See Jane Write

Keeping Up with the Janes: Audrey Atkins

See Jane Write Collective member Audrey Atkins is on the go! Let’s find out what she’s been up to.

New feature alert! I’m excited to introduce Keeping Up with the Janes. With this feature, we will revisit past See Jane Write Collective Members of the Month to see what they’re up to now.

To kick things off, we have Audrey Atkins. The last time we had a chat with Audrey, she had just released her book, They Call Me Orange Juice. She was also busy blogging. Later, Audrey would also start teaching non-fiction writing workshops and she eventually became a full-time freelance writer. Now Audrey has a new career working with the Alabama State Council on the Arts, she’s moved her blog musings to Substack and she’s launched People Reading Prose in Bars — which is exactly what it sounds like. On the second Sunday of each month, Audrey gathers Birmingham-area writers in a local bar to read short stories and essays. On average, her events draw more than 50 people, and the Alabama Writers Forum recently signed on as a sponsor.

Let’s learn more about what Audrey is up to these days!

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Life Lately and the Future of See Jane Write

Today – March 24, 2025 – is the 14th year anniversary of the first See Jane Write event. That’s right. See Jane Write is 14 years old today. Unfortunately, I’m not doing anything to celebrate except publishing the blog post – the first post I’ve published since January. Needless to say, life has been lifin’!

Last year I had a brunch with cake and balloons to celebrate Jane’s 13th birthday. But this year is different, because – life happens.

Usually, on See Jane Write’s anniversary, I reflect on what’s next for the community. But to be honest, I’m not sure what the future holds. Here’s what I do know:

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Body Doubling for Writers

Body doubling may sound like something from a sci-fi novel about cloning humans but it’s actually a technique that could help you finally write a novel of your own.

If you’re a writer struggling with a lack of motivation, and you put the pro in procrastination, body doubling may be exactly what you need. Body doubling can also be helpful if you feel isolated and lonely in your writing life.

Read on to learn how body doubling works and how to use it to improve your writing routine.

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13 Lessons From 13 Years of See Jane Write

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.

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See Jane Write Member of the Month Pye Pajewski

Meet Pye Pajewski, the See Jane Write Member of the Month for January 2023. Pye is a two-time breast cancer survivor and author of the blog For the Girls. (Photo by Steve Pajewski)

Cancer sucks. You don’t have to be a survivor of the disease to know this. But as awful as something like breast cancer can be, believe it or not, good things can actually come from a bout with this devastating illness. When you’re diagnosed with breast cancer you become a member of a club you never wanted to be a part of, but your new sisters are some of the best people you’ll ever meet. Pye Pajewski is one of those people.

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