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        Face the Page  Promote Your Page Too |
 Workshops can be scheduled for as few as four people. Email for more information or to be added to the mailing list. Facing the Page Do you want to write a novel but don’t think you have the time? Do you want to write your memoir but don’t know where to start? Have you always wanted to write something but don’t know what you have to say? Facing the Page is a workshop designed to help you create and maintain a daily writing practice which is the primary ingredient of successful writers. You will also learn to free your imagination and mine your memory for prompts that are the seeds of a vibrant garden of ideas to fuel the writing you are inspired to do. Each week provides a concept, writing practice, and a skill to take home and practice. During the course of eight weeks, you’ll collect and nurture a growing collection of ideas--and the tools to turn the ideas into a completed project. Click here for the 7 strategies for creating a daily writing practice. Face the Page Writing Retreat Face the Page offers a weekend retreat designed to help you discover your voice, find inspiration, or renew your purpose in writing. Whether you're just starting out on the journey of being a writer or have a work in progress you long to finish, this retreat is for you. Using time-tested techniques, you will be led on a writing journey over the amazing and ever-changing landscape of your imagination. A former ski lodge in the mountains of north Idaho provides an inspirational setting for exploring your desire to write. You will be able to connect with other writers, enjoy discussions on the writing life, learn a few new techniques, and have plenty of time to daydream and write. You will come away with renewed inspiration and practical strategies to fuel your writing once you return to everyday life. Palouse Divide Lodge, tucked away in the St. Joe National Forest, is a tranquil setting in the pines that feels far removed from the hustle and bustle of the workaday world, yet is an easy drive from Spokane International Airport and Moscow/Pullman Airport. Transportation is available from Pullman Airport with prior arrangements. Click here for more information. Writing From the Heart In the history of the world, there has never been another person exactly like you. You have a unique message, a voice that needs to be heard. This workshop will help you get in touch with that voice and express it in written form, whether it be journaling, fiction, autobiography or memoir. The exercises in this workshop are designed to connect you with your own creative impulses and provide opportunities for unique self-expression. You will leave with a set of tools to support your ongoing journey as a writer. Tell Your Story In the history of the world there has never been anyone quite like you. Your collection of experiences and memories are a unique story that deserves to be told. Join us and get started on writing the stories of your life using guided writing and memory prompts. Write one story, write several, or write a memoir. All ages and writing levels are welcome. If you’d like help transcribing your thoughts to the page, email and we’ll arrange to have a volunteer help record your memories. Bring photographs with you for added inspiration and ideas. Creating Believable Characters Have you ever wondered how to create a believable character? This workshop will lead you to discover an amazing cast of characters already living in your imagination and waiting only to be recognized and given a name. Using prompts and worksheets, this two-part workshop will introduce you to one (or more) characters who you can bring to life in your next story. Once Upon A Time . . . Have you ever read a book and thought ‘I could do better than that!’ Do you want to write a novel but don’t know where to start? This story-starter workshop will give an overview of basic story structure and provide tools to get you started. We'll dissect plots of several popular movies, and you'll have the opportunity to brainstorm with the group on your own story. Come with an idea, leave with an outline. Creative Writing for Teens Free your imagination to discover what you really have to say. A workshop designed to help teens discover the heart of the matter and tell it like it is. Using a variety of sensory prompts for inspiration, teens will learn to use their imagination and their own unique voice to enrich their writing, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, or journaling. Research Papers—From Procrastination to First Draft Blocked? Uninspired? Overwhelmed by the blank page? If you’re working on your dissertation, thesis, or research paper and the words just won’t come, check out this workshop for a practical strategy to break through procrastination and get your first draft on the page. In-class exercises take a narrative approach to stimulate academic writing and provide you with specific techniques to open pathways and overcome blocks. "Before I met Barb, most of my previous writing was academic: the kind of stuff that should be prescribed for chronic insomniacs. I never thought of myself as a "creative" person. Barb is the kind of personal cheerleader that every new writer needs. She gives support and encouragement and generously shares from her own writing toolbox. She gave me permission to be creative and provided me with the tools I needed to establish and maintain a writing practice. For that I will always be grateful. Look for Barb's name on the acknowledgement page of my first book."—Debbie Dougan "[Once Upon a Time] was wonderful. Everything you taught about loglines, plotting, scene cards, inciting incidents and the appropriate handouts were very useful. I came into the class with an idea about a story that I want to tell. I absolutely had no idea where to start. Your class gave me the tools and resources that I will keep forever and can refer back to. I think the most important thing you did for me was the "challenge". Your challenge of setting the timer for 15 minutes and free writing unlocked the box in my brain and finally forced me to put pen to paper. You did not assign homework, that could have easily been dismissed due to a busy schedule. By challenging me, I felt compelled to set that timer even though I was still nervous about failure."
—Vikky Ross "Barb's workshop taught me that the act of writing is worth the time spent—it need not produce something polished and publishable. The creative act of putting thoughts and images into some coherent form on a page has value to the writer.""Writing From the Heart showed me that writing is something I can try doing! I enjoyed the prompts and experiencing so many visuals, memories, etc. This was a great Saturday!""The whole truth is that I felt totally averse to writing since I did so poorly in subjects requiring the smallest amount of reading in high school. I had zero writing skills and even hated to read books, or anything, much less writing. I was convinced I couldn't write but Barb was so open and reassuring, I decided to give it a try. Nobody was going to 'grade' my writing so I was able to relax and let it flow.Once I began to relive my life stories it created such a burn to write it down so as not to forget. I would wake up in the middle of the night just to add something and get carried away for hours. Barb created that burn by asking me different questions and bringing to light the idea of walking through those times, listening, smelling, looking up, down, in every direction to include a full experience to express in my writing. I found a new excitement to write that I had never known before. I’ll never forget it."—Ron Grant "This past fall, I had the opportunity to attend Barb's Face the Page workshop.I appreciate Barb's efforts in hosting different workshops, not so she can be well known, or well paid, but because it comes from her heart.I like to outline and stay organized in my writing, while Barb is more the panster type. Toward the end of the class I gained several useful tips for improving my writing. One tip I had never thought about is being careful not to use cliches. It's so easy to do! The description of the class in our local Parks and Rec pamphlet was not clearly stated in my opinion. I expected more basics in writing a novel rather than creative writing. However, after referring to facethepage website, I found a much more detailed description of the class. You just have to know where to look! From what I understand, Barb offers several different workshops, and I would try to attend another class targeting my questions/interests in writing.As writers say...Write on..."—Abigail Allen "Barb has an infectious passion and dedication for writing that she shares with everyone. Her encouragement to help other writers develop that same dedication and joy in writing is what makes her classes worth taking."—Mary Ellen Martin "Barb's Facing the Page class is delightful. Barb is an inspired and dedicated teacher. Her class helped me get past the fear of failure and write for the pure joy of the creative process. I can now look forward to facing the page daily and not worry about the outcome. Bravo Barb!"—Candice Boyd "This class was just what I needed. It's the next step after "Well, I would like to write something some day". Now I can get started. I'm looking forward to advancing to the next stage."—Blodwyn Eckert  Home | Facing the Page | Blog | Books | Links | Workshops | About Me Copyright © 2006 - Face the Page, All Rights Reserved site designed by Jaleroro Web Designs |