Thank you SO much for creating Centered ... 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. Thank you!
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.
The intention and care that you all put into Centered, and the writing school as a whole, is truly inspiring. I’ve never been in a community offering quite like what you, Sarah, and the team have created. I’m having a ball in it and love that it is a dip-in-and-out-with-no-pressure vibe.
Ijust wanted to say a big thank you for the community and knowledge I’ve gotten through Centered and the Intensive. Today everything came together and I’m seeing the fruits of my labour/practice pay off. I can see it working. Thank you for your community, monthly calls, guest lecturers, kind words and expertise. Loving it.
“It is so worth it! I love Centered and what it has brought me — love, community, and sparkling support.”
Melisa Stetz
Want to meet other writers? Log in for support and conversation in a writing community you’ll love. Find a writing partner and enjoy daily writing prompts, feedback, and monthly workshops that help you grow as a writer. Be more productive! Join co-writing sessions, work with guest mentors, discover what writers are reading, share your work in our live readings, and more.
Find your writing community.
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“I have grown so much in confidence thanks to the encouraging comments and support from others. It has really helped to get me focused. I’ve enjoyed my daily free write so much. It’s been invaluable!”
Joan Carr
“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
“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
“I love EVERYTHING about Centered, and feel privileged to continue supporting and being part of its growth and evolution!”
Vitra Kalsi
Want to meet other writers? Log in for support and conversation in a writing community you’ll love. Find a writing partner and enjoy daily writing prompts, feedback, and monthly workshops that help you grow as a writer. Be more productive! Join co-writing sessions, work with guest mentors, discover what writers are reading, share your work in our live readings, and more.
Find your writing community.
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“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
Ican’t imagine a better place to build community and get back into sharing your work and finishing stories. I’ve found the Centered calls and guest talks highly motivating and the other writers unfailingly kind, insightful, and open to all of life’s joy.
One of my best experiences here was participating in a reading. I was terrified the whole time, but it was so worth it. If you are looking for a place to share live, I highly recommend the readings.
Centered for me is a great mix of community, learning and inspiration. The monthly themes add a sense of focus, provide food for thought and open plenty of avenues for learning. The calls with mentors are stimulating and invariably bring up ideas/thoughts that inspire and create opportunities for continued exploration in terms of writing process and practice. I have found that when I’m stuck or in need of inspiration, logging into events (co-writing or reading series), pulling up recordings of older events with mentors, and browsing the library have always opened up something new and gotten me moving.
Being a writer is wonderful and I find that the isolation is a gift that can be overwhelming at times. Community, and especially the kind of community that Sarah and Tammy are building through
wonderful content and regular connection... helps me feel that I’m not alone, not an anomaly...that the conundrums one faces have been faced by others and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. As a part of Centred, I feel that there is support if I’d like to reach out for and this sense of being supported, seeing and been seen has made all the difference to my writing practice.
Centered is a distraction-free zone focused on taking care of writers. It’s an off-ramp that takes me away from the busy super-highway of my inbox, text messages, and news apps. As well as being a safe container to nurture and protect my creativity, it is also a space to connect with other like-minded writers and the monthly Zoom calls are a welcome and much needed source of support and nourishment for my writer self.
Being a member of Centered keeps my writing energized. Monthly workshops mean I’m always learning something new. And regular discussion groups connect me to a community of dedicated writers wading their way through the world of writing and publishing. Centered is definitely a welcoming place to grow as a writer.
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.
What you all do to create the warmth of community online is nothing short of magic. I’ve been involved with lots of online writer communities. Nothing beats SSWS!
Centered is not only a focal point of writers’ resources, but also a school in balance. The friendly community is a home base and sheltering refuge, while creative reinvestment in the curriculum keeps the content fresh. No month at Centered is quite like the last. Many writers will find themselves at home here because Centered is more than a school—it’s an ethos. Sarah’s infectious positivity casts a halo of delight and curiosity in story, and is a source of encouragement to writers who are ready to explore their vulnerabilities.
Ilove the people in the community, their passion for writing and commitment to learn and grow in their expression. The diversity of walks of life that everyone comes from, the global nature and atmosphere of the community, the strong leadership; deeply caring, open and nurturing.
[Centered has] given me new ways to think about story, how to protect and grow my writing life, avenues to creatively explore and enjoy my writing life, build community and friendships that span the globe, share my work, talk about writing, and build the muscles of holding space for work to flourish. Learning and evolving in process, and also the importance of self-reflection.
I love the Guest Mentor sessions where I have gained so much perspective, and learned so much about writing technically. [The] Read Like a Writer Book Club is such an incredible way to appreciate reading from a creative perspective and just to learn about great stories and books overall. The Co-writing & Conversation is an awesome sacred container that is very generative, Topic Talks are brilliant and highly relevant... I love that the [Rejection Collection] session holds so much gathered wisdom from experiences that everyone shares. I’ve also participated a lot in Daily Prompts, which is a brilliant space for sparkle, support, insight, learning what it’s like to read others’ work and receive feedback, and getting to know the community.
[Centered is] a timeless magical place where people who love writing and the writing process, gather to share, learn and support one another through wherever they are in their own writing journey. It is a place that encourages, supports and helps move you along the path of writing that is meant for you. Its space is timeless because also the sessions are recorded, and this allows you the benefit of going back through materials when it suits your schedule. Wisdom and Community to carry you through a wild writing life.
Istarted using Centered actively when the solitary nature of writing had begun to get to me. I have a day job that occupies a lot of my time so I find a community that enables safe and respectful exchange with fellow writers crucial to sustaining my writing habit. Centered offers a range of different activities that you can be part of ... One of my favorite spaces of exchange is the Reading Series, where I have read out my work and listened to others. It is exciting to be able to share one’s work in its rawness and experience it landing in a room full of fellow writers; to be inspired by and find delight in others’ writings.
Centered is a wonderful resource to find camaraderie, build your confidence, and egg you on as you write in your corner of the world.
I absolutely loved participating in Centred’s Reading event. You’d think it might be frightening to read brand new work to strangers, albeit writers, on a Zoom call. But it was the exact opposite. Having read each others’ prompt responses in Centred, this event was a celebration of writing and reading amongst friends. And Ryan, our moderator, kept everything lively and completely comfortable. 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 Centred’s Reading Series (and everything about Centred!).
I not only love Centered and its community, but the entire online school itself. I appreciate all the work you and the others put into it. Your efforts have impacted the lives of us writers. Your school is why I didn’t give up on writing. Thank you for everything you do and making these wonderful classes and communities possible!
