Terms & Conditions:
Memberships to Centered are non-refundable. You may choose either a monthly or annual payment, with a minimum commitment of one year for both options. If you choose to cancel before your one-year commitment is up, you will continue to have access until the end of your subscription period, after which it will expire.
We will send notice one week before your membership expires. If you do not cancel your membership, it will be automatically renewed.
Awriter is someone who writes.
You become a writer because at some level, you can’t not write. You can’t not read. And yet in this age, the choice to slow down and sink into the writing realm is a controversial one. The pressure of modern adulthood is to get up and go do something, preferably something profitable and productive.
Still, writers must write. We must dream. We must devour all of the books.
We may be so many other things to other people. But we know ourselves best in the flow of a scene, a story, or an emotion.
Lost in our writing is where we belong.
In a world that would rather we keep our stories silent, solidarity with other writers is vital.
We need each other to stay grounded, connected, and centered.
It’s through each other that we become strong enough to do this unreasonable thing we must do... no matter what the world says.
Icreated Centered to be the anchor that always brings you back to your writing. It’s here for you to access the peer review and mentorship that all great writing needs.
To meet people you can trust to exchange meaningful, directional feedback, so your stories become stronger.
In this space, the delicate sparks of new ideas are seen. Shielded. Nurtured.
Your creativity is constantly fed by the conversation.
And you are consistently moved to pick up a pen and meet the page.
I send you daily exercises so you become comfortable working your right brain every day. In our monthly calls, I help you develop rhythms and rituals you know you can trust, so you can allow for the mystery in your writing.
Connect with writers who understand your love for the craft. Share knowledge and resources, get book recommendations and help with research, and pose your tricky craft questions to the group. Even introverts need good writing conversation!
It’s so much fun to connect with other writers. Between our book club, reading series, monthly workshops, active discussions, daily prompts, and active feedback and conversation, this is a place for rich, collaborative insight about creativity and the writing life.
Consistency isn’t necessarily about hours of hard work. When you let it be a playful practice, you’ll unknowingly generate new and compelling story starts, characters, scenes, and ideas on a regular basis.
Access advice, events, and other resources for learning, creative strategy, and skill development. In addition to monthly co-writing and conversations with me, you get to learn from a different guest mentor every month.
Inspiring Warm-Ups to Generate Ideas
These prompts get you out of your logical mind and trigger your imagination. Every day, we drop a new exercise (and every two weeks, a story prompt). Take 10 minutes and then share your writing with us! Encouragement from the other members gives you momentum, so you look forward to writing every day.
Soon, you’ll have heaps of new characters, scenes, and other surprising raw material in your notebook. You may also choose to receive your Daily Prompts by email, every day at 6:00am ET, so you can get writing first thing.
Free from outside distractions
As graduates of our writing programs know, the magic really happens in the Discussion Spheres. In Centered, you get to experience that magic every day. It’s the place where you can meet allies, colleagues, and friends, exchange meaningful feedback, and join stimulating discussions.
Our spheres are on a private site, to keep distraction at a minimum. You can put your deep focus on writing and not be interrupted by pings. And if posting your words on public sites makes you uneasy (we get it), you can feel safe to do so here.
A monthly 90 minute session with Sarah Selecky
Every month we have a theme to guide our programming. Themes like spark, support, commitment, resilience, wonder, and shadow. And each month we gather on Zoom for a group reflection on our theme.
This is our time to meet each other, share our insights, and exchange understanding. Then we break for an hour of deep focus. When we write together, we co-regulate; and with this kind of calm excitement, we have frequent breakthroughs.
Bi-monthly book club
Every other month, we get a chance to speak on behalf of the books we choose to recommend to each other. We look at books from both sides—as writers and as readers. We discuss the whys and hows of the writing itself, and find new ways to solve our craft problems.
Our book club is about reading widely, layering our influences, and benefitting from the shared intellect, passion and wonder that is alive in our community.
An assessment to guide your focus
As a Centered member, you’ll have access to our Life Cycle of a Writer scale, so you can assess where you are right now and make a good decision about what to try next.
We know you’re a good writer. But are you pushing yourself out of your comfort zone? Is it time to start submitting your work? Or is your writing asking you to go back to the beginner’s mind? Find out using this unique, sensitive, and detailed assessment tool we created for our members.
Read your work out loud
One of the paradoxes about writing is that it's often done in isolation, and yet it takes a reader or a listener to give our work meaning.
Every other month, experience the benefit of reading out loud to the generous members of this community, and feel the energy in your new work.
Workshops
Learn from published writers of different genres, agents, publishers, and other creative professionals throughout your membership in Centered.
Guest mentors join us every month for live workshops and active learning. These short courses are recorded, so you can watch the replays whenever you like.
Majo Molfino
Nonfiction Author & Podcast Host
April 2022
Al Watt
Author & Screenwriter
March 2022
Elayne Fluker
Author, Podcast Host, & Media Coach
February 2022
Stephen Nachmanovitch
Author, Musician, & Improvisational Master
January 2022
Christina Crook
Digital Mindfulness Expert & Author
December 2021
Susan Buis
Poetry, Short Story, Literary Journalism, Creative Nonfiction
September 2021
Carolyn Forde
Literary Agent
June 2021
Caroline Ryder
Ghostwriter, Journalist, & Screenwriter
March 2021
Chelene Knight
Literary Agent, Editor, & Author
December 2020
Kelly Thompson
Memoirist, Author
June 2020
Subscription fees are subject to change
$360
per year/USD
$30
per month/USD
Terms & Conditions:
Memberships to Centered are non-refundable. You may choose either a monthly or annual payment, with a minimum commitment of one year for both options. If you choose to cancel before your one-year commitment is up, you will continue to have access until the end of your subscription period, after which it will expire.
We will send notice one week before your membership expires. If you do not cancel your membership, it will be automatically renewed.
I
’m a writer, novelist, and the founder of this program. I started teaching creative writing in my living room in 2001. Since then, I’ve taught thousands of writers from more than 20 countries around the world how to write what they want to read.
I believe writing is both an art and a contemplative practice.
Centered is a sparkling forum that exists alongside our creative writing programs. Members get access to special classes, workshops, and program discounts. If you're looking for community, this is a beautiful place to meet other writers, inspire each other, and evolve together.
I hope this feels like coming home to your writing: a place where being a writer feels exciting, freeing, grounded, and challenging in all the right ways.
xo,
“Centered is the community I've been waiting for. An opportunity to connect with thoughtful, kind, brilliant writers from all over the world. It is an unparalleled opportunity for daily practice and sharing — truly a supportive, inspiring place to nurture my writing.”
Julie Gabrielli
“Using Centered to enrich my writing practice has done wonders for my state of mind and my writing. It keeps me connected to my creativity, even when I am struggling to produce work in my own practice. It reminds me to write for pleasure.”
Diana Dinerman
“Thank you so much for creating Centered ... This is the first time I have had the chance to really share my everyday writing and I love it!”
Rebecca Kingston
We believe that what you pay attention to grows. We want writers to grow creatively without making themselves feel like they’re wrong all the time. That’s why, in our programs, we focus on what works. We find writers’ strengths and magnify them.
Stories are our witnesses, healers, protectors, and guides. We believe that writers empowered with craft can weave new worlds and propose new norms. And that writers who know how to accept the mystery of the creative process can find insight, surprise, and joy in their work.
Centered is a space for collective growth. Our members help each other cultivate a satisfying writing life. We bring together writers in different phases of our writing life, from around the globe. You’ll find thoughtful individuals here; people who will encourage you, challenge you, assist you, and meet you where you are.
We believe that a non-competitive environment builds creative, confident, curious, and psychologically healthy writers. We try to meet writers where they are, and help them evolve on their own terms. We endeavour to support the entire writer, and the entire process of writing, from beginning phases to advanced.
As a collective, we’re paying attention to writing in a particular way: from a generous, generative, and imaginative place. We appreciate the power of technique, and are always open to learning more.
“I absolutely loved participating in Centered’s first Reading event. You’d think it might be frightening to read brand new work to strangers, ... but it was the exact opposite ... [T]his event was a celebration of writing and reading amongst friends. I’ve had the opportunity to read at the Banff Centre as well as UBC during my MFA, but neither offered quite this experience of intimacy and connection. I highly recommend Centered’s Reading Series (and everything about Centered!).”
Cheryl Archer
“Thank you SO much for creating Centered. I was on the fence, about joining because I just wasn’t sure how intentional I would be about engaging. It’s hard to admit, but I was a little worried this was something I would pay for but not do. Something about the space, the structure, the gentleness of it all is so inviting. I’ve really been surprised how much I am enjoying sharing my pieces as well as reading and engaging with others’ work. I’ve been writing more in the last two weeks than I have in the entire first half of the year. ”
Diane Douiyssi
“I really love the feel and atmosphere of Centered. I also love the platform and how intuitive and easy it is to use. It’s a beautiful space! ... I am really happy to be a part of the community! Thank you for creating it!”
Nancy Sulaiman
“There is something about Sarah’s approach, the insightful and encouraging method and teachers that she puts together, and the writers that collect around her that I appreciate. It’s good to be here”
Ivy
