I’ve had a couple of requests from blog readers to let them know about how the Fearless Writing Workshops are going. (I wrote a blog post about it a few weeks ago.) And I’ve even had an “Are you okay?” email from my writing friend John, a reader and faithful blog commenter, who noticed I haven’t been online or emailing as much. To answer your question, John, I’m fine, thanks so much for asking! In typical fashion, whenever I take on something new I drop out of sight for a while as I create whatever it is I’m working on, whether it’s a novel, class or a workshop.

My back porch. © R.K. Young

I’m happy to report that the current workshops I’m leading here in my home in the mountains of North Carolina are going great. The colder weather has moved us from the back porch into the living room, but I love having a room full of women writing. Some of them have been keeping journals since they were girls, others started later in life and want to write their memoirs. Still others have written a novel and different stories but are hesitant to show them to the world. ALL of them have great stories to tell in one form or another.

In the span of two hours, I offer three different writing prompts. For those of you that don’t know, writing prompts are short writing exercises where writers are given a suggested topic or storyline and they are given a certain amount of time to write about it. Writing prompts are great for writers who don’t always know what to write about or are in need of some new inspiration.

For instance, this is one of the longer writing prompts I used the first week:

Write about your mother’s kitchen. Include lots of sensory details as you remember this room: sights, smells, sounds, and textures, tastes you remember, the look of it and feel of it. Where was the kitchen located in the house? What purpose did it serve in the family? Did it have other purposes other than meals? Set the details in a certain time, when you were ten, for example, or when you were a teenager or a young child. Perhaps write about a time when something significant happened in this kitchen. Let your imagination go. Notice who shows up, if anyone. (You can also write about a fictional kitchen of a fictional character. Anything goes!)

After those who wanted to share what they’d written had shared, I talked about the importance of sensory details in good writing, so these women not only get to be creative and write, but they also get mini-lessons on how to develop their craft.

In the first hour we typically do two shorter prompts of 10 minutes each, followed by sharing (anyone who wants to can share, but they can always opt out) followed by a writing tip.

We take a short 5 minute break after an hour to pass out chocolate (received like a sacrament!) and then we do a longer writing prompt of 20 minutes, share again, followed by another writing tip and Q & A when they can ask me writing related questions.

The surprises or things I’d forgotten about running groups:

• how supportive women are to each other once a safe place is established
• how quickly they bond, how vulnerable they are willing to be
• I love watching them walk up my driveway afterwards talking and being so engaged with each other. I like knowing I had something to do with creating that.
• It also reminds me of how much courage it truly takes to write the truth about whatever you’re writing about and how commendable it is when people show up and are brave.
• I am also remembering how much I enjoy leading groups like this. It comes naturally after years of experience, although I’ve put in lots of planning and thinking up prompts that I hope will be meaningful to this group and to writers in general.

The result: I’ve had two women in the group tell me that they look forward to the group all week and I’ve also had another woman tell me that it’s the best $149 she has ever spent in her life! Not to mention, I also get huge hugs at the door when they leave. What could be better than that?

This Friday will be our 4^th Friday and after this 6 week workshop is over I plan to do two more groups starting in January. I’ll offer Fridays again (some of these same women may opt to return since the prompts and writing tips are always changing). Also I’ll add a Saturday morning group, since I had so many women who have commitments during the week ask if I’d consider doing one then.

I may also do an online version via video conferencing, on Tuesdays from 1 – 3 pm eastern.  Let me know if you have an interest in this. Same great format, but the hugs and chocolate will have to be virtual.

If you haven’t seen me online as much this is why. I’m busy creating more experiences that I love and moving through my own fearlessness as I share my work with the world.

And, yes, I am also working on my next book!

Thoughts? Comments? As always, I’d love to hear from you. xo

www.susangabriel.com