Winter Sched, Reg / How To Begin Your Story

Winter Session Starts As Of Sat, Jan 8th, Choice Of:
Wed 7pm - West L.A
Thurs 12pm - Pasadena
Sat 10:30am - Venice
Sun 11am - Venice

EARLY REG DISCOUNT-  6 or 10 wk sessions
Reg by 12/20- 6wk workshop- $240, $260 after /10 wk workshop - $385, $425 after 

TO REGISTER
Please send a $100 check (non-refundable) write the class day you're reserving space for on the memo line of the check to:
Terrie Silverman
P.O. BOX 35404
L.A. CA 90035-0404  

REMAINDER OF TUITION DUE:
for the 6wk session- 1st day of class/10 wk session- by the 3rd class


How To Begin: Take The Leap

Starting a new year brings possibility. There's momentum to start. We have a fresh slate. Imagine taking the leap to create the idea or story we've been pondering. Or carrying around for years but aren't sure how to start. We  may think we should know where the story starts in order to begin.

The answer is that not only do we not have to know where the story starts. We won’t know until we've let the story unspool from our subconscious.

Allow yourself to lay out the whole field of the 1st draft and then play with the possibilities of what makes sense for the story and the journey we want the listener or reader to take. We need the perspective of looking down at the whole field of the story to determine whether to start at the beginning, middle or the end of the story or even somewhere in-between.

Therefore, All We Need Is The Willingness To Begin

And then we write and write to discover the story that wants to be told without worrying about the structure until we've fully investigated the story. If we try to edit or structure while we're creating, our creative instincts are stifled because the two sides of the brain are competing. Since the right hemisphere is our imagination and the left side is the analytical, they crash into each other if we are creating and editing or structuring simultaneously and we lose the flow of our creative impulse.

Find A Home For Your Writing

Invite your imagination to play by creating a conducive environment. Experiment with the time and place that enhances your creative process. Pay attention to the light, mood, time of day and ambience of your writing environment Do you need silence, music or background sounds? Are you content in a cozy coffeehouse or seated by a favorite window in your house.

Once you've had a flowing writing session- notice what elements contributed to it and make that part of your writing practice.

If You're Feeling Stuck

Take a walk, put on music you love and dance. Movement is great for the muse because it gets us out of our head, it relaxes us- it gets us out of the critical left-brain.

Encouragement To Begin:

Write Wild

Our creativity isn't logical or structured; so give yourself permission to write thoughts, lists, fragments, stream of consciousness. Wild and messy means you're trusting the gold of your subconscious.

Let Go Of Structure

Structure is the step after you've created. Try to stay in the creative moment. We want structure because it makes us feel in control. Creativity is about embracing the unknown

Have Passion For The Mystery

We're trying to figure something out, so allow the mystery to compel you to keep writing

as you get closer and closer to answer what you or the protagonist are grappling with

Commit To Discovering

Sometimes we have to trick ourselves to do the work as well finishing the story or project. If you're engaged in the investigation and discovery of what you really want to express with the story, as a way to take the pressure off worrying about whether  the story is good. Write to discover an epiphany, which will supply you the arc of the story and thus the ending.

If you need more guidance and support for your idea, story or project, I offer:

*Coaching

*Script Consultations
* Creative Tune-Ups