I don’t know about you, but the idea of paying a monthly fee to have someplace quiet to go for the purposes of writing seems a bit, I don’t know, STUPID. Paragraph is a self-proclaimed “workspace for writers” that offers writers “an affordable and tranquil working environment” in NYC. Rates are based upon membership level, with two different memberships offered (Full time and Part time), and will cost you $702 and $480 semi-annually, respectively.
I have several problems with this so here we go in no particular order:
1. If you live in NYC, can you really, seriously afford to pay this fee for a place to go and write?
2. If you are a writer in NYC, do you really have this much “extra” money lying around ($117 or 80) a month to blow on such an extravagance? Wouldn’t putting that money to something more useful (I don’t know, say self-promotion, a writing class…) be a better use of funds?
3. What happened to going to the library? For God’s sake, if you live in NY, there are only a million libraries everywhere you look. They all provide some semblance of a quiet area and better still they are free courtesy of all those pesky tax dollars we pay!
What do you think about this? Is this a good idea for the AVERAGE freelance writer (presumably struggling to make ends meet in NY no less)?
UPDATE: courtesy of Gawker, check out these “rules” for Paragraph
From: “Paragraph”
Date: June 30, 2008 1:01:37 PM PDT
To: Subject: Rules: Reminders & AdditionALL MEMBERS KINDLY TAKE HEED
Because we have been getting a good number of complaints, we’d like to remind everyone of the following rules:
*Cell phones should not ring or buzz in the writing space.
*Do not answer your phone as you’re leaving the writing space. (Dashing for the door in order to answer your phone is an additional disturbance.)
*Do not talk on your cell phone in the hall; your voice carries into the writing space.
*The café area is for eating, taking calls (under ten minutes), checking email, and *quiet* interaction. The cafe area is not for conducting business.
*Noise from the café carries into the writing space, so please keep your voice down.
*No eating is allowed in the writing space. Food attracts mice, and bags, candy wrappers and chewing make noise.
*While in the writing space, mute your computer before you turn it on, and while in use.
*When entering, leaving, and working in the writing space, please be as quiet as possible. Dropping bags and books onto desks, tapping pencils, getting up and down frequently to answer phone calls, and the like should be avoided.
A new rule:
*Newspapers should not be read in the writing space. They make too much noise.
A suggestion:
*If you’re wearing heavy or hard-soled shoes, please bring slippers to wear in the writing space.
Thank you for helping to make Paragraph a peaceful place to work.
3 comments
Comments feed for this article
July 18, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Stonewriter
This is one of those great ideas that rank right up there with the electric hairbrush or, why drill for our own oil, let’s buy it from our enemies, because they’re so much better at taking care of the environment than we are. But it only comes in second to the flatulence powered pipe organ or electing either Obama or McCain to the most powerful office in the world. I wonder if there’s a ‘None Of The Above’ icon on those new electronic voting machines.
July 18, 2008 at 6:31 pm
yogisamantha
I have to say, I disagree with you. Actually, I think it is pretty affordable especially if you think that you might be more productive at that place then at home or in a coffee shop. Plenty of full time professional writers make some pretty good money especially in NYC.
July 18, 2008 at 6:42 pm
blueeyegirl
Sam,
I can see your side of things (though I still can’t absorb the concept of shelling out $1400/yr when the library is free!), but take a peek at this place’s absurd “rules”:
-no reading newspaper in the writing area (noise)
- the cafe area is super-strict with enforcing “quiet” interaction (WTF is that?)
- no wearing shoes that make noise (slippers are encouraged).
A bit too many rules for me to buy into.
-L.