Yesterday was April 1st but it felt like New Year’s Day. When I woke up with fresh start fever, I felt my inner critic – or my inner mean girl as I call her – saying “April Fools! You don’t get to start over, silly girl!”
But the joke’s on you Jolene (I decided to rename my inner critic in honor of Cowboy Carter).
I know how to give myself a fresh start without starting over. I know how to hit the reset button whenever and as often as I need to.
And everything around me seemed to be in agreement. Spring has sprung and many of us just celebrated Easter. What better way to kick off a fresh start than with a spirit of resurrection? With this spirit that all things can be made new, that we can boldly do a new thing, that deferred dreams can be raised from the dead.
This is not an album review. This is a love letter to you, Dear Writer.
Beyoncé’s act ii: Cowboy Carter may soon become the soundtrack of your life if you’re a multi-passionate writer. This genre-defying album is like a musical permission slip to pursue any creative passion you want despite what naysayers declare you can and cannot do or can and cannot be.
Writing sprints could be the answer to your “I don’t have time to write” problem. Just as physical sprints can help you become a stronger runner or cyclist, writing sprints can strengthen your creativity.
What is a writing sprint?
A writing sprint is a short period of time during which you write as much as you can – without editing. You simply set a timer and write! The key, however, is to stay laser-focused during that time.
I recommend 20 to 30 minutes for a writing sprint.
Thirteen years. On March 24, 2011 – 13 years ago today – See Jane Write was born. The past 13 years have been filled with trials and triumphs, grief and gratitude but absolutely no regrets.
See Jane Write began as a meeting with a dozen women writers at a Mexican restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama. We talked about our writing dreams and the obstacles we faced while pursuing those goals. Two months later I hosted a workshop on how writers could use Twitter to elevate their writing careers and 40 women showed up. Shortly after that, I hosted a panel discussion on blogging, and 75 women showed up.
Much to the chagrin of my very frugal (but very supportive) husband, I continued to host See Jane Write events for two years paying for everything myself and not charging attendees a cent. In 2013, for the sake of the Bowser bank account, See Jane Write became a bonafide business and is now See Jane Write LLC. The See Jane Write Collective – our paid membership community was created. I started offering courses and coaching, too. And instead of being a community only for women in Birmingham, we now have members across the country.
To celebrate See Jane Write becoming a teenager, yesterday I had a birthday brunch with some Birmingham-based Collective members. A time was had! We talked about marriage, motherhood, politics, the Royals, solo travel, college memories, writing (obviously) and so much more. We dreamed about renting a Barbie pink RV to travel cross-country and visit all the Janes in other cities.
I have so many dreams for the future of See Jane Write, but first I want to reflect on the past. I want to share 13 lessons I’ve learned during 13 years of See Jane Write.
Building a personal brand is one of the most important things you can do for your writing career. Don’t get me wrong – it is NOT the most important thing. Nothing is more important than just sitting down and DOING THE WORK. Writers write. Period.
But if you want people to read your writing, building your personal brand is a good way to make that happen.
Here are 5 things you should know about building your personal brand.
