"Write What You Don't Know" 2-Day Intensive
Explore the riches of your imagination and discover the story that’s yours alone to tell! This short, exciting plunge into the Imaginative Storm method will equip you with a powerful set of tools to take into the rest of your writing life—and change your approach to writing forever.
Explore the riches of your imagination and discover the story that’s yours alone to tell! This short, exciting plunge into the Imaginative Storm method will equip you with a powerful set of tools to take into the rest of your writing life—and change your approach to writing forever.
Explore the riches of your imagination and discover the story that’s yours alone to tell! This short, exciting plunge into the Imaginative Storm method will equip you with a powerful set of tools to take into the rest of your writing life—and change your approach to writing forever.
What are you writing?
Memoir? Creative or transformational nonfiction? Fiction? Poetry? Not sure yet?
Whatever you’re writing, the Imaginative Storm method will give you simple techniques for writing fearlessly, authentically, and with unbridled curiosity.
You wiil learn how to:
~ replace criticism with appreciation
~ replace effort with flow
~ replace anxiety with excitement
~ replace self-doubt with confidence
What’s the secret?
Write what you DON’T know!
What you’ll learn
easy techniques to pack your writing with emotional power
how to recognize and build your authentic writing voice
how to pacify your inner critic and develop your inner cheerleader
how to find your story
Plus, you’ll say goodbye to writer’s block for good.
About Allegra
“As a former Editorial Director of the London publisher Weidenfeld & Nicolson and holder of a First Class degree in English from Oxford University, I'm all about good writing. But when I started writing myself, I wasn't able to write anything I liked! Maybe I just can't write, I thought. I was trying as hard as I could to write well.
The Imaginative Storm method was a revelation to me. I learned that trying to write well didn't help me. That my writing would be better, and my own authentic voice would emerge, if I didn't try so hard. James Navé taught me to surprise myself and write what I don't know.”
*
As well as Write What You Don't Know, Allegra is the author of the bestselling Love Child: A Memoir of Family Lost and Found, the novel A Stolen Summer, How to Edit and Be Edited, and How to Read for an Audience (with James Navé). She wrote and produced the award-winning short film Good Luck, Mr. Gorski, and has also written numerous feature screenplays. Her articles have appeared in many major magazines in the US, UK, and France. An editor for over three decades, she worked with authors including three Booker Prize winners, two Nobel Prize winners, and Jane Goodall.
Allegra was born in London and grew up ni Ireland, Long Island, Los Angeles, and Mexico. She is the mother of a 21-year-old son and lives in Taos, New Mexico.
“Allegra Huston is incapable of writing a dull sentence”
Praise for Allegra’s workshops
“The workshop was transformational. It offered incredible insight and a playful, creative method of writing. At the first session of the workshop I made the mistake of saying I was not a writer. Poor choice of words that were quickly challenged by Allegra. Her passionate belief that we all have the ability to write was infectious and resonated with me for the duration of the week. Grab the first opportunity you get to work with her. “
— Doug Raphael, architect
“A fantastic, life-affirming experience. The writing prompts bring forth a style of writing that is surprising in its intensity and invigorating in its ability to communicate deep memories and emotions. This is a gift any writer should give to themselves. It will change your life!”
— Allison Kleinsteuber, art teacher
“Allegra's memoir workshop was pure sustenance for my soul. I felt immediately engaged in her process of cultivating one's intuition to create writing that's powerful, interesting and real, with a sparkle of discovery and surprise. Loved every moment!”
— Jack Gewalter, veterinarian
“The Imaginative Storm method is so productive; it efficiently gets you right down to the heart of the matter. And the best part of all is that it’s fun and full of surprises! It’s Allegra’s gift of inspiring us to immerse ourselves in the creative process—she is uniquely warm, honest and encouraging. I’m so glad I did this workshop!”
— Terry Varner, writer
“Allegra has the rare ability to help your writing at two different levels: rational analysis of the elements and structure of your memoir, and the emotional capacity to read between the lines, to recognize and empathize with the yelling or whispering of your heart. I learned a lot in her workshop: her lessons were easy to understand and remember but deep and specific on the points where I needed to improve—and delivered with kindness and joy.”
— Jamil Mahuad, former president of Ecuador
About Imaginative Storm
The Imaginative Storm writing method was developed by James Navé and Allegra Huston, who came together from different ends of the literary spectrum. Navé, a championship-winning slam poet, started teaching workshops in collaboration with Julia Cameron, bestselling author of The Artist’s Way. Allegra came from the academic side: having gained a First in English from Oxford University, she became Editorial Director of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, one of the UK’s most respected literary publishing houses.
We started teaching writing workshops together in 2003. Over the decades, we combined and refined our two approaches: bringing imaginative freedom to the rational mindset, and structure to free-ranging creativity. This collaboration is what makes our work unique.