Red Room Writers Society

 

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Eleanor R.

San Francisco, CA

As someone who often spends more time thinking about her writing projects, as opposed to actually writing, my time spent in the Red Room was invaluable.  The environment was inspirational and at the end of one year of attending I had rough drafts of a collection of short stories, one full length play, and a final draft of a children's book.  Not bad for roughly one-hour a week.

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DAN S.

San Francisco, CA

I don't know a single writer who hasn't benefited tremendously from their experience at The Red Room Writers Society. As a writer myself for SF Weekly for several years, I have been very impressed. Additionally, Ivory Madison has a range of skills to help any writer, from novice to professional. The Red Room Writers Society offers wise and trenchant advice, counsel, and expertise that exceeds other programs found in the Bay Area.

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Jenn Tasnim S.

San Mateo, CA

Ivory was there for me with her keen intuition and expertise, and held my hand each step of the way.  This is the best writing program in the Bay Area --- If you're ready to write, this is the place to do it!

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GC D.

San Francisco, CA

This is run by one of the biggest Sinatra fanatics in the city, if not the state, if not the universe. Well, maybe not the universe. No...I take that back..the universe.

What would really help here would be to serve few cocktails to court my muse. Especially because my muse is really not that attractive, and a set of beer goggles make her more so.

btw...who coined the district "NOPA?" Is it related to PETA?

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Michael R.

Berkeley, CA

There's a simple reason for going to the Red Room. It works. Reading books about writing didn't work. Going to classes didn't work. Telling myself I'll start tomorrow didn't work.  If you're tired of kicking yourself for not writing, go to the Red Room and get started.

Charles Bukowski once wrote: "You were never a writer. You had to become a writer each time you sat down to the machine. It wasn't that hard once you sat down in front of the machine. What was hard sometimes was finding that chair and sitting in it."

Ivory and the rest of the writers at the Red Room helped me find that chair, and I'm at long last doing what people have been urging me to do for over 20 years: write down my stories.

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Loren R.

San Francisco, CA

I joined the Red Room in October 2004, when my daughter was a year old.  I needed a quiet place to be able to concentrate on my writing.  In the months since, I've drafted out 15 essays, edited two issues of Morbid Curiosity magazine, polished two book proposals, finished a chapbook, edited a novel, and met some terrific, encouraging, and very supportive people.  If you have a writing project that you want to FINISH, the Red Room Writers Society can help you do it.  Particularly useful are the monthly marathons:  four hours of time to write!

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Kim C.

San Francisco, CA

My heart has been calling me to write a book for at least seven years. It wasn't until I started attending writing studios at The Red Room Writer's Society that I was able to create the time and space in my busy life to answer the call.

Ivory Madison's encouragement, coaching, and faith in my process continues to be a tremendous gift in my life. She believed in me and my project when I was too afraid to!

If there is a book, play, thesis, poem, or anything else you want to write for that matter, the Red Room Writer's Society can and will help make your dream a reality. I can't recommend it highly enough.

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Bronagh H.

San Francisco, CA

Before I heard about the Red Room, I had tried classes and seminars, bought books and how-to guides and experienced crazy writer's block.  As soon as I started the sessions, my writing came to me in many different forms, short stories, a memoir, an essay, all of it.  I finally found a safe and inspiring place to put my thoughts on paper.  It also helps to have a writing mentor in Ivory Madison if you need advice, feedback or just want to vent.

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Elizabeth B.

San Francisco, CA

The idea of writing always appealed to me, but I somehow never set aside the time to do it.  Sound familiar?  Four months into my Red Room life, I'm making far more progress on my book than I did in all those years of "some day."  Knowing I can come to the Red Room every week makes my day job bearable.  It's like an oasis of calm (complete with wine, tea and snacks) where you meet other writers and just write, for an hour, in silence.  Simple but so powerful. And you don't have the pressure of sharing work that comes with writing classes.  Ivory Madison makes it all happen -- she's an incredibly gifted writing coach, and an inspiring person.  She's created a truly unique and wonderful resource for all of the Bay Area's would-be writers.

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Nancy B.

San Francisco, CA

Red Room Writers Society gets five stars only because there aren't six. I had the wonderful good fortune of fulfilling my dream of writing a novel in The Red Room. I had started it years ago, and struggled with the guilt of not writing often enough and never finishing. The Red Room was a wonderful environment that allowed me to complete my novel guilt-free and quickly, just by writing on the days I attended the classes. Held in the most beautiful setting, they offer you tea and treats while you write. I was treated as if I was a success and so finally I was! One of the most important messages I received there, which has been with me ever since, was to write in my own voice stemming from my own experiences.  Not having to worry about being unworthy, I created a great story that people love to read. Working one-on-one with Ivory Madison is very valuable. She is kind, intelligent, and caring and makes everyone feel good enough and worthy of success. She treats each book she watches her writers create as worthy of her attention and care. Ivory, along with the other writers I met also pursuing their dream there, will always have a place in my heart. Now is the time to finish that novel that you haven't even started. Get yourself to the Red Room now and be forever grateful. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a story to tell.
Nancy Ballard
Loving You:  Celebrating The Body Through Art

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Mark S.

San Francisco, CA

The genius of the Red Room Writer's Society is simply that it asks you to clear some space on your calendar to sit down and actually write.  It's Woody Allen's statement that "eighty percent of life is just showing up" put into action.  The Red Room permits writers to give themselves the time and space to reach into themselves and pull out the words and ideas that sit there waiting to be mined.  If other writing classes are to writing what woodworking classes are to carpentry, then the Red Room is where you grow and nurture the wood.  Ivory Madison, the Red Room's founder, has developed a program that probably produces more pages of everything from fiction to scholarly articles than all the other writing programs in San Francisco put together because it provides a nonjudgmental environment in which people can give themselves permission to just write.  And the Red Room is not just a writing program.  Ivory has created an environment in which a community of diverse, interesting and supportive people who have decided to make a commitment to themselves as writers has grown.   Ivory's also one of the most delightful people you will ever meet and it's true -- she may well be the biggest Sinatra fanatic in the known universe.

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