Andrea Cleghorn, a writing life
Andrea Cleghorn
a writing life
WW
Writing Out of the Box Workshops
Jump start your slumbering writer's metabolism and sign up now for one of the Writing Out of the Box workshops. We went from in-person extemporaneous writing in groups primarily to Zoom when Covid began. After three years, WOTBers returned to Kenmare, Ireland, for the first time this past July at the Bridge Street Townhouse. Please get in touch with me via e-mail to see what's currently available. I plan to return to in-person Irish WOTBs the summer of 2023.
The workshops are collegial, casual and thought-provoking.
What: Writing Out of the Box is a small group writing workshop for anyone -- not just those who consider themselves writers -- who would like to have some fun with pen on paper in a non-threatening, encouraging setting.
How: I lead the groups, providing prompts for Writing Out of the Box. There are no prerequisites, no judgment, no homework. (See the About Me page for my credentials.)
Where: The location varies, according to the workshop. Right now there are no openings in Bedford, Mass., but very soon there will be a monthly starting soon on Zoom and will include people from near and far.
To receive more information click here.
When all you have is a pen, a piece of paper and 10 minutes, you just react, you don't have time to second-guess yourself. Your story comes right to the surface and there is no room for your 5th grade teacher to come in and tell you it's wrong. What a beautiful thing!
Feedback from participants
“My mind is blown every week at the heartfelt response these prompts evoke.” T.K.
“It inspires me to start writing on my own again!” P.O'C.
"My experience with Out of the Box has been enlightening, I feel as though it is therapeutic in that I learn something about myself with every episode. It is heartwarming to know I can write spontaneously and not be judged and will not be judgmental myself. It has been a marvelous opportunity for vision and growth." P.H.
“Andrea creates the perfect environment for me to come up with reactions I didn’t know I had in my clever brain!” C.H.
"No offense to Andrea's writing background, but you can tell there is a social worker at play there, too! There is something wonderful about the feeling of warmth created in that room that makes everyone feel included." M.K.
"I went right home and started writing, something I haven't done in a long time. I felt inspired and supported. I will definitely be signing up for the next workshop." S.N.
“I liked it all, hated nothing, in other words, damn near perfect. Great job!” D.P.
“When was the last time you did something for the first time? This is the best thing I’ve done in a long, long time.” P.P.
“This is the highlight of my week.” E.A.
"Sometimes I think I sleepwalk through my days, but always come alive when I get to WOTB." S.C.
“Writing Out of the Box is what I do just for me every week.” N.B.
“It is just so much fun.” R.G.
“No one is correcting my spelling or telling me what I should have written.” A.C.
"Absolutely mad!" M.H.
"Are you coming back to Ireland next summer?" J.C.
Note to J.C.: Unless I come down with Monkeypox, yes!
"I thoroughly enjoyed participating in Andrea's Writing Out of the Box Workshop at the Book Stop Cafe in Kenmare. The group was a mix of people I knew, and some I met for the first time. Andrea has devised writing prompts which I found stimulating. With my magic pen and copy book, a gift from Andrea, I surprised myself. I look forward to enjoying more of the same this summer." P.M.
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Here is WOTB at the Bookstop Cafe in Kenmare, County Kerry. This picture is pre-pandemic. I was delighted to have Faye and Pam, first and third from right, returning. Congratulations to Faye, who won the international Hanna Greally poetry competition, which includes a book contract. Her first oetry collection is now available.
"Thank you for your cheerful, comfortable, and productive sessions. You're welcoming and professional, and the group is encouraging. I really enjoy our meetings." J.B.
"I can't really explain it, but I feel like I am sleepwalking so much of the time. When I get to the group and settle in, though, I come to life." S.A.
"Of course I miss the face-to-face, but Zoom provides a way of changing my mental environment! P.H.