Writing is often solitary, but finishing a project shouldn’t require piecing together disjointed workshops or navigating distracting social media feeds. Since 2003, Los Angeles Writers Group has connected creatives through in-person circles, online classes, and critique groups. Today, we’re expanding that mission with The Writer’s Studio—a dedicated online community designed to foster craft, consistency, and connection.

Think of our online community for writers as a private, interactive creative network without algorithms or ads. Whether you’re falling in love with creative writing for the first time or polishing a full draft, The Writer’s Studio provides a supportive space to share craft tips, discuss industry articles, and stay accountable.

What You’ll Find Inside:

• Daily Writing Momentum: Weekday morning virtual write-ins (Mon–Fri, 8–9 AM PST), daily prompts, and surprise pop-up workshops.
• Direct Editorial Support: Dedicated Coaching Q&A feeds, live coach office hours, and real-time page-edit demonstrations.
• Constructive Manuscript Feedback: Professional, page-level reviews delivered straight to your inbox each month.
• Sustainable Accountability: Weekly goal-setting, word-count tracking, and genuine peer encouragement.

Membership Options:

• Writer (Free): Access our central community feed, daily prompts, and priority workshop notifications.
• Writer Plus ($29/mo): Includes everything in the Writer tier, plus weekday write-ins and the direct Coaching Q&A feed.
• Power Writer ($97/mo): Includes Writer Plus benefits, monthly feedback on up to 10 manuscript pages from an approved editor, live office hours, one free workshop monthly, and 50% off deep-dive intensives.

(Need intensive support? Dedicated 1-on-1 monthly coaching packages are also available starting at $257/mo.)

Ready to establish a consistent writing routine with direct guidance and a supportive peer group?

Join our Online Community for Writers Today

The post Introducing Our New Online Community for Writers: The Writer’s Studio appeared first on Los Angeles Writers Group - Online and In-Person Creative Writing Workshops, Coaching for Writers, Developmental Editing.

Quick Guide: Which Writing Format Do You Need?

• Writing Class: Choose a class if you want formal, lecture-based instruction to learn specific craft mechanics (like point of view or plot structure) or industry logistics without receiving feedback on your manuscript.
• Creative Writing Workshop: Choose a workshop if you want an interactive, small-group setting to generate fresh pages through guided prompts and receive moderated, constructive peer critique.
• Writers Group: Choose a peer group if you already have an established drafting habit and want long-term critique partners to swap chapters and maintain mutual accountability.
• Online Writing Community: Choose an online community (like The Writer’s Studio) if you want a year-round, distraction-free creative home with daily writing prompts, weekday virtual write-ins, and ongoing coach access.
• Writing Retreat: Choose a retreat if you need an immersive, multi-day getaway away from daily distractions to focus deeply on completing or revising a draft.
• Writing Conference: Choose a conference if you have a polished manuscript ready to pitch to literary agents, want to attend industry panel discussions, and seek wide-scale publishing networking.

Writing Class vs. Writing Workshop vs. Writers Group vs. Online Writing Community

People often ask me what the difference is between a writing class, a creative writing workshop, a writers group (read about why I use writers group instead of writer’s group or writers’group), a writing conference, and writing retreats. For anyone new to the world of writing and publishing, these terms can be confusing, so let’s demystify them.

First, let me say that these three terms are often used interchangeably (and sometimes mislabeled). Having a clear understanding of the differences can help you find the place that is best for you and your budget.

Writing Classes

Think of a writing class as a place you go for formal, structured instruction. These classes are typically lecture-based and led by an instructor or author working from a curriculum. You aren’t bringing in pages for peer review; instead, you’re learning how craft and the industry work (e.g., mastering point of view, building a novel outline, writing query letters, or navigating traditional publishing or and self-publishing).

• Interaction: Instructor-to-student lecture with a dedicated Q&A.
• Goal: Skill acquisition and understanding craft theory or industry logistics.
• Size: Varies widely from intimate cohorts of 10 to webinars with hundreds of attendees.
• Locations: Online webinars, classrooms, private studios, or college extension programs.
• Where to Find Them: Search for specific topics rather than broad phrases (e.g., search for Novel Structure Class or How to Write a Query Letter Class rather than just writing class near me.
• Cost: Single-session lectures run from $30 to $150. Multi-week comprehensive courses range from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars.
• Choose if: You want to learn something specific or industry ins-and-outs and do not need feedback on your manuscript pages.
• Considerations:
  • In large webinar formats, personal interaction will be limited.
  • Teaching ability varies. Being a published author does not automatically mean someone knows how to teach craft effectively.
  • Can be a quick and easy way to learn the basics of a particular subject.
  • The cost of a class is not necessarily reflective of its quality.

Creative Writing Workshops

Think of a creative writing workshop as a generative lab or critique studio. It acts as a bridge between foundational learning and polishing work for publication. Workshops are led by an experienced facilitator who provides structured writing prompts to generate new work, moderates constructive group critique on manuscripts, or both.

• Interaction: Facilitator-guided peer interaction and moderated discussion.
• Goal: Generating new material through guided exercises and receiving structured, moderated feedback on works-in-progress.
• Size: Intimate. Usually capped between 6 and 12 writers to ensure everyone can participate.
• Locations: In-person studios/homes or live online (Zoom, etc).
• Where to Find Them: Search for “creative writing workshop” or “fiction critique workshop” + your city or “online”.
• Cost: Generally $30–$50 per hour of instruction (e.g., $60 for a 2-hour single session, or $350–$500 for a 6-week intensive).
• Choose if: You want a supportive, moderated space to draft new pages, overcome writer’s block, or get curated feedback on scenes.
• Considerations:
  • Clarify submission limits in advance (workshops review chapters or short pieces, not entire completed novels in a single night).
  • Ensure the facilitator enforces clear community guidelines so critique remains constructive rather than combative.

Writers Groups

Writers groups are peer-led communities. These are writers at similar stages in their journeys who meet regularly to keep each other accountable and swap feedback: You read my draft, and I’ll read yours.

• Interaction: Peer-to-peer. Usually self-governed without a paid instructor; however, some of these groups do have a paid leader.
• Goal: Mutual accountability, manuscript critique swaps, and project brainstorming.
• Size: Typically 4 to 8 members (larger groups often struggle with scheduling and reading loads).
• Locations: Local cafes, libraries, living rooms, private online communities, or virtual write-in rooms.
• Where to Find Them: Through writing class peers, local library boards, community platforms, or local writing organizations.
• Cost: Usually free (or splitting the cost of a room rental/online platform), but some groups have a paid leader.
• Choose if: You have or want to establish a regular writing habit, want ongoing accountability, and are ready to read and critique other writers’ pages regularly.
• Considerations:
  • Unmoderated groups can devolve into social chats or dissolve when life gets busy.
  • The quality of notes depends on the members’ craft knowledge. Watch out for groups that push you to homogenize your voice or leaders who try to dominate the room.

Online Writing Communities (or Creative Networks)

An online writing community is a centralized, ongoing creative home that bridges the gap between individual classes and solitary drafting. Unlike a single 6-week workshop with a hard end date, a writing community is a year-round membership platform (usually hosted on private networks like Mighty Networks or Circle) designed to provide daily momentum, co-working, craft discussions, and peer support and sharing.

• Interaction: Continuous, multi-channel engagement. Members interact with peers, community hosts, and resident coaches across discussion feeds, live virtual events, and dedicated topic spaces.
• Goal: Sustained daily writing habits, ongoing accountability, continuous craft education, and accessible peer connection between standalone projects or classes.
• Format: Virtual and asynchronous, accessible 24/7 via web or mobile apps, often paired with live scheduled events (like co-working sprints, Q&As, and masterclasses).
• Size: Medium to large (from dozens to hundreds of active writers), broken down into smaller genre groups, topic channels, or cohort spaces so it still feels personal.
• Where to Find Them: Independent writing organizations, craft platforms, or dedicated author networks. Look for private, ad-free platforms built specifically for writers rather than generic Facebook or Discord groups.
• Cost: Typically structured as a monthly or annual membership ranging from free tiers up to $30–$100+/month depending on the level of coaching, live write-ins, and direct editorial feedback included.
• Choose If: You want a consistent, low-friction writing routine, thrive on daily accountability check-ins, want to ask professional editors questions on the fly, and hate the isolation of writing alone.
• Considerations:
  • Because access is ongoing, getting real value requires showing up regularly—even if just for 10 minutes a day to check a prompt or join a morning write-in.
  • Look for communities with active moderation and clear culture guidelines to keep the space supportive and craft-focused.

Looking for an ad-free creative home?
We created The Writer’s Studio—a private, supportive community network sponsored by Los Angeles Writers Group featuring daily prompts, weekday Zoom write-ins, live coach Q&As, and monthly page feedback. Join the waitlist here (doors open September 1)!

Writing Retreats vs. Writing Conferences

Writing Retreats

Writing retreats are immersive, creative getaways dedicated to drafting, revising, and/or recharging. Retreats range from self-directed solo getaways in a cabin to curated group travel experiences that blend dedicated writing blocks with excursions, workshops, or one-on-one coaching.

• Interaction: Small-group community with open writing time, occasional workshops, and facilitator check-ins.
• Goal: Escaping daily distractions to make substantial progress on a manuscript.
• Format: Multi-day to multi-week residential experiences.
• Where to Find Them: Search by genre or destination (e.g., “historical fiction writing retreat” or “California writers retreat”).
• Cost: Moderate to high ($800 to several thousand dollars depending on lodging, meals, travel, and coaching).
• Choose if: You need uninterrupted time away from your daily routine to finish a draft or break through creative exhaustion.
• Size: Can be a few people to thousands of people. If the website doesn’t say, ask about the anticipated number of attendees.
• Considerations:
  • Check the daily balance between structured programming and open writing time.
  • Verify what is included in the fee (lodging, meals, transit) versus what you must arrange independently.
  • Research the retreat leader’s leadership philosophy and skills.

Writing Conferences

Writing conferences are large-scale professional industry events. They are packed with back-to-back panel discussions, craft masterclasses, keynote speeches, book vendor halls, and opportunities to pitch literary agents or meet with acquiring editors.

• Interaction: Industry professionals, authors, agents, and editors presenting to large audiences.
• Goal: Industry education, professional networking, and querying/pitching.
• Format: 2 to 4 full days with concurrent breakout sessions.
• Size: Several hundred to several thousand attendees.
• Where to Find Them: Search “writing conferences [upcoming year]” or browse directories like Poets & Writers or Writer’s Digest.
• Cost: Registration usually runs $300–$800+, plus travel, lodging, and optional add-on fees for agent pitch sessions or manuscript critiques.
• Choose if: You have a completed, polished manuscript ready to pitch, to learn craft, or want to learn about the current publishing market.
• Considerations
  • Conferences are high-stimulation and can be exhausting—plan your schedule with intentional downtime.
  • Remember that agent pitch sessions are brief business meetings; if an agent passes or gives blunt feedback, keep your perspective and focus on the overall learning experience.
  • Consider bringing a friend.
  • Bring an AI app to create a transcription and summary of the events you attend.

When looking for writing-related events, what are you currently looking for? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Writing Class vs. Writing Workshop vs. Writers Group appeared first on Los Angeles Writers Group - Online and In-Person Creative Writing Workshops, Coaching for Writers, Developmental Editing.

On my website, I don’t use an apostrophe for ‘writers group’. First of all, it would make my whole website look like nothing but apostrophes, which I find unsightly. I am no grammarian, nor am I an even remotely gifted proofreader (except when it comes to punctuation in dialogue; for some reason, I nerd out on that). Using ‘writers group’ without an apostrophe is also the correct way to use the phrase on my website. However, I have received pushback on this. Today, I decided to ask AI to break it down for everyone. I’d love to know if you agree or disagree. Especially if you are a proofreader or grammarian.

I asked Gemini AI (because, in general, the prompt used is important):

Writers group, writer’s group, and writers’ group – can you delineate the difference or how each might be perceived?

Here was AI’s response (edited for readability by me):

The difference between these three variations comes down to whether the word writers is acting as an attributive noun (a descriptive label) or a possessive noun (singular vs. plural ownership). While everyday readers process them similarly, editors, branding specialists, and grammar-conscious writers perceive distinct nuances in tone and structure.

1. Writers Group (No Apostrophe)

• Grammatical Role: Attributive noun/noun adjunct (functions like farmers market, coffee bar, or department store).
• Literal Meaning: A group composed of or designed for writers, rather than one owned by them.
• Perception & Tone:
  • Modern & Clean: Avoids punctuation clutter, making it ideal for logos, domain names, URLs, and digital branding.
  • Institutional & Professional: Favored by modern organizations and style guides (such as the AP Stylebook, which prefers omitting apostrophes in descriptive names like citizens band or veterans hospital).
  • Democratized: Emphasizes the shared activity and collective identity rather than individual property.

2. Writer’s Group (Singular Possessive: -‘s)

• Grammatical Role: Singular possessive noun.
• Literal Meaning: A group belonging to, or centered on, a single writer (e.g., “the individual writer’s space”).
• Perception & Tone:
  • Intimate & Personal: Centers the experience on the solitary artist seeking support (similar to phrases like “the writer’s life”).
  • Grammatical Scrutiny: Strict copyeditors sometimes flag this because a group inherently consists of multiple individuals, not a single individual.
  • Traditional Title Framing: Carries historical precedent in publication branding (similar to Reader’s Digest or Writer’s Market).

3. Writers’ Group (Plural Possessive: -s’)

• Grammatical Role: Plural possessive noun.
• Literal Meaning: A group belonging to multiple writers (the collective property of its members).
• Perception & Tone:
  • Grammatically Rigorous: Adheres to strict traditional grammar conventions favored by literary purists and academic standards (such as the Chicago Manual of Style).
  • Cooperative & Member-Owned: Evokes the feeling of a guild, union, or member-governed collective (like Writers’ Guild).
  • Visual Weight: The trailing apostrophe can look slightly fussy or visually dated in clean, modern typography and digital headers.

Quick Comparison

For organizations, businesses, and web presence, Writers Group is typically the cleanest for modern brand consistency, while Writers’ Group remains the favorite among strict literary copyeditors.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

The post How to Punctuate the Phrase: Writers Group appeared first on Los Angeles Writers Group - Online and In-Person Creative Writing Workshops, Coaching for Writers, Developmental Editing.

Say hello to our new editor: Kate Graham!

Kate Graham is a fiction writer and editor with a passion for speculative worlds, from science fiction to fantasy and the strange spaces in between. Trained by writing coach Nicole Criona, she brings an insider’s understanding to every manuscript. With an eye for scene craft and character analysis, she’s adept at the pacing and plot structure that keep a story moving and readers turning pages.

She has editorial experience across fiction, including on the dystopian sci-fi A Fly on the Wall From A – Z by Tim Werenko. She is currently at work on her own science fiction novel. Because she understands firsthand what it means to wrestle a story into shape, she brings that empathy and honest, constructive feedback to every story.

“Kate Graham was a gift from writing heaven. She helped me see both weaknesses and strengths in my work. Her edits were thoughtful and always helpful. Count yourself lucky if you get to work with Kate.”

— Tim Werenko, author of A Fly on the Wall From A – Z

Kate edits novels, novellas, short stories, screenplays, and pilots, with a particular specialty in sci-fi, fantasy, and adjacent genres, as well as LGBTQ+ fiction. A trained screenwriter as well as a fiction editor, she’s equally at home with a manuscript or a script.

Our writing coaches are also available to take you through the entire process.

And Resa Alboher, our other veteran writing coach, is available to work with you, too. Resa is a very versatile editor and coach who works with many kinds of books, including memoir, novels, short stories, children’s books, and poetry.

As always, I am here for you as well.

Got a story that needs editing? Schedule a free consultation.

The post Meet our Newest Editor – Kate Graham appeared first on Los Angeles Writers Group - Online and In-Person Creative Writing Workshops, Coaching for Writers, Developmental Editing.

Finding the perfect gift for the writer in your life can be tricky. Do they really need another blank notebook? Probably not. Another pen? They likely have a drawer full of them.

This year, skip the clutter and give them a gift that truly inspires their craft: a creative writing workshop gift certificate. Whether they are working on a first draft, refining their scenes, or looking to jumpstart a daily writing habit, the gift of creative community and expert guidance is exactly what they need to thrive.

Why a Writing Workshop Gift Certificate is the Perfect Choice

• Experiences Over Things: In a world full of material possessions, an immersive experience is a truly meaningful and memorable gift. Writing workshops offer a dedicated space to learn advanced narrative techniques, connect with a vibrant community of fellow writers, and gain fresh creative momentum.
• Fuel Their Passion: Show your loved one that you fully support their literary dreams. By giving them the opportunity to develop their craft, you’re investing in their talent and acknowledging their passion.
• Complete Flexibility: No need to guess their schedule or preferred genre. Our gift certificates allow the recipient to choose the exact workshop, intensive, or writing program that best suits their current project and availability.
• Something for Every Writer: From deep-dive craft workshops and structured writing challenges to personalized private coaching, we offer dynamic options tailored for every stage of the writing journey.

Ready to give the gift of creativity? Choose any custom amount for your gift certificate today and give the writer in your life the inspiration and tools they need to succeed.

Finding the perfect gift for the writer in your life can be tricky. Do they need another notebook? Probably not. Another pen? They’ve got a drawerful. This year, give them the gift that will truly inspire them: a gift certificate to a creative writing workshop!

View Workshops

View Coaching Options

The post The Ultimate Gift for Writers: Creative Writing Workshop Gift Certificates appeared first on Los Angeles Writers Group - Online and In-Person Creative Writing Workshops, Coaching for Writers, Developmental Editing.

The other day, I came across a video of a young person lamenting that we do not spell words the way they sound, thus making the English language overly complex. It prompted me to wonder whether any books were written phonetically, so I initiated a conversation with Gemini. I thought I’d share an edited version of our conversation with you.

Me: Could you convert a sentence phonetically?

Gemini: Which convention should we use?

1. IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet): The standard system for representing sounds. Example: /həˈloʊ haʊ ɑːr ju/
2. Pronunciation Respelling (Dictionary Style): Uses familiar letters and “diacritics” (dots or bars) like you see in Merriam-Webster. Example: *\hə-ˈlō haʊ ˈär ˈyü*
3. Newspaper Respelling (Phonetic “Sound-Outs”): Often used in news scripts; it avoids special symbols and uses CAPITAL LETTERS for stress. Example: huh-LOH HOW-ar-YOO
4. Arpabet: Developed for computer speech (Siri/Alexa) using only standard keyboard characters. Example: HH AH L OW HH AW ER Y UW
5. X-SAMPA: A “hardcore” keyboard version of the IPA for computer precision. Example: /h@”loU/

Me: Wow. I had no idea so many conventions existed. Can you convert the following sentence into both Newspaper Respelling and IPA?

“Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived a man who would only spell using newspaper-style respelling.”

Gemini:

• Newspaper Respelling: wunss uh-PON uh TYM in uh LAND FAR FAR uh-WAY, THAIR LIVD uh MAN HOO WOOD OHN-lee SPEL YOO-zing NOOZ-pay-pur STYL ree-SPEL-ing.
• IPA: /wʌns əˈpɒn ə taɪm ɪn ə lænd fɑːr fɑːr əˈweɪ, ðɛər lɪvd ə mæn huː wʊd ˈoʊnli spɛl ˈjuːzɪŋ ˈnuːzˌpeɪpər staɪl riːˈspɛlɪŋ/

Me: Has anyone ever written a book that used the Newspaper Respelling as prose?

Gemini: There are a few famous examples where authors “break” spelling for narrative effect:

1. Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks: One character writes entirely phonetically (e.g., using “4” for “for”). Once your brain “clicks,” you can read it quite fast.
2. Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban: Set post-apocalypse where English has “broken down.” Example: “I dont think it matters what the idear of the thing is…”
3. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh: Uses phonetic respelling to capture a heavy Scottish (Edinburgh) accent.
4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Phonetic Editions): There are actually editions printed entirely in IPA!

Me: The writers who chose to write phonetically seem to have had a narrative reason for doing so, which makes sense.

Gemini: You’re right—it’s a tool to pull the reader into a character’s mind. When you read phonetically, you’re “hearing” a performance. Here is how some famous lines land when spelled phonetically:

1. Moby Dick (Herman Melville)

• Newspaper Style: “KALL mee ISH-may-el.”
• Original: “Call me Ishmael.”

2. A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)

• Newspaper Style: “it wuz dhuh BEST uv TYMZ, it wuz dhuh WURST uv TYMZ…”
• Original: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

3. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)

• Newspaper Style: “in uh HOLE in dhuh GROWND thair LIVD uh HOB-it.”
• Original: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

Me: I think it’s funny how my impression of the words changes. The Dickens line reads almost remedially.

Gemini: That’s because standard spelling has a visual “shape” we respect—a concept called 

Orthographic Aesthetics. This is the idea that the specific arrangement of letters carries emotional weight independent of sound. When we strip that away:

1. The Phonetic Bias: We associate “sound-it-out” spelling with children’s workbooks. The “prestige” of the literature evaporates.
2. Loss of Visual Elegance: Words like thought or cities lose their architectural beauty and become purely functional.
3. The “Voice” Changes: Phonetic spelling often makes the narrator sound more casual or aggressive.

Me: Let’s try a line from Shakespeare.

Gemini: * Original: “To be, or not to be: that is the question.”

• Newspaper Style: “too BEE, or NOT too BEE: THAT iz dhuh KWES-chun.”
  It sounds less like a prince contemplating existence and more like someone giving very aggressive instructions on how to use a beehive!

Me: Yeah, it sounds almost illiterate.

Gemini: It’s a paradox: it’s a perfect representation of the sounds, but it looks “illiterate” because it ignores the rules of literacy. It’s like an X-ray of a person—100% accurate, but not the “person” we’re used to seeing.

Me: Let’s do an Edgar Allan Poe one. Perhaps The Raven.

Gemini: When you take the “shadow” out of Poe’s spelling, the results are… surprisingly bouncy.

• The Raven (Original): “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,”
• The Raven (Newspaper): “wunss uh-PON uh MID-nyt DREER-ee, WYL I PON-durd, WEEK and WEER-ee,”

The Verdict: In the original, “dreary” and “weary” feel heavy. In the newspaper version, DREER-ee and WEER-ee sound like names for a pair of cartoon ducks. The “doom” evaporates! It’s amazing how much “darkness” is carried by a silent E.

Me: “Bouncy” is the perfect word for it!!!

This is where our conversation ended. I hope you enjoyed this nerdy deep-dive as much as I did. We can now see that if we spell words phonetically, we would lose the orthographic aesthetics (the visual subtext that shapes our impressions of a story). While writing that way might make for some innovative prose, we’d lose the visual “skin” that gives our words their soul.

Do you know of any other stories that were written phonetically? If so, share them in the comments.

Nicole Criona

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In honor of new starts and beautiful changes, I’ve created a survey that I’d be so grateful if you filled out. This survey will help me create the situations that you most desire. 

If you take the 3 – 5 minute survey, you will get a 25% off discount code to either the online or in-person Creative Writing Workshop.

In the meantime, check out our current workshops and our new schedule page!

Warmly,
Nicole

Instagram Flash Fiction Contest

Every once in a while, we post and new writing contest on our Instagram page. We post a picture, you write a short piece (this month: 12 words), and whoever gets the most likes wins a Creative Writing Workshop!

Upcoming Literary Things to Do in LA

Oxy Live! Presents: A Conversation with Roxane GaySeptember 30, 2025 | 7:00pm to 8:30pm | Thorne Hall, Occidental College CampusEvent cost: Free with RSVP

Join us for an evening of conversation between best-selling author and feminist icon Roxane Gay and visual artist and cultural collaborator Alexandra Grant. 

About the Artists:

Roxane Gay’s writing appears in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, A Public Space, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, Virginia Quarterly Review, and many others. She is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. She is the author of the books Ayiti, An Untamed State, the New York Times bestselling Bad Feminist, the nationally bestselling Difficult Women and the New York Times bestselling Hunger. She is also the author of World of Wakanda for Marvel. She has several books forthcoming and is also at work on television and film projects. She also has a newsletter, The Audacity and once had a podcast, The Roxane Gay Agenda.

October is jam-packed with thrilling free events at LA County Library! Don’t miss out on the fun and excitement all month long! 

In support of Next Chapter Writers’ Summit, West Hollywood Library will be open from 10 am – 6:30 pm on Sunday, October 5, 2025.

Hear of anything fun happening in LA? Forward it to lawritersgroup@gmail.com, and it might be featured in our newsletter!

Want to be the first to receive this newsletter and news of newly released workshops? Join our Newsletter.

The post September 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Los Angeles Writers Group - Online and In-Person Creative Writing Workshops, Coaching for Writers, Developmental Editing.

I don’t know about you, but the thought of doing anything every single day (except eating) makes me want to jump off a bridge. Some people love that kind of structure. That’s awesome. But I despise that kind of routine. It sucks the creativity right out of my being. No matter what anyone tells you, there is no single path to writing success.

Like cult leaders, some people will preach that their way is the only way to achieve salvation, find god, or become a world-renowned author. No. No, it isn’t. They are as human as you are. They don’t know any better than you do what will work for you. Great if it worked for them. That doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. 

The Writers’ Downward Spiral

I have been working with aspiring writers for the better part of 20 years. I’ve been coaching them for more than ten years. If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that telling yourself you must write every day is a sure way to spiral into burnout. Here is how it goes: 

• A writer tells themselves they must write every day to be worth anything
• They do it for three or four days and feel like they are accomplishing something. 
• Life throws them a complication, and they don’t or can’t write for a day because, like all humans, they need sleep and downtime. 
• They spend the rest of the day mentally beating themselves up for missing a day. 
• They attach pain to writing (a mind-body coach would tell you the body receives a mental beating in the same way as a physical beating).  
• They slip into a minor depressed state and don’t write the next day. Or the next. Or the next. 
• Months go by, and they haven’t written a thing. And why would they? They know that life will happen again in a few days or a week, and they won’t be able to write again, and this cycle will repeat. 

Writing consistency is more important than frequency

I tell my writers NOT to write every day. 

Here’s why:

First, even people who work full-time get two days off a week. 

Second, consistency is far more important than frequency. If you have a busy life, as most of us do, and you only have time to sit down every Saturday at 3 pm, then write every Saturday at 3 pm. Devote yourself to that. If it doesn’t work, find another time that might work. If you have time every M-W-F morning, then use that time. Don’t be afraid to adjust. I have a client who finished an entire trilogy of books by writing only every Sunday morning. 

Third, consider measuring your progress by word count. Start low, with perhaps 50 words a session. Then increase if you want to. If measuring your session by time works for you, then do that. But again, start low. It’s all about figuring out what works for YOU. I had one client who would only commit to a sentence a day. Several months later, she presented me with the first half of her story. I have helped many writers get through their first drafts this way. I know that it works.

So the next time someone tells you that you have to write every day, in your brain, add this clause to the end of the saying: …if that works for you. Write every day if that works for you. If it doesn’t, figure out what does. It’s okay to build your schedule with as little or as much as you can manage. Consistency is key. Give yourself time off from writing. And above all, do not beat yourself up for missing a session. 

Nicole Criona

Nicole Criona is a Creative Writing Coach and Owner of Los Angeles Writers Group (LAwritersgroup.com), where she runs creative writing workshops for aspiring authors. She specializes in coaching creative writers through their first (and often subsequent drafts).

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When you’re building your collection of craft books, it’s good to cover lots of bases. Last time, we looked at George Saunders’s A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. This book took us on a fantastic journey into the heart of the short story and helped demystify many terms of writing craft. 

Now let’s look at another craft classic that, as a writing coach, I believe should be on every writer’s shelf. A book that brings us to the essence, to the absolute ground zero of writing. A book that embraces the question of how do we face the page or computer screen. How do we muster up the courage to sit down with our own minds and trust ourselves and write. And how do we even start? 

This book, which has inspired countless writers since it was first published by Shambhala Publications in 1986, is Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within. This Craft Classic teaches you how to free yourself to sit down and write. And Goldberg also teaches you how to live a beautiful and inspired life.

On a Mountain in the Catskills, I Learn About Monkey Mind and Discover Goldberg’s Book

One summer when I was living in New York City I had writer’s block. I was also reading a lot of books on Zen, and I decided that getting up into the mountains might help me concentrate better. I called a Zen monastery whose number was printed in the back of one of the books I had been reading and tried to convince them to let me come.

“Yeah, you want to write here, and you’d love being in the mountains. But do you have any interest in Zen? Do you even know what Zazen is?” I could hear the monk’s scowl through the phone. Zazen is the seated form of Zen meditation that they do in Zen monasteries. I knew that much but not all that much more. Even so, I signed up for a one-month residency.

The first week was exhausting, rising so early to get to the meditation hall. Sitting Zazen on my black cushion at 4:00 AM, my mind wouldn’t calm down. I found it hard to focus on my breath. Just count your breath from one to ten…yeah right. I couldn’t get to three before a rush of thoughts derailed my efforts. And I couldn’t believe the thoughts I was having. They hardly made any sense. Nothing poetic or brilliant there, so who was I to think I could write, let alone do Zazen in a monastery…

Monkey Mind

At the weekend breakfast at the Abbot’s house, as the fog lifted off majestic Mount Tremper, a novice monk came and sat next to me on the porch. 

“How’s your first week going?” 

“It’s amazing here,” I said, gesturing to the mountain that was now bathed in morning light.  “But wow, I am so surprised that I’m having trouble concentrating when we meditate. My mind is all over the place.” 

“Oh yeah, monkey mind.” 

“Monkey mind? That’s it!” This wise novice had nailed it. “You’re so brilliant to come up with a term like that. That’s exactly what my mind feels like! A bunch of monkeys jumping around!” 

The novice laughed, “Oh no, that isn’t my term. That term ‘monkey mind’ stretches all the way back to early Chinese writing from the later Qin Dynasty….”  

That ancient Chinese term, that cage of chattering monkeys, was this why I was having trouble writing? Later that month, when I discovered Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones in the monastery library, I found out that yes, this was indeed the case. 

Beginner’s Mind

As I sat in the monastery library reading Goldberg’s book for the first time, I realized that up to that point, my experience of writing was one of fear, anxiety, and doubt. Doubting my own mind and doubting any idea that emerged from my own thoughts. And a lot of my coaching clients have felt this way too. 

Now here was a book giving me “…permission to write the worst junk in the world, and it would be okay.” A book telling me to buy “…a cheap spiral notebook…” that would let me feel that I could “… fill it quickly and afford another.”  

In our writing notebooks, Goldberg says, “Give yourself a lot of space in which to explore writing.” She talks about the Zen concept of “beginner’s mind.” About having openness like a beginner, that each moment, each experience is fresh.  She tells us, “…. beginner’s mind is what we must come back to every time we sit down and write. There is no security, no assurance that because we wrote something good two months ago, we will do it again… Each time is a new journey with no maps.” 

Every time you show up for writing you begin to trust “your own mind” more and more. You then create “a confidence in your experience…{as your}… understanding continues to deepen.” Writing, like Zazen, is a practice you can do for your whole life. 

“Make Writing Your Practice…”

In fact, after she had been practicing Zen for a few years and writing too, Goldberg tells us that her Zen teacher Katagiri Roshi said, “Why don’t you make writing your practice? If you go deep enough in writing, it will take you everyplace.” 

In Writing Down the Bones, Goldberg lovingly shows us that using writing as a practice can be a skillful way “to help you penetrate your life and become sane.” She says writing “…can be applied to …anything you love and have chosen to work with in your life.” 

Writing Down the Bones has short chapters that after a first consecutive reading can be read in any order because Goldberg means for each chapter to stand on its own. So in working with this book, you can choose any chapter and zero in on what that chapter is showing us. Each chapter offers us clear, specific ways to let writing into our lives and create a deep and sustainable practice to last for a lifetime.

Writing Practice: First Thoughts, Timed Writing, and The Rules

Goldberg creates rules for writing practice based on the idea of “first thoughts.” Those initial insights that come up before our editing mind takes over too early, possibly snuffing out our wild and fresh creativity. These rules center around trusting our beginner’s mind and cutting through the monkey mind that can derail us. Goldberg says that the “…basic unit of writing practice is the timed exercise.” 

You decide that for your “timed exercise” you’ll write for 10, 15, 20 minutes or so.  She suggests you start with a small increment of time so that you will “…fully commit yourself to it.” In fact, you must commit to that length of time. Do not give up or get distracted. 

Here are the rules Goldberg lays out for us in her chapter, “First Thoughts”:

1.     Keep your hand moving.  (Goldberg explains don’t “pause to reread” but keep going).

2.     Don’t cross out. (She informs us that this is editing while you write. You must leave everything in, even if you didn’t mean to write it. She will show you in a later chapter that there is a time for editing but not yet).

3.     Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar. (She even encourages you not to worry about staying within margins or on the lines of the page). 

4.     Lose control.

5.     Don’t think. Don’t get logical.

6.     Go for the jugular. (Goldberg urges, “If something comes up in your writing that is scary or naked, dive right into it. It probably has a lot of energy”).

She goes on to explain that this process will encourage us to “…burn through to “first thoughts, to the place where energy is unobstructed by social politeness or the internal censor…” She urges us to trust these “first flashes,” that first thoughts “…have tremendous energy.”  

Possible Antidote to Anxiety

I realized while sitting in the monastery library that a writing practice was a possible antidote to my anxiety. Such deep and sustained practice had the potential to cut through my monkey mind that had been chattering on undermining my every effort. Now, decades later, Writing Down the Bones endures as an amazing support and a trusted friendly companion, as the best books are.  

I recommend Writing Down the Bones to nearly every coaching client I work with who needs help blasting through writing blocks, cutting through monkey mind, and learning to trust themselves. So many of my clients have found that Goldberg’s writing practice method has helped them break through their doubts to create meaningful writing and a practice that sustains them for life. I know this book will help you too. 

Try This at Home

You need to read through all of Writing Down the Bones to get the full experience of what Goldberg is showing us about writing practice. Including how to fight “the tofu” of resistance. How to become “a tourist in your own town.” How to create “writing marathons” and “writing circles.” And how to use “loneliness” and “trust ourselves.” 

But to get us started, here are a few timed writings Goldberg shares with us in her chapter “A List of Topics for Writing Practice.” Remember to use the writing practice rules we have just learned and enjoy going deeply into these timed writings that Goldberg offers us:

• “Begin with ‘I remember.’ Write lots of small memories. If you fall into one large memory, write that. Just keep going.” 
• “Give me your morning. Breakfast, waking up, walking to the bus stop. Be as specific as possible. Slow down in your mind and go over the details of the morning.” 
• “What is your first memory?” 

Resources

For more about LAWG workshops and coaching:

LAWritersGroup.com

For more about Natalie Goldberg:

Natalie Goldberg

Good reads: Natalie Goldberg (Author of Goodreads: Writing Down the Bones) 

For more about Zen and Buddhism:

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki | Goodreads

Dainin Katagiri

The Buddhist Review: Tricycle

Upaya Zen Center 

Written by:

Resa Alboher

Resa Alboher is a writing coach, editor, manuscript consultant, writer, and creative writing teacher. She is one of the founding editors of St Petersburg Review, on the editorial board of Springhouse Journal, edits fiction for Running Wild Press/Rize, and has been a lecturer in the Summer Literary Seminars International programs. She writes across genre and her publications include River Dog Zine, Cold Moon Journal, Roads & Kingdoms, Cosmonauts Avenue, Scapegoat Review, Black Heart Magazine, Rewire Me, Mango Salute, Have an NYC 2, Maintenant 5, Rattle, and Radar Productions.

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The little green monster latched onto me and sucked away my creative juices. Writer’s block doesn’t begin to describe it, more like writer’s paralysis. This led to contracting the first worst disease a writer could catch: Writer’s Hypo-confidence Syndrome. 

The Envy Spiral

The little green monster latched onto me and sucked away my creative juices. Writer’s block doesn’t begin to describe it, more like writer’s paralysis. This led to contracting the first worst disease a writer could catch: Writer’s Hypo-confidence Syndrome. 

I listed all the reasons I shouldn’t write. I wasn’t a creative writing major—I studied history! Seasoned writers told me that “if you want to write, you have to read.” I have read quite a few books in my time, but 95% were non-fiction. It seemed that every writer I encountered was preloaded into this world with the background and skill set required to write a masterpiece, except me.

I was ready to take down my work—to retire from this writing thing altogether, so  I looked at my reviews one last time before I erased myself from the archive. I had wonderful reviews, too. People loved the humor. They thought my stories were inventive and well-structured. People loved the “Shiny Fic” as well, and for good reason. However, that didn’t mean they didn’t love my work. We had different strengths.

What’s the writer’s secret sauce?

In generative writing workshops, other authors read their work. These are first drafts, just written, so no one expects perfection. I was taken back by one woman’s story set in the South, which had such vivid descriptions that I got breathy as if I were really there in Mississippi’s humidity. The way she wrote complex emotions into a single phrase triggered another episode of Writer Envy.

Again, I stopped, interrupting my page in its tracks. But this time, instead of getting ready to hang up my inkwell forever, I thought: “What does that Mississippi story have that makes it work so well? What is the secret sauce?”

The author used unique sensory details. She incorporated the smell of sweat, the flickering of fireflies, and the sweet taste of cool, minty lemonade. It was precise to a lived experience she knew and felt. I never lived in the South. The dusty desert was my home. Could I incorporate enough sensory details into my own story? Could I make the reader swelter under the hot wind off the front range, and taste the spice of really good salsa?  Totally! As I turned back to my unfinished page, I knew I found the cure for Writer Envy. I needed to answer the question:  WHY do you envy their work? What is the author’s recipe?

Seek Out Writer Envy

Instead of giving up on writing, I learned from the authors I envied. I looked for work I loved that would trigger my Writer Envy and worked on my immunity. Each dazzling work inoculated me and taught me another strategy or practice to bring into my own work.

I am not saying “just get used to writer’s envy”. I am urging you to seek it out. Find that trigger of your envy, and use it. Get specific: Sensory details, character development, and a great plot. Don’t just look at seasoned authors. Hunt the envy everywhere. Therein lies the cure. 

I still suffer from Writer’s hypo-confidence. I don’t think there’s a writer who doesn’t. As far as Writer Envy goes, I hope for it now. Writing isn’t a baking competition with some British Chef screaming at you. It’s a recipe you formulate and experiment with lovingly over time. If you find the right group, it can be an exchange. I found that type of group with fan fiction and now with LAwritersgroup.com. Even if you do not have a group of writers, you can still incorporate the best parts of your favorite writing into your own.  Find a group of novice writers, and seek out that envy. When you have it, you’ve found a special recipe. Use it with your own ingredients. 

Written by:

Rachel Stull

Rachel Stull is a devoted Science Fiction nerd, D&D player, and former high school Earth Science Teacher turned author whose interest in World War II history led to pursuing a degree in European history and penning her first novel, “A Secret Never to be Told.” (Romance set in Bletchley Park told through the eyes of a 94-year woman with dementia after the death of her husband), which is seeking representation. Currently, she is working on part two of three-part science fiction series set in a dystopian world, not unlike our own.

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