GIFTS FOR WRITERS

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GIFTS FOR WRITERS *

GIFT CARD

From $55. Give the gift of a transformative writing workshop! You’ll receive a printable gift certificate with a code that your recipient can use toward the purchase of any Midwives of Invention workshop.

NOTE that this cannot be applied to 1-on-1 feedback sessions.

GIVE A GIFT CARD

1-ON-1 FEEDBACK SESSION

$250. Give the gift of a private consultation with an experienced writer and editor. Limited time only!

These feedback sessions will take place between February 7 - 20, 2026 on zoom. Recipient schedules the exact date + time.

GIVE A 1-ON-1

About the Midwives

We’re Jade Chang and Ann Friedman, two best-selling authors and national magazine writers who have been leading workshops as the Midwives of Invention since 2018. Between us we have written best-selling fiction and non-fiction books, published pioneering newsletters, edited magazines, written for beloved television shows, and created podcasts and audio essays. We are also friends who live in Los Angeles.

We’ve had countless conversations about deepening an idea, shaping a concept so that it feels vital and rich, and knowing when a project is worth the time and effort. Our workshops are about sharing those conversations with you. For us, coming up with ideas, crafting sentences, and revising drafts is actually fun, and doing it in community is the best part.

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. The 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, Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld) 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 LA Times Image Magazine, The NY Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Best American Food Writing, and others. Jade’s new novel, What a Time to Be Alive, will be published by Ecco Books in 2025.

Ann Friedman

Ann is the co-author of the New York Times best-seller Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close. She is a newsletter innovator whose long-running Ann Friedman Weekly has more than 50,000 devoted readers. She co-created the beloved Call Your Girlfriend podcast, and for many years she was a columnist for both The Cut and The Los Angeles Times. Her essays and reported 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. And she’s working on a new book about modern adulthood, to be published by Viking Books in 2026.

 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.”