The idea of writing and publishing a book is such a daunting task for most people that they immediately dismiss it outright (which is what I did for a long time). The sheer volume of time it takes to write, when combined with the steep learning curve regarding writing structure and publication, stop most people in their tracks. Thankfully, I’ve found something that I think will help me get past those barriers, despite the fact that I am a novice at this.
In early October I stumbled upon the Writing in Community program, one of many workshops geared at Entrepreneurs and Artists/Writers on Seth Godin’s Akimbo platform. Here’s how Akimbo articulates their mission:
Our mission is to create learning experiences designed to connect global citizens who celebrate our shared humanity and collectively strengthen our ability to change the systems that shape our world and better meet the needs of the future. Akimbo is […] committed to helping people make connections, learn together, and develop the tools they need to make the change they hope to see in the world.
I was attracted to the Writing in Community program largely because of the community aspect and the accountability component (both things I know I need to be successful). The 400+ global participants who signed up are tasked with writing and publishing a book in 6 months. Along the way, we work side by side, showing up daily in an online forum to post our work and champion our fellow writers in all different genres. There is no guru telling us the best way to write a book, only encouragement, accountability and peer feedback from our fellow writers.
There are, however, 3 coaches who moderate the forum, provide writing prompts and suggesting things we can do for the week (like attend a Write Now call where everyone writes during the call or Out Loud where you can read your work aloud to a small group of people). As the weeks go on, they will also provide resources for editing and publishing our work. I don’t know much about how it will unfold—they purposely keep it vague so that you don’t get derailed by overwhelm. For now, we’re just supposed to be writing daily and commenting on 2-3 other people’s posts each day.
I must say, the first 14 days of it were absolutely magical. I have been humbled by the sheer amount and quality of the feedback I’ve received from absolute strangers. I also love the vibe of the community. It’s a safe space to take risks. People celebrate what you did well instead of shutting you down by critiquing your work (there’s always time for that later, once we’re in the editing stage and have established a base level of trust – for now we just write, write, write). Being the vulnerability addict that I am, I find the authentic, vulnerable way my fellow writers are showing up to be absolutely intoxicating (reminds me a lot of coaching, in fact there are a lot of coaches participating). Overall, it’s a great fit for me and seeing what I’ve been able to accomplish in just two weeks (6,000 words already!) makes me think I just might complete this crazy endeavor!Â
I fully anticipate that my book concept will morph over time, but here’s what the current iteration is:
My book is a self-help title with life coaching exercises and journaling prompts that invite the reader to live a more adventurous life, woven together with memoir-style narratives from 20’s and my decade living overseas.
Or it may just end up being a memoir! :) Only time will tell.
Watch this space in the coming week for what will hopefully be an announcement of what our next post will be! Fingers crossed it all works out!
