Ongoing Weekly Workshops in Santa Cruz

Tuesdays, 6-9:00 pm
Writing Workshop for Women and Men (poetry, fiction, non-fiction)

Wednesdays, 1-4:00 pm
Poetry Workshop for Women

Thursdays, 3-6:00 pm
Writing Workshop for Women (all genres, but emphasis on fiction and non-fiction)

Comments from Students

"There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action. And because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium, and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open."
    -Martha Grahm

These workshops are an inspiring environment in which to share our lives and work, our support, our creativity. They are open to both beginning and experienced writers and to writers working in all genres, including poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and journal writing.

Basically, we'll write and share our writing. I'll give suggestions of ways to get started, topics to explore, approaches you might take. You may follow these, or you are always free to do what you choose. We'll read what we've written and hear responses, learning what our words touch in others' lives. We'll help each other to become clearer, go deeper, express our feelings and ideas more powerfully. We'll learn more of the craft of writing, revision, the search for fresh and resonant language. And we'll help each other through creative blocks.

These groups are a supportive space in which we can work to trust our perceptions, discover our truths, gain the skills to communicate these clearly, and build the courage to do so.

These groups are for people who see writing as a personal means of self-exploration, as well as for those who are interested in writing as an art or career. I will help to provide opportunities to read publicly and to publish for those who want to. There is no pressure to write a certain way or a certain amount. Rather there is a genuinely supportive atmosphere that makes it easier to find what you really want to do and to do it.

The class is $280 for the first seven weeks.

"To work closely with Ellen Bass is to know the full measure of her wisdom, insight and compassion."
    - Maude Meehan — poet, Washing the Stones