Wild Writing Group
The deets.
Who.
Anyone wanting to write and unleash their creativity, discover your voice, write more, and be more present in your life and the world around you.
What.
This generative writing practice uses poetry as our entry point to let go of our inner critic and write our lives. This small group offers a space to explore, be vulnerable, and form deep connections to the natural world, others in the group, and ourselves.
This group is a safe, supportive environment to share a simple writing practice that becomes so much more powerful when shared with other writers.
When.
In-person: Eight Tuesdays from 5pm-6:30pm starting Feb. 4 (no class Feb. 18).
Zoom: TBD. Email alison@cascadeendurance.com if you’re interested.
Where.
In-person group meets at the CE Fly Shop in Mazama (old Goat’s Beard building) behind the Mazama store courtyard.
Zoom group meets anywhere you are!
How it works.
The following structure ensures everyone knows what to expect and creates a supportive environment for everyone to write freely:
Over the course of each class we work with three poems to launch into our writing.
I read a poem aloud, letting you relax and your mind to drift, then offer a couple of jump-off lines from the poem, and one additional prompt to choose from.
We write for 10-15 min with a pen and paper, pen never leaving the page, writing whatever comes to mind as quickly as possible. If we get stuck, we return to the jump off lines. After, we take turns reading our work. When it’s our turn, we simply read what we’ve written without preamble, knowing we’re all putting ourselves out there and it could be gibberish.
As listeners, we don’t judge and don’t ever share anything about anyone’s work without permission after class. We silently thank each writer in turn, take a deep breath, and start another poem. We don’t mention each other’s work and if we want to comfort or relate to anyone’s writing, we ask permission and the writer can say yes or no. Simply listening frees the writer to write freely without needing to explain or update anyone. Our writing and connection to the human condition becomes richer when we share our stories without expectations or needing anything in return.
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If you are interested in writing, this group is for you. The goal of this practice is to explore our lives on the page in a safe, supportive environment.
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Good writing comes from honesty and this group helps your inner voice find a way onto the page. We don’t offer any feedback, but rather listen deeply and allow you, the writer, the space to see what happens when you let go of the inner critic and let your words flow onto the page. Often these sessions become the first draft of essays, stories, or poems. You’re welcome to refine and expand on them on your own. Many writers are surprised at the beauty that comes from letting go of what they think they “should” do or write about and allow their true voice to shine through.
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In addition to the ground rules we all agree to, we all will be modelling and practicing the power of vulnerability and trust, especially in a small community. Imagine a world where people from different backgrounds or perhaps even more radical, people you think you know very well, trust you to see their full selves: magic.
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We use lines from poetry as our prompts and write away, for a set period of time, then take turns reading what we wrote, without comments or talking. Rather, we simply listen, acknowledge, and move on to the next person. We find that using poetry offers a new access point to our life’s stories, and reading our writing connects us to the work and the human experience in a beautiful way.
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We know that much of training is mental, and another big part of it is the practice of doing the work, day after day. This practice is another form of that, which strengthens the muscle of being bored but continuing on, showing up for yourself, and being more present. Whether you want this practice to help your training or not, you’ll find new insight into the relationship you have with your surroundings, other people in your life, and yourself.