Upcoming Events

We are planning several workshops in 2025. Join our list to be the first to know when we announce!

Past Events

BIG IDEA WEEKEND // Los Angeles, CA // Oct 2023

An intimate, two-day retreat focused on the concept at the heart of your project. We have a clear-cut, proven strategy for evolving your writing ideas so that they are more urgent, more actionable, more exciting. Day 1 was all about generating and developing writing projects, with a portfolio of actionable techniques (and clear examples!). Day 2 concentrated on the Why and the How — essential for any good project.

UNSTUCK RETREAT // Taos, NM // May 2023

A reset. A springboard. A gorgeous, century-old adobe ranch surrounded by fruit trees under the Taos Mountains. We believe good writing is born at the intersection of getting serious and letting go, of steady structure and joyful chaos. That’s what this week in Taos was all about.

We gathered 34 writers—of different backgrounds and genres—to share our vetted strategies and surprising techniques for strengthening their writing ideas. They got the behind-the-scenes dirt on our own processes and pitfalls. They also spent time in small groups, building relationships with each other. And they clocked some serious word-counts on their individual projects.

IDEAS WORKSHOP // Online // April 2022

In this constructive, two-session workshop for artists of all stripes, we went deep on our strategies for how to evolve new ideas, how to go from broad areas of interest to concrete projects, how to enrich your ideas by focusing your curiosity, and how to create a workflow and accountability structure that works for you.

IDEA DEVELOPMENT AND PITCHING WORKSHOP // Brooklyn, NY // March 2018

In this intimate, weekend-long session devoted to improving story ideas and then pitching those ideas to editors, we got together with 17 writers in Brooklyn. Day one was devoted to idea development and pinpointing a unique approach to a given topic or story. Day two was all about framing those ideas for magazine editors.

About the Midwives

We’re Jade Chang and Ann Friedman, two best-selling authors and national magazine writers who, between us, have put in our 10,000 hours (sorry for Gladwelling) in screenwriting, podcasting, editing, and various entrepreneurial ventures. We are also friends who live in Los Angeles.

And we have way, way too many ideas. We wish we could pursue every single one of them. Alas, we are mortals, so we have to prioritize. We’ve had countless conversations about deepening an idea, shaping a concept so that it feels vital and rich, and knowing when a nascent project is worth the time and effort. Our workshops and retreats are about sharing those conversations with you.

Jade Chang

Jade’s debut novel, The Wangs vs. the World was named one of the best books of the year by NPR, Elle, and Amazon. She has been invited to discuss the book at colleges (Yale, UT Austin) and companies (Google, Amazon), as well as on the air (Late Night with Seth Meyers, NPR’s Morning Edition). Her bestselling novel was optioned by Hulu and has been published in twelve countries. She is also a film and TV writer (The Baby-Sitters Club) and has written and voiced two non-fiction audio projects: The List (Amazon Originals) and You’ve Already Changed Your Life (Audible). Her journalism and essays have appeared in The NYT Magazine, The WSJ, The Best American Food Writing, and others.

Ann Friedman

Ann is an audio pioneer who co-created the beloved Call Your Girlfriend podcast, and a newsletter innovator whose long-running Ann Friedman Weekly has more than 50,000 devoted readers. She is the co-author (with Aminatou Sow) of the New York Times best-seller Big Friendship, which was featured on The Today Show. For many years, she was a columnist for both The Cut and The Los Angeles Times, and her features have been published in The New Yorker, ELLE, The Guardian, Bon Appétit, and more. She is a contributing editor to The Gentlewoman, where she writes short essays and cover profiles of fascinating women.

 Testimonials

Here are some nice things that attendees have said about our workshops and retreats:

  • “It's hard to distill something as broad as ‘coming up with an idea’ into clear points and actionable items, but you both did amazing at this.”

  • “A game changer for me.”

  • “I’m leaving with what feels like a very full toolbox for approaching something new.”

  • “Both of you have been very generous with what you’ve shared about your own work and processes, and I really appreciate the inclusive, encouraging environment you’ve created.”

  • “I was genuinely riveted.”

  • “Everything, from the ability to work on my own ideas, to the advice and information we were given from two successful writers/editors, to how much thought and planning went into making sure we stayed on task and covered a lot of ground, make this the best professional workshop I've ever attended.”

  • “I feel unstuck and my project feels… midwifed.”

  • “You loosened my grip and allowed me to fall in love with being an artist again.”

  • “A huge THANK YOU for facilitating what was honestly a transformative experience for me.”

  • “I wrote 5,000 words!”

  • “It’s possible this ruined me for all other writing retreats. Obsessed with this entire week—and beyond grateful.”