The Pause Writers

Your stories are worth telling. Find the permission, space, and support to bring them to life.

The Pause is a creative community for midlife women who feel something shifting and want a place to reconnect with their creative spark. You might be rethinking your work, your relationships, your writing, or even who you are in this season. You might be in the process of outgrowing old systems that aren't working anymore, or shedding a skin.

Inside The Pause, there is room for vulnerability and spaciousness while we deepen our writing practice during a transitional stage of life. We believe that women's stories are essential and have been absent, diminished, or minimized for far too long. Midlife women are powerful, and when we write in community, we amplify our voices more than when we create in isolation.

Here, you will find women who are thoughtful, curious, and willing to connect on a deep level. Women who are building new things. Women who are letting go of old things. Women who are simply trying to listen to their own voices again and to figure out what stories they really want to tell.

If you are craving connection, inspiration, and steady forward movement in a supportive community, you are welcome here.

We welcome all levels of writers, whether you are:

Building a brand new writing practice
Exploring publication options
Writing a book
Creating or writing a Substack column
Looking for inspiration
Using writing as a tool for personal growth

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A different kind of writing community

The Pause sits at the intersection of craft and soul.

We are a writing community focused solely on the needs, unique perspectives, and strengths of midlife women, and collaboration and community are at the heart of everything we do. We define midlife loosely here, and believe it is a powerful stage of life— we are finally ready to shake off practices and beliefs that no longer serve us.

It's easy to find online writing workshops—everything from how to get published to how to write flash fiction—but it's more challenging to find a community learning space where you feel seen and supported. Here, guest workshops are taught by and for midlife women.

Workshops and community meetings are intimate and interactive—they are a sacred, vibrant space to share your writing and your life experiences.

"Our weekly meetings felt like a creative breakthrough combined with group therapy."

"I found I could dig myself out of my rut, with the encouragement and help of my people. I nurtured my inner child. I found more time for play. I let myself open up to the possibility of sharing my stories again. I let myself be vulnerable again by writing and creating as part of a community. I found a spark of hope that has given me momentum."

WRITING GROUP MEMBER

The Pause is about...

Practice

Improve your writing craft, honor yourself as a writer, and deepen your creative flow through workshops with guest instructors, writing exercises, and weekly writing prompts.

Accountability

Our accountability space has a weekly thread to share your goals for the week, celebrate your progress, connect with critique partners, and stay focused on what matters to you most.

Community

Connection, support, and inspiration from fellow writers. Our network has become more than a writing group—we are genuinely invested in each other's writing and life experiences.

Take a Tour!

Here's what you can expect with your Pause Membership:

INSIDE THE PAUSE

Create together.

Co-working sessions work like magic to get you into your creative flow and focus. Each week features a weekly reflection and writing prompt based on the month's theme. Monthly writing circles and creativity check-ins provide generative writing opportunities.

Share your writing.

Join our accountability space to set weekly goals, share progress, get feedback on your writing, join a critique group, or find an accountability partner to swap manuscripts, essays, or query letters. Community meetings help clarify your ideas and process.

Learn from instructors

Membership includes two monthly workshops led by guest presenters, as well as regular craft and brainstorming sessions with Steph. Members have access to a library of previous workshops.

LET'S DO THIS

The Pause

Monthly Membership

$49

PER MONTH

INCLUDES:

Guest instructor workshops twice a month
Weekly co-working sessions
A yearlong exploration of The Artist's Way featuring weekly prompts and reflections.
An accountability group for writers to share their goals, obstacles, and progress
Writing circles and community meetings

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"I had so many "aha" moments both through the materials and our group discussions. This class was literally life-changing."

Stephanie's leadership was very warm and validating, and I really appreciated the laid-back, "come as/where you are" vibe.

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT

I can’t put into words how beneficial this workshop was for me! I loved being connected to a group of like-minded women writers, in about the same stage of life, diving deep on our own creativity and the very relatable challenges and revelations we were each having along the way.

Our Zoom meetings and online chats were so affirming. Steph did a great job leading us.

PARTICIPANT IN THE ARTIST'S WAY WORKSHOP

"Stephanie is such an incredible moderator. She makes each person feel so seen and heard. When each person is sharing, she listens with her whole heart and validates our feelings while building onto them in a meaningful way with her own wise, kick-ass thoughts."

Thank you so much for creating such a safe space for creative recovery and growth.

ARTIST'S WAY WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT

Find Yourself In The Pause.

Steph Sprenger, founder of The Pause, has been facilitating creative writing workshops for women for over a decade, including a 12-week exploration of The Artist's Way for midlife women. She is dedicated to amplifying women's voices and helping them find the lighthouse of their work. Most importantly, she loves the process of guiding women back home to themselves. Her memoir, NOSTALGIA JUNKIE, is forthcoming from Third Rail Press (December 2026).

JOIN THE PAUSE