Whether your goals include writing for emotional expression or publishing your words, we hope you’ll join us for our six-week online writing groups for adult adoptees who have stories to share.

In a supportive environment designed to help adoptee voices shine, the Adoptee Voices writing groups offer:

  • Dedicated writing time: bring your work-in-progress or write something fresh using the week’s adoption-specific prompt
  • Writing accountability and motivation
  • Community with other adoptees and writers
  • Optional feedback on your writing
  • Practice at sharing your adoptee story
  • Your choice in interest tracks: “Honor Your Voice” or “Hone Your Craft”
  • Publishing and writing support
  • Opportunities for sharing your work in a small and supportive setting
  • An invitation to publish your writing in the Adoptee Voices e-Zine

 

INTEREST TRACKS

  • Honor Your Voice: This group/track supports adoptees who are new to writing about adoption. Each week, adoptees will be invited to write from adoption-specific prompts designed to help explore the unconscious and play with emotions through words. Facilitated by Jennifer Dyan Ghoston (The Truth So Far and Once Upon a Time…In Adopteeland), and Kate Murphy (The Couch blog), this group is about helping you build confidence in your abilities as a writer and learning to honor your voice.

  • Hone Your Craft: This group/track focuses on the craft of storytelling, writing with publication in mind, and marketing to agents, publishers, and readers. Adoptees can write from weekly prompts or bring their current works-in-progress. After writing together in community, we break into small groups for sharing our writing and giving/receiving feedback. Led by Sara Easterly (Searching for Mom and Adoption Unfiltered) and Alice Stephens (Famous Adopted People).

MEETING STRUCTURE

  • Meetings take place over Zoom from 4-7 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesdays.
  • We start each meeting as a large group, and then break into track-specific groups for: A) Warm-up activities to invite your unconscious to play (“Honor Your Voice” track); or B) Publishing and writing instruction (“Hone Your Craft” track).
  • After the adoption-specific prompts are shared, we turn off audio/video to write “side by side” for 1.25 to 1.5 hours.
  • Following writing time, meet in track-specific groups of 7-8 adoptee-writers for feedback.
  • For our final 10-15 minutes together, we return as a large group for a writing-related discussion.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

  • All genres, all writing levels, all adoptees 18+ welcome.
  • Limited to 16 writers in each track.
  • Cost is $150.
  • Includes access to a private online group for ongoing dialogue.
  • Full or half scholarships available by application.  (Application deadline is January 28, 2024. Decisions will be announced January 30, 2024.)

NEXT SESSION

  • SPRING 2024: Meets weekly on Tuesdays, April 23, 2024 through June 4, 2024 (no meeting 5/28/24), 4:00-7:00 pm Pacific Time.
    Registration opens Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 12:00 pm Pacific Time. FULL/WAITLIST ONLY.
JOIN WAITLIST
JOIN MAILING LIST

GROUND RULES

  • We respect one another’s writing and messaging. If you’re inspired by a colleague, then cite their influence on your writing in some way.

  • We’re all adoptees, but have had different experiences and may have varying perspectives. Please give one another grace where you disagree. We respect where we are each at in understanding the impact of adoption, recognizing a range of experiences and feelings.

  • We’re likely to talk about private and sensitive issues, so what we talk about in group should stay within the group.

  • We endeavor to keep all material private and confidential, but cannot guarantee all participants in the cohort will always do the same.

  • Sharing your writing and receiving feedback is optional. You can always decline to share if it gets too difficult.

  • This is a facilitated peer writing group, not a therapy session. If you are experiencing a serious mental health event, such as suicidal thoughts, please contact a licensed professional or the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.

  • This group is intended to serve a community of adoptees. Consequently, all participants assert they are adoptees. Further, facilitators reserve the right to limit access to anyone deemed inappropriate, threatening, or otherwise disruptive to the group and its intended purpose.

  • We do not record discussion and sharing sessions. However, we reserve the right to record presentations by members or guest speakers, subject to mutual agreement.

  • You agree to hold harmless Adoptee Voices and its individual facilitators from any liability for outcomes of your participation in this writing group.

SENSITIVE CONTENT WARNING

All experiences, emotions, and perspectives on adoption are welcome, which means that some of the content encountered within the writing group could be upsetting. If this is your first time participating in a group of adoptees or looking up-close at adoption, you may wish to first, or concurrently, consider working with an adoption-competent therapist and/or seeking an adoptee support group.