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The Red Room Method?
It’s simple. You, actually writing your story…until it’s finished.
Step One: Picking a Project that Matters.
During your two-hour (included) orientation workshop, you will get the personal attention you need to have a concrete
standing place and strategy to approach your writing. After your in-depth orientation,
you will arrive at the Studio with your project starting point as clear to you
as if your story were a live model sitting in the center of the room, as in
a life-drawing class.
Step Two: Showing Up.
Showing up at the page is mandatory if you want to be a writer. By coming to
the Red Room Writers Society to do this, you avoid the distractions of your usual surroundings.
Family, friends, telephones, email, television, reading, food, work, bills,
and failed attempts to work on your manuscript cannot enter the Red Room. Once inside, you will find a supportive community of other
writers who share your hopes and fears, but more importantly, who have a shared
purpose.
Step Three: You Actually Writing.
There is absolutely no substitute for you actually writing. One hour of writing
that will not be critiqued or discussed, just written. No talk, no excuses.
This may sound scary, but it is liberating because, at the Red Room Writers Society, we do not
sit down to accomplish anything that cannot be accomplished in one hour. We
do not sit down to write the Great American Novel, or to become famous, because
those things cannot be accomplished within an hour. One hour of writing can
be accomplished in one hour.
Step Four: Stopping Only for Legitimate Points of Inquiry.
Knowing when you are at a legitimate point of inquiry about your writing is
a skill we cultivate at the Red Room Writers Society. Your desire for feedback is more likely
than not just a procrastination technique or a desperate cry for external validation.
A legitimate point of inquiry will not likely occur until you are finished with
your first draft of an entire manuscript, or are at such a meaningful crossroads
that you really must consult an expert in your genre before proceeding due to
structural concerns. Not after every few pages, and not a critique from another
blocked would-be writer. Nothing will be more validating or useful to you than
having a completed first draft.
Step Five: Declaring Completion.
All the writers you admire completed the writing projects you love. If all they
had done was daydream about getting published, ruminate about their reviews,
outline their story, go to therapy, do clever writing exercises, and leave an
unfinished manuscript…they never would have left a legacy. No one would
have knowledge of their unfinished work. Red Room Writers finish their manuscripts
because we exist to serve that end.
What to expect when you walk in
the door to your first Writers Studio.
Our Writers Studios are held at a luxurious, historic
mansion in San Francisco. We meet in either the formal
dining room or the salon. Studios are entirely private,
and generally very quiet. We serve complimentary tea,
cookies, and hot hors d'oeuvres just before the Studio
begins.
Studios are always one and a half hours long, once a week for four
weeks. There is never any homework, and therefore, no pressure or guilt over
what writing you’re "supposed to" do in between sessions. Dress
comfortably and bring your notebook computer or notebook.
You will be welcomed into the Red Room with a brief lecture on writing wisdom
to help you to get the most out of your Studio experience. Then, everyone will
write silently on the project they have selected, for exactly one hour. To close,
we will discuss our experience of getting a solid hour of writing done. There
is no criticism or discussion of your work. Every single week, you will produce
actual writing on your most cherished writing project. This ongoing success
will transform your relationship with writing.
You will be supported throughout the process of writing your story in its entirety.
The Red Room Writers Society is a sanctuary for stories, a safe space where stories come to
be revealed. Join us!
Personal Attention and Smart Goal Setting
Every Writers Studio includes an intial private consultations with an instructor.
You and your instructor will identify realistic, inspiring
goals for you. After the Studio concludes, your instructor will be available to help you identify the challenges you faced and recognize your achievements.
Writers Studios
This Studio is designed for students at any stage of a writing project, who
feel stuck and want to see immediate results (yes, you can be stuck at the very
beginning). If you have several writing projects you are considering working
on, the instructor can help you decide before the Studio begins. Setting realistic
goals with the help of an expert, and enjoying the immediate results of actual
writing (rather than just talking about it) will probably make you want to continue
at the Red Room Writers Society. This Studio will give you the emotional confidence and the
practical tools you need to proceed with the project on your own, or by continuing
to work in the Studio format.
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