Melanie McIntosh, artist and retired social worker
“I truly enjoyed my experience with your Fierce Writing event. I really liked the other person who was on the program that day. And you do a great presentation of the poems and suggested lines or ideas!”
Anne Ramsey, seeker and writer
“Fierce Writing was a new experience for me, but by its very name, it gave me permission to approach it bravely, fiercely. It opened up realities which I hadn't realized were there. Thank you, Holly.”
Mary Palnau, writer, gardener, photographer, caretaker
“Fierce Writing was a different type of writing experience for me. I usually write alone when a topic hits me. I type it on the computer ‘fixing’ my texts and thoughts as I go. In Fierce Writing you write on paper, and you're asked to write for 15 minutes as your thoughts flow out. I could feel the release much deeper as I wrote, even when I didn't realize I needed release. It felt very therapeutic.”
About Fierce Writing
When you see the word fierce, do you imagine a wild animal with its fangs bared, maybe blood dripping from them? Fierce Writing is not violent, but it is wild because it’s free and uncensored, with no thought of whether it is good or polite but whether it is real and true.
Using “jump-off” lines from a poem chosen for its ability to get the juices flowing, we write continuously for 15 minutes, pen never leaving the page, to bypass that internal censor who tells us what we write needs to be good and only show us in a positive light.
Then we read aloud what we wrote so that we all get to experience what it feels like sharing our real selves and hearing others share theirs. We don’t critique each other’s writing or even make verbal comments. We just give each other our undivided attention and nonverbal gestures of support. This creates a bond and trust that we don’t get in everyday conversations about the weather and how things are going at work.
Fierce Writing is courageous writing. It’s putting it all on the page, so it doesn’t stay locked up inside. You will be surprised at what comes out when you can be your authentic self and be loved for it.
Click the video to see how it works. Then try it on your own and think about what it would be like to share what you write and hear others share their writing.
