Come write with me! Fall 2025 Weekly Writing Meetups for Women (Sep 11 - Dec 4, 2025)
Hello Substackers!
September is only 10. Days. Away. 😱 I can’t believe how fast summer has slipped away, but I’m also excited for fall because it means getting to see everyone in my writing circle again (we’ve been on break during August). Because many of you here are also writers (including aspiring writers!, I wanted to share more about this circle. If you’re a woman looking for ways to breathe new life and gentle structure into your writing process this fall, we’d love to have you join us!
How this group got started
Even though I’ve published three books, I still struggle to stay inspired and keep making progress in my writing—unless I’m cowering under a deadline, caffeine overdose, or mental picture of Asian beetles invading my office unless I hit 500 words. This is no way to live (or write), friends!
The only time writing didn’t feel like a chore was when I attended a now-defunct library writing circle nearly ten years ago. We’d meet weekly, rain or shine, drawing prompts from an old coffee can for an hour. The mix of supportive camaraderie (read: voluntary hostage situation) and creative prompts struck the perfect balance of structure and freedom.
A year ago, after trying and failing to find a similar group in my local community, I decided to recreate that vibe online by hosting weekly writing meetups for women writers of all genres and skill levels. It’s evolved with more intentional prompts that help writers of all genres find more emotional and spiritual depth in their writing.
We meet for 12 weeks at a time on Thursday mornings (10-11:30AM ET) for a combination of creative drills, free-writing sessions, and sharing/discussion time designed for generative writing and skill building—all with a self-compassionate approach. The next round starts September 11 (Sep 11 - Dec 4, 2025).
What this is
A 10-week, 90-minute generative writing session focused on creative skill-building. These meetups emphasize writing new, fresh content guided by prompts that encourage you to practice specific writing techniques, explore different parts of speech, or experiment with imaginative elements.
All sessions and program elements are facilitated by me and moderated as needed to allow for a healthy balance between staying focused and having time for informal conversation. I’m not here to teach or provide content, just a gentle presence to provide opportunity, space, and prompting for all of us to lean into our own creativity.
Ready to breathe new life into your creative work? Sign up now and let’s do it together!
Schedule
Weekly sessions are held Thursday mornings, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Eastern
Sep 11 - Dec 4 (No session the week of US Thanksgiving) = 12 sessions total
A written record of all prompts are kept for people who miss a session to try on their own
About the sessions and prompts
The first 60 minutes are spent on a lightly structured mix of shorter and longer writing prompts with a few short breaks thrown in. We keep things soft yet challenging, and each prompt is designed to help you develop new skills or reflect in fresh ways on familiar topics. People with limited schedules often need to leave after this time and that's okay.
The final 30 minutes are spent in unstructured discussion and optional sharing. We do things like celebrate writing wins and publications, listen to anyone who wants to share brief excerpts of their work, curate a group reading recs list, and bear witness to shared struggles and challenges.
Prompts are usually non-fiction based, but easily adaptable to a variety of genres. People often modify them to suit their 'home-base' genre, like poetry, mystery, general fiction, devotional, etc.
Every third session is conducted as a "shut-up and write" session. Members are invited to bring their own writing project to work on, though a prompt is still given for people who don't choose to bring anything. Afterwards, everyone is invited share what they're working on and how it went.
About the community
The history. This community has developed organically since I first began hosting these seasonal groups in fall 2024. I’ve now hosted three rounds, and we’ve gotten a lovely group of regulars with a welcoming spirit for newcomers. Spots are limited to enhance community and trust.
Women only. At this time, the group is open to women only.
Faith based but not annoying about it. I call this group "gently faith-based." It is rooted in a shared sense that Christian faith, in some form, shapes how we create and why our creative work matters. For some of us, this shows up directly in our writing--for others, faith woven into the implicit background. There’s no proselytizing, doctrinal debate, or pressure to believe or express things a certain way. While many of us come from sacramental or Eucharistic traditions like Eastern Orthodoxy, the group is open to anyone who identifies with this gently faith-based approach to creativity.
Facebook. Cohort participants will be invited to join an *optional* private Facebook group to keep in touch with others between sessions. All important messages will also be sent through email, so joining this group is not necessary for necessary communications.
All signed up and excited to join!!