THE FLOW—

It’s a writing workshop.
It’s a dance party
(or you can make tea).
It’s a community, a literary zine,
& a revolution.

“The most subversive thing a woman can do is talk about her life as if it really matters.” (Mona Eltahawy).

THE FLOW:
Women’s Writing Workshops
(on Zoom)

All LEVELS: Wednesdays, 2-5 pm EST, starts October 1

$350 for the fall series of 10 workshops

• October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
• November 5, 12, 19 (no workshop on 26)
• December 3, 10

ADVANCED: Thursdays, 1-4 pm EST, starts October 2

$450 for the fall series of 10 workshops

• October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
• November 6, 13, 20 (no workshop on 27)
• December 4, 11

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.

This summer, we launched SUB ROSA: A Journal of Women’s Literature & Art. This fall, we will continue publishing work that we wrote and edited in the summer!

Expect a brief embodied meditation, intriguing prompts, at least an hour & fifteen minutes of writing time, plenty of short breaks with music (dance with me, or make tea, or stretch, etc) & 4 minutes to read an excerpt of your writing aloud as part of a group reading. Then we take a minute to write our last comments in the chat. (In the Thursday workshop, each woman has 15 minutes to read and receive verbal feedback as part of a group discussion.)

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

We write for an hour & fifteen minutes in “pomodoros”—25-minute writing cycles followed by 5-minute breaks to dance, stretch, get a cup of tea, go outside, 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 & sway!

At the end of 3 writing cycles, participants read brief excerpts (4 minutes each) in our group reading. We respond with quick comments in the chat about what speaks to us, stays with us, moves us—and not, at this stage (& without seeing it on the page) with suggestions or questions. Copies of the chat are sent to all participants immediately after the workshop. (Again, in the Thursday workshop, each woman has 15 minutes to read and receive verbal feedback during a group discussion.)

REVISION WORKSHOP

We devote the last half hour of each session to discussion of one participant’s work in progress—something you typed up, revised, and want balanced, helpful feedback on before writing the next draft. Unlike the rest of the workshop, this is a manuscript critique that participants sign up for, and feedback focuses on what is strong and what can be stronger. Please choose writing for which you feel ready to receive supportive, constructive comments, including suggestions and ideas to consider. This process directly and profoundly informs and changes your writing, whether or not your work is discussed that day!

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 publish 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.  

Differences between the Wednesday & Thursday FLOW

• Thursday starts/ends an hour later
• There are 5 participants max
• The workshops are the same until the readings begin.

Here is Thursday’s reading/discussion schedule:

2:40 Reconnect after break
2:45 Readings begin
5 women/15 mins each: think of it as 6 minutes to read / 9 mins. to discuss

1) 2:45-3:00
2) 3:00-3:15
3) 3:15-3:30
4) 3:30-3:45
5) 3:45-4:00

At 6 minutes, I’ll say something like, “Thank you, that’s six minutes.” This gives you a chance to read a few more lines without being cut off mid-sentence.

We protect each other’s time by remembering that we each have about one and a half minutes to comment. If no one mentions something you feel is important, there may be time to add it at the end. The reader is asked to just receive & can comment at the very end if she likes.

“9 minutes to discuss” refers to an oral discussion (vs comments in the chat, as we do on Wednesdays, and I read some of them aloud. Likewise, on Thursdays, I don’t email the chat because there’s little in it.

Lastly, on Thursdays, there is no weekly revision workshop. Instead, we dedicate one session later on in the series to workshopping everyone’s manuscript.

To inquire about the workshops: Use the form at the bottom of this page to send your name & email address. I’ll reply & we can schedule a time to chat about your questions & your writing!

TESTIMONIALS

“By far the most productive writing time in my week is the time I spend in The Flow. Chivas creates a space that is inspiring, encouraging, and explosively creative.” (Pamela P., attorney)

“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)

“The Flow is an embodiment practice of writing—“spilling” as Chivas calls it—for designated periods punctuated by moving or dancing to refresh the spontaneous bodymind connections during the length of an up-beat soul song. It works! Quiets the mind and keeps the creative juices flowing.” (a retired Dance/Movement Psychotherapist)

ABOUT CHIVAS

Since 2006, poet and writer Chivas Sandage has taught women’s writing workshops in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, and now on Zoom. As an Assistant Professor at Westfield State University, Sandage 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 (MCC), has awarded artist grants for her writing, teaching, and performance work. The MCC also awarded Sandage with an artist grant for her nonfiction. An editor, writing coach, tutor, and consultant, she works with students, businesses, and independent writers. For info about her publications and other awards: https://www.csandage.com

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