Write. Share. Revise. dates have changed! Monday, August 4 to Sunday, August 10. Your weekly line-up of events, activities, and deadlines for writers who crave a creative practice.
It’s been eleven years! To Live & Write and I share August as our birthday month, and we’re both seeing double. The writing community celebrates 11 and I celebrate 55. I like to give gifts to writers to mark the occasion, so keep an eye on your inbox and our Facebook groups this month for special offers and discounts on everything from private sessions to workshops and retreats.
Thank you for your input when I asked for help choosing the August 9 writing lab. On offer were: Write. Share. Revise, Writing for a Live Audience, and Live. Write. Be. It was a close race! In the end, Live. Write. Be. won by a small handful of votes. Write. Share. Revise. was such a close second that I'm also offering it in August. Scroll down to Labs & Workshops for details. If you're ready to sign up for Live. Write. Be., click the button and I'll see you Saturday!
Would 30 days serve you better? For $150 more ($299), you can enjoy the benefits of membership in Camp MEG, where you have access to hands-on virtual help to establish and maintain your creative habit for a full 30 days. MEG stands for Month of Extraordinary Goals. Finding a beginning, digging into a middle, and finishing a goal all count. Camp MEG starts again on August 15, with the Saturday morning group sessions kicking off in person on August 16. Inspiration, motivation, accountability, and actual support in the form of writing dates (online and in person), private sessions, group sessions, and more. Sign up now to save $40. Questions? Feel free to email me(or text if you have my #).
If you crave your own Camp MEG at the same price with more personal attention without the group sessions,because you’re just not into group sessions or can’t make the time work, I’m available for private MEGs—30 days of you working your extraordinary goal/s and me riding shotgun, keeping you focused, motivated, and feeling good enough about what you’re doing to keep going. Same price, more personal attention. Email me to get started.
If you know you want to do Write. Share. Revise. on Sunday, August 24 and Tuesday, August 26 without needing to scroll down for details, click to sign up now. Both parts of the lab are hands on, on Zoom, with an option for follow-up revisions and feedback with me in the week following the lab.
To RSVP to anything in The Week Ahead, text me if you know me, email me if you don’t: bronwyn.coach@gmail.com
Scroll down for the full schedule of FREE events & activities for writers.Scroll even further for a list of upcoming workshops & labs PLUS this week’s picture of Mowgli. You have to see it; he’s such a vibe.
Leaning into Day-Trip Retreats in 2026 …
… because this past weekend’s Write in Wine Country retreat was fantastic, productive, and so much fun. And incredibly cute. Keep reading to see what I mean.
I ended up renting a small house with only three private bedrooms, because only three of us had the luxury of four free days in early August. Once a year, I open a retreat to day-trippers -- writers who are unable to get away for more than a day or two and/or need to spend the night at home (moms of kids and pets, caregivers, people who work part of the weekend, etc).
The house was incredibly cute. And stylish. And comfortable. And full of light, space, and way too many seating options/writing locations for just us. Don't get me wrong; we thoroughly enjoyed spreading out, clumping together, and moving from living room to front porch to dining room and all the other rooms as the days and nights and our need for variety (or sameness, depending on the person) progressed.
The town was incredibly cute. I don't say this to be condescending. I say this with respect; the beating heart of their downtown was right around the corner from this house in its shady street and it was busy and vibrant without being crowded and overwhelming. Super cute shops, practical businesses, amazing restaurants -- all within a 5-10 minute walk of the house. We felt safe and comfortable walking alone or together to stretch our legs, explore, and meet up for dinner and brunch. This is what I mean by cute in this context.
The restaurant we fell in love with was incredibly cute. And whimsical with an edge. And the food was so freaking good that we made brunch reservations for the next day while we were still at the table, wrapping up dinner. Every time I go wine tasting in the region from now on, I'm including lunch or dinner at this super delicious place.
The drama and the magical impact of this retreat was how it managed to be both incredibly productive and relaxing for all three of us, as well as our day-tripper guest/not guest (she's one of us and who cares if she couldn't stay the night -- we loved having her with us!).
We had one day-tripper this time, and it became clear to me just how amazing it would be - and incredibly cute - to fill the house with a bunch of day-tripping writers next year. The house, the town, and the whole area are super accessible for most members of To Live & Write to drive up for the day, get their slice of writing heaven, and drive home feeling satiated and happy after Proof of Write that night.
So, I'm already planning to book the same house for at least one, maybe two writing retreats in 2026. Stay tuned for more info.
If you write for any reason, you are welcome in our community. We are all about support and encouragement. We see you. And we would love for you to join us.
Not on Facebook? Let me know in the comments where to find you or email me for easy ways to get in on our gatherings.
Hyper-local, super productive, 4-hour writing retreat
If you’re bummed about missing the July Tiny Retreat, make sure you claim a seat for the one in August. It’s so refreshing to spend time writing at a table with a whole bunch of other writers, surrounded by pleasant sounds and easy things to rest your eyes upon between words.
Tiny Retreat
Next three:
Saturday, August 16
Saturday, September 13
Saturday, October 18
10:00am to 2:00pm
Julie’s Coffee & Tea Garden
$75 includes: Tiny Retreat, one beverage, one menu item
Featuring
Four hours of structured writing time and guided focus
Inspiration, motivation, and accountability tailored specifically to you and your needs on this day.
Cooling fans and laptop shades on hand to help keep things comfortable.
Optional 1:1 private session with the coach (hey! that’s me)
Gather with us at the beginning of the week at cute coffee shop on the west end with a quiet, shaded back patio and plenty of room to write quietly in the company of other writers.
Mondays: 2:00-4:00pm PST
Location:
Signal Coffee
1536 Webster Street, Alameda CA
Free - you buy your own food and drink
2. Elevenses
Join our weekly in-person gathering to discuss writing, the writing life, and your WIP with people who know what you’re talking about, feel your pain, and delight in your success.
Tuesdays: 11:00am-1:00pm PST. Members only (membership is free)
Start your day off with a hot cup of coffee and put some strong writing energy back into the middle of your week. Write Ins are in-person writing sessions where we gather to write quietly in each other's company.
The Top Secret Write Along is an online writing session where we gather to write quietly in each other’s company without having to leave the house.
Fridays: Private Paid Subscriber Perk!* Zoom provided on request.
5. Proof of Write ~ on hiatus for reset
We are adapting the Proof of Write schedule to accommodate writers who can’t make it Friday nights and/or have requested different sub-groups.
In the near future, look for a woman’s group, a men’s group, a co-ed group, and different days and times during the week.
This online gathering is a safe place for writers to share up to 5 minutes of raw, rough, or polished work written the previous week. Every participant must give - and then sit still to receive - positive feedback. Free to join.
Free for members. (Membership is free)
Subject to core member availability; minimum 4 writers*
hosted by Bronwyn or the next available core member
Zoom ID provided on request
6. Lend Me Your Voice ~ returning soon
Paid subscriber perk! This is your chance to listen to how your words land in a reader’s mind and mouth, where the text flows, where it stumbles, whether your voice and tone hit the way you wanted, and more.
You and a handful of other writers show up, each with 800 words of a book, a blog, or a short story that has already been edited (original work only). You throw your work in the pile. We go around the room taking turns picking up what someone else has thrown down and reading it out loud for everyone to enjoy.
Why do we do it? It’s one thing to read your own work in your head. It’s another thing to read it out loud, when you know what’s coming and you can control emphasis, nuance, and flow. It’s quite another thing to hear someone else read it out loud when they have no idea what’s coming up on the page.
This exercise is 75%** learning about how your words land with your readers and 25%** learning how to get comfortable reading out loud to a live audience.
Labs & Workshops
1. Live. Write. Be.
9am-Noon on Zoom
Saturday, August 9
$149
Bonus (optional) hour for quiet writing: 1210pm-110pm
Private session (also included): within the following 2 weeks
Join us to discover the peace, pleasure, and productivity of the Live. Write. Be. mindset.
Live. Write. Be. is a special hands-on lab for writers who want to stay on track with their WIP while still being part of life outside of writing, get back on the writing track, or even find the track in the first place.
Taking the time to design your writing roadmap for the rest of 2025 - with input, guidance, and helpful suggestions from a coach who is actively listening to your dreams and thoughts about what works for you, what doesn't work, and what you would like to figure out about your creative habits - seems to be the most urgent need right now. I can see why.
The timing is ideal for parents -- school starts in Alameda on August 11, and I know I always do better with transitions when I have a plan of some kind (or at very least, a clear intention).
The timing is fantastic for anyone who wants to be able to identify 2025 as a year of significant progress on their writing dreams and projects -- we may be past the halfway point, but there will still be 20 weeks left in the year when we gather for this lab. That's 20 weeks to practice honoring your commitments to yourself, your commitments to others, and the very heart and soul of your creative self.
Most of all, the timing is perfect for anyone who wants to hit the ground running NOW, before getting distracted by other things. Gently placing one foot on the ground at a time while you stroll at a leisurely pace towards your destination is also an option.
We meet for three hours on Saturday, with a bonus hour afterwards for those who can stay and make a solid start on their writing plan right then and there. The price includes a follow-up Zoom session within the first couple of weeks after the lab.
Write. Share. Revise. is exactly what the label says. We spend the first 90 minutes steeped in generative writing, using prompts and short form writing to warm up and engage creative (cognitive) flexibility. This is not the space for retooling pre-existing work. You can use existing characters and situations from your book, but we're working with fresh ideas and fresh scenes because it's easier to step back, disengage emotionally, and experiment with applying feedback when you're not attached to a larger, pre-existing piece.
This hands-on lab is ideal for anyone interested in participating in one of our lit nights (Imagine March, Alameda Shorts, Imagine August), submitting short stories for publication, or building a Substack or blog with confidence and storytelling know-how.
Write. Share. Revise. is also ideal for anyone interested in the inner workings and natural rhythms of scenes and chapters that engage readers and keep them turning pages.
If you have ever wondered why a scene, story, chapter, or blog post fell flat with your audience, this is your chance to find out what we cover in this lab and practice retooling and tweaking your work with clarity instead of that awful second-guessing feeling in the pit of your stomach.
What’s the difference between a lab and a workshop?
I’m so glad you asked!
Labs are for showing up, sitting down, and writing to a specific theme with guidelines and guidance.They are containers of time and place where inspiration, motivation, momentum, and accountability thrive. In other words, we do a lot of writing in these labs. They are designed to hone your skills through practice, experimentation, and play.
Labs are generally offered in 90-minute sessions, but some may take 3 hours or even 6 hours across a weekend. They tend to be about generative writing or habit building. They’re for testing the boundaries of established comfort zones in your writing and bringing fun back into writing and storytelling.
Workshops run for several weeks — four, six, twelve, or fourteen, depending on the nature of the work. While labs are about playfully expanding your style as a writer, workshops are more about taking your creative identity seriously and proving to yourself that you are the writer you have always suspected yourself to be.
Workshops have been designed to introduce concepts of the craft and focus on producing work towards a tangible goal. They are predominantly online, with a few in-person exceptions. Workshops take into account lifestyle, mindset, motivation, and what it takes to sustain engagement in a long-term project, like writing a book or setting the foundation for a thriving blog or Substack.
Inspiration, Motivation, & Accountability!
For writing tips and habit hacks from your friendly neighborhood writing + creativity coach (hey! that’s me!), sneak peeks at what’s going on in my workshops, examples of my own writing, and exclusive invitations to secret writing situations, consider a paid subscription.
Gratuitous Kitty Shot!
Speaking of incredibly cute — here's some Mowgli in a sun puddle, just because it's incredbily cute. And Bagheera's tail, just because he's also incredibly cute, even though he's not mine.
*Paid subscribers receive exclusiveinvitations to Top SecretWrite Alongs and their in-person counterparts, the Top Secret Write Ins.
