Last Friday was our first Brave Women Writer’s Circle. And what fun it was!
We missed you, but here’s a snapshot of what we covered.
Maybe it will whet your writing appetite so you’ll pop along next week?
Top 3 Tips from our Guest Writer Paula Hagiefremidis
- Write on things that light you up. Writing on what you’re passionate about allows you to connect with your voice in a way that’s engaging and authentic. You’re also likely to create a genuine connection with your reader if you write from the heart.
- Get curious and have fun. Often we get stuck in our heads and get far too serious with our craft. Give the creative process some space through enquiry and joy. We can achieve extraordinary breakthroughs when we stop taking ourselves too seriously.
- Feeling stuck? Move! If you’re experiencing a ‘block’, one of the most beneficial things you can do is to get physical. Go for a walk/run/swim. This energetically shifts the momentum, giving you unexpected creative insights to get you back on track.
The Love & Hate Exercise
We then completed an automatic writing exercise called ‘Love & Hate’ to tap into our creative vein. (I’m not sure of the origins of this exercise, but I first learnt about it from Maya Ward author of The Comfort of Water.)
Try it for yourself. Grab a journal and pen.
Write for three minutes on something you love—in your life or in the world. What do you love? Why do you love it? Describe it in as much detail as possible. Don’t let your pen leave the page. Then do the same for what you hate—in your life or in the world.
Love and hate are strong emotions. They fuel our passion and create contrast. If we write about what we deeply love and deeply hate, we get the best outcomes from our writing. Read what you wrote. What words and sentences stand out? Dig into them. Do they offer clues for future writing projects?
The Pomodoro Technique
Lastly, we completed a writing Pomodoro. It’s a technique to get the words out of your head and heart and onto the page. I use it as a quantity over quality exercise.
First identify what it is you are going to write. Set a timer for 25 minutes. Write with no distractions. When the alarm goes, take a five minute break. (Get out of your chair and stretch, don’t just sit there.) Repeat the process two more times. Take a longer 30 minute break after three Pomodoro’s.
Next Circle | This Easter Friday | 8am to 9am AEST
I know it’s a public holiday this Friday but the circle will go on!
We’ll be exploring one of the thirty-three practices in Brave Women Write. There’ll be a writing Pomodoro and time to share our words in small groups (if you wish, no pressure).
I want to keep these circles fluid and see what evolves. It’s much like the act of writing itself. You never know what will end up on the page when you remain open.
While writing is a solo practice, it’s also an act of collaboration. When we write together, we inspire each other to greater heights. We need other people to write—it’s that simple.
I’m committed to making these circles impactful for women in three ways:
- To offer a supportive circle for you to find your voice and write your story.
- To help improve your skills so you become a better, bolder, braver writer.
- To help you create a behaviour shift so that writing becomes a regular practice in your life.
If you’re a woman who has a story to share through a memoir, biography, fiction or non-fiction book that will drive personal and planetary change for women and Mother Earth, this circle will help you on your way.
If this sounds intriguing, and you haven’t already registered, please do join us.
REGISTER HERE
(Note: Register once and then turn up to any or all of the weekly sessions as you wish.)
I wrote Brave Women Write to help women find our voice and write our story. I want women to know that our stories matter, and that now more than ever, they need to be told. I want to kick-start a movement of everyday women rebalancing history with herstory because for too long, men’s stories have dominated the past and defined the future.
Is there a woman’s story you must write?
With love
Brave Women Write Book Orders
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Brave Women Write Private Mentoring
Do you have a book or writing project to be brought to life in 2023?
If you need clarity and focus to get started and support to make it to the finish-line, I’m here to help.
Applying the practices in the book and through a unique combination of workshopping and mentoring over 90 days, I help turn your fledgling ideas into a tangible book.
I work with women who have a story to share through a memoir, biography, fiction or non-fiction book that will drive personal and planetary change for women and Mother Earth.
If you feel that it’s time to stop dreaming and start writing, make a time for a conversation to see if we are a good fit.
Interested? Connect with me for a conversation: Contact
