Introducing Care for Writers: The Workshop
And opportunities to work with me 1-1 this spring
I was in Los Angeles over the weekend for the big annual writer’s conference I’ve been going to since I started my MFA fifteen years ago. At this point in my career, I have become rather jaded and grouchy about the florescent lighting and artificial networking vibes of these events, not to mention the economics and politics of these conferences, but it turned out to be a delightful time spent in my hometown.
Each year, the conference gets a little better as I learn how to navigate it, and not only by caring for my body, but for the relationships that matter most to me. I spend less time at big formal events and more time at intimate, informal gatherings; more time talking with former students and colleagues, friends near and far, old and new. This year, readers sought me out to tell me how much Touched Out meant to them. It was all a timely reminder of the power of art to illuminate hidden worlds and to connect and really, deeply move people.
In the weeks leading up to this trip, I was feeling pretty creatively drained. The pace and pain of the current political and economic climate is not only pulling us in so many directions, it feels so dark out it can be hard to get a handle on what will connect or move or illuminate, on what we need. And yet, it’s more important than ever for us to not only remain engaged, activated, and non-compliant, but to make art that nourishes our souls, our communities, our refusals, our lived realities, and other potential futures.
Which is why I’ve been working on something for us that I’m so excited to share…
Introducing Care for Writers: The Workshop
Writers need care, too. In a world that actively blocks us from our work, paints us as mad, and expects us to endure harassment and abuse when we tell the truth, we need ongoing support and constant reminders about the importance of creative practice, art, criticism, and stories that unsettle.
Care for Writers: The Workshop emerged from years of class-based and one-on-one work with writers who are also mothers, parents, caregivers, workers, activists; writers who are moving through or sitting close to the aftermath of significant life changes like burnout, grief, divorce, new parenthood, leaving a career, or midlife awakenings; those simply living through this time of ongoing crisis or struggling with the realities of having a body; writers who are hungry for inspiration, prompts, feedback, community, and support.
So many of these writers, I have found over the years, have similar questions: What does it look like to be a writer today? Where does my voice fit in and does what I have to say even matter? How do I develop a committed writing practice or get back to a practice I have lost? How do I balance writing with the rest of my life and commitments? Is my work even good enough to try? Maybe most importantly, how do I connect with other writers asking similar questions?
At the heart of such questions is a deep need to care for and reconnect with the creative self, but also everyday challenges related to the forces that actively seek to oppress and repress our work.
So, this spring, I’m offering two cohorts of Care for Writers: The Workshop, a class designed for those looking to creatively recover or rediscover their work, connect with a literary community and/or make writing more central in their life. It’s as much for writers who are finally ready to start/complete/deepen a project, as it is for those feeling total doubt and depletion given the exceptional chaos that surrounds us.
Each cohort is limited to 12 committed, supportive writers. This six-week workshop will include generative writing sessions with optional take-home prompts to help you find new ways into your process and your voice, guided discussion of the writing life and your purpose and place in the vast literary landscape, practical tips for balancing publishing and economic concerns with craft growth, and nourishing, writer-centered workshops.
Together, we will recommit to our writing as a practice of resistance and collective possibility and forge new routines and intentions around our work, while acknowledging the practical, everyday, real-life concerns of each writer’s unique life.
This class is open to writers at all stages in all genres, and is perfect for both new and returning students. The only requirement for enrollment is a commitment to your creative practice, your fellow writers, and yourself.
Each writer will also have the opportunity to get feedback from Amanda and their cohort on up to 5 pages of writing. Reading will not exceed 20 pages per week total to give everyone in the workshop time to write and rest between classes, and discussions of work submitted will be holistic and generative, rather than prescriptive, corrective, or purely productivity-oriented.
The point of this class is to meet everyone where they are and to think comprehensively about our writing lives. Workshop submissions are optional but encouraged, and if you don’t have a big chunk of finished work, you should not be deterred. I encourage writers to submit whatever might be helpful for them to discuss or brainstorm with the group, however embryonic or messy the work may be.
You could submit a draft of an essay, a few essay ideas/pitches for freelance work, even just essay headlines you’d like to discuss with the group. Or, you might submit a rough sketch of an emergent book idea, a query letter, a few pages you want us to use to initiate a conversation about who you are as a writer or where you might start thinking about publishing your work, a website or newsletter description, and so on.
Some writers won’t be working on anything “big”; some might be. But we will all be there to support each other and think big about our writing practices and intentions in emotionally and economically sustainable ways, and to talk through practical strategies for committing to the work no matter how many other forms of work or care you’re juggling.
The Workshop starts April 25 and will run for six weeks. Both cohorts meet on Fridays.
We have a morning cohort (starts at 9:30am PT/12:30 ET) and a midday cohort (starts at noon PT/3pm ET). Each class is 90 minutes.
Read more here. Both cohorts are already filling fast, and each group is limited to just 12 writers, so grab your spot before the workshops fill up.
*If you need to drop in and out of class sessions for care work, other work, or to care for yourself, that’s of course okay, provided you remain generally committed to community. Classes will be recorded in case you need to miss a session, but will be deleted after the 6 week class for privacy.
If there is demand for an evening cohort, or for other days/times, please let me know in the comments. I may not be able to accommodate this spring, but I’ll keep your requests in mind for future sessions of the class.
Need extra care?
I am also offering an extra hour of care to anyone enrolled in the workshop at a discounted hourly rate. This additional 1-1 hour with me is for those who may want extra feedback or guidance. Please be sure to sign up for this option separately if interested— and please note that this 1-1 time is only available to writers enrolled in the spring Care for Writers workshop.
*This hour can be split into two half-hour sessions spread throughout the course. Simply email me after enrolling to set this up.
Work with just me
If you’d like to work with me one-on-one but don’t want to take the workshop this spring for any reason, I have a very limited number of spots available for writers seeking mentoring, book coaching, and manuscript editing (full or partial) this spring.
(I may also open up a few spots for the summer months later in the year—priority for those spots will go to writers who take the spring workshop, and those in the Mad Woman Writing Group.)
Once you check out how I work with writers, you can sign up for a free chat with me to see if we’re a fit:
One more offering: An essay revision workshop
This Friday, I’m also teaching a 1-day online workshop on essay revision for Write or Die, called Detangling the Braid: Revising Essays with Multiple Arcs. It will run 10am-1pm PT/ 1pm-4pm ET. Register here.
Paid subscribers to Mad Woman get a $30 discount on any of the above (except the Write or Die workshop). Your discount code is behind the paywall below.
(Writing Group members get $50 off and can access their code here.)
Below is the discount code for paid subscribers, which can be used for the Care for Writers workshop, extra care, or any one-on-one work with me: