Because We Have an Aggressive-Sounding Writing Club

It’s nearing 5:30 pm on a Wednesday evening in downtown Portland. A group of local writers gather at a book shop off Southwest Jefferson Street, congregating by the coffee table closest to the register, where a tabletop sign assures them they’re in the right place. A woman in a maroon hoodie that reads “Booktrovert” switches between taking coffee orders and playing hostess for the writers as they arrive. Once a small crowd has settled in on the various love seats, notebooks or laptops at the ready, introductions begin:

Some are weekly regulars—seasoned writers there to get to work on their second or third novels. Others have never had anything published, and are working on personal writing projects. Still others, like BOLD Coffee & Books co-owner Ali Shaw, have dedicated this window of time to work on poetry.

And some, like me, are there to enjoy the Bob Dylan and Joan Baez tunes, sip on a (very delicious) Honeybunch latte, and, ideally, “Sit Down, Shut Up, and Write,” as the name of the writers’ group suggests. Which is why discussions extending beyond the 5:30-5:45 pm introduction window are politely interrupted by Shaw:

“As much as I love procrastinating, I should probably get started…”

At Sit Down, Shut Up, and Write, the first 15 minutes are reserved for chatting. But then, for the next hour, it’s time to get writing. Shaw, who’s worked in the publishing industry for almost 20 years, was part of a similar group in Southern California before starting a chapter of her own in Portland.

“When I was a member, I found that—even though it’s just a once-a-week, one-hour dedicated time—I found that my writing productivity really increased,” Shaw says. “Even if I didn’t fit any other writing in the rest of the week, [the ideas were] still percolating in my mind. It really helped me as a writer.”

Sit Down, Shut Up, and Write is one of the many writing-centric events held at BOLD, a combination bookstore-coffee shop that Shaw and her husband, Tim, opened just last year. They also host: open mic nights, silent reading parties, book publishing Q&As, a writers’ happy hour, author readings and children’s storytimes.

“It’s invigorating to be around other writers who are putting words down at the same time,” Shaw says. “For somebody who’s interested in getting into writing, I would definitely say go to events where other people are writing too, to find your people.”