Whether your goals include writing for emotional expression or publishing your words, we hope you’ll join us for our 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 submit your writing to the Adoptee Voices e-Zine

 

INTEREST TRACKS

Honor Your Voice

Helping build confidence in your abilities as a writer and learning to honor your adoptee voice.
This track supports both beginning and experienced writers who are new to writing about adoption. Under the creative and compassionate guidance of facilitators Jennifer Dyan Ghoston (The Truth So Far and Once Upon a Time…In Adopteeland), Kate Murphy, LCSW (The Couch blog), and Natasha Tripplett, MSW (Juneteenth Is and The Blue Pickup), adoptees will be led through weekly warm-up activities that welcome the unconscious to play, and then invited to write from adoption-specific prompts. After “side by side” writing time, adoptees return to share their writing in small groups with 6-7 other adoptee-writers from their interest track. Open to 21 adult adoptee writers.

Hone Your Craft

Focusing on the craft of storytelling and writing with publication in mind.
This track supports adoptee-writers experienced with writing about adoption and considering publishing fiction, essays, articles, op-eds, blog pieces, memoirs, or other nonfiction pieces. Under the savvy and supportive leadership of Sara Easterly (Searching for Mom and Adoption Unfiltered) and Alice Stephens (Famous Adopted People), adoptees in this track begin with a craft-focused mini-lecture before writing to an adoption-specific prompt. After “side by side” writing time, adoptees return to share their writing in small groups with 6-8 other adoptee-writers from their interest track. Open to 16 adult adoptee writers.

MEETING STRUCTURE

  • Meetings take place over Zoom from 4-7 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesdays.
  • 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 hours.
  • Following writing time, we meet in track-specific groups of 6-8 adoptee-writers. Each week, writers can expect to share for 3-4 minutes and receive 2-3 minutes of feedback.
  • We close each meeting with writers from both tracks for a grounding exercise and large-group discussion.

 

REGISTRATION DETAILS

  • All genres, all writing levels, all adoptees 18+ welcome.
  • Cost is $165.
  • Includes access to a private online group for ongoing dialogue.
  • Full or half scholarships available by application.

 

UPCOMING SESSIONS

  • Nov/Dec Mini-Session ($110): Tuesdays from 4-7 pm Pacific Time:  November 12  | November 19  |  December 3  |  December 17 (SOLD OUT)
  • Tuesdays from January 28th through March 4th, meeting from 4-7 pm Pacific Time
  • Tuesdays from April 8th though May 13th, meeting from 4-7 pm Pacific Time

Our writing groups typically sell out within a day or two. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on Adoptee Voices registration and other news.

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.  We expect you to honor this policy, too.

  • 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.