Lexington Writers Room

THE WRITERS WORKSPACE - A SUBSIDIZED WRITING ROOM FOR AUTHORS TO WORK, AS WELL AS HOLD MONTHLY WRITING EVENTS, DISCUSSION WORKSHOPS, SUPPORT FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED WRITERS, AND AUTHOR READINGS. THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO INSPIRE AND IMPROVE THE WRITING SKILLS OF MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS. OUR CORE MISSION IS TO HELP LOCAL WRITERS PRODUCE MORE WORK AND BUILD THEIR READERSHIP BY OFFERING THEM A WELL-APPOINTED PROFESSIONAL WORK AND GATHERING SPACE AT A HIGHLY SUBSIDIZED RATE. THIS COMMUNITY SUPPORT IS A NEED BECAUSE MOST WRITERS CANNOT AFFORD PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SPACE. OUR MEMBERS PAY $50 PER MONTH FOR UNLIMITED USE OF THE SPACE AND ACCESS TO SEVERAL MONTHLY PEER-TO-PEER GATHERINGS DESIGNED TO HELP THEM DEVELOP THEIR WRITING CRAFT. WE USE DONATION AND GRANT FUNDING TO PAY OPERATING COSTS NOT COVERED BY MEMBERSHIP DUES. THE LEXINGTON WRITER'S ROOM EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF MEMBER WRITERS WHO USE THE SPACE FROM 57 TO 85, AND INCREASE OF 33%. FOR EACH MEMBER, THE SPACE ENABLED THEM TO CREATE WITH GREATER FOCUS, MEET AND LEARN FROM OTHER WRITERS, AND ACCESS THE BUSINESS SUPPLIES THEY NEEDED TO HONE AND PRESENT THEIR WORK. IN ADDITION TO THEIR USE OF THE WORKSPACE, THESE LOCAL WRITERS ALSO ATTENDED MONTHLY WRITING EVENTS AND PRACTICED READING THEIR WORK. PART OF THE LEXINGTON WRITER'S ROOM'S MISSION IS TO HELP WRITERS DEVELOP A MORE PROFESSIONAL PLATFORM SUCH THAT THEY CAN SUBMIT THEIR WORK AND BE MORE COMPETITIVE IN THE VYING FOR PUBLICATION AND READING OPPORTUNITIES. OUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS ENABLED FORTY-THREE MEMBER WRITERS TO RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER SERVICES TO PROVIDE BIOGRAPHICAL PHOTOS FOR BOOK COVERS. FOR MANY, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY'D HAD A PROFESSIONAL PHOTO TO SEND EDITORS AND BOOKSTORES. ALTHOUGH OUR OPERATIONS WERE ABRUPTLY INTERRUPTED FOR SIX WEEKS DUE TO A FIRE IN OUR BUILDING THAT DISPLACED OUR OPERATIONS, WE UTILIZED THE RE-OPENING EFFORTS TO BRING TOGETHER OUR MEMBERS AND HELP THEM BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER. THE LEXINGTON WRITER'S ROOM USED FUNDS RAISED TO EXPAND OUR UNDERREPRESENTED WRITER'S PROGRAM WHICH HELPS BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, AND DISABLED WRITERS WITH FINANCIAL NEEDS USE OUR SPACE AND PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS. WHILE STILL A YOUNG PROGRAM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE EXTENDED MEMBERSHIP TO TEN WRITERS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. OUR MISSION IS TO FURTHER EXPAND OUR SUPPORT OF UNDERREPRESENTED WRITERS IN 2023.