One year ago I started a writing “studio” in Hopkins, Minnesota, with fellow writer, Julie Burton.
“Let’s start a writing group for teens or tweens and one for adults,” Julie suggested. I heard “teens” and thought, nope, but I loved Julie’s idea to bring a group of adults together on a weekly basis for writing support and encouragement. And I loved that this group would exist in person, not online.
Julie agreed and right away we planned our dream group, the kind of we would have loved joining a decade or more ago when we were started our careers. However, since we also wanted the group to work for veteran writers, too, we had to figure out a way to organize the two hours each week in a way that fit different writers’ needs. Furthermore, we didn’t want reading homework for anyone involved, and the location had to be convenient (for us, obviously) and for others who would not likely make the time to deal with fussy parking.
Within days, the Twin Cities Writing Studio was born and with a bit of vulnerability about promoting a group we didn’t know anyone would sign up for, we announced our vision to friends, family, and the internet. I’m proud to say that Julie and I have enjoyed full sessions almost every 10 weeks. We even created a private Facebook group open only to past and current session attendees, blending the best of what we love online with the essential (and increasingly unique) piece of time together in person.
The TCWS has turned into the highlight of my week. It’s wonderful to see writers with a variety of interests and goals come together for the common purpose of support, growth, and a consistent time to write.
Any questions? You can email me at ninabadzin@gmail.com
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3 Responses
Woo hoo!!! Wish I were in twc!
Congrats, Nina! So excited for you and glad that this venture is proving to be a success. xo
Congrats on the continued success of your studio! When I saw the title of this post in my feed, I got excited thinking you were expanding to the East Coast.:)