We’re three meetings in to the newest Speak Up writing community: in the Matthews Public Library in Matthews, NC.

It is a particular delight to watch this new community grow and form.

The first writing community includes two workshops in two locations in Rock Hill, SC. As it has developed over the last year and a half we’ve paid close attention to the process and have discovered a model that is repeatable and scalable.

It’s a simple approach: gather, write, share. Do it in a way that prioritizes honor, curiosity, and presence.

These few simple practices, repeated weekly with strangers, will shape us into something nearly magical: a community.

That new community, already bubbling, will over time began to connect and care for one another outside of the walls of the 90-minute writing workshop. It’ll happen organically, not as a social program project, but human to human. Social capital will be shared. Cultural awareness will grow. People facing homelessness will become friends with people who live comfortably in cozy houses. Week by week, person by person, isolation and mistrust and division will slowly erode.

What a joy!

There’s a lot in this post. Upcoming events, a big urgent need someone is facing, writing prompts, a new opportunity for just a few people.

Thanks for being here.

The Speak Up community of workshop writers, old friends, supporters, readers, and the general public are all invited to a fun evening of sharing, creativity, and laughter.

Bring your stories, poetry, spoken word, original music, unoriginal music, dance numbers, essays, comedy bits, and more to share with the rest of us.

Open Mic — More Info & RSVP

Click the links for times and locations.

Tuesday at the Mercantile — Rock Hill

​Tuesday at the Matthews Public Library — Matthews

​Thursday in the RH Prayer Room — Rock Hill​

Do you live near one of the current writing communities and want to keep updated about schedule, cancelations, events, and opportunities around specific writing workshops?

Join the separate Writing Communities Email List.

Here’s what all communities wrote to this week.

Empty bullets are for each group to suggest prompts on the spot.

We’re opening this up to all attendees of Speak Up’s in-person writing gatherings as well as five other people.

The format will be a daily post/email with a different prompt each day. Recipients are invited to write and respond/post their work as comments. Participants will added to our community social collaboration app. It’ll be a fun!

Limited to the first five respondents (for now). Let us know via email.

The Speak Up community has been fortunate to know Qiana over the last several years. She was one of the earliest attendees of the first writing community in Rock Hill. For many months she’s been facing an major rent shortfall. Last summer, many of her friends and supports rallied around her to provide funds to delay eviction.

She’s been constantly looking for work, but one of her biggest challenges happened in October, when she landed a promising job that turned out to be a scam, costing her time and resources.

From Qiana:

I’ve been actively searching for work and was thrilled to receive a job offer, only to discover it was a scam. This setback has been devastating for us. Thankfully, I have secured a legitimate job starting December 1st, but my first payday is still a week away.

Read Full Update and Support Her Directly

Check out From the Workshops to see delightful work from workshop writers.

Learn about the mission, values, practices, and distinctives of Speak Up Writing Communities.

Want to start a writing community? Here’s what partnership looks like to us.

Send an email directly to Executive Director Matt Shaw to start a conversation.