Over celebratory sushi this weekend (yay for meeting deadlines!) I was discussing summer plans with my friend and fellow YA author Clara Kensie. We’ve found that writing together keeps us more focused and productive, and we were searching for a way to continue our meetups in the face of warm weather chaos.We reviewed our goals, realized how much work we were facing, panicked for a few minutes, and then decreed this would be the SUMMER OF ALL THE WORDS.
(It might have been the lychee martini talking.)
We needed a plan. And by the time we’d finished the last pieces of salmon avocado roll, we had one – and we’d love for you to join us. Our goal is to create a flexible, low-stress way to check in with other writers during the lazy days of summer, so we’re keeping it as simple as possible:
For the next thirteen weeks – until Labor Day weekend – we’ll be meeting up on Twitter at 10pm CST, Sunday through Thursday, for an hour of work. You will know us by our hashtag: #SoATW. (My twitter handle is @erica_orourke; Clara’s is @clarakensie.)
For that hour, you can work on whatever you want: drafting, revising, proofreading, synopsis-writing, query letters, blog content…it’s totally up to you. You don’t have to work on the same project every time (I definitely won’t be). You can write in any genre. The point is to give you a small, dedicated block of time each day to focus on whatever aspect of your writing is most pressing.
On Fridays, both Erica and Clara will post a tip on their websites about surviving summer chaos, and we’ll open up the comments – to share tips, to celebrate meeting your week’s goal and set ones for the following weeks, and to ask for suggestions.
Participation is completely voluntary – you can show up only on Tuesdays, every day, or every third Wednesday. You can check in on Fridays or lurk in the comments or ignore the weekly posts. Use what’s helpful and leave the rest.
The one thing we DO ask is that at the nightly Twitter meetup, you use this hashtag: #SoATW. This way, other participants will recognize you.
FAQ:
So, how exactly does this work?
A few minutes before 10pm CENTRAL TIME, if you’re following Clara or me, you’ll see something like this on Twitter: Starting #SoATW in five minutes! Who’s in? I’m revising Chapter 8.
At 10pm CST: Time for #SoATW – see you in an hour!
At 11pm CST:Halfway through Chapter 8. How’d everyone do? #SoATW
Remember: use the hashtag, or we won’t know you’re participating!
Why 10pm?
Our days and evenings are filled with work and kids and various obligations. By 10, life has settled enough that we can head into our writing cave and close the door for an hour. Staying up until 11 won’t turn us into total zombies the next day, though it might require an extra cup of coffee.
Why Sunday through Thursday?
If your summers are anything like ours, Friday and Saturday nights book up pretty fast. We’re not looking to put a crimp in your social life.
Why only an hour?
An hour is enough time to make progress, if you do it consistently, but it doesn’t feel like an overwhelming commitment.
Look at it this way: if you can write 1000 words in an hour, five times a week, you’d end up with 5000 words each week. 5000 words a week, over twelve weeks, means you’d have 60,000 words by Labor Day. Even if that’s not an entire book, it’s a pretty good start.
If you’re revising, you can still use this formula: ____ pages per hour x 5 hours x 12 weeks = ______. (Feel free to write your own formula. I was an English major and cannot be trusted with numbers.
Why thirteen weeks?
Because that’s how many weeks we have until Labor Day. In the formula above, we’re assuming people will have vacation or family obligations for at least one of those weeks. And it’s always nice to leave some wiggle room.
I can’t possibly get all
my work done in an hour! Can I do more?
Of course! The Twitter meetups function like a virtual writing date, but if you need more time to make your goals, take it! We’re here when you need us, and we’ll cheer you on.
I can’t make it Mondays!
Totally fine, my friend. Pop around when you can, and we’ll be thrilled to see you.
More questions? Hit us in the comments!
We’ll see you at 10pm CST tonight.
