You want to write about your life, your experiences and your thoughts. Or maybe you yearn to be a fiction writer or a poet. You buy a beautiful journal and a fancy pen, or software that allows you to write without distraction. But the journal stays closed because you are afraid to mess it up. The pen stays capped so you don’t waste the ink. The software is lurking in the background, waiting to be used.

This is the inner critic at play. Tapping you on the shoulder, whispering in your ear whenever you feel the urge to write, saying, "You have nothing worthy to say. Who do you think you are? You can’t write. Nobody cares what you have to say.”

I’m here to tell you that the journal is yearning for your words. The pen is aching to be used. The software is just waiting to be fired up. And that inner critic knows you will be coming around soon, so tell that voice to simmer down.

Let’s do this together. In Write Your Story 101, we focus on getting the notebook open (the cheaper, the better, so you won’t feel the need to save the precious pages of your early drafts!), the pen to the page, and the laptop open for quick writes, deeper dives, and messy drafts.

We use a process designed to open the channels of creativity, allowing your musings to flow onto the page. After a brief meditation, we write to prompts, including quick writes and longer stretches. Then we share our work out loud with the group. The power of hearing your own voice read your words will astound you. Hearing others' reactions to those words takes it even higher. The art of listening to yourself and others is key as we pay attention to specific words, phrases, thoughts, and emotions to see how they play out in the essays. We offer feedback that focuses on what we loved: the turn of a phrase, the rhyme, the alliteration, and the emotion expressed.

Join me for a four-week class designed to help you get started. No fear. Just fun! Get started and see where the process takes you.

Cost: $348. Venmo @susan-weis-bohlen (last four of cell are 2096); Zelle 4109792096; paypal: susanweisbohlen@gmail.com using send friends money option.

Email me at susan@susanweisbohlen.com to save you space.

Class limited to 8 people to ensure enough time for all to share and comment. The class includes a 20-minute phone call with me to help you find your direction and hone your craft.

All classes will be recorded and provided to you to refer back to. If you prefer your reading not to be recorded, we can pause. Sharing your work is always optional.