The Flow—

You want to write.

You want to love it.

Today, you will.

“I live for these afternoons. Your workshops are rooms of one’s own–with adjoining doors. Brava!” (Adrienne W., perfumer)

“I’ve been in Chivas’ Write Like a River workshops for over ten years and I like her new format, The Flow. It allows for much more writing time with small breaks to spend as you choose–dancing to her lively musical choices, going outside, keep writing, grab some tea, etc.–than dive back into your writing refreshed.” (Nora Jamieson, LPC, Soul Work for Women)

Women’s Writing Workshops (on Zoom)

Fall 2024: 10-Week Series 

Thursdays 1-4 pm EST, October 3-December 12 (no workshop on Thanksgiving)

1 opening available

The Flow provides essential connection, strong medicine, & sanctuary for your writing. Jumpstart or reboot your writing in a supportive circle of women. Discover & generate new material. Make progress on an ongoing project.

Expect a brief embodied meditation, intriguing prompts, an hour & ten minutes of writing time (if not more), plenty of short breaks with music (with the option to stretch or dance), & time to read your writing aloud & receive helpful, inspiring feedback. 

The Flow is appropriate for everyone—from beginner to author—& all genres. Whether you’re working on a project or writing from prompts, this practice supports you wherever you are in the writing process—writing fresh pages, developing, revising, etc.

We write for an hour & ten minutes in “pomodoros”—25-minute writing cycles followed by 5-minute breaks to stretch, get a cup of tea, dance, etc. The only “rule” is that you stand up for a few minutes. While this may seem counterintuitive, sitting is hard on the body & standing/walking, even briefly, restores our energy & clarity. Of course, you always have the option to ignore the breaks, turn your video/sound off, & keep writing. Break music is from my crowdsourced playlist of songs that make my friends have to get up & move—or at least stretch or sway!

At the end of 3 writing cycles, participants read excerpts & then offer each other brief supportive feedback. We respond with what speaks to us, what stays with us, what moves us—and not, at this stage (& without seeing it on the page) with suggestions.

The Flow is especially helpful for writer’s block, starting and making progress on a challenging project, evicting harsh editors/critics living in our heads, and for those who want to move through resistance and heal their relationship with writing.

Participants have published in The Sun, Ms. Magazine, Hartford Courant, Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Journal of Farmington History, Naugatuck River Review, The Women’s Times, Dark Matter: Women Witnessing, and Adanna Literary Journal, among others. 

Fee: $450 for the series of 10 workshops.

To register: Space is limited. To reserve a spot, pay in full for the series. Installment plans are available. Email writelikeariver@gmail.com for payment info.

Since 2006, poet and writer Chivas Sandage has taught women’s writing workshops in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, and Texas. As an Assistant Professor at Westfield State University, she taught Composition, World Literature, and Contemporary Cross-Cultural Literature. She earned an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA from Bennington College. Connecticut Center for the Book at the Connecticut Humanities Council awarded a planning grant for a writing program she designed. The Northampton Arts Council, supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, has awarded artist grants for her writing, teaching, and performance work. An editor, writing coach, tutor, and consultant, she works with students, businesses, and independent writers. For info about her publications and awards: https://www.csandage.com

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