About Imaginative Storm

Write with originality and passion

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Allegra Huston and James Navé, celebrated writing instructors and co-creators of the Imaginative Storm writing method

The Creators of Imaginative Storm

Allegra Huston & James Navé

We’ve been working together for over 20 years ~

We came together from different ends of the writing spectrum. Navé, a championship-winning slam poet, started teaching workshops in collaboration with Julia Cameron, bestselling author of The Artist’s Way. Allegra came from the academic side: having gained a First in English from Oxford University, she became Editorial Director of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, one of the UK’s most respected literary publishing houses.

We started teaching writing workshops together in 2003. Over the decades, we combined and refined our two approaches: bringing imaginative freedom to the rational mindset, and structure to free-ranging creativity.

This collaboration is what makes our method unique, and uniquely powerful.

Allegra Huston

“I write because I am endlessly fascinated by what people do, why we do it, and how we make sense of the world.”

Bestselling author Allegra Huston, co-founder of Imaginative Storm and co-author of Write What You Don't Know

I’m the author of Write What You Don’t Know (with James Navé), Love Child: A Memoir of Family Lost and Found, the novel A Stolen Summer, and, for writers, How to Edit and Be Edited and How to Read for an Audience (with James Navé).

I contributed to the anthology One Last Lunch: A Final Meal with Those Who Meant So Much to Us, writing an imaginary lunch with my mother who died when I was four. You can listen to me read it here.

I’ve written for many newspapers and magazines in the US and the UK, including Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, People, Newsweek, The Times (London), The Oldie, and The Independent on Sunday.

I’ve also written many screenplays, among them the award-winning short film Good Luck, Mr. Gorski.

I’ve taught creative writing workshops for the University of Oklahoma, the National University of Ireland, Galway, the Taos Writers Conference, and the UK’s prestigious Arvon Foundation.

Favorite movies:

Harold and Maude, The Year of Living Dangerously, Night of the Hunter, The Matrix, Man on Wire - and, of course, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Favorite books I edited:

Through a Window by Jane Goodall. I spent so much time with Jane going through photos that I ended up being able to recognize individual chimps! My favorite recent job is The Intermediaries by Brandi Schillace.

Favorite books I didn’t edit:

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville; The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko; Never Let Me Go by Kazoo Ishiguro; Gone by Min Kym.

Most amazing theatre experience:

King Lear at the Old Vic, with Eric Porter as Lear. In Act 4 a messenger comes on and says something like, “My lords, the King of France is winning!” and I actually thought, “Oh my god, it’s going to be okay this time!”

James Navé

“My American Express card says ‘‘poet,” but whether it’s mine or anyone else’s, I’m passionately in love with poetry.”

Poet and creativity coach James Nave, co-founder of Imaginative Storm and co-author of Write What You Don't Know

I’m the author of Write What You Don’t Know (with Allegra Huston), 100 Days Poems After Cancer, and How to Read for an Audience (with Allegra Huston).

Before joining forces with Allegra, I worked with Julia Cameron, bestselling author of The Artist’s Way, developing and teaching Artist’s Way Creativity Camps across the US.

I grew up in the storytelling tradition of western North Carolina, and found my voice in the slam poetry scene. As founder of Poetry Alive!, which brought performance poetry into schools and reached over 3 million children across the U.S., I memorized over 600 poems. (Ask me how many I’ve forgotten!)

I hold an MFA from Vermont College, and I’ve taught workshops at the University of Oklahoma, the National University of Ireland, Galway, and Duke University. I’ve also performed shows and taught writing and creativity worldwide, as far afield as Nouakchott, Mauritania; Galway, Ireland; Bangkok, Paris, and Lima.

For the last nine years I’ve hostedI a weekly podcast Twice 5 Miles Radio: Fertile Ground for Conversations Worth Having. It airs on WPVMFM-Asheville, KCEI Taos, and Soundcloud. 

Fun movie experience:

Recognizing Beryl Markham's book West with the Night on Meg Ryan's bedside table in Sleepless In Seattle.

Most influential lines of poetry:

"I am a part of all that I have met; / Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough / Gleams that untravelled world whose margin fades / For ever and forever when I move." — Tennyson, “Ulysses”

Poetry pays:

A frazzled ticket agent once upgraded me to first-class from San Francisco to London because I recited a love poem to her: “Strawberries” by Edwin Morgan.

Greatest accomplishment:

Having lifelong friends who will always pick up the phone when I call.

The Imaginative Storm Method

The Imaginative Storm method is based on a few core principles:

  • using prompts

  • allowing your imaginative intelligence to take the lead

  • writing by hand

  • a 10-minute timer

  • not trying to “write well”

  • curiosity, not criticism

  • reading your writing aloud

If you want to run a race, you don’t just get up off the couch and start running. You train. Same with writing. If you’ve ever tried to write something “real” straight out of the gate, you get what we mean.

Think of your imagination as a muscle. The more you work it, the stronger and stretchier it gets. The great thing is, no pain! No groaning and burning! Just play and exploration and surprise.

We’re big on writing prompts: questions, word lists, visual images, audio and video. You can use them:

  • to open a window into a scene or a character that you might not have been able to “think up”

  • as writer training, like a gym for your creative writing imagination

  • as a sandbox to play in, just for fun

  • to expand your range of writing style and tone

  • to spark new ideas for your writing

The more you write to Imaginative Storm prompts, the stronger and stretchier your imagination becomes—and the freer and fresher and more authentic all your writing becomes. Try it and see!

We used all these images on our Prompt of the Week Zooms. To read what people were inspired to write in just 10 minutes, visit our Circle site.

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Testimonials

Why People Love Writing in the Imaginative Storm

"It's like we're creating these tiny little miracles, these tiny little baby birds. You can't critique something so gentle and so fragile that's just been created in 10 minutes. That's what makes them such beautiful little miracles." — Sandi Dittmer, writer

“It’s life-changing. Even if I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing.” — Deborah Williams

Writing what I don't know has given me more confidence and freedom and flow to write what I do know. It's like having a base camp to set out on writing adventures." — Alice W. Meadows, writer

“It’s like meeting a part of yourself you didn’t know existed. What a gift!” — Wendy Shaw, artist

“With each continued immersion in this process I am brought ever closer to something Carl Jung said many years ago: ‘Until we make the unconscious conscious, we will live our life and we will call it fate.’ I feel the Imaginative Storm process is ever getting me closer and closer to a more conscious understanding of my life.” — Dan Stenabaugh, writer

“After Imaginative Storm, writer’s block is a myth.” — Abdullah H. Erakat, screenwriter, journalist, and educator

“The Imaginative Storm process has given me the freedom to tap so many aspects of myself. It’s always a pleasant surprise to write and to listen to others’ inner worlds. It’s so easy to get stuck trying to write about events until you shake up the brain cells and spill them out in a fresher way. Thank you!” — Darlene Vander Hoop, yoga instructor and writer

Allegra Huston's Imaginative Storm Memoir retreat in Nova Scotia, 2024

Retreats in Taos and Lunenburg

“I am without adequate words to express how perfect these last five days have been. You created magic.” — Lyn Rothman, writer

“I loved the workshop and the group. It was valuable for me to get out of my head and into my heart a little more. I really appreciated the small group size and the valuable individual time with Allegra. Many thanks for your wisdom, energy and kindness.” — Virginia Heffernan, writer

“I loved how we all helped one another expand horizons,  plumb depths, make discoveries and support one another in that process. Really enjoyed Navé’s “improv” time, such fun to observe as well as to try out.” — Marianne Furedi, writer

“Allegra's workshop was divine. Personal, inviting, transformative, confidence-building, and more.  The added benefit of meeting other like-minded writers from other parts of the US and Canada was the icing on the cake. Allegra is a word shaman—and she makes you feel like you are, too. Don't miss out.” — Amy Gray, writer and speakers’ agent

“Allegra is my new favorite writing mentor! The Imaginative Storm philosophy and writing method  is the most effective one that I have had the pleasure of  experiencing in my last six years of writing circles. Our group of seven bonded almost immediately through Allegra’s relaxed and authentic style and belief that we all have a story within us. Thank you Allegra for empowering each of us to fly in our spacious imaginations. I shall return for more!” — Doley Henderson, MFA

“What a wonderful workshop. The Imaginative Storm process is phenomenally successful. It’s had an enormous impact on the way I think and the way I write. I’m really looking forward to next year.” — Karen Anderson, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, York University, Toronto

“A fantastic, life-affirming experience. The writing prompts bring forth a style of writing that is surprising in its intensity and invigorating in its ability to communicate deep memories and emotions. This is a gift any writer should give to themselves. It will change your life!” — Allison Kleinsteuber, art teacher

“Pure sustenance for my soul.  I felt immediately engaged in the process of cultivating one's intuition to create writing that's powerful, interesting and real, with a sparkle of discovery and surprise. Loved every moment!” — Jack Gewalter, veterinarian

“The Imaginative Storm method is so productive; it efficiently gets you right down to the heart of the matter. And the best part of all is that it’s fun and full of surprises!” — Terry Varner, writer

“A unique, magical journey into your inner world. Allegra puts her heart and soul into coaching us and creates a freeing atmosphere where no judgment or embarrassment creeps through. Truly a growth experience, no matter what your background or time of life.” — Patience Whitten, writer

Prompt of the Week

“When my fire is burning low I come here for kindling, I come here for warmth, I come here for inspiration" — Genevia Hendry, writer

“Every session has been deeper and more fulfilling. It’s infusing my entire life with creativity.” — Chris Minnich, businessman 

“You helped me overcome my critic. I went from being a fearful writer to a joyful one.” — Corinne Crone, intimacy coach

"Being part of a writing community, I'm reminded of how much engine it gives me to do what I want to do. You always leave with more than what you came with." — Meg Spencer, writer

"Since I've been coming to the group I've been in a really good mood when I see people. I go in fresh." — Dar Vander Hoop, yoga teacher

"There's an energy of inspiration and permission to everybody to be themselves. It's comfortable and safe."  — Bronwyn Morrissey, writer

"It's the personal connection. We're scattered all around the globe, but it doesn't matter because it's our imagination that's fueling our work. Giving us tendrils out into other people." — Genevia Hendry, writer

"There's such joy in stepping into who-cares land. And we-don't-know land. And we're-not-judging land and just-play land. That creates possibilities for connection that are beyond our normal expectations. It creates a field where joy and abundance happen." — Daniel Barber, music coach

"Imaginative Storm opens up this creative cave, gives me a shovel and shows me where to dig. It says, ‘Look at this gem! Look at that gem!’ Before I know it, I’m mining words that tumble out on to the page." — Sandi Dittmer, writer

“Your insight, writing sessions, and generosity are invaluable. Thank you for all you do for writers around the world.” — Joyce Wycoff, writer

“When I leave the session something changes in my life. I know there will be a realization.” — Shyaka Ob., writer, Kigali, Rwanda

““This week I needed relief from the world and all my tasks.  I knew I needed to fly and I knew I could fly here with you.”  — Raechel Bratnick, writer

"The Circle is just wonderful because in the back-and-forth you create a great relationship that includes everything: the friendship, the personality, the writing, what you're working on. It's another way of enjoying the community." — Linda Smith, artist

"What this process teaches us to do is to be with the percolating of all the chaos inside us. It's raw, but the pen keeps going and amazing things arise." — Arlene Shapiro, performer and writer

“The space that you’ve created is an oasis for our creativity.” — Susie Shipman, artist and bookbinder

“This wave of words came in 10 minutes in the beautifully playful space of a creative writing workshop led by James Nave. It was the introduction for Write What You Don't Know, an 11-session course that I find intriguing, freeing, well-seasoned and lovingly crafted. If you're looking for inspiration and the special sauce that pours when people lean into their individual creative acts at the same time, I recommend checking out Imaginative Storm and the various offerings available there, facilitated by James Nave and Allegra Huston. I am delighted, surprised and nourished every time I jump into an Imaginative Storm with them. Big gratitude!

I even caught some lyrics this time that I may cook into song for the singer songwriter showcase at Grow Fest Hawai'i in a couple of weeks. La dee da.” —Esme Olivia

*

And, an extraordinary Substack post about our Prompt of the Week after-chat on Thursday, January 30: https://alicewmeadows.substack.com/p/how-creatives-change-the-world

More praise for Write What You Don’t Know

Audio course

“Quite a remarkable set of discussions. I have read your book but this adds so much more context and depth. I am enjoying it immensely. What a wonderful way to get the juices flowing!”

— Dan S., writer

“Once I started, I was hooked. It joggles the imagination in a way that is not restrictive and so does not conform. It challenges me to stay creative and teaches me a new way to do that. I love how this course keeps my writing alive, fresh, and new.”

— Deborah W., writer

Book

“Like many professional writers I know, I have grown so sick of the absurd cliché ‘write what you know’ that I immediately jumped on this book as soon as I saw the title. And I'm so glad I did! I found it encouraging and inspiring, and I loved the grounded, accessible, and non-didactic way the authors present their 10 steps. It's the perfect way for writers to freshen up their game and to reconnect with the passion, imagination, and risk that it takes each time we sit down to write something new. I would recommend it highly as a useful tool for writers at any level.” — Patrick

 “Write What You Don’t Know is a great book. It’s like a bible for me now.” — Dan Stenabaugh, writer

“Loved this book! Loved it, loved it, loved it! There is great wisdom as well as practical advice in it. The prompts I found particularly helpful but also some questions I was asked to answer about the reason I write (or not). Excellent.” — Victor Aral

“Absolutely love the simple, easily accessible approach to "‘Write What You Don't Know.’ … Helped me make the leap from ‘I wish I was a better writer’ to "Wow, I just wrote that!" A great method for anyone learning to cultivate this rewarding talent or hobby!” — Lindsay S.

“Stare no longer at a static cursor. Prowl no more a sterile study. Read this clear examination of all the barriers we wordsmiths encounter and invent on our tortured paths and the 'flow' will come, like Lionel Messi through a collapsed defense. Huston & Navé, accomplished writers in their own right, will cajole, encourage and inspire you to write, right to the story's end, with this unique and brilliant approach.” — Jonathan Slator, author of Year of the Mad Jag

“A true treasure trove of helpful exercises and insights. Like having a friend guide you through the process of getting in touch with your own creativity. I'm certain it will be a classic in its genre!” — Nicole P.

“Enjoy life more. Be happier. This is quite a claim, but this has been my personal experience with the Imaginative Storm Method, which is the topic of this book. It’s designed for writers. However, I would say that this method is as much about living a fuller life. Some of the effects it had on me: Feel happier, alleviate boredom, keep curious about what will happen next. It can make you brave. Make you want to try what you’ve wanted to do, but feared. ... There isn’t a dull chapter in this book! The writing is engaging, and difficult to put down—unlike some how-to books that are dull to read, in spite of useful techniques to hone a craft. The implications for using this book are beyond what I can write about in this review. All I can say is: You should read this book!” — cloverling

“If there is a writer in you, this is an essential tool. As one of my dearly departed friends used to say, ‘What would it be like if it were easy?’ The authors of Write What You Don't Know show us. Writing has become more of a joy for me. The anxiety I usually feel about ‘getting it right’ has gone. My work is far better as a result.” — Luigi

“This book is a must for anyone who wants to become absolutely smitten with the creative process! From fresh takes on creative philosophies to practical examples of prompts, you will no doubt be summoning the creative within in no time. James Navé and Allegra Huston are masters at taking any and all willing participants along for the most exhilarating writing journey of their lives. ... Write What You Don’t Know has personally been my most trusty companion as a writer, coming back to it time and time again to open up my imagination and strengthen my craft—a consistent power I haven't experienced since The Artist’s Way.” — Lenny

“Full of joy, humor, imagination, flashes of insight as well as much useful practical advice. ... if you write, this book will help you to keep writing by helping to stay more present, more aware of the moment, more trusting of the voice that is yours.” — James Dwyer