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Offerings
What does your writing life need?
Maybe there's a way we can walk this path together.
As a socially awkward kid, words filled the books on my bedside table. The characters I was drawn to were strong and self-assured, but with inner struggles of their own.
Words also filled my head--and not always in productive ways.
Maybe you're familiar with these words, and the characters who speak them: the inner critic, the self-directed judge, the disparager.
Meanwhile, I desperately wanted to write. I hit every young author's conference I could. In high school, I rebelled and wrote poems. They were terrible. Not in terms of whether they were any "good," but how honest I allowed myself to be.
In college, I studied writing at Naropa Institute's "Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsburg School of Disembodied Poetics" in Boulder, Colorado. (That's meant to induce a chuckle.) While I worked hard to perfect the craft--the skill of writing--I still struggled to find my voice. I did, however, discover meditation and, years later, books like Wild Mind and Writing Down the Bones, which introduced me to the concept of writing as a practice, as meditation, as ritual, as a means of letting my inner voice fly. This wasn't the heady, self-deprecating voice of my youth. It was my soul's voice. My honest voice. Beautifully imperfect, and itching to break free.
Most importantly, I discovered that I could learn from my writing--about myself, about authenticity, about the impact of my own words. I learned that everyone has something interesting to say--even me--and that succeeding as a writer isn't necessarily about getting published, or producing "good writing" by anyone else's terms.
It's about the act of writing itself. About what it does for us.
Maybe this resonates with you. Or maybe you write for other, equally magical reasons.
So then, what does your writing life need?
The answer will look different on everyone, but here's what I provide:
Writing Circles
I host in-person and virtual writing groups that incorporate aspects of ritual, meditation and reflection as a means of "dropping in" to our creative selves and unearthing our authentic voice. Circles include individual and collaborative freewriting exercises in a safe space where we can share with one another the magic that breaks free.
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Current and upcoming circles are posted here.
One-on-one Writing Guidance
I also provide personalized guidance to help you explore your creative voice on a deeper, more individual level. This might include tailored writing prompts, daily or weekly check-ins, book recommendations, honest feedback (when desired), a sounding board for your words, or other support for your writing-life needs. I refer to this role as a "writing doula," because writing is an act of birthing and sometimes we just need someone to stand alongside us as we test our courage and let our creative potential unfurl.
Both of these options are on a pay-what-you-can basis.
If either sparks your interest, drop me a line.
Creative inspiration
At rootwords_writing life on Instagram, I share a general smattering of written and spoken words to help people (including myself) connect with their own authentic voice. This includes examples of my own writing in both polished and raw form.
These offerings will evolve as I do.
Language Services
As for my editing and translation work, I do more than just markup texts or swap out Spanish for English words; I strive to provide my clients with an insightful perspective on their writing, offer constructive encouragement, suggest tailored resources that match their writing needs, and help polish their content so it reads with a clarion ring.
If this is what you're after, find more here.
