Get Your Writing Project Going

Writing is magic and deserves the reverence and dignity we give to such things. Writing is also a personal discipline, not a competition, and it is much more than a means of gaining fame and recognition.

This workshop will be devoted to going deeper with our writing, to become better observers, better critical thinkers, and ultimately more balanced people. We can use writing to save our own lives and the lives of others. This is important work.

In this small group, Nick will share ideas on how to find inspiration and work with the students on how to develop a kernel of an idea into a deeper piece of writing. He will give prompts to generate personal stories, and help the students find what is special and worth building on. This process will be focused on what is most important to the student, what they love in the world, and what they are frustrated with.

In human societies, written language has in many ways replaced a direct communication with our environment. This has led to us being more isolated, more selfish, less connected with other living creatures around us. To be a writer, therefore, carries a great responsibility: we need to honor all the life around us, be reverent, and be joyful in our depictions.

Nick holds this reverent space in his workshops. Students are encouraged to go deeper, find vulnerable areas, and be as honest as they can. The focus is on moving forward with writing, getting rid of the stories we tell ourselves about how we have nothing to say, or how the things we feel are not important. Nick gives time for listening and for reflection.

As Isaac Newton wrote, "If I have made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient observation than to any other reason."

Writing is for everyone, and the first step is showing up, to signal to the world that you want to be a conductor for good.