Finishing Lines is a new workshop that I piloted in Spring 2024 through NY Writers Coalition. It’s a six-week virtual workshop designed to support writers who are starting, continuing, or completing a specific prose or poetry project (a novel, a poem, a collection of stories or poems, a short story or essay, etc.).
This workshop is for you if you:
1) already have a writing project in mind or in progress;
2) want to start a new writing project but need motivation;
3) want to dedicate more time and energy to your work;
4) need help achieving your writing goals and staying accountable to yourself; and/or
5) you’re returning to a project you previously set aside.
You won’t be expected to complete your project in six weeks, of course. Instead, with the support of a committed group, you’ll cultivate the tools you need to develop long-term structures that will help you cross the finish line. Space will be limited to 12 participants to ensure each writer receives as much attention as possible.
Components
In Finishing Lines, through group discussions and breakout sessions, we will:
set individual goals and create accountability systems for your project
provide time and space to write in response to optional prompts
explore and experiment with what helps your individual writing process and what doesn’t
celebrate our successes and name our challenges
create an achievable plan to continue your work beyond this workshop
Some feedback from our pilot session:
“I really appreciated how much we were able to reflect on our processes and how they help or hinder us. I also love the space you gave for conversation when someone needed help figuring something out and how you encouraged us to remain positive even when we didn't quite meet our goals.”
“It kicked me into gear when I needed it the most and I think that remembering everything we did in these 7 weeks will be a strong motivator. Like muscle memory. Muscle memory Mondays. The weekly goals are so helpful. I require that kind of accountability for goal setting, which became all the more clear to me in your workshop. Going over the goals each week also somehow made me feel less shitty when I didn't reach them.”
“Aaron is a gifted NATURAL facilitator. Over many years, I've facilitated dozens of in-person & Zoom writing workshops & book discussion groups; I see in Aaron's group facilitation an intuitive -- & unceasing -- assessing of the group dynamics & the needs of the group! What a gift to possess... and to bestow!”
“You made everyone instantly comfortable. The whole group seemed motivated by your leadership and the camaraderie you cultivated.”