An Online Writing Course

If you live with a chronic illness you already carry a rich inner life. This course is designed to help you turn that inner life into language. Find Your Voice is a gentle and encouraging online writing course for beginning writers who want to discover their personal writing voice.

The course grew out of my own experience with chemotherapy, as well as many years of writing and teaching. In my lowest moments I realized the importance of community and that the strength and joy that come from writing do not depend so much on the quantity you write, as on a certain focus of mind.

This course understands fluctuating energy levels, pain, fatigue, and brain fog. No prior writing experience is required. What is required is curiosity, openness, and a willingness to show up exactly as you are.

What This Course Is About

. Over eight weeks, you will:

• Experiment with first‑, second‑, and third‑person narration
• Explore story, letter‑writing, poetry, dialogue, and reflection
• Learn how point of view, metaphor, image, and emotion shape voice
• Read short excerpts from great writers with distinct styles
• Write 1–2 pages per week in a supportive, low‑pressure environment

Most importantly, you will learn that your lived experience—your perceptions, rhythms, questions, and way of seeing—is not a limitation. It is your material.

Course Structure

• Length: 8 weeks
• Live class: 2 hours per week (online)
• Bonus follow‑up meeting: Several weeks after the course ends, we meet again to reflect on how your writing has developed
• Weekly writing: 1–2 pages in different genres
• Community blog: Comment on classmates’ work on your own schedule

All discussion and feedback are constructive, grounded, and kind. This is a space for growth, not judgment.

Weekly Journey

Week 1 – Beginnings 
Introductions, self‑descriptions, and writing about what you hope to gain from the course.

Week 2 – First Person: “I”
Narrative and life story. What happens, and when?

Week 3 – Second Person: “You”
Address, intimacy, and distance. Writing a letter.

Week 4 – Third Person: “He / She / It”
Character and perspective.

Week 5 – Metaphor, Image, Emotion
How feeling enters language. Writing poetry.

Week 6 – Dialogue
Voice through speech. Writing dialogue.

Week 7 – Point of View
What changes when the angle changes?

Week 8 – Looking Back, Looking Forward
Where you are now, and where your writing wants to go.

Who This Course Is For

This course is for you if:

• You are living with a chronic illness and need an accessible, online course
• You want to write but feel unsure how to begin
• You’ve been told you’re “not a writer” and don’t believe that anymore
• You want structure and freedom
• You value thoughtful reading, discussion, and community

You do not need to:

• Have formal training
• Share painful personal details unless you want to
• Write perfectly—or even confidently

Interest Questionnaire

Not sure if this course is right for you? Use the questions below to check in with yourself. (You can also submit these answers when you register.)

1. What draws you to writing at this point in your life?
2. How does your illness affect your daily energy, focus, or schedule?
3. Have you written before? If so, what kind of writing?
4. What do you hope writing might give you—expression, clarity, connection, something else?
5. How comfortable are you sharing early drafts in a supportive group?

If answering these questions feels energizing rather than draining, this course may be a good fit.