I laugh when I think about the birth of writing camp.
I started hosting camps when I looked at my long term goal of creating an Artist Colony/Writers Retreat/Camp sort of place for all generations. I had been looking at writers residencies and found nothing where I could have a residency AND have my children with me.
I am just not up to leaving my children for four weeks at a time.
I thought, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a place where people could elect the option of bringing family with them on their artistic rest times, where the children are cared for and also doing creative activities simultaneously and learning the joy of silence, quiet and the creative process.” I also thought a certain Mother (of mine!) would benefit from the same thing!
Grandparents, Children, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Moms and Dads, all enjoying a sacred and protected time of creating together separately.
This was my dream AND it didn’t show any signs of manifesting right on my horizon so the creative me said, “How can I bring this sort of experience into fruition before I have an actual property?”
This is how Writing Camp was born.
Since then there have been many (I have lost count!) virtual writing camps. There have been Writing Camps in high school classrooms, in City Parks, in National Parks, in Hospitals, in College classrooms. People have attended camp from all over the world.
My next logical step is to take Writing Camp on the Road: in other words, bring Writing Camp with me when I travel and/or intentionally taking Camp to certain places. A natural combination to me is taking Camp to writerly AND natural places.
Since I love visiting writers’ homes and benefit from the creative vibe within places, this seems like not only a logical next step, but a “filled with passion” next step.
Where would you love to see Writing Camp appear? Perhaps you’ve been wanting to manifest an intentional writing community – here is your chance, delivered to a neighborhood, a museum, a home near you.
All you need to do is speak it to me here, email me at juliejordanscott at gmail dot come or call or text me at 661.444.2735 and we’ll begin the delightful task of putting it into motion.
Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & in the future will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.
I am not going to use this space to shout at you with words about my jealously guarded secrets about writing that killer memoir filled with (enter your favored hypey expression here) so that you may make a lot of money quickly by filling out a book template with something you found by someone else and calling it your own.
If that is what you are looking for, please email me and I will send you several suggestions.
I offer you a brief look into "Writing the Journey" Virtual Writing Camp for Life, Travel & Memoir Writers:
Writing camp is a community of writers who will support your process through an intense week of both writing and discovery.
Writing camp is a place for honest expression without hyperbole or excess negativity.
Writing camp allows you the space to try something new with your writing and creativity.
Writing camp is not necessarily at a camp – though it may be – this session is held via teleconference “Camp Fires” or via an ecourse made up of emails, blog posts, audios and video sessions.
Writing Camp is unintimidating: if you are nervous about it, we will come alongside you with loving compassion, always.
Writing Camp is welcoming.
Writing Camp Specifically for Life and Memoir Writing will:
Inspire you and teach you how to glean writing gold from your everyday life using a step-by-step approach which you will personalize according to your wants, needs and desires.
We approach the creative process using guidance, not prescription. We only use cookie cutters at camp when we want to make a very specific sort of cookie.
We believe memoir and life writing is for fun and discovery, not for drudgery.
We will come alongside you to assist you reach into your life and come out not only with a story people want to read or hear, but also a new understanding and appreciation for your life.
We honor your words and give you the space to grow into your writing greatness via publishing or not publishing, via traditional or untraditional methods. Most of all, we want you to enjoy your words, to partner with your personalized writing flow as we sit, around the (virtual) campfire, enjoy each other, enjoying our words, enjoying the process discovery.
We are writers who celebrate and write in the moment, like Anne Morrow Lindbergh once said, “I must write it all out, at any cost. Writing is thinking. It is more than living, for it is being conscious of living.”
Our final session of the 2011-2012 Writing Camp Season is next week.
Our teleconference “campfires” will meet Monday, June 11 through Friday, June 15. You may choose between day sessions (from 8:30 am to 9:30 am Pacific Time at the latest) or evening sessions (6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Pacific time at the latest.)
Our “E-Campfires” will be sent daily by 4 PM Pacific time. The E-Course will include 5 written sessions, 5 audio recordings, countless photos and video sessions.
Nothing would please me more than your involvement.
If you know anyone who might like to write alongside us, please send them this information.
I look forward to “seeing” you around our “campfire” soon.
To register now, complete the payment process. You will receive information about camp within 24 hours of registration :
June, 2012: The Writing Journey Memoir and Travel Writing (both metaphorically and specifically) June 11, 2012 - June 15, 2012 8:30 am or 6:00 pm Register for June Camp ~ $49
As always, if you have any questions please call or text me at 661.444.2735 or email me at juliejordanscott at gmail.com
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