Single Workshops

Single workshops are great ways to bring the power of creative writing to your organization. Whether you’re testing out interest in creative writing — or want to offer clients something different on a special day — single workshops are easy to get started!

If you’re looking for a more therapeutic option — or one that allows participants to be published — check out our Workshop Series program.

Single Workshops are Right for You If…

  • You want to try out a workshop before committing to a workshop series.
  • You’re looking to customize a creative writing experience outside of our 6-10 week workshop-type series.
  • You can recruit 10-18 people to participate (the maximum workshop size is 18).
  • Publishing opportunities are not particularly important to you. (If they are, check out our workshop series.)
  • You’d like to include creative writing in an event you’re hosting.

If a single workshop doesn’t seem quite right, take a look at our Workshop Series program.

Getting Started

Interested in bringing a workshop to your organization? Fill out our Partner Interest Form!

Partner Interest Form

Questions?

Sarah Weller (she/her)
Program Director
503-796-9224
sweller@writearound.org

An older woman with white hair and glasses laughs while holding a journal.

“The WAP program is a great creative outlet for individuals who oftentimes are unable to access the arts.”

– Art, Home Forward

Program Timeline

We are happy to offer single workshops at any time of year — just get in touch! We generally ask for 6-8 weeks’ lead time.

Single workshops can also be linked together as a mini-series, such as a weekly series of four workshops, or a quarterly series at your organization. We’re happy to learn about your needs and develop a writing experience that will best serve them.

Typically, single workshops are two hours long, although we can also provide 90 minute options too. 

What’s in a Single Workshop?

Freewriting

Good news: spelling and grammar DO NOT MATTER in a Write Around Portland workshop! Freewriting is all about keeping the pen moving and writing whatever comes to mind.

Sharing

After freewriting, participants are offered the opportunity to read their work aloud. Participants are encouraged to share, but it’s always optional. 

What’s Freewriting?

Freewriting is a tried-and-true writing method developed almost 100 years ago in universities. It has become a tool often used to overcome “writer’s block” and as a way to “warm up” in preparation for putting thoughts to paper.

In freewriting, spelling and grammar do not matter, and writers are encouraged to keep their pens moving the entire time. If they run out of things to say, they are encouraged to continue writing anyway, even if it’s just to write about how they don’t have anything to write. Writers are encouraged to let their mind wander and to write about whatever strikes them at that moment.

What You’ll Need

  • Actively recruit at least 10 and no more than 18 participants to participate in the workshop.
  • Provide a clean, comfortable, and safe space. Must include seating for all attendees; a table is recommended but not required. Allow the facilitator access to the room 15 minutes before the workshop begins, and allow 15 minutes after the workshop to clean up.
  • Help cover workshop costs by paying a fee to fund the workshop in an amount decided by your organization.
  • Work closely with us to ensure the program is a success for your organization
  • Provide guidance around best practices for working with the people you serve.

What Write Around Provides

  • A qualified volunteer facilitator who has received 27 hours of training and has passed a criminal background check.
  • Weekly support and supervision of the volunteer facilitator by a Write Around Portland staff person.
  • All workshop supplies, including paper, pens, and handouts.
  • Accommodations, as necessary, for participants, including providing a scribe if needed.
  • Upon request, we may be able to provide “guided playtime” for the children of participants, as well as transit tickets and large format print materials.

Recent customized Workshops

We have years of experience adapting our program to your organization’s needs. Below are a few recent examples of our work!

Four people sit around a table with pens in their hands, writing on journals. They appear to be very focused on their writing.

Pricing

As a small nonprofit organization, Write Around Portland relies on the generosity of foundations, donors, and partner agencies to support our work.

We do ask each agency to cover a portion of the workshop expense (meaning cash support, not in-kind.) We require that participants not pay anything toward their workshop experience.

Our standard pricing for a single workshop is a sliding scale fee of $150- $600. We ask that larger organizations pay closer to the high end of the partner fee to allow us to serve smaller agencies in our community. We do NOT want price to be a barrier, especially for smaller organizations.

For questions or additional information about partner fees, contact our Program Director, Sarah Weller.

Getting Started

Interested in bringing a Workshop Series to your organization? Fill out our Partner Interest Form!

Partner Interest Form

For any questions, contact Sarah!

Sarah Weller, Program Director
sweller@writearound.org

503-796-9224

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