Seven Swimming Pools
Seven evenings. Low stakes.
It’s almost summer and the pool is open.
This season we’re bringing back one of our most popular programs from the last two years: Seven Swimming Pools. The idea is simple — we are creative writing facilitators, each with our own approach to writing. We’ll curate seven writing dates — six writing sessions devoted to the things we care about most, and one online soiree to celebrate each other's work at the end.
This is a space for fresh ideas, big questions, and finding new paths back to the heart of our work. We’ll lower the bar, write lots, and let ourselves see what this summer is shoring up in our creative lives.
Here’s the plan:
We’ll gather on Zoom seven times on Monday evenings. We’ll use short, easy writing prompts and projects to help you create brand new work. You’ll have lots of choice with the prompts and full control over where the writing goes. You can turn the tap of emotion on full blast or keep it as a trickle.
The final evening will be an Open Mic style sharing session where we’ll curate a sharing session for anyone who wants to take the mic, or to just show up and clap.
We deeply encourage you not to perform or perfect anything in this space. We’re here to hold all the weird, unfocused, surprising, and emergent parts of you. Pajamas, bath robes, sweats, and slippers are welcome and expected.
Details for Summer 2025:
7 Monday evenings (weekly), 7–8:30pm ET
July 7 – August 25 (no class on August 4)
Via Zoom
Week to week:
The people who shaped us
Shout-outs, love letters, and no-thank-yous to the people who showed you how to write
July 7th with Chris
As writers, we're never alone. Someone taught us to sound out our first C-A-T, and from there, we have been absorbing countless writing voices — learning how to articulate, express, externalize and move our inner worlds outward. In this generative session, we'll ask ourselves whose voices are with us as we start this writing journey. Who do we want to pay tribute to? Who do we want to let go of? Who do we want to keep closer than ever?
Messy and messier
Exploring what it really means to write a messy first draft
July 14th with Kim
A lot of people throw around the idea of a "messy first draft," but what does that really mean? When we're facing a draft or new idea, how messy can we get, and how much can we truly lower the bar, so that we can move easily into productive writing? In this exploratory session, we're going to dive into how messy a messy draft can actually be, and we'll start some messy first drafts together, to see what writing ideas might want to join us for the summer ahead.
Who's telling this story, anyway?
Playing with perspective in memoir and fiction
July 21st with Mari
Creativity shows up in all parts of the writing process, but one area it's often neglected is in perspective. What would it feel like if you wrote from the perspective of the cat in the corner? What would the sky have to say? That memory you’re constantly reliving in your mind — what if you write it from the other person’s point of view? In this session, we’ll step outside of our own lens and inhabit other perspectives to see the new energy and insight they bring to our work.
Opening spaces for the new
Exploring where our writing comes from, and where it might go
July 28th with Asifa
Our writing voices come from mysterious places inside of us. Sometimes they feel familiar — memories, influences, things we understand — and sometimes they’re utterly new. In this curious workshop, we’ll use meditation and writing to explore the edges of where we usually write from, and then ask — what’s beyond? What might come next? Where can I source material inside of me? And where might my next step come from?
Can anything be a writing prompt?
Finding inspiration everywhere and anywhere
August 11th with Britt
Wait, is that a writing prompt on your shampoo bottle? The answer is yes. There's also one in the spam folder of your inbox, the recycling bin in your kitchen, and at least two dozen in your fridge. In this lively session, we’ll explore how to transform the ordinary into creative fuel, and also how small writes can grow into future projects.
Big-feels poetry
Using big-feels poems to fuel our own writing voices
August 18th with Sophia
You know how some poems can make you sit up and pay attention? They’re out there. We all have a few. Poems that make us cry, or make us mad, or make us soften our shoulders and listen more deeply. In this energetic workshop, we’ll take inspiration from big-feeling poems to write, write, write. Come ready to find inspiration in defiance, joy, rage, playfulness, pain, and sensuality… then see what big feelings you’d like to tap into with your own writing.
Open mic soiree
Let’s turn this swimming pool into a stage!
August 25th with Mari & Sophia
Lay out the red carpet! For our final session, we’ll change our format into an open mic night, to celebrate some of what we all made during these 6 sessions. Come with a piece to share, or just come to clap your hands wildly and enjoy being part of a creative community.
Cost:
The fee for this program is on a sliding scale of $95–$180. If you’re unemployed, or earning minimum wage, we encourage you to pay the lowest amount. If you have a comfortable income, equity and savings, we suggest a higher fee. You’re in charge.
If you don’t have a credit card, or can’t currently afford the base fee, let us know, we’ll gladly find a way to make it work.
See our financial policies.
Sign up here:
Questions?
Your answer is probably on this page.
Looking for more options?
Take a peek at our small group writing workshops, our large group writing programs, our retreats, and our coaching services.
Credit where credit is due
The photo we’re using to promote this page was taken by Raphaël Biscaldi and shared via Unsplash.