It was an easy decision to make.
Thanks to everyone who filled out my survey! I learned that 58% of you write YA or MG, and a little more than half of you write Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or Paranormal.
As for what email course I should offer… people are interested in all of them! Which is great, because I plan to offer all of them over the next year.
The most popular choice was Cultivating a Regular Writing Practice. This makes perfect sense as my first course. Getting into a writing routine will be helpful no matter what you’re writing, and it will lay the foundation for future writing courses.
Imagine what you could do with a regular writing practice…
Finally finish that novel.
Finally start that novel.
Examine your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Become a better writer.
Tap into your creativity.
Write for fun, for family, or for profit.
Write short stories, poems, or essays.
Show the muse you’re serious and be ready when inspiration strikes.
Become an overall happier and more productive writer.
If you write just 500 words a day (about 2 pages double-spaced), 6 days a week, in 6 months you will have 78,000 words...more than enough for a book-length project!
Discover a writing practice that works for YOU
Cultivating a Regular Writing Practice, a virtual email course, will start on Saturday, April 2, 2022 and run the entire month of April.
This is the first of many courses that will be available exclusively for paid subscribers of my email newsletter.
Everyone is different, and there's no one-size-fits-all writing routine. Instead, these weekly assignments will help you create a unique writing practice that works for YOU. Each lesson will be delivered to your inbox Saturday morning and contain information in both written format and as video or audio.
You will also have access to The Writing Room Slack Channel, a private online space where you can connect with other writers, share your assignments, and participate in accountability-checks and goal-setting.
This course is designed for writers at all levels, no matter where you are in your writing process:
Getting back into writing after time away
Brainstorming new ideas
Starting a book-length project
Finishing a book-length project
Writing short stories, poems, or essays
Writing for self-discovery
Writing for fun or for family
Ready to start your writing practice?
Cultivating a Regular Writing Practice will be available to paid subscribers of my email newsletter.
It’s $5/month to subscribe, which means you will get the entire course for only $5. This is an incredible deal, and I should probably be charging way more. Become a paid member now so you’ll be sure not to miss your first lesson, or wait and subscribe when the course begins at the beginning of April.
Future courses for paid subscribers include:
Getting Started on Your Novel
Writing a YA or Middle Grade Novel
Sticking with Your WIP (Work-in-Progress)
Writing and Submitting Short Stories
Researching Literary Agents & Writing a Great Query Letter
Paid subscription? Say what now?
Don’t panic. Here’s the deal:
This newsletter, with writing resources and updates, will always be FREE.
But if you decide to become a paid subscriber you will receive:
Access to the current email course (the first one being Cultivating a Regular Writing Practice, starting April 2)
Access to The Writing Room Slack Channel, a private online workspace
A new short story every month (first one coming soon!)
The same writing updates and resources you get with the free version.
There’s no commitment. If you decide the paid subscription is not for you, it’s easy to cancel or go back to the free version. You can also pause your paid subscription for any amount of time.
I’m excited! I think this is a really great course, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.
Want to know more about the course?
The weekly lessons for Cultivating a Regular Writing Practice are as follows. Each contains multiple writing assignments and prompts to help you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.
Lesson 1: Getting Started with Your Writing Practice (Scheduling, Tracking, and Goal-Setting)
Lesson 2: Refining and Improving Your Writing Practice
Lesson 3: Staying Motivated
Lesson 4: Reflecting on Your Writing Practice and Planning for Long-Term Success
There will also be optional reading assignments from the following books. You can buy them or request them from the library, but this is not required. You will get plenty out of the course as it is. Still, I highly recommend both of these books!
Want to know more about me?
I have been writing seriously for fifteen years now, and I’ve taught workshops at The Writers Center, The San Miguel Writers’ Conference, and the Hands On Literary Festival.
I have written multiple novels, worked with a literary agent, and been mentored by award-winning novelist and screen writer Lisa O'Donnell. I received my MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of New Orleans, and my short stories have been published in literary magazines and even nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
I know how hard it can be to overcome the fear and excuses that often stand in the way of our writing journeys. I struggle with feelings of self-doubt and continue to find ways to push past them. I have experimented with lots of writing practice methods to learn what works for me. Let me help you discover what works for you and keeps you writing regularly for the long-term.
Other Writing News:
#1 The #RevPit Submission window is open NOW until March 20. Enter your full fiction manuscript to win eight weeks of developmental revision help from a professional editor.
#2 Vegas, Baby, Vegas! Black Mountain Institute (an international literary center based in Nevada) is hosting Wave In, an in-person art and music festival in Vegas May 5-7, and the line-up looks awesome. Plus, for the first time there will be free programming aimed at young readers. Tickets go on sale March 21!
#3 NYC Midnight’s 100-word Microfiction Challenge kicks off on April 22. You’ll be randomly assigned a genre, action, and word with which to write a micro-short-story in 24 hours. Winners in each group advance to the next round and write another story. It’s a lot of fun, and you’ll be surprised with what you can come up with when the pressure’s on. Discounted registration goes until this Thursday (March 24), and the final day to register is April 21.
#4 Are you a querying writer? Then mark your calendar for these upcoming April Twitter pitch parties. And be sure to read my article 13 Things to Know About Twitter Pitch Events.
April 7 (8 am—8 pm EST): #MoodPitch — BRAND NEW Twitter pitch for all un-agented authors of all genres and age categories, with a mood board image added
April 14 (8 am—8 pm EST): #LGBTNPit — annual twitter pitch event for queer, trans, and nonbinary authors with a special focus on trans and nonbinary people
#5 Lauren Davila and Jo Wu are still looking for BIPOC fairytales for their BIPOC Fairytale Anthology. Find out more about what they’re looking for here; submissions are due by March 31.
#6 This year the Writing Day Workshop “How to Get Published” Conferences will be held virtually. I attended one of these conferences in person a few years ago in Philadelphia, and I thought it was fantastic. I can’t vouch for the virtual version, but there are some benefits: recorded classes, no travel expenses, attend in your comfy pants. Plus, you can sign up for Zoom pitch sessions with agents for $29 a piece. Check out the upcoming conferences (and remember, anyone can attend from anywhere; just keep the time zone in mind).
Seattle Writing Workshop: April 1-2, 2022
Philadelphia Writing Workshop: May 6-7, 2022
Chicago Writing Workshop: June 10-11, 2022
That’s all for now. (Whew, that was a lot.)
Take care, and happy Spring!
Sincerely,
Eva