join us a for a 🎉 summer planning party 🎉 Wednesday, May 22nd, 7-8pm eastern😎

it's a Write More + Publish Not Perish team-up, come join us!

I’m going to try to keep it zippy today—Jenn McClearen, of the great newsletter Publish Not Perish, and I are hosting a summer planning party via zoom on Wednesday, May 22nd at 7pm eastern, and we’d love for you to join us.

As folks who’ve been around here know, I’m a big fan of planning and strategizing in your writing life, and I think it’s even more fun when we do it together. The big idea beneath the summer edition of the planning party is that, for lots of us, summer comes with a big change in schedule (vacations, kids home from school, more sunlight to go do fun things away from your laptop!), as well as the need to rest and rejuvenate from the school year. So we’ll explore both of those areas: what do you want to accomplish this summer, but also how do you want to feel while doing it? You’ll leave the session with . . .

• a vision for your optimal summer writing rhythm

• a plan for the work you’d like to accomplish

• and strategies for overcoming the obstacles that inevitably pop up.

If you’ve got high hopes for your writing life this summer but also some slightly chaotic months ahead of you, I think you’ll really love the summer planning party.

our rhododendrons have once again thrived in the face of neglect!

a little note about Jenn McClearen and the Write More + Publish Not Perish team-up

I’m such a fan of Jenn’s newsletter, which draws on her expertise working with graduate students and early-career faculty to give really helpful, no-nonsense advice about productivity and writing practice. This piece, on strategies to ritualize deep work, is a great example of what I love about Jenn’s work.

Habits for More Productive and Less Stressful Writing

She’s even drawing on Cal Newport there, but in a way I find really helpful and humane! (I aired my Newport grievances here, though I’ll also admit he’s got lots of good ideas in the mix, too.)

If you’re interested, but can’t make this time, I’ll record the party and share it afterward!

TL; DR: come plan with us on zoom on Wednesday, May 22nd from 7-8pm eastern! Register here to get the link.

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and a question for you

I’m always so quick to jump to the big list of things I’d like to accomplish in a given season, but when we were planning this workshop, Jenn reminded me of the importance of rest and rejuvenation. It’s better to start, she said, by thinking about how you want the summer to feel.

So what’s your vision for the summer, writing-wise? Do you want to take advantage of the extra sunlight to do some more writing or thinking first thing in the morning, or in the evening? Do you want to write for a little while every morning then lounge at the town pool before dinner? Do you want to try to keep a chunk of time every week clear from kids and other work for your writing? How do you want your writing life to feel this summer?

more tips on writing through the joy and chaos of summer

how to write in summer time

the recovery is as important as the work

serious rest

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Write More, Be Less Careful is a newsletter about why writing is hard & how to do it anyway. I’d love to hear from you. Reply to this email, comment below, or find me on instagram (@nancy.o.reddy). 

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