COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Prompt Writing Groups 

Saved by a Story believes in the healing power of storytelling. We offer prompt writing workshops at no cost for selected community groups and nonprofits.

There is something organizing and healing about getting your story on the page, to hearing others tell their stories and when you’re ready, to share your story.

These companionable writing groups are an opportunity for deep listening to self and others. They take aim at loneliness and encourage connection through the most ancient practice of coming together and sharing stories and knowing you are not alone.

FRee community writing groups

Seniors Writing Group

A prompt-writing group at the Palisades Library

We write to timed prompts to spark creativity, share stories and build community. We write to surprise ourselves and discover the bounty of stories that lie within. Seniors come together and write, choose to share (or not, you decide), listen and write some more. In later groups, we will draft stories and workshop them.

Creativity and exploration in a non-judgmental environment. Intimate, connecting, fun.

Time: Second & Fourth Mondays of the Month, 1-2:30 pm
Location: Palisades Branch Library 861 Alma Real Drive

Mothers Raising Neurodiverse Kids

Weekly Zoom prompt-writing group

Partnering with The Children’s Ranch, mothers come together in a weekly zoom prompt-driven writing workshop to write about their hopes, struggles, joys, dreams, and challenges of raising neurodiverse kids. Different from a networking group, this group focuses on emotional support for mothers who are traveling a unique path with their children. It engages them in their role as mothers and also in their broader life as women.

For more information send an email to: kathleenkatims@gmail.com

 

  • "Love the prompts which allow most of us to dive into the past. It is almost therapeutic. The trust and honesty in these groups makes me feel safe to share."

    S.A.

  • "Somehow, when we’re together and a writing prompt is offered, the writing just flows. I think this is true for the entire group. And sharing what we’ve written is a pleasure because it is such a safe space. The whole experience has been a gift."

    S.T.

  • "I feel wonderful when each class is over. I have the sense that I have allowed my brain to discover, create and relax. Kathy's prompts trigger me to think, and encourage me to let go and pursue my thoughts without limiting the flow. Kathy establishes a safe environment where the effort to write is supported. Motivation is natural. I like the concept of exercising neuroplasticity and I feel the class has encouraged me to loosen up and take a creative journey. The class has helped me to trust that I can write and enjoy the journey."

    J.W.

  • "Under Kathleen’s warm and excellent leadership, I find everyone to be incredibly open, generous, empathetic, engaged. I come every chance I get."

    -A.W.

Who we’ve served

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“Kathy’s community writing workshop provides a weekly beacon of hope. Each Sunday morning, 10 mothers of Ranch kids who face extraordinary challenges gather under Kathy’s wise guidance to explore their shared experience through writing. Enveloped in Kathy’s warmth, and safe in the structure of her carefully crafted prompts, moms are surprised by their own courage. They connect to each other and support one another in sharing things they’ve never shared with anyone, not even themselves.”

-Jackie Sloan, Director, The Children's Ranch

Mothers Raising Neurodiverse Children

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Under-Served Youth

“Film2Future (F2F) is a nonprofit, professional-level filmmaking program for under-served teenagers in Los Angeles and our mission is change the entertainment industry by building a direct pipeline for diverse youth into Hollywood. Saved by a Story's writing workshop provides a much needed creative outlet for Film2Future students: over weekly sessions, our students are able to write creatively and share their work in a safe, judgement free space. The workshops give our students the ability to dive deep and explore themselves and their writing — our student short films would not be as creative nor as powerful emotionally without the passion and expertise Kathy and Rory bring to each session.

-Rachel Miller, Founder, Film2Future

Women in Recovery

“Kathy Katims's Saved by a Story writing workshops were a way for women who were recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction to explore their voice, their choices and their lives–their past, what they valued, and engaged them to imagine a different kind of future.
She created a safe environment where women felt seen and heard and where they could dive into their creativity. Women shared that workshops created a feeling of sisterhood at our residential facility–bolstering, inspiring and connecting them as they were going through one of the most difficult journeys of their lives.”

- Jennifer Maduko, Development Director, ClareMatrix Women’s Treatment Program

WRITING GROUP LEADER

Kathy Katims

In March 2020, seeing an urgent need for connection, Kathy offered her first prompt driven writing workshop. Since then she has offered over 100 workshops and they are still going strong. People have described the workshops as “life changing” “church” “a storytelling laboratory” “yoga for writing” and most importantly “safe.”  

Interested in learning how to lead community writing groups?

Email us to get more information about our Leadership Writing Group. Participants hone their skills as facilitators and get certified to run Saved by a Story writing workshops in their community. For more information, reach out to kathleenkatims@gmail.com