Chapter One Workshop

Open to all women, writers or not, at any level, to experience the nourishing power of putting pen to page. You will learn how writing, in any form, can provide a refuge and an anchor in your life. You will feel how empowering it is to gather in an intimate setting with other women and share stories. As Clarissa Pinkola Estés says, “I hope you will go out and let stories, that is life, happen to you, and that you will work with these stories… water them with your blood and tears and your laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom.”

What to Expect

Fear not. Our focus IS NOT crafting perfect sentences or creating spellbinding paragraphs. Some of your workshop-mates may be sharing their writing for the first time, or they may be returning to the page after a long break. I ask that you allow yourself to create what Anne Lamott calls “shitty first drafts.”

And I ask that you be okay sharing these shitty first drafts.

We are often paralyzed with fear imagining others reading what we consider imperfect. But I think imperfect is good. Imperfect means you are trying. YOU ARE TRYING. You are not doing the dishes or watching TV or taking a nap. I believe if we let ourselves be imperfect we allow ourselves to be more vulnerable in our work which makes better work. Plus, perfection is boring.

Something else to know: I will ask at the beginning of the workshop that you do not share your job in your introduction. This eliminates prejudgments and facilitates a non-competitive environment. I will also ask that you do not discuss with others what happened in the workshop. Deep stuff comes up. You might cry. Others might cry. The space we create is a locked box. There is no judgment. Beginning writers can learn from those more seasoned and those more seasoned can tap into the rawness they first experienced when they put pen to page.

For more information or to begin the enrollment process, please fill out the form below. Theodosia Sparks Partial Scholarships available for financial hardship, for all workshops and retreats. Please indicate your interest for details on how to apply.