Did you miss Unspoken Whispers?

We know that a lot is going on and sometimes you can’t always get to all of the programs here at Cactus Cancer Society that you want to attend. Unspoken Whispers is a drop in, creative writing program that meets for 30 minutes every Thursday. We don’t teach you how to write or critique your writing, but we all spend 7-10 minutes writing to a prompt, then some time listening to writing that people are interested in sharing while thinking through what we liked about the piece, what was strong, and what stayed with each of us. Sharing is optional but seriously the best part of the program.

Below is the prompt we wrote to this morning and let me offer a little structure to your journaling/writing if you haven’t joined us before.

  1. Set a timer! You can write for longer once your timer goes off if you feel inspired but don’t feel pressure to write more than 5-10 minutes!
  2. Your first idea about how you’d like to respond to the prompt is probably your best one. Go with it!
  3. There is no “wrong” way to do this. Write about anything that comes to mind and feel free to throw out the prompt entirely.

And that’s it! How did it go? Let us know in the comments and join us for a live Unspoken Whispers program soon!

Join An 8-Week Writing Workshop

person typing at computer

Interested in some structured, creative writing in a group of other young adults facing cancer as patients, survivors, or caregivers?  Look no further than the next 8-week session of our online, Unspoken Ink: Young Adult Cancer Creative Writing Workshop!

The online workshop is designed to take you on a journey through your cancer diagnosis and into your survivorship with a small group of your young adult cancer patient/survivor peers. Each 8-week Writing Workshop consists of a weekly writing night attended via online video chat. We will get to know one another in an intimate, 18 person setting and address issues that transport us from initial diagnosis into the new normal and survivorship.

The next 8-week session will start on Thursday, May 21st, and will meet each Thursday at 3:30 pm PT / 5:30 pm CT / 6:30 pm ET for 2 hours via video chat through Thursday, July 9th.

Learn more and sign up here!

Join A One Night Writing Workshop!

young adult cancer creative writing group

Interested in checking out what it’s like to join the online Unspoken Ink: Young Adult Cancer Creative Writing Workshop before committing to 8 weeks of the group?  You’re in luck!  On April 3rd from 5-7 pm PT / 7-9 pm CT / 8-10 pm ET we’ll be hosting an Open Write Night (aka Unorthodox Ink)! You can spend an evening with other young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers and do some guided creative writing while you’re at it.

Where: Online video chat. We’ll send you more information about joining after you register. Please have a microphone headset and a webcam (either one that’s external or built into your computer/tablet/smartphone).

Who: Young adult cancer patients/survivors and young adult cancer caregivers.

When: April 3rd, 5-7 pm PT / 7-9 pm CT / 8-10 pm ET.

Summer Session of the Unspoken Ink Creative Writing Workshop!

online writing workshop

Our online, Unspoken Ink: Creative Writing Workshop is designed to take you on a journey through your cancer diagnosis and into your survivorship with a small group of your young adult cancer survivor peers. Each 8-week Writing Workshop consists of a weekly writing night attended via online video chat. We will get to know one another in an intimate, 18 person setting and address issues that transport us from initial diagnosis into the new normal and survivorship.

Update: The Summer Session is now full.  Please fill out the interest form below to be notified when registration opens for our next session!

Where: Online video chat. We’ll send you more information about joining after you register. Please have a microphone headset and a webcam.

Who: Young adult cancer survivors and caregivers.

When: The writing group meets for 2 hours each week, for a period of 8 weeks. A commitment to attend each week is important to group continuity and in creating a safe space. Please be on time.

How does it work:

  • This workshop uses the Amherst Writing and Artists (AWA) Method.  The facilitator provides a writing prompt and you can use that prompt in any way you’d like to create a story over a set amount of time. Once we’ve finished our writing (yes, the facilitator writes too!), everyone is given the opportunity to read their writing out loud. Though sharing is optional, hearing your own story and hearing someone else’s teaches us about our experiences and our stories. Once the piece is read, we reflect on the writing – what did we like, what stood out, what did we remember. Everything is considered fiction so we do not respond to the writer as a support group may, but keep the focus on the writing.
  • Sometimes the prompts are about cancer, sometimes indirectly related to cancer, and sometimes not about cancer at all. Above all, the writing program emphasizes that we are more than a diagnosis.
  • Following each weekly session, you may decide to submit your writing to Mallory (mallory@lacunaloft.org) for publication on LacunaLoft.org in their Young Adult Voices program section. This is not mandatory!

 

Paper Chain

writing group

I cleaned out my room today, getting rid of old clothes
most of which are too big for me now
as I’ve shrunk to a skeletal version of myself.
Gathering under my bed along with old chapsticks
and safety pins and crumpled receipts
were several hospital bracelets.

I’ve been saving them for over three years now,
hoping to make them mean something at the end of this-
a bracelet chain so I can count down the days
to the 5 year word:
CURE
or an art piece displaying the excessive usage of labels and
an ID number I’ll never forget: 612212
or proof for the future me that this really did happen
or a finish line I can break through–

I find them everywhere:
in drawers, coat pockets, the bottom of my purse and car
folded in my wallet
and under my bed
I have probably 200 of them

I plan to make something out of them eventually
I have a one-woman show in the works and I’ve been taking
copious notes of all the things that have happened
“ice bag boobs” after the highest fever my nurse had ever seen
“7 liters”: – my record-breaking peeing in a single day
“No, it wasn’t breast cancer, I just have really small boobs”
I don’t even need to explain that one.

There’s a lot of comedy, truly. And there’s a lot of white.
white room, white bandages
200 white stamps
200 white plastic wishes and fears
200+ white handfuls of foamed Purell

I plan to make something out of them
even if it is just a bonfire
to simultaneously burn away Cancer Girl
and offer up incense to the sky
Praise you stars, that I am still here
and I can still make things burn.

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Writing Group Spring Session 2016

young adult cancer writing group

The Unspoken Ink Creative Writing Group at Lacuna Loft for young adult cancer survivors has completed its 10 week spring session.  I was privileged to attend 9 out of the 10 evenings and was always astounded by the wonderfully loving and attentive ways these young adult cancer survivors connected, shared their stories, and responded to one another.  I cannot overstate how powerful the connection with this group felt every week.

You will start to see some of the stories that were written during the workshop under a new author, Unspoken Ink Creative Writing Group.  I hope you’ll join us for the next session!  I’ll be sure to spread the word when the dates have been announced!  If you would like to have the announcements sent directly to your email address, sign up here!