If your friends have always told you that you should write because your e-mails or letters are so entertaining/witty/well written/interesting, or if you've always said that one day you'd start writing, Writing Time is for you. Or maybe you did write for awhile but then real life got in the way, jobs and family, and you never found your way back to it. Or you’re stuck and you need inspiration to begin writing again.
We’re here to help. We'll get you started writing, whether for the first time or the thousandth time. Writing Time offers inspiration to fire up your creativity, exercises to jumpstart your writing, and guidelines to help you craft your creative writing, whether you're interested in writing an essay, a poem, a short story or a novel. We offer an extensive reading list to give you courage, motivate you, and to inspire you. And we offer a way to connect with other aspiring writers by joining an online writing group.
Here's our commitment to you: After years of dreaming about writing, or feeling stuck and unable to write, or not knowing what to do with your writing, we will get you started on your writing journey. You will write something that has a beginning, middle and an end. You will finish a story or a chapter, an essay or a poem.
You will write.
Hi Barbara! It's Pat Rose, from your amazing UCLA Writers Studio class. I loved your class, and frankly, miss it. What an enriching experience! Real life has a hard time living up to that sometimes! Anyway, my friend is interested in coming wih me to your Wellness Group. I'm wondering when the March class is meeting. Thanks for everything!! Love, Pat
Posted by: Pat Prince Rose | February 20, 2006 at 05:34 PM
Pat - thanks for checking in. The next Wellness Community workshop is in Redondo Beach on April 29th at 9:00 am. There's no March meeting.
Posted by: Barbara | March 14, 2006 at 10:04 AM
Barbara,
Thanks for your commitment to writing and to "us" in the broader community, and especially our wellness writing group.
My conviction is that letting our pens flow, free writing, reveals unimaginable felt-thought senses and when digested -fuller and more lucid living.
My hope is that I and others will see "publishing" through, even if as simple as a letter(s) otherwise left unwritten and unsent.
Ultimately, each of us writes "my book" and we together "our book" whether captured on paper and shared or not.
More to come.
Posted by: Dave Milam | June 09, 2006 at 12:14 PM
Dave - I love that: my book and our book. And thanks for expressing so beautifully what writing does for us.
Posted by: Barbara | June 14, 2006 at 11:22 AM
I am totally inspired by your exercises, energy, verve and enthusiasm. Thank you for sharing them with me, and in turn I share them with our group.
Best wishes Shani
Posted by: Shani Phethean-Hubble | August 13, 2006 at 01:25 AM
Thanks for those kind words! Let me know if your group has any questions or ideas for posts.
Posted by: Barbara | August 16, 2006 at 09:27 AM
This looks like a great place to begin. Will appreciate any hints. Wrote as as a correspondent for our local newspaper, wrote poetry as a child and adult, write all the time, Am writing a memoir. Wrote introduction and compiled chapter on religion for The New Twentieth Century History Of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
Barb Horter (Need help in getting publishing ideas)
Posted by: Barbara Horter | May 26, 2007 at 11:21 PM
Here's a writing contest likely of interest to your readers:
Writing contest: "Things Mother Taught Me"
Theme: "Things Mother Taught Me"
Genre: True short stories, with some poetry accepted.
Prizes: First $500, six more prizes totaling $600
Deadline: December 31, 2007 (tentative)
Details: http://www.familiabooks.com
Contest entries will be published in a book. Half of the profits from the book will be donated to shelters for mothers and children escaping from abusive relationships.
FAMILIA BOOKS • http://www.familiabooks.com • PMB 326 • 1225 E. Sunset Dr. Ste. 145 • Bellingham, WA 98226 • 360-384-1028 • [email protected]
Posted by: Eric Bowen | October 07, 2007 at 03:22 PM
Barbara,
I am so happy to have found you!
I am currently working on my first book manuscript.. and so very excited..
see my blog at www.alifeunrehearsed2.blogspot.com
I've already written well over 25K words and I'm on a roll.. looking forward to getting to know you!
Big hugs,
Bonita Rose
I am a passionate writer, been a writer my whole life.. been blogging since Jan 2006.
Posted by: bonnierose | October 08, 2008 at 07:20 AM
Barbara,
I just discovered your site the other day while I was doing general research on writing. I love your site so far and look forward to reading more. I am VERY green with the whole writing process and am overwhelmed with where and how to start. I am a stay-at-home mom of three wonderful children, but I've always known there was a writer inside of me. I LOVE to write, I just have no real experience in it. I feel like I don't know HOW to write and this is what I'm researching. Where to begin, what to do, how to do it... I know that inside me I have so many stories to tell as I have experienced a great deal in my 36 years. I just need to figure out what to do with it all. I also have a great interest in writing/creating childrens books. So my hope is to find guidance here and would also love to know if you have any suggested sites/reading for me. Thanks and again, I look forward to reading more.
Chrissy
Posted by: Chrissy | January 10, 2009 at 06:31 PM
Barbara and Brooke,
I am a former college president now a foundation officer who became a blogger on the side last year (http://www.100memoirs.com). One thing I hope to do in the next year is collect a group of other writer blogs and promote them on my own site. I love that the two of you are working together, since my son created my website. I would love if you would check out my site, leave a comment, and I will definitely send readers your way.
Posted by: Shirley H. Showalter | April 29, 2009 at 03:21 AM
I have been writing since I was a kid, I wrote stories, and journals and made up magazines to sell to my parents. I loved reading and books all my life. I wrote poetry and prose then. and stopped for whole 10 years. I came back to life, to myself and to writing and I am trying to write a book or a novel. I write so much now, but I have no idea what will come out of it. I have something to share, and I am experimenting with the form in which to share it. I have been reading your book "Courage & Craft". Have not finished it yet, but it is so gentle, friendly and encouraging. I love it.
Posted by: Amina El Karamany | July 04, 2009 at 03:10 PM
Hello. I am new to your site and wish to contribute. Are the writing exersizes meant to warm up the artistic brain, or are they submittable for your opinions and suggestions? My blog is new, and expresses opinions and viewpoints formulated from a news event or personal experience. I know in my heart this is the site for me. I look forward to further connections. Thank you.
Posted by: A Kassner | July 10, 2009 at 12:30 AM
Barbara, I've just recently found your site and can't wait to read everything. I look forward to learning all I can. I guess I haven't found where or how to sign up for the online writing group. I'm still trying to find my way around. How do I join?
Posted by: D.R. Brown | August 27, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Hi Everybody - Forgive my silence about your comments -but I haven't checked into this part of the blog for a couple of years! The best place to leave a comment is under the current post. I check those every week - Thanks so much for your interest in this blog.
Posted by: Barbara | November 04, 2009 at 07:13 PM