ONBOARDING CALL: DEBRIEF · Write Your Book 📚

Feb 20 (edited) • 👋 Intros

ONBOARDING CALL: DEBRIEF

(LONG post)

Onboarding call SUMMARY:

The meeting, attended by @Deepa , Sierra Melcher, Brittney Dunni, Beth Boyd, and Monte Cox, focused on community support, goal setting, planning, self-editing, and overcoming writing challenges. Participants shared their experiences and strategies for time management, seeking feedback, and navigating the emotional aspects of writing. Sierra Melcher will continue to provide community resources and support, including the community platform tour and various participation levels.

Notes:

🥰 Community Building and Support for Writers:🥰 Deepa Mehta shared their positive experience with the writing community, highlighting the importance of connection and accountability. Sierra Melcher emphasized the community's role in providing resources, combating self-doubt, and offering support. They aim for the team to be in each writer's corner and know what they are working on.

🚀 Goal Setting and Time Management: ⏰ Brittney Dunni shared their goals: reaching chapter 10 and having their husband read their work. They discussed the importance of scheduling dedicated writing time, even if it's just 25 minutes a day. Sierra Melcher highlighted the need to create space and time for writing by eliminating other commitments.

📆 Planning and the Writing Process:📆 Sierra Melcher stressed the importance of planning time, space, and content for successful writing. They used the analogy of gardening to illustrate how careful planning is needed for the writing process. They also encouraged participants to consider what they need to give up to make space for writing.

✍️ Self-Editing and Seeking Feedback: ✍️ Beth Boyd discussed the challenges of self-editing and the difficulty of knowing when to seek feedback from others. Sierra Melcher advised a phased approach, emphasizing self-editing before seeking external feedback. They suggested contained exposure, carefully choosing what, when, and with whom to share work.

☕ Overcoming Challenges and Sharing Stories: ☕ Monte Cox discussed their participation in a 40-day social media challenge, highlighting the emotional challenges of sharing their personal story. They emphasized the importance of self-care and pacing oneself during the writing process.

👋 Community Resources and Support: 👋Sierra Melcher provided a tour of the community platform, showcasing features such as the classroom, writing challenge, calendar, and leaderboard. They discussed various levels of community participation, including free access and paid programs offering additional support.

🌱 Contained Exposure and Seeking Feedback Effectively: 🌱 Deepa Mehta raised the question of how to determine when and with whom to share work for feedback. Sierra Melcher responded by emphasizing the importance of self-reflection, clear communication of needs, and specifying the type of feedback desired. They advised against vague requests like "Tell me what you think".

The Importance of Self-Awareness in the Writing Process:

Sierra Melcher emphasized that writers know their work better than they think. They discussed the value of self-awareness in understanding one's strengths and weaknesses, knowing what kind of feedback is needed, and communicating that effectively to others. They also discussed the different kinds of feedback one might seek depending on the stage of writing and the desired outcome.

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