FORBIDDEN FIRE TORNADO CLUB
TELL IT ANYWAY
Your most alive self exists in what you won’t say. The part of you that got edited out to survive is the part carrying your gifts.
A 12-week writing cohort with Allie Michelle and Dr. Jeremy Goldberg
For the story you keep almost telling, or the one you’re tired of reliving.
January 6 to March 31, 2027
Daily prompts, weekly live calls, and a tight-knit community of writers finally saying what they’ve never said.
A machine can write anything. Only you can write the story you aren’t supposed to.
Writing that moves people, that changes people, has stakes.
Where do we begin?
You already know what you'd write about.
You're not short on material. There’s the person who left, the year that rearranged you, the thing you haven’t said out loud to anyone.
You've got notes. Voice memos. A folder. Half a poem in your phone from 2:00 a.m. three Octobers ago.
Let’s be honest, okay?
What you’re missing isn’t material. It’s a reason to sit down, a deadline that won’t let you off the hook, and people safe enough to hear what comes out. Information is everywhere, but connection is not.
Neither is safety.
Or intimacy.
Right now, the world doesn’t need more information. It needs wisdom. It needs the lessons you learned by actually living through them. It needs writing with a pulse, writing that shakes us awake, writing that risks.
We built this for you.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The greatest danger isn’t robots acting like us. It’s us acting like robots. Moving through life on autopilot, half awake, just trying to survive. Writing shakes us awake, it keeps us empathetic and alert. It is an antidote to fast times.
We led a writing retreat walking El Camino de Santiago in Spain. Here's what we watched happen: somebody finally sees the truth of what’s happening in their life, writes the honest version, reads it out loud, and then magic happens.
Rage releases. Tears flow. Shoulders drop. Giggles erupt.
You don't need a publisher to make that kind of shift. You need twelve weeks, a deadline every weekday, and people who will deeply listen to your work.
Creativity takes courage.
HOW THE WEEKS WILL WORK
Weeks 1–4: DIG IN: Discover the material. Memory, noticing, the stuff you skip past. You'll write badly on purpose and call it relief. Part archaeological excavation and part purge inventory.
Weeks 5–8: SHAPE UP: Craft and enhance the scene, image, line, structure, the turn. What makes a reader lean in, and what makes them leave. (Inner Circle one-on-one calls happen in here.)
Weeks 9–12: SHARE IT: Revision, reading aloud, and final polish towards where the work goes next: The nerve required to be witnessed.
March 31: The showcase. A live Zoom reading open mic night. Everyone who wants to read gets to read, but nobody has to. We've watched people do this for years. It'll be the best night of the whole thing.
DIG. SHAPE. SHARE. REJOICE.
(Allie and Jeremy insert the structure of the course)
(Us, Santiago de Compostela, ending Poetry & Pilgrimage, 2026)
WHAT’S A NORMAL WEEK LIKE?
Monday: a short teaching from one of us, then a prompt. Coffee, ten minutes, done before the day eats you.
Tuesday to Thursday: a prompt each day. Some will land with a crack. Some will be a dud splat. That's the practice.
Wednesday night: 90 minutes together on Zoom. We teach something, write together in real time, and some read what they made. Nobody has to share. Most people eventually will.
Friday: something lighter to ponder so you end the week on a high with all the good vibes.
All week: lean on the WhatsApp group, which is equal parts encouragement, delight, swearing, and "Is this awful?"
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
What you will learn
(allie and Jeremy fill in)
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
A welcome call on Wednesday, January 6, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Pacific. We meet, you meet each other, we walk through how the 12 weeks work, and answer everything before the first prompt lands. It’ll be recorded, like all sessions, if you can’t make it.
A prompt sent every weekday, Monday to Friday, to your phone or inbox. Some written, some voiced, some short videos. Ten to fifteen minutes to write.
A live session every Wednesday, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Pacific, on Zoom. We both lead every single one. Teaching, writing together, reading out loud, answering questions, and giggling in-depth.
Every session is recorded and posted in a shared folder, so you can watch it later. Attendance from anywhere in the world works.
A WhatsApp group to join the folks doing this alongside you. Share lines you love. Lines you hate. Get feedback. Cheerlead. Feel held that someone else is also up at 11 p.m. wrestling with a poem.
A live showcase on March 31, where you read what you made, out loud.
That's what we’ll do, but what changes is who you are.
You’ll move from someone who writes occasionally to someone who writes.
Allie Michelle
Allie is a poet, fantasy novelist, and 3x bestselling author published with HarperCollins. Her work explores the power of storytelling to expand our capacity for empathy and uses poetry as a tool to support mental health and emotional well-being.
Allie has spoken around the world for companies and organizations including VeeCon, SXSW, Marriott, Alo, Intelligent Change, NeueHouse, and Proper Hotels, among others.
In addition to her creative work, Allie is certified in breathwork, meditation, and yoga, which she integrates into her sessions to create meaningful, restorative experiences for retreats and workshops.
Dr. Jeremy Goldberg
Jeremy is a behavioral scientist who spent years studying why people don't do what they say they want to do. He'll get you to the page, unpack the limitations disguised as truth, and nudge you gently towards your inner megaphone.
A recovering scientist turned life coach, keynote speaker, and spoken word poet, he spent five years studying how our brains shape our actions and wrote a PhD thesis about it, then spent considerably longer avoiding it while writing his second book, a memoir called A Giraffe Named Feelings. He founded Long Distance Love Bombs, gave a TEDx talk about making kindness cool, has recorded 225 podcast episodes, and has led seven group walks across Spain.
Permission and structure, a poet and scientist, heart and head.
A kaleidoscope of synergies.
DIG. SHAPE. SHARE. REJOICE.
That's the idea.
WHY US AND WHY TOGETHER?
We first met at a writing workshop in 2019, stayed in touch online, recorded a couple of podcasts together, and then decided to lead a group of eight people across northern Spain on a walking and writing retreat called Poetry and Pilgrimage.
We walked 75 miles, wrote every morning, and watched people share things they'd been carrying for decades.
This is that, without the blisters and bunk beds.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK WITH US?
These are from Poetry and Pilgrimage, the writing and walking retreat we led together in Spain in 2026.
“The time with Allie and Jeremy really helped me let go of the word ‘should.’ I'm much more present now instead of constantly judging what I'm doing or how and why I'm doing it! My writing has changed too; I'm writing to actually feel what I'm saying instead of just telling a story. That shift means a lot to me, and I'm so grateful that they both helped create the space for it. <3
“It was a long time since I've put pen to paper, but after learning with Allie and Jeremy, I've relearned to express myself with writing again. Their practical tips and gentle guidance helped me uncover my inner poet and writer. The exploration and growth continue long after the prompts and practices; I now consistently journal on a daily basis, and this has bettered my life in many ways. Thank you, Jeremy and Allie!”
MAKE NO MISTAKE: THIS WILL ASK SOMETHING OF YOU.
YOU MIGHT CRY. YOU'LL DEFINITELY WRITE SOMETHING TERRIBLE AND WANT TO QUIT AROUND WEEK SIX. YOU'LL SIT DOWN SOME MORNINGS WITH NOTHING, AND SOME NIGHTS WITH TOO MUCH, AND THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT WHAT RESULTS WILL BE PRETTY BECAUSE THERE IS NO SHORTCUT AROUND THE PART WHERE YOU TELL THE TRUTH AND FEEL IT PULL THROUGH YOU AND INTO THEM, BUT AT THE END OF TWELVE WEEKS, YOU'LL HAVE WRITTEN MORE THAN YOU HAVE IN YEARS, YOU'LL HAVE READ IT OUT LOUD IN A SAFE SPACE TO PEOPLE WHO GET IT, AND YOU'LL STOP CALLING YOURSELF SOMEONE WHO USED TO WRITE.
SOUNDS FUN, RIGHT?
THIS IS FOR
YOU IF:
You write in your notes app and call it no big deal.
You've said "I should write a book" more than twice.
You want to write regularly but can't seem to do it alone.
You want real people, not an algorithm, to read your work.
You're carrying something you've never actually put into words.
You’d love guidance on how to write more frequently, better.
THIS IS NOT FOR YOU IF:
You want a published book in twelve weeks. That’s a different job, but we can point you toward people who do it.
You want a hard critique workshop. We'll tell you the truth, but not so gruffly or stuffy.
You want somebody to write it for you. This is not a ghostwriter find-and-seek club.
THERE ARE TWO WAYS FOR YOU TO JOIN US:
INNER CIRCLE — 8 SPOTS
$2,450 through October 31 and $2,750 after. Payment plans are available.
Everything in Core, plus:
• A 60-minute one-on-one call with each of us, between weeks 6 and 8, discussing you and your work.
• Written feedback on two pieces. Up to 1,500 words each, or up to eight poems per submission.
• An additional separate and private WhatsApp group with other Inner Circle members.
• First and discounted access to whatever we do next, including future walks or workshops.
THE CORE — 30 SPOTS
$795 through October 31 and $895 after. Payment plans are available.
• A writing prompt every weekday for twelve weeks.
• Live Wednesday Zoom sessions, every week, led by both Allie and Jeremy. (All recordings in a shared folder for you to rewatch at your convenience.)
• A WhatsApp group to connect, share, and stay accountable.
• The March 31 showcase Open Mic experience.
NOTE: Payment plans are billed monthly. Need a different arrangement? Email us and we'll sort it out.
THREE SIMPLE NEXT STEPS:
1. Save your spot.
Pick Core or the Inner Circle and grab a seat. You'll get a welcome email the same day, an invitation to the WhatsApp group in December, and a calendar invite for the welcome call on January 6 and other weekly calls.
2. Get a notebook and clear some time.
Fifteen minutes a day and a free Wednesday night. That's what we're asking you to commit to. Decide now where those fifteen minutes live, or get Jeremy to help you — he’s got a PhD in changing behaviors and building healthy habits.
3. Show up and start writing.
We meet on the welcome call Wednesday, January 6. The first prompt lands Monday, January 11. The first full session is Wednesday, January 13. By March 31, you'll be reading your own work out loud to a room that's rooting for you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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January 6 to March 31, 2027, with a welcome call on Wednesday, January 6, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Pacific.
Live sessions are every Wednesday, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Pacific.
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No, but we hope you are. It's the night the group stops being a list of names. It's recorded either way.
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Come when you can. Every session is recorded and posted in a shared folder within 24 hours.
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Yes. Most people who sign up for this feel like frauds on day one. The prompts assume nothing. Neither do we.
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Ten to fifteen minutes a day, plus 90 minutes on Wednesdays. You can do this around a job, a baby, or a life.
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You won't be behind, because every prompt stands on its own. Skip a day or a week, and pick up wherever you are.
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Never. You can read every week or never read at all. Nobody gets put on the spot, including at the showcase.
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Both, and everything adjacent. Memoir, essay, poems, letters, the thing that doesn't have a name yet. Allie leans poetry and fantasy, Jeremy leans memoir and non-fiction, and the prompts will work for whatever you're writing.
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Core is the room: prompts, the weekly session, the group, the showcase. The Inner Circle is the room plus our eyes on your actual work — written notes on two pieces and a 60-minute call with each of us.
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Yep. Three monthly payments at both tiers. If you need a different arrangement, email us.
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Email us by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on January 13, 2027, the end of week one, and we'll refund you in full; no explanation needed. After that, we can't offer refunds because the seat was held and the group has formed.
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Maybe. We're not promising it, and we're not going to pretend otherwise.
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Is it fear you're feeling, or is it aliveness? Those two are famously hard to tell apart. Ask yourself what happens if you're still carrying this story, unwritten, next year.
Anything else? Email us.
This is twelve weeks of showing up, getting honest, writing badly, writing well, being seen, read, and heard by people who care, and then finally saying the thing out loud.
You can keep almost telling it. That's a genuine option, and plenty of people take it forever. The story sits where it is, safe and unfinished, but risk is the price of admission we pay for love, and it’s also the cost of true creative expression.
So, yes, you can stay silent.
The story won’t mind. It's good at waiting. But if something in you leaned forward while reading this, come sit with us.
We’d love to listen.
Tell it anyway.
Early pricing ends October 31. Enrollment closes December 15.
SOME DELICIOUS FINE PRINT
Tell It Anyway runs from January 6 to March 31, 2027, with a welcome call on January 6, 2027. Core is capped at 30 participants; the Inner Circle at 8. Prices are in USD. Payment plans are billed monthly; if two consecutive payments are missed, the spot is released to the waitlist. Full refunds are available through January 13, 2027; after that, payments are non-refundable, and any remaining installments remain due. Sessions are recorded for participants only and are never shared publicly. You keep all rights to everything you write. Nothing you share in the group, on a call, or in a submission will be quoted publicly without your written permission. Got questions? Please email us.