FreeWrites & Coffee

FreeWritesAndCoffee.org | an open community of writers in Catonsville & Arbutus MD.
🗓️ FreeWrites & Coffee, inc.| our 501(c)(3) community nonprofit rolls out in fall 2026!

Welcome to our writers’ community!
FreeWrites & Coffee has been writing together (caffeinated or decaffeinated) twice weekly since 2022, meeting at cafés in Catonsville & Arbutus, Maryland, in Baltimore County.

FreeWrites & Coffee Mission Statement

All are invited — from novice newbies to published pros — to write together with our diverse group on Saturday and Monday mornings, and occasionally at other times and locations. It’s always a different mix. Writing together is free and open. We write on a prompt for 5 minutes, and sharing is optional. In addition to FreeWriting, we also host evening ReWriting sessions with small-group feedback. Then there are the cultural field trips, bird walks, goat walks, open readings, art exhibits, music circles …

FreeWrites on Saturdays
- 9:45-10:45^_am at OCA Mocha Café in Arbutus, near UMBC. 5410 East Dr.

**Images: OCA Mocha Café in Arbutus MD (L) & Atwater’s Café in Catonsville MD (R)**

FreeWrites on Mondays
- 10-11_^am (most Mondays) at Atwater’s Café in Catonsville. 815 Frederick Rd.
- 10-11_^am (1st Mondays of the month) at OCA Mocha Café in Arbutus
  - First Mondays we write with the young folks of My Life Learning Center.

Always check the Freewrites & Coffee Newsletter ☕ for the week’s writing sessions and other news.

The FreeWrites & Coffee Newsletter ☕ is emailed out very week, with current writing opportunities, other notable cultural events in the community, and items of interest to writers in the Catonsville-Arbutus-Ellicott City tri-village cultural corridor.

FreeWrites Community Events

Alert: OCA Mocha in Arbutus is closed thru Sep!

September 2026

Sep 17th | Thu | D.J. Violet & Happy Hour.

_^🔵 8am | Violet’s Radio Show @ www.MoreNoiseRadio.com.

_^🔵 5 ~ 6pm | Atwater’s Catonsville Social Hour / Happy Hour.

Sep 18th-20th | Fri-Sun | Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity.

_^🔵 Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity — a conference of writers in the genres of horror, science fiction & speculative fiction @ the DoubleTree Hilton in Columbia. www.CreaturesCrimesAndCreativity.com

Sep 19th | Sat | Open FreeWrites in Catonsville MD.

_^🔵 10-11am | Meet behind Scoops Ice Cream Shop in Catonsville, next to the bike shop. Just a few doors west of Atwater’s Catonsville.

Sep 21st | Mon | Open FreeWrites @ Atwater’s Catonsville.

_^🔵 10-11am | Open FreeWriting session @ Atwater’s Catonsville. All are invited. Upstairs backroom, no charge, bring a notebook.

Sep 24th | Thu | D.J. Violet & Happy Hour.

_^🔵 8am | Violet’s Radio Show @ www.MoreNoiseRadio.com.

_^🔵 5 ~ 6pm | Atwater’s Catonsville Social Hour / Happy Hour.

Sep 26th | Sat | Open FreeWrites in Catonsville MD.

_^🔵 10-11am | Meet behind Scoops Ice Cream Shop in Catonsville, next to the bike shop. Just a few doors west of Atwater’s Catonsville.

Sep 28th | Mon | Open FreeWrites @ Atwater’s Catonsville.

_^🔵 10-11am | Open FreeWriting session @ Atwater’s Catonsville. All are invited. Upstairs backroom, no charge, bring a notebook.

November 2026

Save the Date! Nov 14th | Sat | Carpool to Glenstone Museum!

_^🔵 FreeWrites annual Fall Field Trip to Glenstone.org — vast nature trails, contemporary sculpture grounds & art museum galleries.
We will carpool from OCA Mocha in Arbutus to Potomac MD at 11:30am, as we did twice in 2025. Check out the museum website. Richard has 30 free tickets, so put in your request now. Military & educators should check out special perks on the website. Families welcome, but sadly no art & nature lovers under 12.

Always check the FreeWrites Newsletter. Please notify Richard of any typos or other issues.

Notice! OCA Mocha in Arbutus is closed for renovations thru Sep 2026!