Coach, editor, and retreat leader

Gina Edwards explains what

The Writer’s Table community

is all about.

Ready to claim your seat at The Writer’s Table?

Being in the space between having something in your head and in your heart that wants to be put on the page, something that just won’t leave you alone, and, on the other hand, having this resistance to sitting down to write—that is an incredibly uncomfortable in-between place to be.

Hi, everyone. I am Gina Edwards, Retreat Leader, Certified Creativity Coach, and Editor. I’m here with a special message for the women out there who hold the dream to write but, for whatever reason, you aren’t writing.

Perhaps you used to write and haven’t done it lately…
Maybe you think no one would want to read what you write anyway…
Maybe, despite a persistent inner urging to write, perhaps a feeling so strong it seems like a calling … you’ve just never begun.

The feeling we have when we’re in that in-between space, I call “inner disquiet.” It’s an uneasiness that happens when we have a desire, a longing, a calling to share a message that we won’t quite allow to come through.

“Inner disquiet” is the side effect of giving in and giving up to our resistance to write.

I’ve felt that inner disquiet many times. It shows itself every time I think I’m ready to start a new project. After years of writing, I know that this push-pull is just a normal part of the creative process.

But inner disquiet also shows up when I’ve neglected my regular writing practice. That’s when it causes me stomachaches and squabbles with my husband, until I recognize, once again, that I’ve given in and given up to resistance.

Resistance is insidious and tends to cloak itself in many disguises. It shows up in abundance when we’re about to begin something. The challenge in that for writers is that every single time we sit down to write, we’re effectively starting again. Each new writing session is a beginning.

So there it is:

Resistance, showing up on a regular, recurring basis, keeping us from beginning.

“Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.”

~ Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

The bad news is that resistance never goes away.

The good news is, it can be—if not controlled—at least managed or guided so we can get our writing done, so we can begin.

Let me tell you a story of Resistance (with a capital R).

There are so many fabulous women out there who have stories to tell, guidance and wisdom to offer to others, women with amazing imaginations, women who, through their writing, can open the rest of us to new ways of looking at things—women like you.

For years now, I’ve wanted to gather a community of these women so that, together, we could grow, transform, even heal ourselves, through writing. That’s been one of my biggest dreams.

But I would never begin.

Writers come to me individually for coaching and editing. We work through their book revisions together, or if they aren’t moving forward in their writing, I help them get unblocked and writing again. I also love working with a woman when she’s first starting out and has a burning desire to write but no idea of how to begin.

I work with these women individually, one-on-one, which is the most effective way . . . and the most costly.

I love doing it, but my calling to support more women in community has persisted, so I started doing writing retreats.

A lot of magic happens at those retreats and they’ve helped me know that, yes, the world needs more of this—more women writers coming together to tell their stories, to uplift one another, to grow together. But, still, those retreats are small groups, usually just 5 to 12 women at a time.

So after each one, again, the idea to bring together a larger community of women would surface.

But I wouldn’t begin.

Resistance persisted, and the side effect from it, the inner disquiet, was agonizing.

As I kept serving writers individually and in small groups, I recognized that even though working with an editor or coach; going to retreats, as well as workshops, conferences -– even though these are some of the ways we can learn and grow as writers, not everyone has access to them.

Not everyone can take off work for a week to attend a retreat. Not everyone can hire me for one-on-one work together.

Distance, finances, family and work obligations—any of these could keep a writer from attending a writer’s conference or a workshop where they could learn.

I also realized that not everyone is fortunate to have a local writer’s group or a close, supportive writing community—or sometimes even a single person, anyone, to reach out to when encouragement or motivation are needed.

So, again, I would ask myself: How I can better support women writers in the important writing work they’re doing or want to do? How can I share my expertise and experience in a way that’s affordable and accessible to more women?

Now it’s time for a confession about what’s held me back, what’s kept me from beginning. It took me a long time to identify but, eventually, that inner disquiet became too uncomfortable to endure.

The main reason for my resistance seems a little silly now, but here it is: I am not a techie.

People have asked me about doing online programs and courses as a way to reach and teach more writers. Those are probably in the future. But here’s the thing: the more tech involved, the higher the price has to be. And the more complicated things get.

I don’t want that for either of us. . . so, again, I resisted.

Truthfully, though, those fancy, expensive things aren’t what we need as writers, are they?

Inspiration. Knowledge. Community. Encouragement.

These are what we need—even crave—in our writing lives.

And none of them require fancy tech. . . .

So where does this lead me in this story? Where does this take you and I?

This moment, right here, is where the agony of my inner disquiet finally overcomes my resistance, where my dream begins. . . .

Women like you who have important stories to tell, who have guidance for others, wisdom, imaginations, unique ways of seeing and interpreting the world—women like you—you’re the writers I’m called to serve. And I don’t want the tech to get in the way!

So I’m inviting you to join me—in a low-tech way—around the writer’s table. This community of women, by writing together, will grow, transform, and sometimes even heal ourselves.

By writing—whether fiction, nonfiction, or journaling—we excavate ourselves, our thoughts, our feelings, our beliefs. Through writing, we can celebrate our authenticity and use our true voices. We can open people’s minds and hearts to things they’ve never been exposed to before, ways of thinking they never imagined! And that, my friend, makes this world a better place.

Let's change the world.

Sign me up.

At The Writer’s Table, we’ll talk about craft, for both experienced and beginning writers.

I’ll provide you with mini-lessons, tips, worksheets and checklists to help you organize and make progress with your writing projects.
There’s a private FB group so you can engage with other women writers facing the same challenges you are.
You’ll get ongoing encouragement and inspiration; interviews and behind the scenes looks with other writers, editors, and coaches.
And I’ll be there with you every step of the way. You’ll receive practical guidance from a professional editor and coach, who’s also a writer.

Each month will carry a different theme, such as:

Writing Habits
Claiming Your Voice
Feeding Your Muse

There will be topic days, such as:

#SacredSunday when we share what we’re doing to honor our writing practices
#WIPWednesday when you can tell or ask anything about your work-in-progress
#FridayZen when we all share words of inspiration, motivation, and encouragement to take us into the next week

Absolutely, we’ll work on our craft.

And we’ll also talk about:

what it really takes to be a writer
why using our voices matters
what it feels like to be a writer. Yep, “the feels” as one of my buddies calls the range of emotions we experience in our writing lives. We’ll look at the role emotions play in the words we put on the page, as well as how they affect the other parts of our lives, too.

We’ll also talk a lot about how to manage our hopes and our fears and our dreams as writers.

I need this!

Sign me up!

If you aren’t in North Florida near me, you’re probably wondering how you can have a seat at The Writer’s Table, how this will work. We’ll do this virtually so, yes, there will be some tech, but I’m deliberately keeping it as simple as possible. I want to make it easy for both of us.

We’ll start out with email, the written word . . . imagine that. There may be some links there to download worksheets and such. There’ll also be some video—it won’t be Hollywood quality but it’ll contain good stuff! You’ll get these right in your inbox and they’ll also be available in our private Facebook group.

Over time, I may try out different but simple tools for delivering the materials to you. And here’s where I’m going to ask a favor. Not using a lot of fancy tech helps me keep the price for you to join lower, but also, since this is the first time I’m stepping out to share in this way, I’m going to ask you for feedback from time to time. So that’s the favor: your feedback.

Feedback. Low-tech.

These two things keep your membership in The Writer’s Table to just $12 a month.

I’m ready to begin.

Join now.

The group size will be capped so we can have meaningful engagement, and I’ll want to hear from you—about your experience with the tech, about what you’re getting from the group and from working with me in this way.

Just so you understand . . .

This is not a workshop, a program with an expiration date, or an online course.

The Writer’s Table is consistent, ongoing support that provides women writers with opportunities for learning and growth, a source of inspiration and motivation, and a place for meaningful connections with other women writers, all guided by a professional coach and editor – me.

My writer-editor-friends are telling me I’m a little crazy for providing so much value for such a small price. You know what? I may be. But spirit, the universe, my heart is telling me this is right. (Resistance, be damned!)

With the inaugural membership of just $12 a month, you would be able to cancel at any time, which, of course, with so much learning and value provided, I hope you’ll never want to do. As long as you’re at The Writer’s Table and part of this original group, your membership price will never go up.

I don’t know how long I can offer the group in this way and for this price. So I really hope you can be a part of this.

I’m saving a chair just for you at The Writer’s Table. Shall we begin?

Yes, Let’s Begin!

Join The Writer’s Table now and be part of a supportive community of women writers who are becoming better writers and are making this world a better place.

Still have questions? We have answers!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is The Writer’s Table community for? Who can join?

This community is for women who write or want to write in any area: journaling, fiction, memoir, self-help, creative nonfiction. It is for women who recognize the power of writing to help us become our best selves, and how, when we use our voices with good intention, the world becomes a better place.

This group is for women writers who want to learn and improve their writing, but who also want support managing the existential aspects of being a writer—overcoming resistance, fears, and self-doubt, celebrating success, managing expectations and goals, setting boundaries with others, establishing a writing practice that works for them on their own terms.

If you are a woman and if you write or want to write, The Writer’s Table community is for you.

How often will I get emails and other materials?

My intention is to provide the group members with materials and information that feed your creativity and writing life. I don’t want to blow up your email box or drive you batty with zillions of notification dings. But I do want us to be connected frequently enough for The Writer’s Table to make a positive impact on your writing. At first, that will be once or twice a week via email, and perhaps more often than that in the Facebook group, which you can engage with anytime, night or day.

As the group grows and feedback is received (remember that little favor I asked you about? providing feedback?), we might adjust the frequency to better serve you.

How would I cancel my membership?

I hope you never want to leave The Writer’s Table, that you find the learning and benefits so amazing that you keep your virtual chair forever. Heck, we’ll even put a name plaque on it for you!

But, of course, things happen. So if at any time, you need to leave the group, please notify me in writing. I’ll need:

your first and last name,
the email address you signed up for the group with, and
the name you use on Facebook.

Cancellations cannot be made without this complete information.

Cancellation requests should be emailed to Gina@AroundTheWritersTable.com. You will receive an acknowledgment of your request by email within 72 hours. For cancellation to be effective for the next billing cycle, it must be requested more than 14 days prior to that billing cycle. Cancellation requests made less than 14 days from the billing cycle will result in one final billing to your PayPal account or credit card (whichever you provided to us).

Are there membership guidelines?

The guidelines are simple.

Be nice. Exercise empathy. Respect boundaries. No personal attacks, name calling, or bullying. In general, be excellent to each other—exercise respect.

These guidelines apply for any and all communications and social platforms that might be used by The Writer’s Table now and into the future. Guidelines specific to the Facebook group are provided inside the group and will be available to you once you’ve joined and been added there.

Who is Gina Hogan Edwards?

Gina, that’s me … the one in the video at the top of this page. I’ll be your guide, teacher, and leader in The Writer’s Table community. I’m a writing retreat organizer and facilitator, a Certified Creativity Coach, and an Editor. I am also a writer. (By the way, my work-in-progress is called Dancing at The Orange Peel, a dark family novel set in the South in 1968.)

My writer’s journey—perhaps not unlike yours—has been a bumpy one. I spent decades studying and attempting to be a writer with the rest of my life whirling around me. My writing practice was on-again/off-again/on-again. And it was never enough.

Finally, one sleepless and angst-filled night led me to the inevitable decision to step away from the “security” of the corporate world so I could uplift other women writers—women like me longing to make writing a meaningful part in their lives, and women who understand how the writing can make meaning of their lives.

Two simple philosophies show up in everything I do with writers:

First, you never have to travel your writer’s journey alone. Writing is inherently solitary, but that doesn’t mean you always have to be alone, without encouragement, motivation, or feedback. If you’re having trouble finding your “tribe” and knowing who you can turn to and trust, then you’re in the right place.
The second principle is your writing life, on your terms. That is, I hold space for all authors to live a writing life on terms they define for themselves rather than ones based on the pressures and expectations of community, family, and/or industry. Wherever you are in your writer’s journey, I will meet you there.

I also walk the writer’s path with you, continuing to cultivate my own writing skills so I can apply them to my work-in-progress. My purpose in my own writing as well as in my business, my life’s work, is to give a voice to the voiceless and to empower women to share their untold stories.

(Join now and you can hear the rest of the story about my resistance to beginning this community. Of all people, my chiropractor—yes, my chiro—opened me up to the depth and the truth of it. He kinda blew my mind.)

Tell me the rest of the story.

I’m in.