The Affirmations:

• Everyone has a strong, unique voice
• Everyone is born with creative genius
• Writing as an art form belongs to all people, regardless of economic class or educational level.
• The teaching of craft can be done without damage to a writer’s original voice or artistic self-esteem.
• A writer is someone who writes.

The Practices:

• We maintain a nonhierarchical spirit; at the same time, we follow the rules we create to keep everyone safe.
• All writing is confidential; all writing is treated as writing, as story; reading is voluntary.

The Practices (cont’d):

• When someone reads a first draft, the group does not criticize; rather, we share what we find strong in this first draft writing, in this voice.
• We listen differently in an AWA writing workshop. We enter into the universe that the writer has created and notice what works. We listen for and notice the craft choices a writer has made that help to create success in the writing. 
• We share prompts and exercises that invite experimentation in individual pieces and growth in our craft as writers.
• The leader writes and reads with the group; risk is shared.