Contemplative Writers’ Group meets every other Wednesday @ 6 PM

We’ve been having some really nice sessions over at my house in Carbondale on Wednesday evenings. Some of the writers who attend have been published and some have not. All have been very grateful to set aside the time and willing to share with emotion and sensitivity. The group seems to be changing members over the course of weeks, and we’ve held about 8 sessions so far. The sessions include a vegetarian meal, lot’s of fascinating, informal conversation, and a 10-minute contemplative writing exercise. I suppose some of the writing exercises are more or less contemplative than others. I find that if one has instructions that are complicated, it’s easy to make it contemplative, and simpler, by asking everyone to close their eyes briefly and focus on what task is being asked of them. This is a basic focusing technique. With eyes closed and silence, words that seem obscure or challenging tend to sink in easier and participants gain better comprehension and agency to complete the task at hand. You can find a full exploration of this meditative writing method, as used in an academic setting, in my dissertation, completed in 2008. The title:  Supporting Student Writers’ Personal Agency through Meditation in the Composition Classroom: An Exploratory Study.

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