To Live & Write is a writers support group based in the San Francisco Bay Area, but open to all writers, wherever you are. I mean that literally and figuratively.
Literally: If you’re local, come out and join us at an in-person event or activity. If you’re not local, stay in and join us for an online event or activity.
Figuratively: Whether you’re a seasoned author with a long list of published work or a brand spanking new writer with a short list of dreams and aspirations, we’ll meet you right where you are – wherever you are – in your journey.
Since 2014, I’ve been building and nurturing a sustainable community of writers and kindred spirits who actively support and encourage each other through the ups and downs of chasing the muse and honing our craft. In 2025, our main Facebook community, To Live & Write in Alameda, is about 750 strong. Our subgroup of actively connected and participating members, To Live & Write in Practice, is at around 70, and our community culture is one of support, encouragement, safety, and celebration. We’re not competitive; there’s enough creativity and brilliant storytelling to go around.
Membership in To Live & Write includes a variety of opportunities to engage with fellow members online and in real life. Every week brings a healthy mix of events and activities designed to support your creative journey, including writing sessions, group discussions, and the opportunity to share your work for positive feedback. Every month features at least one lit night, open mic, or niche writing challenge (sometimes you get all three in the same thirty days).
The To Live & Write philosophy is simple. We believe we have to live to have anything worth writing about, and we have to write to have a life worth living. To that end, I strongly encourage our members to get out from behind the laptop, the writing desk and the café table, and socialize with some like-minded eccentrics who are crazy enough ~ and lucky enough ~ to know just how intoxicating the writing life can be, metaphorical hangovers and all.
Members of To Live and Write run the gamut from those who write for a hobby to those who write for a living – from beginners to award winners and beyond. Every point from one end of the creative journey to the other is exciting and important and we’re all here to celebrate your progress, every step of the way.
I am less concerned about your experience and credentials than I am about your eagerness to participate and engage with other members in supportive, encouraging ways.
To Live & Write exists to provide an old-fashioned sense of community and connection among writers in a modern world, where it’s too easy to become isolated and too easy to start thinking you should be able do it all alone. Nonsense. We need each other.
I’m Bronwyn Emery. I found this community out of a desperate need to connect with other writers who were equally self-conscious and excited about writing and storytelling — and just as fervently searching for moral support. It’s my job to keep the Facebook group alive, produce The Week Ahead newsletter, organize and facilitate events and activities, monitor and enforce the safety of the group, and create opportunities for you to learn, grow, share your work, lead, connect, and build meaningful friendships within To Live & Write.
I’m also your resident writing and creativity coach, which means my other job is to make sure I have a helpful and intriguing selection of labs, workshops, and retreats available so I can supply you with the inspiration, motivation, and accountability you need to grow and succeed … and keep the lights on. To that end, I include links to level-up labs, workshops, retreats, and my 1:1 private coaching calendar in relevant posts.
Membership in To Live & Write is free. Everything on this site is free. Your subscription to The Week Ahead newsletter is also free. If you would like to show your support for To Live & Write, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription to Live/Write Balance (home of The Week Ahead) here or a membership with me here (perks abound!). If you would like to help make my labs, workshops, and retreats more accessible to LGBTQIA+ writers, writers of color, and senior writers, we have something called the Sharkyfish Scholarship Fund (donations are appreciated but are not tax deductible).
Please reach out to me with questions, concerns, or suggestions at [email protected].
Try us out. You know you want to.
