The Writing Chrysalis

Today begins an idea that started for me in 2021. I had foolishly and bravely bought a farm to run retreats and was having a soft-opening of my first retreat offering - a writing retreat - with two dear friends. After two magical days of writing together I gave them parting goodies of advent calendars with prompts, and we wrote together virtually for 25 days.

The writings I did during that time are the foundation of my book, The Writing Chrysalis. I’m running it virtually beginning today, and you can join our cocoon and receive a daily email with writing inspiration and a prompt. There will also be a group google doc if you wish to share your daily discoveries. The end of The Writing Chrysalis will correspond nicely with the annual Writing Chrysalis Retreat at Braving Star Farms for those who are able to attend, but it is not necessary to participate.

I hope you enjoy the free-sample below, and if you are inspired to join us you can do so here for just $1 a day. (And if you are finding this later, you can now buy the book and take your own self-paced journey).

Day 1 of The Writing Chrysalis
CHRYSALIS
Just as a caterpillar can’t transform into a butterfly without its chrysalis, a writer can’t make magic without the cocoon of the blank page. Whether a word document, college-ruled notebook, or a handmade journal with artisanal paper, the page holds the space for transformation to occur. Therefore, there is nothing more daring than entering the whitespace of the blank page.
Putting down any armor, you pick up your beloved pen, and cross the threshold into the writing chrysalis. Leaving the known and the safe is never comfortable, and will often be scary, but you are willing to risk it to experience the great mystery. In this vulnerable arena you bravely and honestly pour yourself out. Judging nothing. Witnessing everything.
Alchemy is a messy process, but you keep the ink flowing until you’ve met your word count, your timer goes off, or your battery runs out. When you finally emerge, you stop and rest, knowing that the ink must dry before you test or edit anything. You are tender with the fresh creation; with the changes that have taken place both on and off the page.
Free-writing prompt: Cocoon