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Anyone want to join/start a virtual writing group from the "How to Write a Lot" book?


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Posted

Inspired to do this based on what I've learned from the "How To Write a Lot" book by Paul J Silvia.

Here's how it works:

You respond here and say you're "in"

I start a new thread "Agraphia Grad Student Writer's Group"

We decide on a meeting window (maybe a three-hour window? during which you're expected to post)

Rules are:

1. Upon joining the group, everybody shares what their scheduled writing hours are (writing hours they've committed to protecting for the use of writing or activities necessary in order to write; can be any number of hours, even just one)

2. Upon joining, everybody shares what project(s) they are working on during those writing hours

3. Each week, each member posts their realistic and measurable goals for the following week's hours

4. Each week, each member posts what they did or did not achieve during those hours, and whether they stuck to their hours

5. Everyone praises each other for their progress each week and optionally provides constructive feedback or tips

6. If one member consistently is skipping out on their hours, or is not meeting realistic goals, we professionally heckle them (aka hold them to their own goals and ask wth?)

7. At the end of the window I post a quick summary recap of all the members: met goals yes/no, goal for next week is...

8. We figure out other reward systems - either individual ones and we self-report what rewards we gave ourselves, or we could potentially have something like a virtual quarter jar that everyone contributes a quarter to each meeting, and whoever finishes their main project next gets a $5 Starbuck's card?

 

What do you think? Anybody interested???

Posted

Anyone? Anyone? Let's help hod each other accountable and make progress! We can do it! Very not-time-consuming!

Posted
On 9/15/2018 at 7:28 PM, iwearflowers said:

I would love to do something like this.

Yayyy someone!!! 

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...
Posted

If anyone is continuing this group (here or elsewhere!) for 2019 I'd love to join. I use Slack with another writing group but I'm looking to boost my accountability this spring!

 

Saw this and bought the book. Halfway through. So far so good.

 

On 10/6/2019 at 6:18 PM, PianoPsych said:

Btw, I'm liking Paul Silvia's 'Write it Up' very much too (for journal articles specifically). Has anyone else read it? 

I'm currently reading this now and so far its great, since manuscript writing is where I'm at now.  I'm glad I read How to Write a Lot first though to get more productive with my writing.

 

  • 2 months later...
Posted
6 minutes ago, Adelaide9216 said:

a time? 

see rule 1. I know I haven't posted since I didnt have a schedule until like last week haha (every wednesday afternoon + friday afternoon)

 

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Hi Adelaide, I'm halfway through this book and have put it aside until the end of the semester (May 20th or so). I am going to pick it up for the summer.... Wow sounds like I am making all the excuses that the writer highlights in his book! 

 

can you private message me your email or a better way to contact you than this forum? 

 

 

  • 4 months later...
Posted

There's a larger Discord chatroom for Graduate Students that I found through Reddit.

Here's the link, it's very active, there are virtual writing sessions in it as well.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
On 9/22/2019 at 12:10 PM, Adelaide9216 said:

There's a larger Discord chatroom for Graduate Students that I found through Reddit.

Here's the link, it's very active, there are virtual writing sessions in it as well.

Do you mind linking it again?

Btw, I'm liking Paul Silvia's 'Write it Up' very much too (for journal articles specifically). Has anyone else read it? 

Posted
3 hours ago, Adelaide9216 said:

Nope, it's a different one.

Oh okay. Just good to see there's a couple of these groups out there ? 

On 10/7/2019 at 2:46 PM, MarineBluePsy said:

I'm currently reading this now and so far its great, since manuscript writing is where I'm at now.  I'm glad I read How to Write a Lot first though to get more productive with my writing.

Yeah, I found 'How to Write a Lot' good for getting me to write more- although I still find it difficult to stick to a schedule due to my erratic sleep. Perhaps I already learnt principles of habit change from 'Atomic Habits' (great book btw) so it wasn't too new to me. But I'm really liking 'Write it up' and its focus on writing high-quality articles.  

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
Posted

Hey y'all. Sorry I dropped out of sight after starting this but glad it sort of garnered some interest.

 

I ended up making a one-person writing group (ha) in person; I set a time and a place and I went there and wrote every week for 3-4 hours every time. It's the most progress I've made while school was in session on this particular project. I told my friends about it and just said "I will always be at xplace at xtime, rain or shine, if you ever want to join me for a writing session" - and by the end of the term, I had one other regular join-er. I never missed a week! 

Anyone still interested in this? I saw someone mention a Doodle for gathering available times. It really only takes two of us. I'm gonna turn email notifications back on for the forum so I see if anyone responds this time.

Maybe we can start in January after the holidays?

 

  • 4 months later...
Posted

Ok I started an asynchronous one right here on GradCafe! 

Come join - share your goals! Be celebrated!  

  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Bump still open for people looking! Writing group going small but growing. Summer 2020

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