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
Wildfire Survivor Writing Workshop
An in-person writing group at Peter Fetterman Photography Gallery.
Come together in community to write about the history of the cherished places we have been and how we will come together to chart a way forward. We'll write to timed prompts to spark creativity, share and savor our stories and nourish community and connection.
Co-hosted by: Kathleen Katims and Julie Kern Schwerdtfeger
Location: Peter Fetterman Photography Gallery
In-Person Dates:
Saturday, April 5, 10-11:30am
Saturday, May 3, 10-11:30am
Saturday, June 7th, 10-11:30am
For more information or to register for this free workshop, email: kathleenkatims@gmail.com
Former Foster Youth Writing Workshop
A virtual prompt-writing group
The Saved by a Story–Former Foster Youth Writing Workshop will offer a safe, affirming, inclusive space that creates a sense of belonging for young people who are transitioning out of the foster care system. This prompt-driven writing workshop will help former foster youth get their story to the page, create a cohesive narrative of their life experiences, build community with each other and elevate well being through writing. The workshop will put youth in community with others who have experienced a life of foster care and who are now transitioning to adulthood with scant support in place–a space where young people can be free of stigma and lean into their strengths and wisdom and share their stories.
Time: Wednesdays, 4-5:30pm (TBD)
Location: Virtual
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, Pacific Palisades
Time: First & Third Fridays of the Month, 1-2:30pm
Location: Venice Public Library–Abbott Kinney Memorial Branch, 501 South Venice Boulevard, Venice
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
Who we’ve served
“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
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