Website Design – Summer 2007
Portland
Women Writers and Portland Writers workshops are based on the Amherst Writers and Artists method.
In workshops, the leader provides writing prompts to inspire the
imagination and encourage experimentation with different styles and
genres. However, participants are always free to ignore a prompt and
write whatever they choose. After writing for a specified period of
time (usually between 5 and 25 minutes), we read out loud (always
optional), and give each other feedback.
The
group responds to this brand new writing by saying what we like and
what we remember. By focusing on what's working in our writing, we
build on our strengths and allow what's not working to naturally
fall away. All writing in the workshop is assumed to be fictional, to
protect the safety of each writer and to keep us focused on the
writing.
Current schedule
Weekly practice workshops meet for two and a half
hours once a week, over a period of five to ten weeks. To foster an
intimate group setting, workshops are limited to eight to ten participants.
Focus Workshops are weekly or one day workshops that have a specialized theme. The prompts are meant to fine-tune your focus on a specific aspect your writer, emotional, and spiritual self, be it grief, father-daughter, birth story, or your college application essay.
Fiction and manuscript focus workshops allow you to move deeper into your writing practice, be you novice or well-serviced. They will allow you to explore your practice with others as you write to challenging prompts, shake out manuscripts that feel stuck, and give and receive feedback with fellow writers.
Weekend retreats offer the opportunity to
sink more deeply into the writing process. The combination of being
surrounded by natural beauty, separating from the demands of everyday
life, and writing for extended periods can take writers into new and
surprising creative territory and provide inspiration for the months
ahead.
To receive announcements about upcoming workshops and events, contact events@pdxwomenwriters.com