The Coffee Shop
Around the corner from Twitter headquarters in SoMa and just a minute’s walk to Wired is Epicenter Café, where there are as many outlets as there are freelancers plugging away on laptops. The beer and wine selection don’t hurt either. 764 Harrison St., epicentercafe.com

The Salon
Authors and poets test out new material at the Makeout Room’s Writers with Drinks, a spoken-word variety show that takes place the second Saturday of every month. 3225 22nd St., makeoutroom.com
The Bar
On any given night, you’ll see writers like Irvine Welsh parked at the bar next to the skinny jeans crowd at Edinburgh Castle Pub, which also hosts readings. 950 Geary St., castlenews.com

The Gathering
The first week of October is all about Litquake, and this last one—a series of panels, readings, and films with more than 550 authors including Joyce Maynard and Jonathan Lethem—marked its 11th year and counting. litquake.org

The School
Dave Eggers’ 826 Valencia holds monthly workshops and fundraisers for aspiring adult writers. All proceeds go to the nonprofit’s afterschool tutoring and young authors programs. 826 Valencia St., 826valencia.org

The Office
The Writer’s Grotto is a workspace for self-employed authors, journalists, filmmakers, poets, and critics in a community that aims to nurture productivity. 490 Second St., sfgrotto.org