A few weeks ago, I asked some folks if they’d want to be in a writing group together. Nothing too formal—just a Zoom link, a weekly calendar invite, and a place to write in community. The reason I asked was simple: I want to write more, and I’ve been struggling to do it. It turns out that writing can be a lonely endeavor, and sometimes you need your friends to sit next to you and make sure that you write. Sometimes we do this human thing better when we’re together.
This is not my main quest, of course. There are bigger projects that I’m focused on—I’m teaching a cohort this Fall all about running group programs, and we’re about to announce when applications open for the next round of The Wise Women’s Council. This is, admittedly, a side quest. But it turns out that side quests are deeply important for neurodivergent people, and for that and many more reasons, I’m putting together a Writing Club.
Writing Club is a space for deeper work and accountability. Whether you are writing a series of essays, a newsletter, working on a book, or mind-mapping your way out of a rut, this is a place to show up week over week and commit to the writing you want to do. Writing can be a solitary pursuit, which is why community and accountability are important along the way.
Every week we'll gather online for 60 minutes. We'll start with a gentle warm-up, I'll offer one or two optional writing prompts, and then we'll settle into uninterrupted writing time for 30-40 minutes. At the end, there will be space to share a few sentences, a paragraph, read out loud to each other, and celebrate that you showed up.
Writing Club
Mondays @ 10am Pacific
Learn more about Writing Club and join the waitlist here.
Before I put the group together, I asked people to tell me more about what they wanted most in a writing group. I could tell right away that these are my people. They said things like “I have too many ideas and a huge backlog,” and “I want to find people who get it, who understand that the creative process is full of twists and turns.” They said, “I need it to be a group that values showing up, that values consistency,” a group that’s somehow “low pressure but just enough accountability to get your butt in the seat so that the writing happens.” “I need more encouragement,” one person wrote, “and a group of people to check in on me.”
Here are a few more phrases that stuck out:
I want to participate in a space that I don’t have to host or hold.
I want a group, a community, with actual attendance. I'm currently in one writing group that is very loosely put together - there were weeks that only one or two people showed up. It'd be great to practice together in a group, in real time, that is a bit larger.
Collective bravery, the occasional gut-check, cheeriness and regularity.
Accountability. Scheduled time to write. To be in community of my peers of writers.
A dedicated time and space. A safe place and a group to encourage me to keep writing.
People who are committed to the craft. I enjoy being around beginning writers but I am looking for a place with peers (people who’ve put a decade or more into their skills). But that’s okay if that’s not what this is.
Celebrating one another, a group to encourage each other.
On July 20th, we’re kicking off the first round of Writing Club. We’re going to start with small-ish group folks and write together for an hour. This is a simple offer — a group of committed professionals and writers who want to be a part of a group that shows up week over week. You’ll get a calendar invitation with a zoom link. I’ll create a member bio book so you can get to know each other, and keep a simple attendance tracking sheet for a bit of light accountability.
This is a community of practitioners, experienced thinkers, professionals, and creatives. Almost everyone in this group has experience writing—newsletters, Substacks, blogs, essays, research, children’s books, literary journals, novels, and more.
Our core values in this community are depth, kindness, community, compassion, and courage.
If you’re curious about it, you can read more about it here and sign up for the interest list here.
— Sarah
