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Writer's picturemichellehazenbooks

Traveling Writing Sprints

Boise, Idaho people! I'm hosting a really unique local event for writers. The Cabin, our Boise literary society, was kind enough to co-host with me and let me borrow their space to gather writers together.


What: We'll be getting away from screens and roaming the city in small groups. You only need a notebook and a pen as your group follows their whims from cafes to bars to parks in the vein of famous cafe writers like Hemingway and Malcolm Gladwell.


When: Saturday, October 12, 2024, from 1 PM until 4 PM


Where: We will start and end at The Cabin (801 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise, ID 83702)


Cost: $35


Why: I first took part in a traveling writing sprint in New Orleans, and it was THE most magical writing event I'd ever been a part of. As an introvert, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed being a part of a group of strangers (the very small group size probably helped) and how much inspiration there was to be found in throwing together 4 people from all around the country who had never heard each other's stories. The second time I did one of these, we were running around the French Quarter, I was supposed to be back to work after three hours...and we were having such a great time I cancelled everything and spent 9 hours running around the city in the pouring rain, meeting other writers and writing about EVERYTHING we saw.


It reminded me of the innate nature of inspiration: that when you limit it to asking for "only book-sized ideas" or only ideas that are marketable, or only ideas in a specific genre, you really turn down the volume on your muse. When I looked to every person and every space I moved through as a potential source of inspiration, I... 1) Found EVERYTHING more interesting. 2) Wrote wild, crazy, interesting stuff that was so different from my norm!


I loved these experiences so much that when I came back to Idaho, I immediately knew I had to bring this event back to the writers in my own home. If you're intrigued, and you live in the area, come join us! I can't wait to see if you find it as magical as I did.



The Fine Print: There isn't any, but I know you still have questions, so...


YES you can come. Writers of any experience level can come. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, dedicated journalers...you all "count" and you're all welcome.


NO you don't need to have an ongoing project to work on. Your work can take the form of free-writes, lyrics, flash fiction, or poems, giving your imagination the freedom to wander without limits. You can also use the time to practice writing exercises on description or dialogue or character building, based on the people and settings you encounter.


YES you can bring your laptop or tablet or phone to write on if you prefer. However, having hauled my laptop around town for my whole first writing sprint, I found that a notebook and a pen was the most convenient to carry, and perfectly sufficient for the short, timed writing sprints that we're there for.


 

Now, if you're not in the Boise area and you're dying to take part, hit me up on the Contact Me page and I'll help you look for an event like this in your area or design one yourself. They're very easy to run and YES you could totally do it.


The last part of the writing sprints that surprised me is how fast our groups got really close! There's something about the openness of the experience that bonds people faster than in other places...or maybe writers are just more interesting than other people. Come join us and find out!



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