Writing well is important. I knew this, of course, but for years felt very insecure about my writing. So I had others write for me, or I had others heavily edit my writing.

I was always more confident speaking. Although public speaking made me anxious, I dedicated myself to overcoming my public-speaking fear and delivered as many talks as I could. At the time I was building my business and felt l needed to do everything possible – including addressing some of the things I was afraid of – to help my firm grow.

But for years I didn’t address my fear of writing. Then, just a year ago, with encouragement from Robin I began to write and think about my posts in a different light. About that time Richard Pelletier began to twist my arm to attend a Dark Angels session. Robin, once I told her about it, urged me to attend. I worried about the expense. The time. And, of course, being compared to a group of real writers. But I went. I felt included. I felt like a peer. And, more than that, I found some confidence in my own voice.

Dark Angels magic tricks

Despite my newfound confidence, writing is still a dicey venture. I have to trick myself into writing the first word, then the first sentence. That first sentence is the key. If I can begin with that small bit, it becomes the base for the second sentence, which leads to the third, and so on to the resulting story.

I almost never know where the story will take me when I begin writing those first short bits. I think that’s because my conscious mind can only process small amounts at a time. The great thing about getting that first idea on the page is this: Once I’ve put down those first words, they no longer need to be in my head. I don’t have to remember them – which leaves room for the next sentence, and the one after that, allowing the next part of the story to bubble up from the subconscious part of me.

The Dark Angels exercises seemed to tap right into that process.

Their short, fast-paced methodology started with an existing bit of writing, a single word or frame that allowed the imagination to run, but from a starting point. When I thought about my experience later, I realized the Dark Angels had, by a preconceived plan, tapped straight into the very thing I needed to get going: the starting bit. The starting bit is where the magic begins.

Dark Angels as confidence builders

I attended a Dark Angels course last fall. Each of us attendees came from our own place, bringing our own beginning. Each had clearly different expectations and aspirations. And yet, we all leaped into the exercises with equal energy and purpose.

I found myself just as thrilled at discovering the voices of my fellows as I was in discovering my own. The experience was simultaneously one of personal creative empowerment and also a collaboration. Simply hearing how others perceived the assignments and used their own voices gave us all a broader understanding of the possibilities. All because of the breadth and variety of the Dark Angels exercises.

The result: confidence in our very personal and individual voices amid the voices of others.

My vested interest

I’m hosting the Dark Angels’ first visit to Seattle. Clearly I have a vested interest. Why?

I wanted to continue my relationship with this group of talented writers and teachers. I also hoped that by hosting I could expand my connection with other local writers. And I thought I would benefit from another go at their material myself.

But most of all, I found my experience with this Dark Angels course so transformational that I thought a few Seattle-area writers lucky enough to attend would benefit. There are only six spots… and at this writing two of them are filled.

https://www.dark-angels.org.uk/american-foundation-course/

The post Becoming a better writer appeared first on Ted Leonhardt.

A series of short exercises, linked together with warmth and kindness.

Longer exercises that helped us think deeply.

Collaboration that allowed us to tap into the best of ourselves and each other.

All in a matter of only three days. Three days that left us with a new understanding of what writing is, and what it can be.

This June I’m hosting the same course I attended last fall in Seattle, aboard my yacht, De Anza III.

No tears, no connection

Here’s what one of my fellow Dark Angels students, Lacy Rohre, said about her experience:

“Attending a Dark Angels course was the single best thing I did for my career, and myself, last year.

“As I’ve changed roles and companies, one thing was constant: writing. I’m happiest in a role with lots of writing, communicating or editing, and I have a high bar on my expectations for business writing: It must sound human and have a personality. And sometimes in business writing you can lose sight of that human tone among all the requests to write about fiscal goals and org changes and new processes… So when I heard about the Dark Angels – a group of professional writers who stand for the power of words and writing, and for personal connection, kindness and fellowship – I couldn’t register fast enough.

“The candid tutors put me through my paces with thoughtful exercises that taught me if there’s no tears in the writer, there’s no tears in the reader. You don’t have to be a published writer to attend; you just have to be a human who wants to write good words that make people feel your message.”

Lacy Rohre
Director, Content and Communications
Electronic Arts Customer Experience

Honesty and empathy

Another of my fellow Dark Angels attendees, Lourdes Canizares-Bidwa, had an equally powerful reaction:

“Dark Angels was a life-changer. I’ve been an uneasy writer most of my adult life – not trusting my ability to put on paper what I had in my mind.

“Dark Angels reminded me about the power of honesty and empathy. Since the course, as long as I feel that I am approaching my writing with those two qualities, I feel much more confident and free of doubt. Thank you for creating a course that spoke to me so beautifully.”

Lourdes Canizares-Bidwa
Associate Director, Marketing
EY, LLP

Deeply human

And Mat Garbutt, who also attended, speaks passionately about our experience:

“If you want to know how to use a semicolon correctly or learn the difference between ‘who’ and ‘whom,’ Dark Angels is not the course for you. These are answers found easily inside a book. Instead, Dark Angels is an experience that gently coaxes you into finding something much more important inside yourself. You’ll unearth a genuine, deeply human voice that transforms the way you write everything. I’m sneaking up on 30 years as a professional writer, and I astonished myself with some of the sentences that spilled from me over the course of the four days. I feel very privileged to have become part of the chorus.”

Mat Garbutt
Senior Writer
Fenton Stephens, a leading Melbourne creative agency

My own experience

I was pretty skeptical about the value of giving up several days to think about “creative writing for business.” For one thing, prior to taking the course I really didn’t think of myself as a writer.

The guided exercises were thought-provoking and – now that I think about it – transformative. Jamie and Richard were gracious, encouraging coaches every step of the way.

The course got me to think about creativity and my own creative process in a completely new light. I can’t say that about any other professional training or conference I’ve attended.

The course in Seattle is limited to six attendees

The instructors, Richard Pelletier and Jamie Jauncey, will lead just as they did last fall. I’ll be aboard to run De Anza and participate as appropriate.
PRICE: $2,950

The price includes tuition and materials, plus refreshments throughout the day, lunch, and an early evening meal at a restaurant on Friday and Saturday. The course is non-residential – you must make your own accommodation arrangements as necessary.

The course runs June 14-16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

RSVP
Please email Susanne Wakefield right away if you wish to register: susanne@dark-angels.org.uk. To discuss any aspect of the course, please call Richard at 503.621.2215.

The post These two opened us to our own creative power appeared first on Ted Leonhardt.

Kenny had just joined me in foster care. It was nice to have company, but he couldn’t sleep and had been crying. I must have been 8. I made up a story, and Kenny drifted off.

After taking the Dark Angels course, I came to realize that I’ve been making up stories ever since – and that it’s okay to reach deep into my life experiences to inform my writing.

This June I’m hosting the same course I attended last fall in Seattle, aboard my yacht, De Anza III.

No tears, no connection

Here’s what one of my fellow Dark Angels students, Lacy Rohre, said about her experience:
“Attending a Dark Angels course was the single best thing I did for my career, and myself, last year.

“As I’ve changed roles and companies, one thing was constant: writing. I’m happiest in a role with lots of writing, communicating or editing, and I have a high bar on my expectations for business writing: it must sound human and have a personality. And sometimes in business writing you can lose sight of that human tone among all the requests to write about fiscal goals and org changes and new processes… So when I heard about the Dark Angels – a group of professional writers who stand for the power of words and writing, and for personal connection, kindness and fellowship – I couldn’t register fast enough.

“The candid tutors put me through my paces with thoughtful exercises that taught me if there’s no tears in the writer, there’s no tears in the reader. You don’t have to be a published writer to attend; you just have to be a human who wants to write good words that make people feel your message.”

Lacy Rohre
Director, Content and Communications
Electronic Arts Customer Experience

Honesty and empathy

Another of my fellow Dark Angels attendees, Lourdes Canizares-Bidwa, had an equally powerful reaction:

“Dark Angels was a life-changer. I’ve been an uneasy writer most of my adult life – not trusting my ability to put on paper what I had in my mind.

“Dark Angels reminded me about the power of honesty and empathy. Since the course, as long as I feel that I am approaching my writing with those two qualities, I feel much more confident and free of doubt. Thank you for creating a course that spoke to me so beautifully.”

Lourdes Canizares-Bidwa
Associate Director, Marketing
EY, LLP

Deeply human

And Mat Garbutt, who also attended, speaks passionately about our experience:

“If you want to know how to use a semicolon correctly or learn the difference between ‘who’ and ‘whom,’ Dark Angels is not the course for you. These are answers found easily inside a book. Instead, Dark Angels is an experience that gently coaxes you into finding something much more important inside yourself. You’ll unearth a genuine, deeply human voice that transforms the way you write everything. I’m sneaking up on 30 years as a professional writer, and I astonished myself with some of the sentences that spilled from me over the course of the four days. I feel very privileged to have become part of the chorus.”

Mat Garbutt
Senior Writer
Fenton Stephens, a leading Melbourne creative agency

My own experience

I was pretty skeptical about the value of giving up several days to think about “creative writing for business.” For one thing, prior to taking the course I really didn’t think of myself as a writer.

The guided exercises were thought-provoking and – now that I think about it – transformative. Jamie and Richard were gracious, encouraging coaches every step of the way.

The course got me to think about creativity and my own creative process in a completely new light. I can’t say that about any other professional training or conference I’ve attended.

The course in Seattle is limited to six attendees.

The instructors, Richard Pelletier and Jamie Jauncey, will lead just as they did last fall. I’ll be aboard to run De Anzaand participate as appropriate.

PRICE: $2,950
The price includes tuition and materials, plus refreshments throughout the day, lunch, and an early evening meal at a restaurant on Friday and Saturday. The course is non-residential – you must make your own accommodation arrangements as necessary.

The course runs June 14-16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

RSVP
Please email Susanne Wakefield right away if you wish to register: susanne@dark-angels.org.uk. To discuss any aspect of the course, please call Richard at 503.621.2215.

The post How I became a better writer appeared first on Ted Leonhardt.

DE ANZA III, BALLARD, 14-16 JUNE 2019 This year the acclaimed international writing program, Dark Angels, bring their unique three-day American Foundation Course to the Seattle waterways. We invite you to join us!

THE COURSE
Dark Angels is about how to bring energy, personality, imagination and, above all, powerful human connection to what you write – at work and in life. It’s about finding the language and stories that express what really matters, whatever you have to say.

The three days will feature a packed schedule of short writing exercises, discussion and time for personal writing. You will draw on techniques from creative writing and storytelling practice as well as from the worlds of business management and branding, marketing and communications.

You will leave the course:

-Thinking about language, writing and stories in new and unexpected ways.
-Writing with greater confidence.
-Communicating more authentically.
-With a treasury of ideas, techniques and styles that will inform and shape all your writing.
-With new tools to solve tough problems that arise across writing projects.
With an experience that lingers in heart and mind for a long, long time.

WHERE
A sense of place is important to all Dark Angels courses – hence our choice of the luxurious 65-foot yacht De Anza III and a leisurely tour of the Seattle waterways for this unique writing experience. Further details will be provided on booking.

PRICE $2,950
The price includes tuition and materials, plus refreshments throughout the day, lunch, and an early evening meal at a restaurant on Friday and Saturday. The course is non-residential – you must make your own accommodation arrangements as necessary.

The course runs through Friday, Saturday (both 10am–6pm) and Sunday (10am–4pm), 14–16 June.

IMPORTANT: there are only six places available for this course. We will take people on a first come, first served basis.

RSVP
Please email Susanne Wakefield straight away if you wish to register – susanne@dark-angels.org.uk. To discuss any aspect of the course, please call Richard on 503.621.2215.

*****

Founded by three UK-based writers in 2004, Dark Angels have since run courses at locations throughout the English-speaking world and beyond, including the UK, the USA, New Zealand and many European countries. Our team of tutors are all seasoned business writers who also pursue careers in fiction, poetry and drama. That cross-over spirit underpins our approach to all our courses.

THE TUTORS
Founding director Jamie Jauncey from Scotland, and Seattle-based US associate Richard Pelletier will run the course. Both novelists, Jamie and Richard have many years’ experience of helping individuals and organisations find their voices and tell their stories. Also on hand will be De Anza III owner and skipper, Ted Leonhardt, well known as an advisor and mentor in Seattle branding and creative circles.

WHO COMES ON OUR COURSES?
Anyone interested in language, writing and the role of stories in good communication of all kinds. Our alumni include global brand guardians and senior corporate communicators; winners of copywriting awards and agency founders; authors of business books, novels, biographies and screenplays.

Recent US alumni have come from EY, Takeda and Electronic Arts. Others have come from Bang & Olufsen, Barclays, The BBC, BP, British Airways, Carlsberg Breweries, Innocent, Interbrand, Lloyds, McKinsey, Sotheby’s Europe and many more.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY
“Teaches storytelling techniques as well as how to translate unintelligible management speak into Plain English.” Financial Times, London

“One of the most rewarding and inspirational weeks I’ve spent anywhere, ever.” Rob Williams, Senior Writer, The Man In The High Castle

WHY DARK ANGELS?
We take our name from a book of the same title by co-founder John Simmons. John references Milton’sParadise Lost with the suggestion that we find our creativity in our flawed human nature.

FIND OUT MORE
Visit our website at www.dark-angels.org.uk, emailsusanne@dark-angels.org.uk or call Richard on 503.621.2215.

The post Dark Angels in Seattle: Creative writing for business appeared first on Ted Leonhardt.