Freedom to Write • Brilliant Playground

Freedom to Write: Creative Writing Workshop

Dissolve writer’s block and discover a wellspring of inspiration
Develop your authentic voice and unique strengths
Learn tools of the writer’s craft and hone your skills
Develop a regular writing practice and see your projects come to life
Enjoy camaraderie with other writers

Open to writers in all genres and at all levels of experience.

For all kinds of writing—from poetry to screenplays, memoir to fiction, from writing as healing to writing for publication, from beginners to experienced writers.

We generate new writing together each week in class and share our writing in a supportive and highly stimulating environment, receiving generous feedback. We learn new skills and discuss tools of the writer’s art and craft.

Drawing from the renowned Amherst Writers and Artists Method, Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, and a wealth of other sources, this method is powerfully effective for generating strong writing, growing as a writer from wherever you are starting, and getting the ink flowing.

“It has opened a window to myself – to expression, to connect again to the voice that speaks to me and wants to be known and heard through language on paper-and ever so much more. Totally loved it!”

“I loved the experience of discovery, of new writing and new perspectives
unfurling naturally like the opening of a flower… allowing the work to write itself, because it’s been there all along, waiting for the pen to outline its form.”

Structure of the Course

We write together in class, using inspiring ideas and exercises as instigation for our creativity. You’ll generate a wealth of new writing and be astonished by what pours out of you.

I bring in inspiring examples and teach aspects of the writer’s art that help you develop your skills and broaden your palette of possibilities. And I offer optional homeplay suggestions and prompts to keep you writing and reaching your writing goals.

You are free to write in any medium—poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction. You can work on an ongoing project or simply see what arises each week.

You can share your work and receive supportive feedback on your strengths to help you develop your unique voice and grow as a writer. You’ll develop the capacity to be your own insightful, helpful editor.

You’ll receive practical guidance for developing a regular writing practice, inspiring your own muse, and having the courage and commitment to reach for your writing dreams. Remarkable growth happens and projects get completed when people engage this process over time.

And you’ll have fun!

I wrote freely for the first time in ten years and really enjoyed it. I remembered a part of myself long locked away!

Maxima Kahn has been leading workshops on writing and creativity since 2004, formerly at the University of California Davis Extension, and at Brilliant Playground. A recipient of scholarships and fellowships to the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley and the Vermont Studio Center, she has been published in numerous literary journals and has twice been nominated for Best of the Net. Her full-length collection of poems, Fierce Aria, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in summer 2020.

Details

Thursdays • 4:00 – 6:00 pm
in a private home in Nevada City, CA

NOTE: I’m also interested in running a separate online workshop at a different time. If you are interested, let me know now.

I am planning a group that will last six months, either meeting weekly or every other week, beginning in January 2020. Contact me and/or sign up for my mailing list to hear about it.

How To Register

Registration will open in December. Sign up for my mailing list to hear about it.

To register, choose either the single payment Buy Now button or the Installment Plan button below.

NOTE:You do not need a PayPal account to pay. You can use a credit or debit card.
To pay by check or cash, contact me.
*If you choose to pay in monthly installments, you need to pay by PayPal.

Our Agreement

Because of the small class size, this course can only run with full commitment. Once you register, you are making a commitment to the full duration. You are responsible for paying in full, regardless of how often you attend. There is no pro-rating of price for classes that you miss and no refunds.

“The tools given to me by Maxima opened a whole other level of writing to me. Quite the catalyst! I was reminded of how cathartic writing is. For me, it’s a way to validate and honor myself. Take this class. Get over your fears of not measuring up or of being afraid you won’t feel approval. It’s a judgement-free and safe and supportive environment.”

“I was reminded of the brilliance and power of each unique voice and that it is simple to call forth that voice with prompts.

I feel inspired to keep writing and sharing with others.

I would highly recommend working with and being mentored by Maxima. You will be in gifted and skilled, caring hands.“