Are you suffering from writer’s block?

In this course, we will ignite the spark of story and then fan the flame of that story through the development of character and scene.

We will combine breathing and imagery exercises from the yoga tradition with writing exercises to open the portal for story to flow, be it your memoir, your short story, your novel or another creative writing project.

Course Features

  • Giving yourself permission to write

    Amy offers a lecture and a writing exercise to interview, with compassion, our own "Inner Critic."

  • Developing Character

    To better undertand your characters, Amy offers a series of prompts to help you create a biography and timeline for your characters.

  • Developing Scene

    As you continue to get to know your characters, Amy will offer a writing exercise to help you put them in a scene.

  • Point of View and Inner Monologue

    You will be prompted to change your point of view character and listen to your character's thoughts and feelings.

  • Exploring Plot

    Learn exercises that help you outline what happened before and after the scene, you have developed.

Watch Intro Video

What is the Open-Minded Portal Into Story?

Amy Weintraub shares some of the valuable techniques you will gain as you take this course

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Part 1 – Release Your Creativity

    • Welcome!

    • Opening the Portal to Creative Flow

    • Release creative blocks—Writing Meditation

    • Dive deeper into one line or image
  • 2

    Part 2 – Develop Your Characters

    • Writing Inquiry to Develop the “Yes” saying Being into a Character

    • Writing Inquiry to Develop the “No” saying Being into a Character

    • Interviewing the Blocker
  • 3

    Part 3 – Set Your Scene

    • Bring characters together to create a scene

    • Reading and Writing for sensory detail

    • Reading and Writing for authentic voice
  • 4

    Part 4 – Fine Tune

    • Inner monologue in 3rd person close

    • Re-write in 1st person

    • Change the point of view

  • 5

    Part 5 – Develop Your Plot

    • Outline the Before & the After

    • Close: Falling in Love with Your Characters
  • 6

    Closing

    • Content Review and Editing

Amy Weintraub

Author and Teacher

Founder of the LifeForce Yoga® Healing Institute, Amy is a pioneer in the field of yoga and mental health. She is the author of two non-fiction books; Yoga for Depression (Broadway Books, 2004), Yoga Skills for Therapists (W.W. Norton, 2012) and numerous articles and book chapters. Her evidence-based yoga protocol for managing mood is used in healthcare settings globally, offered in professional trainings, and is featured on eight audio-visual products, including the LifeForce Yoga® series, an award-winning library of evidence-based yoga and meditation CDs and DVDs for mood management. Her psycho-spiritual novel, Temple Dancer (Tumamoc Press, 2020) is garnering praise and Sounds True will be publishing her Yoga for Your Mood Card Deck in 2021. www.amyweintraub.com