i’m a pasadena-based writer 

the mind circus

obsessed with unraveling

Writer Larissa Starr Lewis three times: two in color and one black-and-white, with abstract black and white line art backgrounds and ornate gold picture frames.

called Your ‘imagination.’

let everyone else ask the robots to do the heavy-lifting, let ‘em copypaste the templates…i love to help creative writers ignore the boring rules and crack open their one-of-a-kind madhouse of observations and instincts. i’m larissa starr lewis, you’re here, welcome to my website, let’s write.

A round metal container with a lid filled with white computer keyboard keys, some with letters and numbers, spilling out. The instruction: Activate Creativity.
Break up the monotony: Close-up of a hand holding gold and pearl jewelry with pink nail polish, set against a patterned background. 
let’s 💖 how you study the world

Your brain is a catburglar always on the prowl for details. Do you heist the emerald? The cash? Or maybe you know the ceramic contraption is a priceless artifact. How you pick through reality is uniquely yours.

Connect weird things: Bird's-eye view of a person walking across a crosswalk with black and white stripes, adjacent to a concrete sidewalk and metallic surface. 
let’s mine your ‘mundane’ decisions for dangerous inspo

You wait on the curb or stand in the center of the crosswalk—you won’t believe the writing treasures hidden in your day-to-day life decisions.

Smash things: A foot in a red high heel shoe stepping on a broken disco ball with colorful mirrors, on a black and white patterned background. 
let’s break things

Your unique, stand-out storytelling style is likely buried under the rubble of ‘old rules’!

✳︎

Current Writing Workshops I'm Hosting

✳︎ Current Writing Workshops I'm Hosting

Group of writers smiling, gathered in Octavia's Bookshelf, with writer Larissa Starr Lewis in the foreground holding a writer's workshop workbook, and a hand in the bottom left corner drawing a picture frame around the group.

finding your rawest, boldest writer’s voice

just wrapped at the world-famous *octavia’s bookshelf*

There’s nothing worse than reading over your big idea and feeling like it's generic, flat, or follows ingrained rules that give you the instant ick. Your brain is crackling with all sorts of weird curiosities. Here’s where you can have fun experimenting with what’s unapologetically yours: Your writer's voice!

+ Gain a newfound respect and appreciation for your personal story

+ Rally the guts to go bananas and embrace your ‘special sauce’ of observations and instincts

+ Jump—no, cannonball—into your one-of-a-kind narrative specialty

+ Awaken bravery to break a few writing rules that’ve traditionally held you back. Go on that tangent, sneak in that gorgeous word, and be super weird.

what it’s got:

Three 90-minute sessions (other lengths available!)

A bespoke workbook packed with unusual, cleverly intertwined, ‘wait…what? 😂’ writing exercises

sign up to hear about your next chance to join in!

or book the next one for your group or bookstore!

Larissa Starr Lewis blue in a black patterned shirt and dark pants standing outdoors in a garden, holding a white cup, surrounded by colorful photos and graphic elements including the words "DON'T PANIC.”

📞 Hello, Writer: I’ve got your Future on the Line and it’s waiting for you…

You’re feeling stuck…and all you need is someone to start BELIEVING IN YOUR IDEA. ‘No problem, Larissa—on it!,’ you’re thinking as you skim through ~200 phone contacts and the, like, zillions of people on the internet. Writing support’s super easy to find…right?

There’s something wEiRD about it but writing can feel like a lone-wolf toil. When you start yakking about your work, you hear a lot of I love it and oh, damn. What you would give for just * one * follow-up question!

There is SPOOKY MAGIC in hearing your novel’s character name out loud for the first time…and the dozenth time…and the thousandth time. I wanna babble with you about your plot ideas, I wanna check in on your characters like they’re my family, I want you to feel like a badass.

Published authors have described my feedback as “maniacal” and “too helpful…I wish I’d asked sooner.” Maybe because I’m not searching for what’s wrong, but have a ravenous eye for the themes and tics that make your writing unputdownable. (Warning: Sharing your big idea with me is very dangerous. You will instantly win one ferocious supporter.)

Free 30ish minute chat

no timeshare upsells, guaranteed

Lemme know when you're free

inspomania

Stack of photographs with a background of trees and sky, labeled 'secret sessions' in black and white handwriting.

…Unusual things to clobber creativity blockages…

👉 pick one now…changes monthly

invite-only writing hangs

Secret Sessions

30ish minutes of sun-splashed writing at an undisclosed location + 90ish minutes of chatting with other writers, growing your cheer section, maybe a beer too.

» how to find out: ??? i guess just ask

Book titled 'Ideas for In-Flight Announcements,' a cult favorite poetry book by Larissa Starr Lewis, with a cover image of an airplane flying in the sky.

Cult Poetry 

People love it? 🤷🏽‍♀️

people ask “where’s cult poetry hit Ideas for In-Flight Announcements?” i usually print it out and hide it places but here is a surprise sample.

» how to get it: hmm…sign up for the email list and it’s yours.

A yellow paper plate with a hand-drawn smiling face and closed eyes, decorated with black paper cutouts resembling hair and hair accessories, placed on a table with various other items including photographs and textured surfaces.

Mystery Bag

Surprise Writing Prompt

10-minute writing brain dive of the month. do it, seriously email me and lemme know what you stirred up!

» how to get it: what the heck, just click here. seriously tho…DM or email me and let me know what you came up with~

  • “Larissa comes up with a lot of fun, interesting, and challenging prompts. Her workshop definitely stretches you to think about your writing and your voice in new ways!”

    —B.I.

  • “Larissa's workshop helped unlock pieces of my writing that I'd been struggling with. Her prompts are creative and help open up new pathways for character creation and writing in different voices.”

    —Kari C

  • “This class was a beautiful re-introduction back into dedicating time to a creative community. Larissa’s prompts offered unique ways to bringing our creative voice.”

    —Kelley

  • “Larissa created community during this workshop. She fostered trust, creativity and her prompts invited us to push beyond our comfort zone, in a gentle way.”

    —Ana