about
laurie

I’m Laurie Wagner,

the creator of 27 Powers

I’m also a writing teacher + coach, author of 7 books, mixed-media artist, fervent collage-maker, mother of two, and one-time amateur racquetball champion.

A few notable details…

The ceiling in my dining room is gold. the walls are blood red. I have a fire pit surrounded by a motley crew of comfy chairs, in my front yard. My garden refuses to be tamed. My friends like to paint, sculpt, carve + cast with art supplies + words. If I’m in a bleak mood, I won’t try to hide it. If I’m feeling like a luminescent moonbeam, I won’t hide that either. I write true stories. I hold myself to my word. I got over my fear of not measuring up to what ‘the market’ wants, decades ago. Interestingly, that’s when I got my first book deal…

Oh, and – nice to meet you.

A couple of True Stories…

  • I’m a published author, seven times over. Which is lovely – and unexpected. Because for me, brave + unbound writing has very little to do with landing a book deal. It’s about revealing who you are…and discovering something vital, in the process.
  • That being said – I’m pretty proud of my books, which include Living Happily Ever After: Couples Talk about Long Term Love and Expectations: Women Talk about Becoming a Mother, as well as Holding the Dream – The Art of Marlene Louchheim.
  • I once wrote grant applications & interviewed hundreds of subjects for an Academy Award-nominated documentary about couples who’d been married for fifty years – or more. For Better or For Worse caught the attention of Chronicle Books, and swirled into a book deal. And yes, I’d like to thank the Academy…
  • I’ve been trained as a professional Co-Active Coach at The Coaches Training Institute, once of the world’s most prestigious programs for life, business + creativity coaches. As a coach, I learned to stop rushing + pushing people for answers. To stop trying to ‘fix’ people. And to trust that people are doing what they’re doing for a reason. Even if – especially if, I can’t see it.
  • My essays on life, kids, writing + mayhem have appeared in Salon, Glamour, Parenting, Brain Child, The Huffington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and the East Bay Express. I’m aiming for quiet, backdoor, non-celebrity world domination.
  • I like to think of myself as the impossible lovechild of Nancy Drew, Starbuck (from Battlestar Gallactica) and Deanna Troi from Star Trek. Inquisitive, committed + a little bit psychic.
  • In 15 years as a writing teacher + coach, I’ve personally taught over 1,000 students. I’ve seen manuscripts polished + delivered to publishers (terrific) and I’ve seen lives transform, align + shift into focus (even better). These days, I lead weekly writing classes at my home in the Northern California Bay Area + in Berkeley. And my Telling True Stories e-course is wide open and welcome to writers of all ages, around the world.

One more true story

I recently decided to call myself “Tender Truth Serum, In Human Form.”
Big words to live into. I’ll let you know how it goes.

So – what’s your story?

I love hearing from friendly strangers.

If you’d like to say hello or ask a question, write to me at hello@27powers.org

And if you’d like to find out when my next Wild Writing classes, Traveling Writers series + future e-courses are open for registration, hop on my mailing list below (you’ll be the first to know):

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Happy Customers

“Laurie Wagner is a force to be reckoned with. While I was writing my book Daring Adventures in Paint she was my fiercest advocate every step of the way— from my book proposal to my final edits— rooting me on. I would struggle the page and she would make magic out of my writing. Laurie’s help as a coach and teacher feels like the biggest secret in your pocket.

She gets to the core of what you want to write and makes it shine. Laurie encourages you to embrace your messy writing and let go of perfectionism and fear in the creative process. She makes you want to wear kick-ass cowboy boots and live into the moments of your life more deeply. You’re lucky if you can have a little of her juju. She shares her vast experience of writing, publishing and teaching wisdom with her students and clients generously. Her passion and fierce belief in me as my coach and as my weekly Wild Writing teacher moves me to lean hard and with heart into my words and my life.”

~ Mati Rose McDonough

“Laurie Wagner is an extremely gifted teacher. Obviously, she’s a fantastic human being too, with impressive interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate so clearly that it’s almost unnerving. She’s a sharp editor who delivers her critiques in a respectful, yet direct manner. I love her honesty and ability to cut through to the heart of my writing.

She asks good questions too…. I’m pleased to once again be in a class lead by Laurie. I have no doubt that it was due to my participation in her class, her support and her direction, that resulted in three of my essays being published over the past year.“

~ Jacqueline M. Massey

“I have been a student of Laurie’s for two years, both in her online classes and at a workshop offered at her home. Every second and dollar spent has been well worth the effort. The prompts and exercises are inspiring, Laurie’s feedback is honest and kind. I wasn’t sure what to expect from an online class, and was pleasantly surprised at the depth of interaction and communication. Laurie has a knack for opening a writers eyes to new possibilities, and for gently prodding to reveal deeper meanings in what might have otherwise been ordinary pieces. If you have the opportunity to work with Laurie through any medium, I give my highest recommendations.”

~ Heidi Ritenhouse

“Laurie Wagner is a wonderful mix of the practical and the magical. She’s supportive, wildly smart, and above all, has an intuitive understanding of story that is awe-inspiring. Her insights into my writing projects that have been razor sharp. Laurie has a gentle way of guiding writers toward their authentic truth.

Besides fostering writing confidence, she also has oodles of tricks to nudge a writer to blast past the superficial and take a leap down into the heart of their tale. Laurie knows when to apply clarity and focus and when to buck the conventional avenues of writing to help a writer get loose and creative. Laurie is deeply thoughtful, completely accessible and never makes you feel foolish, only brave.“

~ Gretchen Clark