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Hi writers, Thank you for your presence and engagement last night. I’m looking forward to our next few weeks together. Here is the video from last night’s session and the writing guide, which you can also find here in the member area (password: STORYWORK26). Below, I’m providing some key takeaways and reminders.
A couple key takeaways I want to highlight from last night: In this intensive, we are finding creative ways to reclaim limiting stories. A “story” can be a narrative you’ve internalized, a label placed on you, messaging you’ve received from others or from culture, a pattern you’ve repeated, an expectation you’ve tried to live up to, or even a myth you’ve come to believe about yourself or your life. Last night, we reflected on the labels, narratives, and stories from your early life that shaped your sense of identity, worth, and what you believed was possible for you. As we move forward, you will uncover different limiting beliefs and stories through the prompts provided, and I encourage you to focus on the ones that are most impactful to situations and challenges you are currently facing in your life.
Your activity this week is to:
Spend more time with the exercises we did in the session, and see what else comes up for you. Stay open-minded, and skip over any questions that are coming up blank for you. Don’t try to force answers. Use one of the three storytelling prompts offered in the guide to explore a situation from your past and the inner narrative that developed from it. Allow yourself to trust the writing process, and don’t try to force new conclusions or tie a neat bow on the situation. Even if all you generate are questions that still don’t have answers, or different perspectives that don’t yet fully resolve the story, that is valuable material. The insights, ideas, and emotional depths that you discover will continue to develop over time.
Next week: At the beginning of our next session, we’ll take time to explore whatever you feel ready to share—whether it’s something you wrote or reflections on the process, including any challenges, questions, or insights that emerged along the way. There are no rules for this in terms of word count or anything like that.
Inner Story Writing Circle: One thing I forgot to mention in the session is your access to our Inner Story Writing Circle. We have weekly cowriting sessions that take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These are quiet writing sessions, essentially like a study hall. You don’t have to RSVP to attend. Starting this Sunday at 8 pm et, I will also be including you on our weekly Inner Story bulletin email. You won’t have access to the Inner Story member area, but you are welcome to attend any of the sessions during your time in the intensive. Don’t forget to check out the Toolbox: Expressive Writing Method. I highly recommend this prewriting exercise (see the writing guide and 15-minute video) for reflecting on an emotionally charged memory. It provides a structured, therapeutic approach that helps reveal new insights while honoring your need for self-care. Playing with Forms. This section offers ideas for experimenting with different literary styles, some of which may stretch beyond your comfort zone and open up fresh, unexpected entry points into your writing. 3 Paths to Vulnerable Writing. In this 12-minute video, I share tools and mindset shifts that help you move through resistance and explore deeper layers of your story that you may not have accessed before.
Please feel free to reply to this email with any questions. See you next week!
Blessings,
GG
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