ Institute writers.
- Third Friday of each month
- 12:00 – 1:00 pm
- 4th floor Meeting Room
- Open to drop-ins
- More information: www.milibrary.org/events
Members of individual writers’ groups are governed autonomously by their members, and have the option to meet in Library classrooms or the 4th floor board room. Members decide on the protocol for reading and critiquing one another’s work at each meeting; the operation of these groups is entirely under the leadership of the member writers who belong to each group. We currently host seven active writers’ groups each month. If you would like to be considered for vacancies in existing groups, or to start your own, you can contact Taryn Edwards or Heather Terrell with your inquiry.
- More information: [email protected] or [email protected]
The aim of the Mechanics' Institute is to provide its members with the tools to grow intellectually and creatively. The aim of our writers' programs is to help you learn to write better! Happy scribbling!
-Taryn
