The Writer's Journey: Weekly & 1-Day Workshops for New and Established Writers

Ongoing Writing Practice Class:

Wednesdays, 9:30 AM-12:30

Pacific Cultural Center, Santa Cruz

This ongoing class is for students who want to use writing as a way to express themselves, explore their deepening creativity, grow as human beings and as writers, and strengthen their relationship with their own unique writing voice. Drop-ins are not allowed because they interfere with the intimacy and trust essential to a successful writing group.

The Wednesday morning class is not a critique group in which we polish finished pieces. Rather, it is a workshop in which we use class time to create new material. We alternate periods of writing with learning to listen to each other—not from a place of judgment or analysis—but from a place of focused attention and deep acceptance.

The Writer’s Journey is rooted in writing practice, as developed by Natalie Goldberg in her classic books, Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind, and is enhanced by my sixteen years as a successful author, book doctor, group facilitator, and writing coach.

When I first met Laura Davis, I was still a fledgling writer. I knew how to tell a story, but I had a difficult time connecting with my work emotionally. After a week of writing practice with Laura and Natalie Goldberg, my work deepened far beyond anything I ever expected. Since that time, I’ve continued to work with Laura. Her teaching style is open and inspirational. She’s been instrumental in helping me bring my characters to life. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to improve their writing and deepen their emotional connection with their work.

--Larry Snow, currently completing a novel, A Nearling’s Story

The writing practice class can help you:

• Discover the deep essence of writing
• Explore the unique nature of your own voice
• Develop a writing practice that frees your creativity and connects you to your wild mind
• Use original detail and first thoughts to make your writing come alive
• Take greater risks in your writing
• Overcome writer’s block and the fear that you don’t have what it takes to write
• Use the transformative power of writing to move through life’s challenges
• Become part of a supportive community of peers that is committed to writing and listening together

During our weekly sessions, we'll write together and share our writing. I bring writing suggestions, prompts, excerpts from great literature, guided meditations and other exercises designed to keep the channel from your heart to your head to your pen open. If I give a suggestion and it doesn’t resonate with you, you are free to ignore it and write about whatever you choose. And it’s also fine to attend if you have subject matter you’re already exploring.

This class is appropriate for people who write to know themselves better, who have stories they want to tell, or who want to use writing as a daily discipline or practice. Both aspiring and published writers benefit from the honesty and intimacy of our meetings. Many choose to continue well beyond their first session.

What is most compelling to me about Laura’s work is the wonderful balance she conveys, both in person and in her writing, between being both a teacher and an active, ongoing learner. She is completely credible as she shares both her own and others’ stories for the benefit of mutual learning. This is a relief from the more ‘expert’ point of view, which has a way of making me feel small and disengaged.

--Kerry Messer, workshop participant, Oakland, California

Students make an ongoing commitment to these classes, paying $500.00 for eight weeks of classes. Ongoing writing practice classes meet for three hours per week, usually from September through May or June. Students are expected to give a month's notice before leaving the group.