Long awaited, much anticipated - the Wednesday Writes are finally here! The first one kicked off today, Oct. 7th. It was fast & fun. If you're reading this and you want to join, just drop me an email and I'll send you the Zoom deets. You can be at any level - the only requirement is showing up to write. :) In the meantime, here's what happened during our first meeting:
Here's what happened on WED OCT 7TH: 1. Loved it?! Be sure to mark your calendar for WED OCT 21ST to join us again! 2. Your inspirational reading was from Jerry Jenkins: "Do you ever wonder whether you’re worthy to call yourself a writer? If you let it, that voice will keep you from ever sharing your message with the world. So, let’s fight the voice of doubt with a dose of truth. You walk—and trip and tumble and plop—before you run. Your bike tips over and you skin your knee, perhaps a dozen times, before you catch on to riding a bike. You ruin a lot of recipes, burn cakes and pies and assorted fowl and bovine, before you become a cook. Humility is not only a good starting point, it’s THE posture to adopt for your writing career. If you’ve failed and are still writing, if you’re scared and are still writing, if you’ve stood up to a stinging critique and made your piece better by applying what you learned, if you’ve stayed at it despite that pervasive fear of failure, you are a writer! When you’re writing—good, bad, fearfully, courageously, regardless—you’re a writer. When your seat is in the chair, and your fingers are on the keyboard, and words appear on the screen, you’re in the game. If you’re in the game and plying your trade, say it loud and say it proud: I am a writer!"
3. Our writing prompts were a choice between: a. What is something you regret and how can you fix it now? b. Hold a conversation with the one that got away! (Note: the "one that got away" can be anything from a lover/partner, to a friend, job, opportunity, and so on. You can fully hold a conversation with an inanimate object too, so feel free to use your creative liberties!) 4. Here's your fun follow-up "homework": Perhaps you're feeling a bit overwhelmed at the thought of Morning Pages or are feeling behind on journaling? Don't fear - give the 5 Moment Memoir a try! All you have to do is write down five things from your day. That's it! Boom - you've documented your life!
I love the 5 Moment Memoir because it allows me to free myself from the guilt I'm often tempted to lash myself with when I fall behind on my MP's or my journal. Bonus: often listing those five things will springboard into writing something longer anyway, while I've successfully tricked myself under the guise of something shorter. And if not, I still have a sweet little snapshot of what I was doing in the moment. (It's especially nice in this time of COVID when it's difficult to even remember what day it is. It's easy to feel like nothing is happening - but the 5 Moment Memoir is proof that I am still living my life, even if it feels smaller in scope at the moment.)
5. A fun resource for you: As promised, I'll share the FREE resources I've been enjoying on this crazy writing journey, in hopes that these can help you too! This week I want to highlight Reedsy Learning. Man, I LOVE Reedsy! The blog is fantastic, and you can't beat signing up for courses you can pursue at your own pace, again for FREE! Plus the live YouTube events are a blast. Sign up for their newsletter ASAP - it's beyond worthwhile. (What's beyond worthwhile? Superstarwhile? I don't know - I'll work on it!) 6. Please consider: It's an overwhelming world we live in. Here's a way to feed your soul, while helping feed others. This week, take a look at this list of black-owned independent bookstores and consider ordering from one next time you want to treat yourself to a novel. :) Thank you for your time - here's to happy reading and writing! Hope to see you next session! (That would be WED OCT 21ST.) xo, Jenna