– Nan Becklean

As my coach, Laurie is always willing to follow me down the rabbit hole. With her courage, smarts, patience, and humility, some kind of magic occurs. We are able to dissect and actually make sense of Wonderland together. And, to my great relief, I’ve been able to slowly move forward in a way that feels deeply right for me. I can’t recommend her enough.

– Stephanie Dodaro
walkingthemissions.com

“With her first two words – count ‘em, two – to me and my classmates in 2004, Laurie Wagner set my steps upon the good red road of the writer’s path. She has helped keep my feet to the fire ever since. From the first she believed in me and communicated, no, somehow injected under my skin a confident faith. I feared I’d signed up for her essay class under false pretenses. Who was I fooling? What business had I there?

Her opening salvo to the group gave me a new name for myself: “Hello, writers.” Laurie balances the carrot with the stick. She pushes, pokes, prods. She excels as coach, cheerleader and whip-cracker. She listens into the words I offer, hears the story behind the story, motivates me to tell it out as best I can. My writing life is the richer for it.– Rab Marlow

Laurie is an amazing writer, teacher, and coach. But what stands out most in mind about her is that no matter what the topic or form – free writing, personal essay, altered books, creativity coaching – she invites us to share a table with a group of like-minded souls who inspire, encourage, and support us to step into the creativity and freedom we always knew was available, but couldn’t access. She’s the moth, leading us to the light. Laurie has taught me the freedom in allowing all parts of myself to come to life – all the colors, all the disappointments, all the shames, and all the delights. She is a writing and creativity teacher, but really, her hidden agenda is that she teaches honesty, freedom, and acceptance.

– Sherry Richert Belul
Writer, Publisher at Simply Celebrate

“As a former television news reporter, I thought I had decent writing skills. But it wasn’t until I took Laurie Wagner’s online classes that my writing really began to blossom and I was able to find my voice. Her enthusiastic encouragement, combined with critiques that were always dead-on, helped me to hone my writing and take it to the next level. She doesn’t always tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear, to make your work the best it can be. When people tell me they want to write a book, my advice is always the same–take a class (or two or three) with Laurie Wagner. She is simply the best.
– Lisa McCubbin
Co-author of The New York Times Best Seller
The Kennedy Detail: JFK’s Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence,
and Mrs. Kennedy and Me

As a visual artist and long ago English Lit major I had abandoned writing for years before tentatively stepping into Laurie’s Wild Writing class back in 2003. I’ve been a regular ever since. Working with Laurie has changed my approach not only to writing, but to my photography and visual art practices as well. Her honesty, fearlessness and humor are contagious. She creates an environment where one feels simultaneously safe and wildly courageous. Laurie’s inspiration and encourage continue to open many doors in my creative life.

– Stephanie Williamson, Professor of Photography and Design

Writing with Laurie, seeing her vulnerability and honesty, made me braver. It’s that particular kind of courage, the willingness to be harmed, to make a fool of yourself, to offer someone a thing they could use to hurt you if they wanted, to risk being wrong, that encouraged me to show up, to go deeper, to say the very thing I didn’t want to say but so desperately needed to. It gave me confidence in my writing, in the way my friend Susan Piver defines it, “the willingness to be as ridiculous, luminous, intelligent, and kind as you really are, without embarrassment.

– Jill Salahub

Working with Laurie has opened my eyes to what it really means to bring a reader into a story. She has a beautiful way of coaxing the scene to life in my writing. I have sent countless friends who were seeking to up level their writing to work with Laurie and always hear back rave reviews.

– Rachel Cole, coach

Working with Laurie gives me courage to quiet the stern editor in my writing-releasing the hidden thoughts, writing reflexively without judgement, resisting the urge to second-guess what I’m about to say. This is when my writing can surprise me most, giving me confidence to keep going, stay in my chair, keep the pen moving.

– Becky Ruiz Jenab, writer

I’ve been writing with Laurie for about a year and the most important thing I’ve learned is how to let go. To let go of the conscious thoughts I have that hold me back from writing what’s honest and true. To stop editing myself before the pen even touches the paper! Thanks to Laurie I’ve learned how to trust my own voice and realize that my story – as mundane, original, heartbreaking and resolute as it is – is worth telling.

– Lisa Grantham

Working with Laurie Wagner changed my writing. It helped me find an hold onto that most elusive thing of all–my writing voice. I will always be grateful to Laurie, because once I found it–nothing was ever the same again.

– Lisa Russ, writer

The last decade has been about building a business supporting young writers, but it has meant I’ve abandoned my own writing for many years. For me Wild Writing, and being at Laurie’s table, is a treasured opportunity to return to the craft in the company of other fine women writers.

– Sondra Hall, poet

True story: I was looking back in my journal yesterday and I was struck by the brilliant writing inside! I didn’t recognize it as my own words. Laurie’s gift as a teacher is to get you out of your head, side step your critic and let the imagery flow! Laurie’s Wild Writing process has been so helpful not only in writing, but also for my painting practice and for greasing the wheels of ease and connection in my life.

– Mati Rose McDonough, artist, illustrator, author