*Free* Pop-Up Writing Workshop: Hair Stories (Nov 12)
Hair can be a defining part of who we are — tied to our identity, culture, and sense of self. When cancer takes that away, it can feel like losing more than just hair. How does losing, regrowing, or changing your hair during cancer affect how you see yourself? Did it change your relationships with others, your confidence, or even how you moved through the world?
Wherever you are on your hair journey, join me on November 12 at our Pop-Up Writing Workshop on the theme of "Hair Stories." Learn to use writing as a tool to navigate these complicated hair feelings and changes in the company of those who understand this all too well.
When: Tuesday, November 12, at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST
Where/How: Live via Zoom
Cost: FREE
Why: Want to write about your experiences but aren’t sure where to begin? Maybe you love writing but have a hard time finding the time or maybe you don’t write currently but would like to try. A prompt-style writing workshop is just the thing for you. Prompts help you enter the page and guide your thoughts, so you don’t have to stare at a blinking cursor feeling lost and discouraged.
No writing experience is necessary to participate.
The details:
Hosted by April Stearns, editor-in-chief of Wildfire Magazine and writing instructor for the Wildfire Writing Community
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 12:30 PST / 3:30 EST (90 min)
Where: Your computer over Zoom (although not required, headphones with a mic are helpful)
Who: People diagnosed with any stage of breast cancer under 50
Sharing tips and tricks for accessing and writing personal stories
Time to write, divided among different prompts
Discussion and optional sharing opportunities
What past workshop attendees have said:
“I loved attending Wildfire's Pop Up Writing Workshop. I've wanted to journal for some time, but wasn't sure where to start. The prompts and hearing from others helped me in more ways than I realized. I will be back!” - Kristin
“The Wildfire Community workshops have had a therapeutic impact as I cope with living with breast cancer. The community has brought me new friends and have made me enjoy writing more.” - Alison
Hair can be a defining part of who we are — tied to our identity, culture, and sense of self. When cancer takes that away, it can feel like losing more than just hair. How does losing, regrowing, or changing your hair during cancer affect how you see yourself? Did it change your relationships with others, your confidence, or even how you moved through the world?
Wherever you are on your hair journey, join me on November 12 at our Pop-Up Writing Workshop on the theme of "Hair Stories." Learn to use writing as a tool to navigate these complicated hair feelings and changes in the company of those who understand this all too well.
When: Tuesday, November 12, at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST
Where/How: Live via Zoom
Cost: FREE
Why: Want to write about your experiences but aren’t sure where to begin? Maybe you love writing but have a hard time finding the time or maybe you don’t write currently but would like to try. A prompt-style writing workshop is just the thing for you. Prompts help you enter the page and guide your thoughts, so you don’t have to stare at a blinking cursor feeling lost and discouraged.
No writing experience is necessary to participate.
The details:
Hosted by April Stearns, editor-in-chief of Wildfire Magazine and writing instructor for the Wildfire Writing Community
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 12:30 PST / 3:30 EST (90 min)
Where: Your computer over Zoom (although not required, headphones with a mic are helpful)
Who: People diagnosed with any stage of breast cancer under 50
Sharing tips and tricks for accessing and writing personal stories
Time to write, divided among different prompts
Discussion and optional sharing opportunities
What past workshop attendees have said:
“I loved attending Wildfire's Pop Up Writing Workshop. I've wanted to journal for some time, but wasn't sure where to start. The prompts and hearing from others helped me in more ways than I realized. I will be back!” - Kristin
“The Wildfire Community workshops have had a therapeutic impact as I cope with living with breast cancer. The community has brought me new friends and have made me enjoy writing more.” - Alison
Hair can be a defining part of who we are — tied to our identity, culture, and sense of self. When cancer takes that away, it can feel like losing more than just hair. How does losing, regrowing, or changing your hair during cancer affect how you see yourself? Did it change your relationships with others, your confidence, or even how you moved through the world?
Wherever you are on your hair journey, join me on November 12 at our Pop-Up Writing Workshop on the theme of "Hair Stories." Learn to use writing as a tool to navigate these complicated hair feelings and changes in the company of those who understand this all too well.
When: Tuesday, November 12, at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST
Where/How: Live via Zoom
Cost: FREE
Why: Want to write about your experiences but aren’t sure where to begin? Maybe you love writing but have a hard time finding the time or maybe you don’t write currently but would like to try. A prompt-style writing workshop is just the thing for you. Prompts help you enter the page and guide your thoughts, so you don’t have to stare at a blinking cursor feeling lost and discouraged.
No writing experience is necessary to participate.
The details:
Hosted by April Stearns, editor-in-chief of Wildfire Magazine and writing instructor for the Wildfire Writing Community
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 12:30 PST / 3:30 EST (90 min)
Where: Your computer over Zoom (although not required, headphones with a mic are helpful)
Who: People diagnosed with any stage of breast cancer under 50
Sharing tips and tricks for accessing and writing personal stories
Time to write, divided among different prompts
Discussion and optional sharing opportunities
What past workshop attendees have said:
“I loved attending Wildfire's Pop Up Writing Workshop. I've wanted to journal for some time, but wasn't sure where to start. The prompts and hearing from others helped me in more ways than I realized. I will be back!” - Kristin
“The Wildfire Community workshops have had a therapeutic impact as I cope with living with breast cancer. The community has brought me new friends and have made me enjoy writing more.” - Alison
No writing experience necessary, this workshop is for all levels of writers and non-writers who want an environment in which to practice and commune with others. We will discuss tricks and tips for accessing and writing personal stories, particularly related to traumatic and difficult life events, such as a predisposition to cancer, as well as practice writing via prompts. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their writing if they so desire. There will be no critics, only listening. No pressure to share.
April Johnson Stearns, Founder, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, WILDFIRE Magazine. April is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Wildfire Magazine & Writing Community. A lifelong writer who landed her first memoir-based magazine cover story at just 16, April worked for her college newspaper (“City on the Hill” at the University of California at Santa Cruz) and then went on to work for her local newspaper (The Sentinel, Santa Cruz, CA) following graduation. Before long, she was lured to other writing jobs “over the hill” from Santa Cruz in Silicon Valley during the tech boom of the early 2000s.
However, in 2012, in the midst of this career, April was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer at age 35. Four years later, while struggling to “go back to normal” and find others in similar circumstances, April launched WILDFIRE Magazine & Writing Community as a way for younger people to tell and read breast cancer stories.
Since 2016, April has guided hundreds of writers through the Wildfire writing workshops and published 50 issues of Wildfire Magazine.
April believes strongly that helping others tell their stories has the dramatic effect of turning a traumatic cancer experience into an empowering one. April lives with her husband and young daughter in Santa Cruz. Although she loves town life, she also likes to get away from all the hustle and bustle whenever she can to hike in the woods, but writing memoir remains April’s purest escape.
Related Wildfire Magazine issues: Subscribers can find 50 previous Wildfire Magazine issues in the digital archives. Others can purchase print and digital issues here.
