West Virginia

Writers seeking a place to write in West Virginia find a short list shaped by the Alleghenies: small towns, long ridges, and distance from the nearest city. The state suits writers who want a stretch of uninterrupted work rather than a conference schedule, and the listings here reflect that.

A Reason to Write is the listing filed under West Virginia, and it stands apart from the retreats of California, Texas, Florida and New York by setting: this is mountain country, and the writing that comes out of it tends to be quiet, local and unhurried. Pennsylvania and North Carolina share the Appalachians, but West Virginia keeps the smallest footprint of the group, which means fewer listings and less competition for a place at the desk.