Frequently Asked Questions
Sessions, the platform, organizing, your account, and how the whole thing works. Jump to a topic below, or contact us if your question isn’t here. Someone on the team reads every message.
Sessions
What is Shut Up & Write!®?
Shut Up & Write!® is a free, global community of writers. Same time, same place, in person or online. You write quietly together. You come back next week.
No workshops. No critique. No reading aloud. Just writing, next to other people who are also writing.
SUAW is a nonprofit initiative of Writing Partners. Sessions have been free since 2007. They stay free.
Is it free?
Yes. Every session, in person and online, is free. No membership fees. No premium tiers. No paywalls.
Shut Up & Write!® is a nonprofit. Donations and grants keep it that way. If you want to help, donate.
What happens at a session?
Writers show up. You say what you're working on. You write in silence. You check in when time's up. You stick around if you want.
- Arrive and connect. A few minutes so newcomers and regulars share the room.
- Share a focus. Not a pitch. Just what you're hoping to get done in the next hour. Vague is fine.
- Write quietly together. The quiet stays quiet.
- Wrap up. Optionally say how it went. Progress and experience only. Never the writing itself.
- Connect again. Community time after writing is part of the method, not leftover chat.
Full version: The Shut Up & Write! Method.
Do people read their work aloud or give feedback?
No. Never.
That's not an oversight. Removing performance is the point. Early draft, returning after a long break, something personal: this is the room where you don't have to prove anything.
After writing, people talk about process, tools, how the hour went. Advice stays opt-in. Critique of anyone's actual writing does not belong here.
Do I have to be on camera? Do I have to talk?
Camera policies are up to each organizer. During the writing block, plenty of people turn video off anyway.
As for talking: the check-in is a sentence, not a speech. "Working on chapter three" is a complete answer. If even that's too much today, say so in the chat, or just listen. Nobody's taking attendance on participation.
What kinds of writing do people work on?
Everything.
Novels, dissertations, screenplays, grant proposals, poetry, journalism, blog posts, journal entries, that email you've been avoiding. If you're writing it, bring it. Nobody needs to match your genre or your stage.
I'm new to writing or don't have a project yet. Can I still show up?
Yes.
Some people draft. Some revise. Some outline. Some are rebuilding the habit of sitting down at all. There's no critique, so there's no bar for "ready." Show up and write whatever you've got.
What if I'm late, or need to leave early?
Come anyway. Slip in, start writing. Leave when you need to. The quiet makes late arrivals easier here than almost anywhere else. There's no discussion to interrupt.
A heads-up to the organizer is polite for in-person sessions with limited seats, but nobody's watching the door.
Is there an age requirement?
Writers under 18 are welcome with a parent or guardian present for the whole session, in person or online.
Full details are in our Code of Conduct.
What should I expect at an in-person session?
Cafés, libraries, bookstores, community spaces. Find the group, quick intro, quiet writing (often about an hour), wrap up, hang around if you want.
Low-key on purpose. Bring whatever you write with. Headphones help if the room gets loud. Don't count on outlets or Wi-Fi.
What are online sessions like?
Same method. Connect, share a focus, write quietly, wrap up, then stick around if you want.
Your organizer posts a meeting link on the session page. Often Zoom. Sometimes Google Meet, Teams, Discord, or Jitsi. A free account for that tool is usually enough.
Are session times shown in my time zone?
For online sessions, yes. Times display in your local time zone. If it says 7:00 PM, that's 7:00 PM where you are.
In-person sessions show the venue's time zone, which is almost certainly also yours. Unless you're planning to write somewhere far from home, in which case, check.
Does this work for academic writers?
Yes. Grad students, researchers, faculty. Dissertations, articles, grants, the chapter that keeps losing to everything else.
It works because it strips away isolation and perfectionism without adding another workshop. More on the academia page.
What if a session is canceled, or the organizer doesn't show?
If an organizer cancels, everyone who committed gets notified.
If you're at a session and nobody's running it: sit down and write anyway. You have everything you need. Then let us know through the contact form so we can check in with the organizer. Sometimes life wins, and we'd rather know.
There aren't any sessions near me. Can someone start one?
Yes. That's how every SUAW group starts: someone who wants one creates it.
Join an online writing group from anywhere in the meantime, or apply to become an organizer. Show up to at least one session first if you can. Knowing the feel helps.
The Platform
How do I find a writing group?
In-Person Writing Groups: search by city or location. Filter general or academic if you want.
Online Writing Groups: filter by date and time of day.
Some groups still show up from Meetup. Joining and committing happens here on shutupwrite.com.
What's the difference between joining a group and committing to a session?
Join Group follows a recurring writing group so it shows up in your hub and you get updates.
Commit to Going means you're showing up to a specific session. That's the RSVP for that date and time.
Do either or both. Commit so the organizer knows who's coming. Join so the group stays on your radar.
How do I commit to a session?
Open the session. Hit Commit to Going. You'll need to be logged in. After that it says You're Going.
Upcoming sessions land in Groups & Sessions. Full upcoming and past list: My Sessions.
Some sessions need an RSVP or have limited spots. If it's full, or the session has already started, you can't commit.
Join a group often? In Settings you can turn on auto-commit so new sessions for groups you've joined mark you as going without an extra click.
Can I cancel my commitment?
Yes. Open the session or My Sessions and choose Cancel Commitment. You can cancel until the session ends.
For in-person sessions with limited seats, give the organizer a heads-up when you can.
What's the difference between a recurring group and a special session?
Recurring groups run on a regular schedule: weekly, biweekly, or monthly, same time and place. That's the habit.
Special or one-off sessions are single dates. Same method either way.
How do I message other writers?
Logged in, open Messages. Start a conversation or reply. Email for messages lives in Settings.
What is Writing Practice?
Writing Practice is your personal writing dashboard: projects, sessions, and progress in one place.
Log a session, track a project, set a word or time goal, watch your weekly streak. Groups are the people. Writing Practice keeps the work between sessions visible.
Where can I find writing tips and organizer guides?
Writing articles cover craft, habit, and publishing from writers in this community.
Organizers get a full toolkit under Organizer Resources: how to run a session, list a group, promote it, and fix the usual snags.
There's also a monthly newsletter if you want one email a month.
Your Account
Do I need an account?
Browse without one. To commit, join a group, message writers, or use Writing Practice, make a free account and log in.
I used Meetup before. Can I log in with my Meetup account?
No. shutupwrite.com is separate from Meetup. Meetup credentials don't work here. Make a free SUAW account with your email.
Some local groups still list on Meetup too. Committing and messaging happen on this platform.
I can't log in. What should I do?
Start with Forgot Password? on the login page. Still stuck? Use the contact form and pick the technical option. We watch those Monday through Friday during business hours.
How do I reset my password?
Logged in: Settings, then Change Password.
Locked out: login page, Forgot Password?, enter your email. We'll send a reset link.
How do I change my email or update my profile?
Settings has it: display name, bio, city, Change Email, Change Password.
Under Show As, pick full name or first name and last initial for other writers.
How do I manage notifications?
Settings controls email for messages, community features, and writing challenges, plus per-group prefs for session reminders and related updates.
You can also auto-commit to groups you've joined, so new sessions mark you as going without an extra click.
Can I delete my account?
Yes. Settings, then Delete account. Permanent. No undo.
Hit a snag? Contact us.
Organizing
What does it mean to be a Shut Up & Write!® organizer?
You run sessions using the SUAW method. Not a teacher. Not a critic. Not a coach. Welcome people, protect the quiet, keep the schedule, list sessions on the platform.
No writing expertise required. Consistency qualifies.
What is the time commitment?
Most organizers spend less than two hours a week, including the session. Stay on top of session messages so writers know when and where to show up. That's most of the rest.
Why are there standards for organizers?
Because consistency is what makes SUAW work. Same method everywhere means writers know what they're walking into.
Standards keep sessions inclusive, quiet, and about writing: not critique, instruction, or paywalls. Everyone follows the Code of Conduct.
How do I apply to become an organizer?
Start on Become an Organizer. About five minutes. Show up to a session first if you haven't yet.
After approval, you get onboarding and the tools to create groups and sessions on the platform.
Where do organizers get help after they're approved?
The Organizer Resources toolkit: checklists, listing in-person and online groups, promotion, troubleshooting, brand assets.
Stuck anyway? Contact the team. You're not figuring this out alone.
About SUAW
How did Shut Up & Write!® get started?
In 2007, science fiction writer Rennie Saunders was trying to write a novel while holding down a job in San Francisco. Life kept winning. Instead of starting a class or critique group, he picked a café, picked a time, invited other writers, and wrote.
No feedback, no hierarchy, no agenda. It worked. People kept coming back. Then other cities. Then other countries. Today SUAW runs in 80+ countries with over 1,500 writing events a week.
What makes Shut Up & Write!® different from a writing class or workshop?
SUAW is not a class, a workshop, or a critique group.
Nobody teaches. Nobody evaluates. Nobody reads work aloud. The whole point is to protect writing time from feedback anxiety, perfectionism, and the urge to talk about writing instead of doing it.
Organizers run the structure. They are not coaches or instructors.
Who runs Shut Up & Write!®?
Shut Up & Write!® is a nonprofit initiative of Writing Partners, a US-based 501(c)(3). Volunteer organizers run local and online sessions worldwide. A small central team supports them.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes. Shut Up & Write!® is a nonprofit initiative of Writing Partners, a US-based 501(c)(3), so donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by US law. You'll get a receipt for your records.
Donate here if you want to help keep sessions free.
How do I contact the SUAW team?
Use the contact form. Someone on the team reads every message.
We typically respond within 2 business days, Monday through Friday. Busier stretches take longer.
Can my organization partner with Shut Up & Write!®?
Yes. Universities, libraries, coworking spaces, writing organizations. If you have people who write, we should talk. Contact form.
Can I share my writing story with SUAW?
Please do. Finished the novel. Defended the dissertation. Finally wrote the thing you'd been avoiding for years.
Send it through the contact form. We want to hear it.
Privacy
Is my information private?
Your email and personal contact info stay private. They don't show publicly on the site.
Your display name and who's going to a session may be visible to other writers so people can see who's writing together. In Settings, use Show As for full name or first name and last initial.
Who can see my profile and activity?
Your display name and whatever profile info you choose to share are visible to other writers. Organizers can see who's committed to their sessions. Other writers at the same session may see that you're going too.
Your writing is never shared through SUAW. No read-alouds. No work sharing. The platform does not publish your drafts.
What community rules should I know?
Everyone follows the Code of Conduct. Welcoming, respectful, no critique, no harassment. Organizers help hold that line. The SUAW team steps in when something needs escalation.
Ask Us Directly
If your question isn’t here, write us. Someone on the team reads every message. We typically reply within 2 business days, Monday through Friday. Busier stretches take longer.