Come Write With Me!
A brief guide to spring and summer workshops, which are ALL discounted until April 1!
Hi!
I don’t have a new writing article for you this week because I am at a conference. One of the rare perks of being an editor is sometimes people will pay you to go to one of your favorite cities, stay in a fancy-to-you hotel room, and then just talk to people all weekend about why writing is great. It’s the best. So by day, I am doing that, and by night I am treating this as a solo writing retreat because I’m…maybe...starting to write a new book (please let this one come out before 2032).
So next week I’ll have a new post for you. In the meantime, I’ve had a few folks get in touch to ask me about different options to write together this summer, so I wanted to send a very quick note about what the options are in hopes that you might want to write with me. And now is a great time, because ALL of these are discounted until April 1, and so if you sign up before then (no need to pay yet—just register). If you just want the tldr, the list is here on my website.
Before I start, a quick note. I feel weird writing this newsletter as we watch a full-scale assault on higher ed take place, with billions of dollars being drained from the system before our very eyes. I know that people reading this have lost grants and lost jobs. I’m writing this anyway because people keep telling me that what they need right now is community and structure and a reason to write, and it feels important to provide those things. It also feels REALLY important that we keep putting bold ideas in the world. IF you need a group, and you can’t afford these options because of all of the shit that’s gone down lately, or academic precarity in general, just reach out.
WRITING OPPORTUNITIES
Coaching! First, if groups aren’t your thing, I just had two long-term coaching clients send their books off to publishers (I’m so excited for you to read these books!), so I have a little bit of flexibility on my coaching calendar. I’m always happy to set up a time to talk about what a one-on-one coaching relationship looks like.
ApWriMo! — It’s free and starts next week! Two weeks of writing accountability, including a long writing day on Friday April 4, with the coolest group around! We’ll start on Monday to set some goals and then write for two weeks. The best part is, you can just show up when you can—no pressure! This is great if you want some company moving your projects along, and work well with folks on the other side of a Zoom or Slack screen. Register here, and I’ll send more details and the links to the writing sessions.
THREE programs start in May.
ONE summer Writers’ Circle!
The first is a very rare summer writers’ circle. I created this because so many folks told me about how hard it is to create time to write during the summer, especially as schedules shift, childcare obligations change, the weather gets nice, etc. Consider this your opportunity to carve out time, every single week, to just focus on your project. This will be slightly different from the semester-long writers’ circles in that we’ll still comment on each other’s work and talk about how to make writing work better, but we’ll also actually write together. What could be better? Get a discounted rate on registration through April 1. We’ll set the dates and times for the workshop once folks are done registering. Details here, register here.
TWO book workshops!
Writing a book is hard, and there is no real guide to how to do it well. I’ve designed two workshops to help writers work through the book-writing process. The first is the year-long “So You Want to Write a Book” workshop. Over the course of the year, we have four quarterly intensive sessions to focus on the mechanics of book writing. In between we have monthly check-in coaching calls, as well as optional weekly co-writing sessions. In short, this program is designed to give you both the knowledge, the skills, and the community you need to write a great book. More info here, Register here (and, if you register by April 1, I’ll give you the early-bird price, just because your book deserves to get written and I’d love to help you write it).
The advanced book workshop is for folks who have taken the first workshop, or who have written multiple books, or who have a pretty good manuscript already underway. I’m really excited about this one because it will consist of monthly 1.5 hour calls that focus on advanced topics in writing. If you don’t need the basics, but also don’t want to go it alone, this is the workshop for you. Details here, register here.
ONE FRENCH RETREAT IN WINE COUNTRY!
If you’re reading this and thinking “yes, but what I actually want to do is write in paradise while drinking wine and being fed baguettes,” then I have an even more exciting announcement. Mirya and I are hosting a very small writing retreat in the wine country in France from July 1-6, 2025. It’s so small we didn’t even advertise it, but—we had one spot become available, and no one has taken it YET. It will be magical, and give you something to dream about as you trudge through the next few months. Email me for more details.
Alright all, take care of each other, write good things, and—if you want—come write with me over the next few months! Also, if you have friends/colleagues looking for some accountability over the next few months, it would mean the world if you shared this with them.
Kelly