They provide individual invitations. These spaces let people discover and uncover things within. Carving out time to pause and write can help us notice priorities, reclaim what is important. For some it is a brief reprieve from the treadmill of urgency and survival.

They are ripe spaces for creativity. Writing skills are sharpened, individual confidence blooms, non-writers becoming writers, we find our voices.

Writing groups are also communal. They are rare opportunities for connecting in person with others. Without forcing it, we cross invisible dividing lines, overcome isolation, build bridges.

One of the things I’ve been so excited to observe over the last year or so is that the community formed within the bounds of the writing groups often spills out beyond the writing time, connects people, and turns into friendship.

But community is hard. People mixing together is hard. Even living with demographically-alike family members is hard! And the folks that attend Speak Up writing groups are a wildly diverse mix—age, gender, race, politics, faith, physicality, financial status. It started as a program for people facing homelessness but grew into something better: a space for everyone. The public writing groups are a motley mix.

But that non-homogenous dynamism only works if there are clear points of alignment, focus, and safety.

It isn’t a wild west free-for-all. There have to be guardrails of practice and approach.

Practices

What we do is narrow:

1. Write to shared prompts.

2. Read your writings aloud, if you want.

3. Applaud each reader, but no other feedback.

Implied in this list is an entire universe of things that don’t happen: critiquing the work of fellow writers, arguing about political ideas, offering life advice in response to a writing.

Values

And as we do this, we aim at a few operating values. These are things that we want to aim at and grow toward.

Presence — In a world of distraction, disruption, and hurry, here is an opportunity to pause and choose to be here now. Present for others, present for yourself.

Honor — Each person, no matter what, gets the default benefit of honor. Full respect. A full voice. Full dignity. It doesn’t have to be earned.

Curiosity — In this space, we lay aside our expertise about ourselves, others, and the world. We choose to be students, learners, expecting to discover.

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It works. But it isn’t easy.

One of the realities I’ve been seeing, now over two years into this model, is that not everyone wants this. Not everyone wants to choose curiosity about others. Or themselves. Not everyone wants to honor those who are different. Many people don’t want to settle down, disconnect from the firehose, and be present.

That’s just fine. Not everything is for everyone.

But for those who say yes to this approach: it’s a beautiful thing!

For ninety minutes, we wrote, listened, and discovered. It’s a simple model: write to shared prompts, hold space for another to read aloud, respond with our applause.

The group that gathered has collectively experienced homelessness, abuse, illness, faced traumatic health issues, struggled recently with depression. We’ve fought for hope, seen soaring opportunities, been thrilled by grace. Much of this came out as we wrote together. Laughter, deep feeling, and a whole lot in between.

Speak Up writing groups are an honest space amidst an insane world of inputs and outputs of split-second opining, social media reactions, fake news, semi-true news, AI slop, of not knowing what to believe or who to trust or where to anchor.

The writing group is a citadel of pause and presence. Purposeful, quiet, real.

To those who gathered last week: thank you. I loved hearing from you and being with you. And to those who are thinking of joining us in a couple days: please come!

❤️ Support Speak Up.

Sustain and plant life-changing writing communities that give a voice and bring people together across cultural, social, and economic divides.

Give

Speak Up is a 501(c)3 Public Charity. Gifts are tax-deductible.

Unhoused and housed, demographically diverse, hailing from different corners of society. In the weekly writing workshop we put down our devices and echo chambers and algorithmic outrage and lean into purposeful writing, sharing, hearing.

Each gathering has a narrow focus: writing from shared prompts and then—optionally—reading that work aloud, followed by applause for each reader.

For people facing homelessness, it is an exhale, an opportunity to feel human and heard and seen.

For people not facing homelessness, it is an exhale, an opportunity to feel human and heard and seen.

We make a point to lean into the values of honor, curiosity, and presence.

It is a launchpad for creativity, relationships, voice-giving projects, and collaborations. Social capital is shared. Even better than that, friendships form.

A Simple Model

Here’s how it plays out over the course of a 90-minute gathering:

We start with three groups of writing prompts, with three prompts per group. (See below.) Writers then choose one or more prompts from each group and write for 10-15 minutes together. We share aloud with one another. Then we move on to the next group of prompts and write again.

A few simple constraints make space for everyone’s voice.

1. Write freely. Write whatever you want. Be authentic.

2. Read aloud and listen. Read your piece if you’d like. No pressure if not.

3. Applaud and thank. Generally: no feedback, just gratitude for your sharing.

The workshops are free. All supplies are thanks to your donations. There is no cost for attendees. No economic or ideological barriers to entry. Notebooks and pens are provided. Good coffee seems essential.

Now, as we think about multiplying into other communities and spaces, here are two essential ingredients.

1 — The Right Location

This first Speak Up writing community started at a local public library, which was already a place of gathering and traffic. The public library is one of the few remaining places where everyone belongs. This particular branch was already a daytime “home” to many people facing homelessness.

That right location, wherever it is, should accessible and welcoming and public. It helps if it is already a point of friction: the writing community will be meeting an unmet need.

Perhaps most important, the hosts of that physical gathering space should also share the vision.

2 — People Who Believe In It

Forming, launching, and facilitating a workshop can be both simple and difficult at the same time. The approach is simple: Write, share, write, share. But the process of establishing something from nothing is not easy. Early on, organizers may face challenges like low attendance and resistance from skeptics.

It will require joyful endurance.

Another essential. The launch team for a new writing community should personally need the workshop for themselves. It isn’t just about helping others. Helping others is good, but you don’t want to slide into the us-and-them mentality. This is about erasing divisions. We work to avoid amplifying the “helped versus helper” dynamic, which requires humility and vulnerability from the leaders. Facilitators are also full participants—which makes each week’s gathering refreshing instead of exhausting.

Thankfully you don’t have to do it alone.

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We’re in the early stages of this multiplying process, there’s lots to discover.

But if you see yourself in this story, we would love to start talking now.

❤️ Support Speak Up

Sustain and plant life-changing writing communities that give a voice and bring people together across cultural, social, and economic divides.

Donate to Speak Up

Speak Up is a 501(c)3 Public Charity. Your gifts are tax-deductible.