This is a writing marathon. There are some sprints out there–like NaNoWriMo–that are a lot of fun, but this longer run will to teach you to inhabit a writing practice that will get your books written and make you happy, day-to-day. And if you are already a pour-it-onto-the-page writer, this course will also help guide you toward your strongest writing, your deepest imagining, your genius book.
You can’t write a second draft first, so this is about getting a strong first draft out, onto the page. The marathon metaphor is apt–it’s an act of athleticism, sustaining your activity and growing some serious writing muscles while you are at it.
The basics:
Each Monday, you will post your goals for the week in the Community Center forum and report on your progress over the past week. Be specific. In our Process and Goals week, you will figure out the most motivational way to frame your goals and get them done. Your goals widget will carry a visual representation of your progress. Be sure to keep it updated. On Thursdays, during the small group mentoring conference, we will check in about your goals as well. You will be amazed at how much faster you move toward your goals with these check-ins structured into your writing life.
Each week, you will listen to, watch or read that week’s “mini-lecture” and post your response to the assignment in the forum for that group. It will enrich your own learning if you take some time to check out others’ responses as well and make some encouraging comments.
In the small group mentoring conference, we will extend the lessons of the week further, share relevant exercises and answer your burning questions.
I’m interested in this as my focus.