August Draws to an End

I second the call for updates!

I’ve been a bit of a word nerd drop out myself.  Lots of good work in July, but August has been “meh” for me–I’ve focussed on other aspects of my life instead of integrating the writing as much as I should.  Rather than kick myself, though, I’ll just start fresh with the beginning of the new semester and my new schedule.

I wanted to remind everyone that the final package to your partner should go out by next week or so–I’d love to see pictures of what people have sent, too!

So…does anyone want a new round that would start in October?  I know fall is a busy time of year, but I’ll make matches if you all want partners.  Leave a comment or let us know what you think in a post.  And, hey, thanks for joining in this little experiment of mine!

Tap, Tap

Hi Word Nerds,

I’m sorry I was away from the co-op for so long.  I just approved the pending posts, which should give you a nice, juicy bit of reading for a while!

As July draws to a close, I wanted to remind you to make sure that you send out a little motivation package to your partner.  We’ve got a little over a month of the co-op left–how is it working out for you?

The conference in Taos was fantastic, and I’m re-energized about my book.  I’m aiming to have 120 pp written by the end of the summer, but I’ll settle for a good 100!

Let me know how you’re all doing!

xx,

Beverly

Writing Rooms and a Note

I wanted to share this site with you.  There are pictures of writers’ rooms, along with their descriptions of them.

Also, I leave tomorrow for a ten-day trip to New Mexico.  I’ll be visiting friends on the weekends, and I’m taking a novel class in Taos during the week.  I haven’t decided if I’ll bring my computer or not, but in any case, I’ll catch up with you on July 21st.

In the meantime, how about a half-way point check in post from each of you?  Or some writing prompts?  Or…what have you?

Happy Writing!

xx,

Beverly

Matches Have Been Sent!

Check your e-mail, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Happy Writing!

Last Call!

I hope you’re all excited to get going on your Word Nerd project.  If you had asked to join in any way other than via the wordnerdcoopAT Yahoo DOT com e-mail, I may have missed you–so if you haven’t yet gotten an invite and questionnaire, please e-mail me there!

I’ll plan to make the matches this afternoon and have them to you by tomorrow.

I’m really thrilled to have so many folks joining me on this, so thank you!

Welcome!

Welcome fellow Word Nerds!

My hope for this project is that we writers, no matter what our level, will find a community that will help us to be more dedicated to our craft. Let’s celebrate our triumphs and help each other through the tough stuff.

If you are interested in joining the Co-op, e-mail me at wordnerdcoop AT yahoo DOT com. I’ll send you log-in information and a questionnaire. I’ll make matches in early June, and we’ll be ready to start our summer writing adventure!

Whether you’re just starting out or have a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, I hope you’ll join us. Partners will be matched based on experience and goals. While you won’t be required to exchange writing unless you both want to, there are a few rules:

1. You must contact your partner at least once a week. Please be encouraging–remember: do no harm.

2. You must send a small package to your partner each month (June, July, August). The value of these packages should be about $5…send something that will encourage your partner to keep writing, or perhaps a little reward for meeting a mini-goal. Ideas include pens, journals, gift cards for coffee or tea…use your imagination!

3. At the end of the project, you must send a larger reward package to your partner. Even if she hasn’t fully met her goal, I’m sure she’s done her best! If she loves to knit, a skein of hand-dyed sock yarn might do the trick. If she’s been eyeing a certain craft book, that might be a great reward. Be considerate, and send something that will make her glad she’s part of this project! The reward should have a $20 value, although if you’re making her a fantastic lace shawl from stash yarn, well, that’s just priceless!

4. You must set a goal for your writing for the summer. Share this on our blog.

5. You must outline a plan for reaching your goal. Share this on our blog.

6. If you have any doubt that you might not be able to commit to the terms of this project, please don’t join. You’re welcome to use the resources on the blog, but this is a difficult thing to “angel” and frankly, if I have to angel folks who have been left high and dry by their partners, that means less writing time for me. Please think long and hard about your commitments before you e-mail me.

7. Remember: this is about helping yourself as well as another writer in your quests to have what Wynton Marsalis calls integrity in your craft. It’s about support. It’s about being kind–to ourselves and others.

Let’s see what we can make happen in the next three months!

ETA:  if you have a wordpress account already, let me know; I can send you a different type of invite that doesn’t require as much on either end.

ETA2:  I’m opening this up to international writers, so please let me know if you absolutely can not send overseas packages, and I’ll try to accommodate you in the matching!