Spilled Ink Writing Classes
“Amber establishes a nest, the participants settle in, and with the inspiration from delicious poem prompts, you want to write. Freely. Fully. Revealing what you need to say.”
“The four weekly sessions were so refreshing. I loved the format and thoroughly enjoyed sharing the experience with the other participants. Best takeaway: a notebook full of my own writing that I surprisingly pick up often to reread.”
“What surprised me most about Spilled Ink was how letting the poems wash over me brought out things in my writing I didn’t expect.”
I looked for a writing group like this for years and couldn't find one near me.
So I trained to teach it.
Spilled Ink Writing is a writing group, in person in San Jose and online, for women who are self-reflective, curious and a little hungry for the kind of connection that’s hard to find as an adult.
We begin with a poem. From it, we choose a single line — a doorway into the unknown. Then we write fast, pen never leaving the page, saying yes to whatever arrives. Personal essays, memoir fragments, things you didn’t know you needed to say.
No devices. No critique. No performing.
Just a pen, a page, and a small group of women showing up honestly together.
After writing, we read aloud. The group listens. No feedback, no fixing — just the particular magic that happens when people write honestly in the same room. You’ll write something true. You’ll hear something true. You’ll leave knowing someone a little better – maybe yourself.
You don't have to be a writer. You just have to be willing to show up. For more information, see the FAQs below.
The Fall Group — Online, 8 Weeks
Wednesdays, 10–11:30am Pacific · September 16 – November 4, 2026
A small group — no more than 7 women — meeting weekly on Zoom. Same faces every week, which is where the depth comes from. By week three you'll be writing things that surprise you. By week eight the group will know you in a way that's rare among people you met two months ago.
$340 if you register by August 31 · $365 after
Because the group is small and intimate, I ask everyone to share a few words before registering — what draws you to a women's writing group, and how you found Spilled Ink. I'll confirm your spot within a day or two.
Scroll down to the form to request your spot→
If Wednesday fills, I'll open a Friday morning group — tell me on the form if Friday works better for you.
Try It First — Free Trial Class
Not sure? Come write with me once.
Wednesday, September 9, 10–11:30am Pacific · Online · Free
One session — a poem, writing, reading aloud. You'll know by the end of this class whether this is your thing. Seats are confirmed the same way as the group — a few words from you first. The trial can hold more women than the weekly group, so bring a friend (all participants must register).
Scroll down to the form to save a free seat→
Write With Me In Person First, Sample Class
Sunday, August 23, 2–4pm · Downtown San Jose · $20
An afternoon session at my home for local women — same practice, tea included. Exact address shared when your spot is confirmed.
8 women maximum.
Scroll down to the form to reserve a seat→
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Spilled Ink Writing is based on Wild Writing, a method created by Laurie Wagner. It gets you past the part of your brain that edits before you even start. We begin with a poem, pick a line that sparks something, and write fast without stopping or crossing anything out. It's less about craft and more about getting out of your own way. Sometimes what comes out surprises you. It surprises me regularly, and I’ve been doing this for a while!
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It probably is if you want a place where you don’t have to be impressive. Just honest. If you’re hungry for conversation that skips past small talk. If you’re carrying stories - motherhood, marriage, grief, reinvention - that want to be written. And it could be for you even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer, haven’t read a poem since high school, or your inner critic is loud. Especially then. The one thing it isn’t is a critique group. This practice is deliberately feedback-free.
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No. You need a notebook, a pen, and a willingness to show up. That's the whole list.
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Yes. Many writers use this method to generate raw material they go back and shape later. The freeform writing loosens things up. If you've been staring at a blank page, this helps. If you haven't — it still helps. This method has been very useful to me in working on my own memoir.
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We start with a poem — not the kind you had to analyze in high school. We pick a line that catches us, use it as a doorway, and write for ten to fifteen minutes without stopping. No prep, no homework, no right answer. After writing, we share what we wrote. There's no critique, no feedback. People just listen. It's more powerful than it sounds.
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Genuinely, yes — in a way that's hard to explain until you've experienced it. When a small group of people write honestly together and then read their words aloud, something shifts. You learn things about people that you might never learn from months of normal socializing. It's not a mixer, but it might be better than one.
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It is not. Nobody grades your work, suggests your opening is slow, or asks what your protagonist really wants. We write, we share, we listen.
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Zoom classes: Seven students (plus me) maximum. In person classes: Eight students (plus me) maximum. Small on purpose.
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At the start of each series we make a few simple agreements: what's shared in the group stays in the group, we don't discuss other people's writing inside or outside of class, and if you'd like to reference something someone wrote, you ask first. The group only works if it feels safe. We take that seriously.
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Someone who isn't comfortable with honesty — their own or other people's. Wild Writing tends to go somewhere real. That's the point.
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Each class follows the same structure, so you're never behind. Think of it like a yoga class — if you miss one, you just come back.
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Full refund if you cancel at least 14 days before the first session. No refund after that, but you're welcome to send someone in your place.