The power of writing together in real time…

Every other Sunday afternoon, a group of writers meets to write together for a couple of hours. Some of us are published writers, some beginners. Some write by hand, some use a laptop or tablet. Our group started in 2017 when we met in a private home in Beachwood Canyon under the Hollywood sign. Since 2020 we’ve been meeting on Zoom and our group now includes writers from as far away as Maine, Oregon, Florida, and Dublin, Ireland. We write in timed sessions, usually for 20 minutes, sometimes less.

Our favorite writing prompt is a kind of word lottery.

Words on slips of paper, hummingbird, skeleton key, a cracked mirror, a red leather glove, or joy. We fold them up, pile them into a bowl, then take turns fishing out 3 or 4 or more to serve as prompts for that session. We are free to use one, none, or all.

Then we set the timer for 20 minutes, and go.

It’s a strange feeling to start writing without having any idea what you’re going to say. But the atmosphere generated by a group of writers writing is a powerful thing. No matter how it feels at the beginning, somewhere along the way a miracle occurs. After a mere 20 minutes, there are several new stories and poems in the world.

Good stories. Beautiful poems.

Next, we do a crazy thing. We have the option to read what we’ve just written to the group. This means the first time we read our own work, we do so out loud, in front of other people. And isn’t that the most frightening thing for a writer to do, to expose our work to an audience–even in a safe space–before our Inner Critic has had a peek?

The most beautiful thing happens.

As you will see, the writing is always far better than the writer imagines. Without exception.

Other than spelling and grammar, the stories and poems included in Twenty-Minute Stories and Poems Volumes 1 & 2 are unedited. We want you, the reader—and especially other writers—to experience the fresh excellence of these first drafts.

You may find it hard to believe that these stories and poems were written so quickly, but I promise you they were. It’s a kind of magic, and we hope it will inspire you, especially if you’re a writer who gets stuck waiting for inspiration to strike.

Here’s a tip: Set a timer for 20 minutes and start writing.

20 minutes provides the power to unearth a seed that may grow into something larger, or even produce a work that is complete. Just start, and Inspiration will meet you somewhere along the way.

Linda Gabriel
Editor and Co-Author