New Orleans Writing Marathon

TWFest is proud to offer two New Orleans Writing Marathons as part of our programming. Sign up below, and continue reading for more about the NOWM.

Background:

In her book, Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg introduced the idea of timed writing sessions, each followed by a “read-around” where participants, one by one, shared their work aloud without any response (comments or criticism) from the group. 

Inspired by this format, Dr. Richard Louth, former Director of the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project, took a more daring approach in 1994, releasing his writers into the streets: “I combined Goldberg’s idea with Hemingway’s concept of moving about a city while writing in cafes, integrating food and drink and talk in the process, and allowing each location to ‘transplant’ the writer to other times and places.”

What began as an experimental workshop at a conference in Louth’s beloved New Orleans has since become a signature event for writers nationwide. The New Orleans Writing Marathon provides both the structure and the freedom for its participants to attain an unparalleled level of concentration as they immerse themselves in the writing process and also their surroundings. Writers free themselves from the pressures of deadlines and outside expectations and allow themselves to write about whatever the muses present to them with no worries about editing or censoring their creativity. At each stop, small writing groups write together for an agreed-upon time, then share that writing with the group. Writers are encouraged not to “pass” on sharing their work, as a community is formed around the act of writing and sharing. Groups are cautioned against offering any comments or critiques of the work shared, and are asked instead to simply say, “Thank you,” to the writer.​

Want more details about how the New Orleans Writing Marathon works its magic? CLICK HERE for a sample NOWM handout. And you can find details about upcoming writing marathons and retreats at writingmarathon.com