The Novices Guide to Not Novel Writing: Your Hilariously Honest Guide to the Written Word....as a metaphor for life.
- Elizabeth Reece
- Aug 31
- 41 min read
Ditching the Novel Dream? Your Creative Journey Starts Here.
Hey there, aspiring wordsmiths!
Feeling stuck staring at that blank page, burdened by the idea of "writing a novel"? You're not alone. The truth is, while the novel dream is compelling, it might not be your best creative path.
That's why I created 'The Novice's Guide to Not Novel Writing.' This isn't just another writing course; it's a six-week adventure to help you uncover your true creative calling and write with joy, purpose and authentic personal expression.
We'll help you:
Unmask your motivations: Why do you really want to write?
Unleash your imagination: Generate ideas that are uniquely yours.
Master essential writing skills: From clarity and conciseness to finding your distinct author voice.
Navigate feedback like a pro: Build resilience and discernment.
Discover your true niche: Your talent might be for a viral social media post, a compelling speech, or something else entirely.
This program blends my writing and coaching experience with positive psychology and a no-nonsense business background to make learning engaging and, most importantly, fun.
Because if it's not fun, why do it?
Ready to stop procrastinating and start enjoying your creative journey?
Dive into the course content for Week 1 (and beyond!) right here. Engage with the exercises, share in our Group Thread and message me in the course Notes anytime. Your most authentic writing life is waiting.
#CreativeWriting #WritingCommunity #UnlockYourVoice #FindYourPassion #NoNovelNoProblem #WritingTips #SubstackCourse #CreativeBlocks #WriterLife #PositivePsychology #CoachingForWriters
Welcome my first research based course.
A six-week, no-holds-barred journey designed for novice writers and literary dabblers alike. We're here to take you on a humorous, yet deeply insightful, expedition into your motivations, intentions, and inspirations. We'll explore the often-ignored elephant in the writing room: the possibility that your unique talents might lie beyond the sprawling landscape of a novel, perhaps in the concise beauty of a powerful speech, the sharp wit of a comedic sketch, or the compelling structure of a persuasive argument.
This isn't a gentle stroll through grammar and plot points. I am wrestling the anchor away from you, so you can drift into your most creative states of flow.
We believe in tough love with kindness, delivered through writing prompts that will expose your true strengths and encourage you to develop a distinctive voice in all things.
Imagination, like any muscle, needs a workout, and we'll be spotting you through creative exercises that push past the obvious. You'll gain essential literary skills, sharpen your observation and understand that while the novel may not be your destined path, your creativity is limitless elsewhere.
So, buckle up! Get ready to laugh at yourself, challenge your assumptions, and perhaps, just maybe discover that your literary masterpiece might be a perfectly crafted resignation letter, a killer dating profile, or the most engaging grocery list ever written.
Your life is your art. It’s YOUR OneLife Project.
What to expect.........
Are you ready to stop chasing the "novel" dream and start discovering your true literary superpowers?
6-Week Program: From "Why?" to "What Now?!"
This program is designed to be fun, fulfilling, and enlightening, guiding you toward a clearer understanding of your writing potential—even if that means pivoting to something unexpectedly brilliant.
Before Each Session (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today? (1 = I'd rather staple my forehead; 10 = My pen is already on fire!)
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity? (1 = My brain is soup; 10 = I'm practically vibrating with potential!)
We have even planned your time for you and broken the work down into manageable chunks.
After Each Session (5 minutes):
Post-Session Satisfaction: On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your participation and the insights gained from today's session?
Enjoyment Factor: On a scale of 1-10, how much did you enjoy the activities and discussions today?
Self-Critique Challenge: What's ONE specific thing you learned about your own writing style or habits today that you want to cultivate or change? (Be brutal, but constructive.)
The "Three Good Things" Intervention: Jot down three specific things that went well or that you appreciated during this session. Even if it was just the coffee. This isn't rocket science, just positive psychology.
Week 1: The Grand Delusion – Why on Earth Do You Think You Should Write a Book?
Focus: Deconstructing common writing motivations (fame, fortune, proving someone wrong).
Activity: "My Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech" – write a hilariously self-aggrandizing speech, then dissect the true, humble (or not-so-humble) motivations behind it.
Prompt: "Write a scathing review of your own (imagined) debut novel. What are its fatal flaws, and why did you write it anyway?"
Outcome: A brutally honest (and funny) self-assessment of your starting point.
Week 2: The Imagination Gym – Flexing That Often-Neglected Muscle
Focus: Understanding imagination as a skill, not just a gift. How to cultivate it.
Activity: "The Mundane, Made Magnificent" – take an everyday object (e.g., a paperclip, a remote control) and write three wildly different, completely fictional backstories for it.
Prompt: "You've been assigned to write a three-act play where all dialogue must be based on overheard snippets from a doctor's waiting room. What's the dramatic tension?"
Intervention: Best Possible Self: Take 10 minutes to write about your "Best Possible Writing Self" in five years. What does it look like? Feel like? Who are you influencing? This isn't about being famous, it's about realizing your potential, even if it's not novel-shaped.
Outcome: Realization that imagination is trainable and essential, even for non-novel writing.
Week 3: Basic Literary Survival Skills – Or, How Not to Sound Like a Pigeon with a Keyboard
Focus: The fundamental tools: clarity, conciseness, observation, voice (yours, not the AI's).
Activity: "The Twitter Novel" – condense a complex plot into a series of 280-character tweets. (Yes, it's painful.)
Prompt: "Describe your morning coffee routine using only sensory details and no adjectives. Now, rewrite it as if you're a frustrated detective describing a crime scene."
Outcome: A newfound appreciation for precise language and the power of acute observation.
Week 4: The AI Apocalypse – Or, Your New Best (Lazy) Friend
Focus: A satirical look at AI's role in writing, its capabilities, and its profound limitations (especially regarding genuine voice and imagination).
Activity: "AI's Greatest Flops" – prompt an AI with a creative, character-driven request (e.g., "Write a heartfelt breakup letter from a sentient toaster oven to a disillusioned microwave"). Analyze its generic output.
Prompt: "Write a short story (300 words max) where a human character tries to pass off AI-generated work as their own, with disastrous and hilarious consequences."
Outcome: Understanding that AI is a tool, not a soul, and appreciating the irreplaceable value of human originality.
Week 5: The Writing Group Gauntlet – Navigating Feedback Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Self-Esteem)
Focus: Learning to give and receive constructive criticism (the hard way and the right way). Understanding that not all feedback is created equal.
Activity: "The 'Terrible Idea' Pitch" – each person comes up with the most intentionally bad book idea they can imagine and "pitches" it, receiving "feedback" from the group (both absurd and genuinely helpful, if possible).
Prompt: "Imagine you've just received feedback on your masterpiece that states, 'This is the literary equivalent of a damp sock.' Write your dignified, professional, and entirely unhinged internal monologue."
Outcome: A thicker skin, a discerning ear for useful critique, and perhaps a few new enemies (just kidding!).
Week 6: The Great Pivot – Or, What Else Are You Undeniably Good At?
Focus: Recognizing that your "writing dream" might be a symptom of a broader creative urge that can be fulfilled in countless other, potentially more rewarding, ways.
Activity: "My Brilliant Non-Novel Future" – brainstorm 10 wildly different, non-novel writing projects you could excel at (e.g., a viral TikTok script, a compelling personal statement, a hilarious stand-up comedy set, a revolutionary product description).
Prompt: "Write a persuasive essay (500 words) arguing why you should not write a novel, but instead dedicate your linguistic prowess to something entirely different and equally impactful. Be specific and passionate."
Outcome: A fun, fulfilling, and enlightening realization that creativity is boundless, and your true calling might just be waiting for you to embrace it—no 100,000-word commitment required.
Resources: How to Prepare Your Brain for the Torture (I mean, Joy!) of Writing
Listen up, aspiring wordsmiths. Producing a truly good piece of writing is possibly only 20% actual writing. The other 80%? It's the delightful, messy, often frustrating, yet utterly essential process of preparation and incubation. Stop waiting for the lightning bolt; that's for people who write 100k words in a weekend (and trust me, you don't want to read it). Inspiration comes over time and from all around us. It's a "broaden and build" technique that goes on in our conscious and subconscious minds. So, be on the lookout for inspiration like a hawk eyeing a particularly vulnerable field mouse.
Here are 10 (okay, 17, because we're generous) suggestions for how to prepare your magnificent brain to write. Treat them like sacred rituals, because they are.
Walks, But Not Just Any Walks: Don't just trudge to the fridge. Go for a proper walk. Alone. Without your phone glued to your face.
Instruction: Aim for at least 30 minutes. Let your mind wander. Notice the cracks in the pavement, the absurdly bright green of that moss, the subtle way that person just adjusted their backpack. Collect these tiny details.
Exercise: Pick one small, unremarkable detail you observed and try to write three wildly different interpretations of its significance.
Meditation (Yes, Even You): No, you don't need to levitate. Just sit still. Shut up your internal monologue for five minutes.
Instruction: Find a quiet spot. Close your eyes. Focus on your breath. When your brain inevitably starts planning dinner or recalling embarrassing moments, gently bring it back to your breath. It's like strength training for your focus.
Intervention: Try a Mindful Observation exercise. Pick one sound, one sensation, or one object. Spend two minutes just observing it without judgment. How many details can you notice?
People Watching – The Original Reality TV: Your ultimate source of character, dialogue, and plot twists.
Instruction: Find a busy café, a park bench, or a bus stop. Invent elaborate backstories for strangers. What's their secret? What's the fight they just had? What's their greatest fear?
Exercise: Pick two people who look completely different. Imagine they know each other. What's their relationship? Write a 3-line dialogue exchange between them.
Read Beyond Your Comfort Zone: If you only read what you already like, your brain will become a predictable, dusty attic.
Instruction: Pick up a genre you despise. Read a non-fiction book about something utterly obscure. Subscribe to a magazine you'd never touch. Expose your brain to new rhythms and ideas.
Exercise: Find a sentence in a book you'd never normally read. Use that sentence as the first line of your own short story.
Curate Your "Inspiration Jar": Because your brain will forget the brilliant idea you had in the shower.
Instruction: Keep a notebook (physical or digital) dedicated to fleeting thoughts, overheard lines, interesting words, bizarre dreams, and random observations. No judgment, just capture.
Exercise: At the end of each week, review your jar. Pick one item and free-write on it for five minutes.
Embrace the Absurd: Not everything needs to be profound. Sometimes the best ideas come from silliness.
Instruction: Watch bizarre YouTube videos. Read terribly translated instruction manuals. Seek out things that make you giggle. Humor is a potent creative fuel.
Exercise: Write a Yelp review for a terrible, fictional restaurant run by talking animals.
Learn Something New (Anything!): The act of learning fires up your neural pathways, making your brain more receptive to new ideas.
Instruction: Take an online course in basket weaving, learn basic coding, study the mating habits of obscure insects. It doesn't have to be writing-related.
Exercise: Write a short poem or a micro-story about your new, esoteric knowledge.
Daydream Shamelessly: It's not procrastination, it's pre-cognition.
Instruction: Allow your mind to wander. Stare out the window. Lie on the couch and let your thoughts drift. Don't fight it.
Exercise: Whenever you catch yourself daydreaming, try to "catch" the thread of the dream. Can you write down the last image or thought you had before you "woke up"?
Engage in "Active Listening": Stop waiting for your turn to speak. Actually listen to people.
Instruction: In your next conversation, try to identify the subtext. What's really being said? What are the unspoken emotions? Notice speech patterns, pauses, repetitions.
Exercise: After a conversation, try to rewrite a portion of the dialogue, exaggerating the subtext or a character's particular speaking habit.
Visit a Museum/Art Gallery: Visual input sparks different parts of your brain.
Instruction: Don't just glance. Pick one piece of art that speaks to you (or deeply annoys you). Spend 10 minutes looking at it. What story does it tell? Who created it and why?
Exercise: Write a monologue from the perspective of a person depicted in a painting, or from the perspective of the art piece itself.
Cook Something New: Following a recipe requires focus, but it also allows for creative interpretation.
Instruction: Try a cuisine you've never attempted. Pay attention to the textures, smells, and the transformation of ingredients.
Exercise: Write a dramatic scene where the tension builds as two characters attempt to cook a complex, unfamiliar dish together.
Explore a New Neighborhood/Town: Disorienting yourself can be creatively invigorating.
Instruction: Get off the main street. Wander down alleys. Look at the architecture. What are the subtle differences? What stories do the buildings tell?
Exercise: Write a postcard from this new place but make it mysterious and hinting at a larger story.
Listen to Music Without Lyrics (or in a Language You Don't Understand): Let the emotion and rhythm wash over you.
Instruction: Classical, instrumental, film scores, foreign music. What images and feelings does it evoke without the distraction of words?
Exercise: Put on a piece of instrumental music. Write a scene or a poem based solely on the emotions and imagery the music conjures.
Play a Game (Board Games, Video Games, Card Games): Strategy and problem-solving translate to plot and character development.
Instruction: Engage your strategic thinking. How do the mechanics work? How do characters interact? What are the inherent conflicts?
Exercise: Choose a character from a game you play. Write a short internal monologue from their perspective about a specific moment in the game.
Engage in Sensory Deprivation (Briefly): Like a dark room for your brain.
Instruction: Find a quiet, dark room. Lie down. Close your eyes. Just exist for 10-15 minutes. See what thoughts or images surface when external stimuli are removed.
Exercise: Immediately after, free-write anything that came to mind, no matter how fragmented or bizarre.
Keep a Dream Journal: Your subconscious is a treasure trove of narrative.
Instruction: As soon as you wake up, before you even fully open your eyes, jot down anything you remember from your dreams. Don't worry if it makes sense.
Exercise: Pick a recurring motif or a particularly vivid image from your dreams and build a short story around it.
Talk to Someone Old (or Very Young): Their perspectives are often beautifully unjaded or refreshingly straightforward.
Instruction: Ask open-ended questions. Listen to their stories about life, love, or even just what they had for breakfast. Their unique phrasing and life experiences are invaluable.
Exercise: Write a short dialogue scene where a character relays a story they heard from someone much older or younger, trying to capture their unique voice.
Are you ready to stop chasing the "novel" dream and start discovering your true literary and real life superpowers?
Welcome to Week 1: The Grand Delusion
Why on Earth Do You Think You Should Write a Book?
This isn't just about writing; it's about leveraging the health benefits of physically putting pen to paper and having fun! It's about excavating the bedrock of your literary dreams and the desires that you have forgotten you longed for. We're going to bravely stare into the abyss of your motivations, because frankly, most "why"s are built on shaky ground.
Get ready for some humorous self-reflection and possibly, a brutal (but kind!) dose of reality. This week's exercises are designed to take about 2 hours of focused work, spread out to let your brilliant brain marinate.
Your Weekly Mission: Unmask Your True Motives
Estimated Time: 2 hours, broken down over 3-4 sessions.
Session 1: The Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech & The Naked Truth (Approx. 45 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The Exercise: My Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech (30 minutes)
This is where your inner ego gets to shine. Imagine you've just won the most prestigious literary award for your groundbreaking debut novel. You're on stage, bathed in applause, delivering your acceptance speech. Don't hold back. Be as self-aggrandizing, as tearful, as humble-braggy as you like.
Instruction:
Set the Scene: Who are you thanking? What sacrifices did you make? What profound insights did your masterpiece offer the world? Did you dedicate it to your cat, your long-lost love, or that barista who finally got your order right?
Focus on the Feeling: What does this moment feel like? What does it mean to you?
Word Count: Aim for 300-500 words. Go wild. No one is judging your inflated sense of self here (yet).
Prompt: Now, having basked in your glory, put down your imaginary trophy. Take a deep breath. Look at that speech. Why did you really write it? What underlying desire does it reveal? Is it validation? Escape? Revenge? A desperate cry for your parents to finally be proud? Be excruciatingly honest.
Mini-Prompt & Reflection (10 minutes):
Question: What's the ugliest truth your Nobel Prize speech exposed about your motivation to write? (e.g., "I just want people to think I'm smart," or "I want to be rich enough to buy a small island.")
Guidance: Don't sugarcoat it. The more honest you are now, the better equipped you'll be to decide if this "writing thing" is truly for you.
Session 2: The Self-Sabotage Review & Your Hidden Agenda (Approx. 45 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The Exercise: Your Own Scathing Review (30 minutes)
Now, let's flip the script. Imagine your actual debut novel has been released. And it's terrible. Utterly, epically, hilariously awful. You are now the most brutal, cynical, and devastatingly witty literary critic in existence. Your job is to write a review that rips your book to shreds.
Instruction:
Embrace the Negative: What are the clichés? The plot holes? The cardboard characters? The prose that reads like a robot trying to flirt?
Focus on the "Why": After tearing it apart, ask yourself: Why did this specific, terrible book come out of me? What were its fatal flaws in conception that led to its demise?
Word Count: Aim for 300-500 words. Let your inner critic off the leash.
Prompt: Beyond the bad writing, what fundamental misunderstanding about storytelling, or yourself, did this (imagined) failure expose?
Mini-Prompt & Reflection (10 minutes):
Question: If your book failed spectacularly, what would be the real reason you wrote it despite its obvious flaws? (e.g., "I just started writing without a plan," or "I was trying to impress someone specific.")
Guidance: This exercise helps identify potential pitfalls and underlying fears that might be driving you toward a novel rather than a more suitable writing path.
Session 3: The "Three Good Things" & Initial Reckoning (Approx. 30 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The "Three Good Things" Intervention (15 minutes):
Instruction: For each of the previous two sessions, identify three specific things that went well or that you appreciated. Don't overthink it. It could be as simple as "I actually sat down and did it," "I had a good laugh," or "The coffee was excellent." Write them down.
Why? This isn't just fluffy positivity. It trains your brain to notice the good, which is essential for resilience on any creative journey.
Initial Reckoning & Pathfinding (10 minutes):
Question 1: Based on your self-reflections this week, what's one surprising (or not-so-surprising) truth about your motivation for writing that you're now willing to admit?
Question 2: How might this motivation actually hinder you from writing something truly good and impactful?
Guidance: This week was about stripping away the illusions. Next week, we'll start building your imaginative muscles, regardless of whether you're writing the next great American novel or the funniest tweet ever.
Suggested Weekly Schedule:
Day 1: The Ego Trip (45 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
My Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech exercise.
Mini-Prompt & Reflection.
Day 3: The Reality Check (45 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
Your Own Scathing Review exercise.
Mini-Prompt & Reflection.
Day 5: The Gentle Landing (30 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The "Three Good Things" intervention.
Initial Reckoning & Pathfinding.
Daily (Ongoing): Keep that "Inspiration Jar" (notebook, phone note, whatever) handy. Jot down anything that sparks your interest – an overheard phrase, a weird cloud formation, a bizarre dream. You'll thank yourself later.
Welcome to Week 2: The Imagination Gym – Flexing That Often-Neglected Muscle
Welcome back, aspiring word-wrestlers!
Last week, we lovingly (mostly) ripped apart your motivations for wanting to write a book. We bravely faced the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, the "why" is more about ego than art. This week, we pivot. We're heading to the gym. Not for your biceps, but for that flabby, underused muscle between your ears: imagination.
Because let's be honest, most of you probably think imagination is a fairy dust you either have or don't. You're wrong. It's a skill. A muscle. And right now, yours might be doing push-ups with a paperclip. Time to hit the weights, even if your weights are metaphorical and involve a sentient potato.
Your mission this week is to sweat. Creatively. We're going to push past your first, most boring ideas and discover the bizarre, the brilliant, and the genuinely surprising. This week's exercises are designed for approximately 2 hours of focused work, ideally spread across a few sessions to allow your brain to simmer nicely.
Your Weekly Mission: Pump Up Your Brain!
Estimated Time: 2 hours, broken down over 3-4 sessions.
Session 1: The Mundane, Made Magnificent – Or, Why Is That Spoon Crying? (Approx. 45 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today? (1 = My brain feels like a rusty hinge; 10 = My neurons are doing the cha-cha!)
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity? (1 = I'm still trying to remember where I left my car keys; 10 = I'm ready to birth a unicorn made of stardust!)
The Exercise: Object's Secret Life (30 minutes)
You probably think objects are just... objects. Boring. Utilitarian. You, dear novice, are tragically mistaken. Every single inanimate lump of matter has a secret life, a dark past, or a wildly improbable future. Your job is to pull it out.
Instruction:
Choose Your Victim: Find an utterly mundane object near you. A pen, a stapler, a coffee mug, a sock. Something so unremarkable it almost cries for attention.
Three Wild Backstories: Write three wildly different, completely fictional backstories for this object. Don't be sensible. Embrace the absurd, the dramatic, the hilariously tragic.
Version 1: Make it a historical artifact with a scandalous past.
Version 2: Give it sentience and a secret desire.
Version 3: It's an alien device disguised as an everyday item, with a mission to subtly infiltrate humanity.
Focus on the "Huh?!": The goal isn't literary genius (yet); it's to push your brain to generate ideas that aren't the first, most obvious ones. Make yourself say, "Huh, where did that come from?"
Word Count: Aim for 100-150 words per backstory (300-450 total).
Prompt: Which of your three backstories genuinely surprised you? What did it feel like to force your brain past the ordinary?
Mini-Prompt & Reflection (10 minutes):
Question: What part of your brain did you have to kick awake to come up with the more outlandish ideas? (e.g., "I finally let myself be silly," or "I ignored that annoying internal editor for once.")
Guidance: This is your imagination's warm-up. If it felt painful, good. That means it's working.
Session 2: The Stolen Conversation – From Mundane Mumble to Dramatic Masterpiece (Approx. 45 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The Exercise: The Doctor's Office Drama (30 minutes)
You know those hushed, often-boring conversations you overhear? The ones where someone's complaining about their knee, or gossiping about Brenda from accounts? Your task is to turn that drab reality into high drama, using only those mundane snippets as your raw material.
Instruction:
The Scenario: You've been assigned to write a three-act play (or a 500-word short scene, we're not monsters) where all dialogue must be based on overheard snippets from a waiting room (doctor's, dentist's, DMV – your choice of purgatory).
The Twist: The actual plot must be incredibly dramatic: a conspiracy, a love triangle, a secret spy exchange, a monster hiding in plain sight. But your characters can only speak lines that sound like typical waiting room chatter. The drama has to come through subtext, pauses, and the actions accompanying the seemingly innocent dialogue.
Example Snippet: "Did you remember to water the plants?"
Your interpretation: This isn't about plants. This is the code phrase for "Did you dispose of the body?"
Focus on the Hidden: How much tension, humor, or tragedy can you squeeze out of the seemingly innocuous?
Word Count: Aim for 400-500 words for your "play" or scene.
Prompt: What was the most surprisingly sinister (or romantic, or hilarious) meaning you managed to cram into a completely innocent line?
Mini-Prompt & Reflection (10 minutes):
Question: What did this exercise teach you about the power of subtext and observation in creating believable (and unbelievable) dialogue? (e.g., "People never say what they mean," or "My brain loves conspiracy theories.")
Guidance: This is where you learn that imagination isn't just about making things up; it's about seeing the unseen potential in what's already there.
Session 3: Best Possible Writing Self & Your Creative Compass (Approx. 30 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The "Best Possible Writing Self" Intervention (15 minutes):
Instruction: Close your eyes for a moment. Picture yourself five years from now, operating at your absolute peak creative potential. Not necessarily writing a novel, but being the best possible version of your writing self.
Visualize: What kind of writing are you doing? Are you crafting brilliant speeches that sway nations? Penning laugh-out-loud comedy sketches? Writing incredibly persuasive marketing copy? Are you a master of the concise, impactful email?
Feel: How does it feel to be this version of yourself? What kind of impact are you making? Who are you influencing?
Write: Spend 10 minutes writing a vivid description of this "Best Possible Writing Self." Don't censor. This isn't about realistic expectations; it's about identifying your deepest creative desires, even if they don't involve 80,000 words of prose.
Why? This positive psychology technique helps you clarify what truly fulfills you creatively, beyond the generic "I want to write a book" cliché. It's about finding your voice in amongst the ones that condition us.
* Free Workbook for the full 'Best Possible Self' Intervention - Download HERE
Initial Reckoning & Creative Pathfinding (10 minutes):
Self-Critique Challenge: What's ONE specific thing you learned about your own writing style or habits today that you want to cultivate or change?
Question 1: After flexing your imagination muscles, what's one surprising way you found your creativity expressed itself that didn't feel like "novel writing"?
Question 2: How might focusing on these new imaginative pathways (like object backstories or subtext-rich dialogue) open up possibilities for you beyond the traditional novel?
Post-Session Satisfaction: On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your participation and the insights gained from today's session?
Enjoyment Factor: On a scale of 1-10, how much did you enjoy the activities and discussions today?
Guidance: This week was about expanding your creative horizons. Next week, we'll dive into the brutal realities of basic literary survival skills – because even if you're not writing a novel, you still don't want to sound like an uneducated turnip.
Suggested Weekly Schedule:
Day 1: The Mundane Marvel (45 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
Object's Secret Life exercise.
Mini-Prompt & Reflection.
Day 3: The Covert Conversation (45 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The Doctor's Office Drama exercise.
Mini-Prompt & Reflection.
Day 5: The Future You (30 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The "Best Possible Writing Self" intervention.
Initial Reckoning & Creative Pathfinding, plus all end-of-session scales.
Daily (Ongoing): Continue diligently adding to your "Inspiration Jar." Remember, the world is your oyster, and it's full of pearls (and sometimes, bits of grit that make great stories).
Welcome to Week 3: Basic Literary Survival Skills – Or, How Not to Sound Like a Pigeon with a Keyboard
Welcome back, brave wordsmiths! Last week, we wrestled with your imagination, proving that your brain isn't just for remembering where you put your keys. This week, we get down to brass tacks. We're talking Basic Literary Survival Skills. Because no matter how brilliant your non-novel idea, if your writing reads like a pigeon hopped on your keyboard, no one's going to stick around.
This isn't about becoming a grammar snob (though a little self-respect for apostrophes wouldn't hurt). It's about understanding the fundamental tools that make any piece of writing clear, impactful, and genuinely engaging. We're talking clarity, conciseness, observation, and that elusive thing called "voice" – yours, not the generic output of some large language model. Get ready to hone your linguistic machete.
Your mission this week is to tighten up your prose and sharpen your observational skills. This week's exercises are designed for approximately 2 hours of focused work, ideally spread across a few sessions to allow for maximum brain absorption.
Your Weekly Mission: Sharpen Your Tools, Not Just Your Pencil
Estimated Time: 2 hours, broken down over 3 sessions.
Session 1: The Twitter Novel – Condensing Your Grand Ideas into Tiny Bursts (Approx. 45 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today? (1 = My brain feels like a tangled ball of yarn; 10 = I'm ready to distill the universe into a tweet!)
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity? (1 = My ideas are still in their primordial soup stage; 10 = I'm practically radiating conciseness!)
The Exercise: The Micro-Epic Challenge (30 minutes)
You probably think "epic" means long. You're wrong. An epic can be tiny, if every single word pulls its weight. This exercise forces you to be ruthless with your words, like a literary Marie Kondo, asking "Does this word spark joy, or is it just clutter?"
Instruction:
Choose a Complex Idea: Think of a grand, sweeping story, a complex scientific concept, or a profound philosophical idea. It could be the plot of your favorite movie, a historical event, or even the (imagined) plot of the novel you're now thankfully not writing.
Condense to 280-Characters (or less): Your task is to narrate this complex plot or idea in a series of no more than 5 "tweets", each strictly adhering to a 280-character limit (including spaces and punctuation). No cheating with threads! Each tweet must stand on its own, yet contribute to the larger narrative.
Focus on Impact: Every single word must earn its place. Use strong verbs, vivid nouns, and imply more than you state.
Hint: Think in beats, not sentences.
Prompt: What was the hardest word or phrase to cut? What did you realize about the power of implying, rather than explicitly stating, information?
Mini-Prompt & Reflection (10 minutes):
Question: How did this exercise challenge your usual writing habits? (e.g., "I realized I use way too many filler words," or "My brain screamed for more adjectives, and I denied it.")
Guidance: This is about clarity and conciseness. If it felt like pulling teeth, excellent! You're learning to value every syllable.
Session 2: The Detective's Coffee & Voice Versatility (Approx. 45 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The Exercise: Two Takes, One Mug (30 minutes)
Observation isn't just about seeing; it's about interpreting. And your "voice" isn't just about what you say, but how you say it. This exercise will prove that your perspective can transform the mundane into the riveting, or the utterly bizarre.
Instruction:
Part 1: Sensory Overload (15 minutes): Describe your morning coffee (or tea, or whatever mundane morning ritual) using only sensory details (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) and no adjectives. Seriously, NONE. This is harder than it sounds. What do you perceive before you start adding judgment or description?
Example: Instead of "The hot, black coffee," try "Steam curled from the dark liquid. A bitter scent rose."
Part 2: The Grim Narrator (15 minutes): Now, rewrite that same mundane coffee routine, but this time, from the perspective of a frustrated, cynical detective describing a crime scene. Use strong verbs, direct language, and infuse it with their weary, observant voice. Your coffee isn't just coffee; it's a piece of evidence.
Example: "The mug, still warm, offered no discernible fingerprints. A dark, viscous liquid clung to its interior, its aroma acrid, a testament to... what?"
Focus on Voice and Observation: How does the choice of verbs, the structure of sentences, and the implied attitude create a distinct voice and atmosphere?
Prompt: Which version felt more natural to write? What did you learn about the power of how you say something, rather than just what you say?
Mini-Prompt & Reflection (10 minutes):
Question: How can you apply this "detective's eye" to your everyday life to gather more vivid details for your writing? (e.g., "I need to stop just looking and start seeing," or "My inner detective is surprisingly good at judging stains.")
Guidance: This is about recognizing that every writer has a unique voice, and it's built from how they perceive and process the world. Your voice is as unique as your fingerprints (hopefully less sticky).
Session 3: The "Three Good Things" & The Sharpened Eye (Approx. 30 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The "Three Good Things" Intervention (15 minutes):
Instruction: Jot down three specific things that went well or that you genuinely appreciated during this week's sessions. Even if it was just the satisfaction of cutting a particularly egregious adverb.
Why? Regularly noting good things boosts your positive emotions and helps build resilience, which you'll need when you realize your first draft still sounds a bit like a pigeon.
Initial Reckoning & Pathfinding (10 minutes):
Self-Critique Challenge: What's ONE specific writing habit (e.g., overusing adjectives, weak verbs, passive voice) you've identified this week that you want to consciously reduce or improve?
Question 1: How has understanding clarity, conciseness, and voice (even with a humorous twist) shifted your perception of what "good writing" truly means, regardless of whether it's a novel?
Question 2: In what non-novel writing forms (emails, presentations, social media posts) do you think your sharpened skills from this week could make an immediate, tangible impact?
Post-Session Satisfaction: On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your participation and the insights gained from today's session?
Enjoyment Factor: On a scale of 1-10, how much did you enjoy the activities and discussions today?
Guidance: You're not just a wordsmith; you're a word-surgeon now. Next week, we confront the inevitable: the robots. Prepare for the AI Apocalypse.
Suggested Weekly Schedule:
Day 1: The Word Diet (45 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The Twitter Novel exercise.
Mini-Prompt & Reflection.
Day 3: The Observational Eye (45 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The Detective's Coffee & Voice Versatility exercise.
Mini-Prompt & Reflection.
Day 5: The Skill Check (30 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The "Three Good Things" intervention.
Initial Reckoning & Pathfinding, plus all end-of-session scales.
Daily (Ongoing): Keep adding to your "Inspiration Jar." Now, also pay attention to how people actually talk, not just what they say. Notice their quirks, their filler words, their unique rhythms. Your discernment is growing!
Welcome to Week 4: The AI Apocalypse – Or, Your New Best (Lazy) Friend
Welcome back, intrepid explorers of the written word!
Last week, we honed your literary machetes. This week, we confront the metallic elephant in the room: Artificial Intelligence. Many of you secretly (or openly) hoped AI would be your shortcut to novelistic glory. "Just feed it an idea, and poof! Bestseller!"
Prepare to be disillusioned. While AI is a powerful tool for certain tasks (like generating truly generic prose), it fundamentally lacks the one thing that makes your writing special: you. Imagination, personality, true voice – these are distinctly human traits that a cold, unfeeling algorithm can only mimic, often poorly.
This week, we'll playfully expose AI's limitations, not to fear it, but to appreciate the irreplaceable value of human originality. Get ready to laugh at its robotic attempts at brilliance and realize that your unique brand of weirdness is your greatest asset.
Your Weekly Mission: Embrace Your Humanity (and AI's Hilarious Failures)
Estimated Time: 2 hours, broken down over 2-3 sessions.
Session 1: AI's Greatest Flops – When Robots Try to Be Human (Approx. 60 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today? (1 = I'm worried my creativity will be automated; 10 = I'm ready to watch AI fall flat on its silicon face!)
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity? (1 = My imagination feels a bit like a circuit board; 10 = I'm bursting with unique, un-automatable brilliance!)
The Exercise: The Sentient Appliance & The Generic Monologue (45 minutes)
Time to pit your beautiful, messy human brain against the cold, hard logic of a machine. We're going to give AI a task that seems simple but requires genuine empathy, absurdity, and character. Then we'll laugh at its valiant, yet ultimately sterile, efforts.
Instruction:
Part 1: Your Human Version (15 minutes): Choose a mundane, inanimate object that secretly has feelings (e.g., a toaster oven, a lonely sock, a forgotten garden gnome, a malfunctioning ATM). Write a heartfelt (or hilariously unhinged) monologue from its perspective about a profound life event – like a breakup, an existential crisis, or achieving its life's purpose (e.g., the toaster perfectly toasting a bagel). Infuse it with genuine character voice, emotion, and maybe a touch of absurdity.
Word Count: 200-300 words.
Part 2: The AI Challenge (15 minutes): Now, open your favorite AI tool (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.). Give it a similar, very specific prompt. For example: "Write a heartfelt breakup letter from a sentient toaster oven to a disillusioned microwave." Or "Write an existential crisis monologue from a lonely sock."
Observe: Pay close attention to its phrasing, its word choices, its attempts at emotion. Does it feel truly original, surprising, or genuinely poignant/funny?
Part 3: The Compare and Contrast (15 minutes): Read your human-written piece side-by-side with the AI's.
Analyze: What did the AI do well? Where did it fall flat? What made your version uniquely human? Was it the specific, odd detail? The unexpected emotional turn? The sheer, glorious weirdness?
Prompt: What was the biggest difference between your human writing and the AI's? What specific element did you bring that AI simply couldn't replicate (yet)?
Mini-Prompt & Reflection (10 minutes):
Question: How does this exercise change your perception of AI's role in creative writing? (e.g., "It's a good tool for brainstorming, but not for soul," or "My imagination is safe... for now.")
Guidance: AI can do many things. It cannot be you. And that, dear novice, is your superpower.
Session 2: The AI Imposter – When Laziness Backfires (Approx. 60 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The Exercise: The Bot's Blunder (45 minutes)
The temptation to pass off AI-generated work as your own is strong for the lazy or the desperate. But just like trying to pass off a plastic plant as real, it often leads to disastrous, and often hilarious, consequences.
Instruction:
Write a Short Story (300-500 words): Your story's premise: A human character, desperate or lazy, tries to pass off AI-generated writing as their own. The plot hinges on the disastrous and hilarious consequences of this deception.
Focus on the Flaws: How does the AI's generic nature, lack of genuine understanding, or inability to grasp nuance lead to the human character's downfall? Think about:
An AI-written love letter that accidentally insults the recipient.
An AI-generated business report that includes wildly inappropriate suggestions.
An AI-composed poem that sounds profound but is utter nonsense.
Embrace the Absurd: Lean into the comedic potential of AI's limitations when faced with the messy reality of human interaction.
Prompt: What was the funniest (or most cringeworthy) mistake your AI-imposter character made because of the generic AI output?
The "Three Good Things" Intervention (10 minutes):
Instruction: Jot down three specific things that went well or that you genuinely appreciated during this week's exploration of AI. Maybe you found its generic outputs oddly comforting, or you developed a new appreciation for your own creative quirks.
Why? This helps reinforce the positive aspects of learning, even when that learning involves dissecting digital mediocrity.
Final Reckoning & Creative Sovereignty (5 minutes):
Self-Critique Challenge: What's ONE specific way you'll use AI in your writing process (e.g., brainstorming, outlining, grammar check) that doesn't compromise your unique voice?
Question 1: How has this week empowered you to feel more confident in the unique value of your human writing?
Question 2: If you're not trying to replace yourself with AI, what can it do to genuinely support your non-novel writing ambitions?
Post-Session Satisfaction: On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your participation and the insights gained from today's session?
Enjoyment Factor: On a scale of 1-10, how much did you enjoy the activities and discussions today?
Guidance: You are safe from the robots. Your human creativity is your greatest asset. Next week, we confront an equally terrifying force: The Writing Group Gauntlet. Brace yourselves.
Suggested Weekly Schedule:
Day 1: My Brain vs. The Bot (60 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
AI's Greatest Flops exercise (all 3 parts).
Mini-Prompt & Reflection.
Day 3: The Bot's Blunder (60 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The AI Imposter exercise.
The "Three Good Things" intervention.
Final Reckoning & Creative Sovereignty, plus all end-of-session scales.
Daily (Ongoing): Continue adding to your "Inspiration Jar." Now, when you read or consume media, try to identify elements that feel truly human and original versus those that feel generic or easily replicable by AI.
Your discernment is growing!
Welcome to Week 5: The Writing Group Gauntlet – Navigating Feedback Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Self-Esteem)
Welcome back, valiant scribes!
You've sharpened your imagination, polished your prose, and survived the robotic menace of AI. Now, prepare for the ultimate test: The Writing Group Gauntlet. Many writers approach these groups with trepidation, and rightly so. It's a place where your tender, vulnerable words are laid bare, and feedback, sometimes delivered with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, can feel like a personal attack.
But fear not! This week isn't about becoming immune to criticism (that's impossible for any sane human). It's about learning to give and receive feedback with purpose, understanding that not all advice is created equal, and developing a skin thicker than a particularly stubborn old boot. We'll use humor to dissect the absurdities of feedback and build your resilience for the inevitable moments when your work is misunderstood.
Your mission this week is to become a feedback ninja – deflecting nonsense, absorbing wisdom, and emerging with your self-esteem (mostly) intact. This week's exercises are designed for approximately 2 hours of focused work, ideally spread across a few sessions.
Your Weekly Mission: Become a Feedback Ninja (and Keep Your Sanity)
Estimated Time: 2 hours, broken down over 2-3 sessions.
Session 1: The 'Terrible Idea' Pitch – Embracing the Absurd (Approx. 60 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today? (1 = I'm already anticipating the criticism; 10 = I'm ready to pitch a masterpiece of awfulness!)
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity? (1 = My creative defenses are up; 10 = I'm prepared for any feedback, no matter how ridiculous!)
The Exercise: Pitching Your Painfully Bad Book (45 minutes)
We all have terrible ideas. This exercise is about celebrating them, and, more importantly, understanding how to navigate feedback when the "thing" being critiqued is intentionally bad. It loosens you up and prepares you for genuine critique later.
Instruction:
Brainstorm Your Worst Idea (15 minutes): Come up with the most intentionally bad book idea you can possibly imagine. Think clichés, plot holes you could drive a truck through, cardboard characters, and themes that make you groan.
Examples: "A vampire romance set in a call center," "A deeply philosophical treatise about lint," "A detective story where the killer is always the first person you suspect."
Craft Your Pitch (15 minutes): Prepare a short, absurd "pitch" (1-2 minutes) for this terrible book idea. Try to make it sound sincerely appealing, despite its inherent awfulness.
Self-Critique & Pre-Emptive Strike (15 minutes): Before you "pitch" it (to an imaginary audience or a willing houseplant), write down three specific pieces of negative feedback you expect to receive. Now, write down three pieces of absurd feedback you hope someone would give you (e.g., "The plot was so profound, I immediately quit my job and became a professional ham sandwich maker").
Prompt: What was more fun: inventing the terrible idea or anticipating the equally terrible (or delightfully absurd) feedback? What did this teach you about anticipating criticism?
Mini-Prompt & Reflection (10 minutes):
Question: How does intentionally creating something "bad" change your relationship with potential criticism? (e.g., "It made me realize how much ego I usually attach to my writing," or "I learned to laugh at my own terrible ideas.")
Guidance: This is about disarming the fear of judgment. If you can embrace the bad, you can certainly handle the "needs improvement."
Session 2: The Damp Sock & Your Dignified Response (Approx. 60 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The Exercise: The Crit-Pocalypse (45 minutes)
It happens. Someone, somewhere, will inevitably tell you your writing is "the literary equivalent of a damp sock." Or worse. This exercise prepares you for that moment, not by making you impervious, but by giving you a healthy outlet for your inner turmoil.
Instruction:
The Scenario: Imagine you've received truly crushing, perhaps unfairly harsh, feedback on a piece of your writing that you poured your heart into. The exact phrase is: "This is the literary equivalent of a damp sock."
Part 1: The Unhinged Internal Monologue (20 minutes): Write your dignified, professional, and entirely unhinged internal monologue. This is what you think but would never, ever say aloud. Let all the fury, the self-doubt, the elaborate fantasies of revenge, the dramatic victimhood, and the sarcastic comebacks spill onto the page. No filter.
Word Count: 300-500 words.
Part 2: The Professional External Response (10 minutes): Now, write the short, polite, professional email or comment you would send. (e.g., "Thank you for your feedback, I'll take it into consideration.")
Part 3: The Bridge (15 minutes): What's the gap between Part 1 and Part 2? What inner work (deep breaths, remembering your "why," knowing it's just one opinion) do you do to bridge that gap? Write a short reflection on this process.
Prompt: What did your "unhinged internal monologue" reveal about your typical coping mechanisms (or lack thereof) when faced with harsh criticism?
The "Three Good Things" Intervention (10 minutes):
Instruction: Jot down three specific things that went well or that you genuinely appreciated during this week's foray into feedback. Maybe you realized you're more resilient than you thought, or you just had a good laugh at your own internal meltdown.
Why? This helps to balance the discomfort of confronting criticism with a healthy dose of positive reinforcement.
Final Reckoning & The Feedback Filter (5 minutes):
Self-Critique Challenge: What's ONE practical step you'll take before seeking feedback in the future to better prepare yourself for it?
Question 1: How has this week transformed your perspective on receiving constructive (or destructive) criticism?
Question 2: What kind of feedback will you actively seek out for your non-novel writing projects, and what kind will you politely ignore?
Post-Session Satisfaction: On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your participation and the insights gained from today's session?
Enjoyment Factor: On a scale of 1-10, how much did you enjoy the activities and discussions today?
Guidance: You are now a seasoned veteran of the feedback battlefield. You know how to take a hit, process it, and move on. This resilience is vital for any writer. Next week, the grand finale: The Great Pivot!
Suggested Weekly Schedule:
Day 1: The Bad Idea Bash (60 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The 'Terrible Idea' Pitch exercise.
Mini-Prompt & Reflection.
Day 3: The Inner Screamer (60 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The Damp Sock & Your Dignified Response exercise.
The "Three Good Things" intervention.
Final Reckoning & The Feedback Filter, plus all end-of-session scales.
Daily (Ongoing): Continue adding to your "Inspiration Jar." Now, when you overhear people giving feedback (in any context), notice how it's delivered. What works? What doesn't? How could it be better? You're a feedback connoisseur now.
Week 6: The Great Pivot – Or, What Else Are You Undeniably Good At?
Congratulations, brave novices!
You've survived the self-aggrandizement, the brutal self-critique, the imagination boot camp, the basic literary skills humiliation, the AI apocalypse, and the dreaded writing group gauntlet. You've looked into the abyss of "novel writing" and, hopefully, seen that it might not be your one true destiny.
This is it. The final week. The grand reveal.
The moment where you stop trying to jam your square peg into a round hole (the "novel" hole, in this case) and realize your magnificent, multifaceted creative shape might be perfect for an entirely different opening. Because here's the cold, hard truth: your "writing dream" might just be a symptom of a broader creative urge that can be fulfilled in countless other, potentially more rewarding, and certainly less soul-crushingly difficult, ways.
This week, we celebrate the pivot. We embrace the "not novel." We acknowledge that your linguistic prowess might be better suited for something undeniably brilliant, even if it's not the next Booker Prize winner. Get ready to discover your true literary superpowers, perhaps in places you never dared to look.
Your Weekly Mission: Embrace Your True Calling (Whatever It Is)
Estimated Time: 2 hours, broken down over 2-3 sessions.
Session 1: My Brilliant Non-Novel Future – Or, The Redemption of Your Keyboard (Approx. 60 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today? (1 = I'm still processing Week 5's feedback; 10 = My brain is bubbling with non-novel possibilities!)
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity? (1 = My creative well is a dustbowl; 10 = I'm practically radiating multi-genre brilliance!)
The Exercise: Beyond the Book (45 minutes)
You've spent weeks contemplating the novel. Now, it's time for a radical brain shift. Think about all the other forms of writing and linguistic expression that exist. From the profound to the ridiculously petty, from the artistic to the ruthlessly pragmatic. Your keyboard is a versatile tool; don't limit it to 80,000 words.
Instruction:
Brainstorm 10 Projects: Brainstorm 10 wildly different, non-novel writing projects that you could genuinely excel at, or that simply pique your interest. These should be things that allow your unique voice and strengths to shine.
Examples (to spark your brain, not limit it):
A viral TikTok script that makes millions cringe/laugh.
A compelling personal statement for a scholarship/job that screams "hire me!" (or "fund me, you fools!").
A hilarious stand-up comedy set that gets you a Netflix special.
A revolutionary product description for something utterly mundane (e.g., a toilet brush).
A series of highly effective, passive-aggressive office emails.
A collection of incredibly insightful (and slightly unhinged) diary entries.
The perfect, one-line insult that wins every argument.
A heartfelt apology letter to your neglected houseplant.
A compelling argument for why pineapple does belong on pizza (or why it absolutely doesn't).
Specificity is Key: For each project, briefly explain why it suits you. What skills from this course (observation, witty dialogue, succinctness, understanding of subtext) would make you uniquely good at it?
No Judgment: This is about opening doors, not closing them. Embrace the silliness, the practicality, the unexpected.
Prompt: Which of your 10 non-novel projects suddenly feels like a genuine, exciting possibility, rather than just a fleeting thought? Why?
Mini-Prompt & Reflection (10 minutes):
Question: What part of you feels relieved (or perhaps surprisingly energized) at the thought of not writing a novel, and pursuing these other forms of writing?
Guidance: This is your creative liberation. Feel it. Embrace it.
Session 2: The Anti-Novel Manifesto & Your True Linguistic Power (Approx. 60 minutes)
Preparation (5 minutes):
Pre-Session Vibe Check: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you to write today?
Creative Readiness: On a scale of 1-10, how primed do you feel to embrace new ideas and explore your creativity?
The Exercise: The Anti-Novel Persuasion (45 minutes)
You've toyed with the idea of writing a novel, perhaps even suffered under its impossible weight. Now, your task is to convince others (and yourself) that it is not your path. You are becoming a powerful advocate for the alternative.
Instruction:
Write a Persuasive Essay: Write a persuasive essay (500-750 words) arguing precisely why you should not write a novel. Be specific and passionate in your reasoning.
Your Arguments: Draw on all the insights from this course:
Your true motivations (from Week 1).
Your imaginative strengths (from Week 2) that might be better suited elsewhere.
Your newfound appreciation for clarity and conciseness (from Week 3).
The unique value of human creativity over AI (from Week 4).
The challenges of sustained, long-form feedback (from Week 5).
The Pivot: Instead of the novel, passionately argue why you will (or should) dedicate your linguistic prowess to one or more of the "non-novel" forms you identified in Session 1. Be specific about the impact you'll make in this new arena.
Tone: Be convincing, a little sarcastic, and utterly committed to your new path.
Prompt: What was the most compelling argument you made for not writing a novel? And what was the most surprising revelation about where your linguistic power truly lies?
The "Three Good Things" Intervention (10 minutes):
Instruction: Reflect on your entire six-week journey through this course. What are three specific things that went well, that you learned, or that you truly appreciated during this experience? (e.g., "I actually finished the prompts," "I laughed a lot," "I discovered I'm great at writing passive-aggressive notes.") Write them down.
Why? This helps to cement the learning and leave you with a sense of genuine accomplishment, even if that accomplishment is "I didn't write a novel!"
Final Reckoning & The Great Unburdening (5 minutes):
Self-Critique Challenge: What's ONE specific thing you'll take forward from this entire course about your writing process or creative outlook?
Question 1: What's the biggest misconception about writing that you've unlearned over the past six weeks?
Question 2: How do you feel, deep down, about embracing a "non-novel" writing path? (Be honest: relief? Excitement? A tiny bit of lingering defiance?)
Post-Session Satisfaction: On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your participation and the insights gained from today's session?
Enjoyment Factor: On a scale of 1-10, how much did you enjoy the activities and discussions today?
Guidance: You've reached the end! The goal wasn't just to not write a novel, but to find the writing that truly fuels you. Go forth and write brilliantly, in whatever form suits your magnificent, quirky self!
Suggested Weekly Schedule:
Day 1: The "What Else?" Brainstorm (60 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
My Brilliant Non-Novel Future exercise.
Mini-Prompt & Reflection.
Day 3: The Anti-Novel Proclamation (60 minutes)
Pre-Session Vibe Check & Creative Readiness.
The Anti-Novel Persuasion exercise.
The "Three Good Things" intervention.
Final Reckoning & The Great Unburdening, plus all end-of-session scales.
Daily (Ongoing): Your "Inspiration Jar" is now a lifelong companion. Keep feeding it. And remember, the world is waiting for your unique voice, whether it's in a novel or a perfectly crafted tweet.
Positive Psychology Interventions: Your Secret Creative Weapons
Throughout this course, we've secretly (or not-so-secretly) employed a few powerful techniques from Positive Psychology – the scientific study of what makes life worth living. Why? Because being a writer (or a not-a-novel-writer) is tough, and your well-being matters.
The "Three Good Things" (or "3 Blessings"): This simple, yet powerful, gratitude exercise involves consciously identifying and noting three positive things that happened during a specific period. By doing this regularly, you train your brain to notice and appreciate the good, boosting positive emotions and resilience. It's not about ignoring challenges, but about creating a more balanced perspective.
Best Possible Self (BPS): This intervention asks you to visualize and write about your ideal future self – the version of you who has achieved their goals and is living their best life. It helps to clarify aspirations, boost optimism, and increase motivation by making abstract goals feel more concrete and achievable. In our case, it's about realizing your true creative potential, not just societal expectations.
These aren't just designed as feel-good exercises; they are scientifically backed tools to help you build mental fortitude, identify your authentic desires and ultimately, find more satisfaction and fulfillment in your creative endeavors, whatever form they may take.
You're welcome. ;-)
The course design draws upon principles and practices from various fields, primarily Positive Psychology, alongside general concepts of creative writing pedagogy, coaching methodologies and practical business communication.
Here's a breakdown of the key concepts and their origins, as they relate to the course:
I. Positive Psychology Interventions & Models:
PERMA/PERMAH Model of Well-being (Seligman, 2011; Butler & Kern, 2016):
Origin: Developed by Martin Seligman, often considered the founder of Positive Psychology, and expanded upon by others (e.g., adding "Health" for PERMAH).
Application in Course: The underlying philosophy of the course, particularly "If it's not fun, don't do it!" aligns with the pursuit of positive emotion and engagement. The focus on identifying individual "true calling" and specific strengths (Accomplishment/Meaning), fostering a supportive community (Relationships), and encouraging self-reflection for growth (Engagement/Meaning) are all rooted in PERMAH principles.
Specific elements:
Positive Emotion & Engagement: Encouraging "fun" in exercises, finding joy in the process, and promoting "flow" states (Csikszentmihalyi's concept, integrated into Seligman's work) through engaging prompts.
Relationships: The idea of a supportive writing community, which is explicitly offered as a benefit of the group coaching.
Meaning & Accomplishment: Guiding participants to find deeper purpose in their writing and celebrate their progress, no matter the scale.
Health: Implicitly, reducing stress and ego in writing contributes to mental well-being.
Three Good Things Exercise (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005):
Origin: One of the most well-known positive psychology interventions. Participants list three good things that happened each day and reflect on why they went well.
Application in Course: Directly used as a weekly reflection prompt to cultivate gratitude, boost positive emotions, and build resilience against self-criticism and external feedback.
Best Possible Self Exercise (King, 2001; Sheldon & Lyubomirsky, 2006):
Origin: Developed by Laura King and further researched by Sonja Lyubomirsky and Ken Sheldon, this exercise involves visualizing and writing about one's ideal future self.
Application in Course: While not explicitly named in the provided weeks, this exercise is foundational for Week 6 ("The Great Pivot") where participants visualize and plan their future writing path, aligning their creative pursuits with their values and strengths. It's used to help set aspirational yet realistic goals beyond the "novel" paradigm.
Reflective Practice:
Origin: Rooted in the work of educational theorists like John Dewey and Donald Schön, reflective practice involves actively thinking about one's experiences to learn and improve.
Application in Course: Integrated into nearly every session through "Mini-Prompt & Reflection" and "Initial/Final Reckoning" sections, encouraging participants to analyze their learning, feelings, and progress. The "Self-Critique Challenge" also falls under this umbrella.
II. Creative Writing Pedagogy:
Divergent Thinking (J.P. Guilford, 1956):
Origin: A core concept in creativity research, referring to the ability to generate many unique ideas from a single starting point, often through brainstorming and free association.
Application in Course: Evident in exercises like "The Micro-Epic Challenge" (condensing complex ideas), "The Sentient Appliance" (generating unusual perspectives), and generally in the emphasis on thinking "beyond the obvious" and embracing "glorious weirdness." The goal is to loosen up rigid thinking and explore a wide range of possibilities.
Craft Elements (Clarity, Conciseness, Voice, Observation, Character, Dialogue):
Origin: Standard elements taught in almost any creative writing program or guide.
Application in Course: While presented with a humorous and unconventional twist, the exercises directly target these fundamental skills (e.g., "The Twitter Novel" for conciseness, "The Detective's Coffee" for observation and voice, Week 6's focus on dialogue and character).
Feedback & Critique Best Practices:
Origin: Common in writing workshops and academic settings.
Application in Course: Week 5 directly addresses the challenges of receiving and giving feedback, aiming to build resilience and discerning judgment, often by using humor to deflate the seriousness of critique.
III. Coaching Methodologies:
Goal Setting & Action Planning:
Origin: Fundamental to various coaching models (e.g., SMART goals, GROW model).
Application in Course: Each week outlines clear "Missions" and "Estimated Times," encouraging participants to take concrete steps. The "Self-Critique Challenges" often prompt action-oriented next steps.
Client-Centered Approach:
Origin: Emphasized in humanistic psychology and coaching, focusing on the individual's unique needs, strengths, and goals.
Application in Course: The course explicitly aims to help participants find their "true calling" in writing, rather than imposing a singular path (like novel writing).
IV. Business Communication & "No-Nonsense" Approach:
Clarity, Conciseness, Impact:
Origin: Core tenets of effective business writing and communication.
Application in Course: Explicitly taught and practiced in Week 3, reinforcing that good writing is about effective communication, regardless of the form. The "no-nonsense" tone in the course description also reflects this practical, results-oriented mindset.
By weaving these threads together, the course aims to provide a holistic and engaging experience that not only develops writing skills but also fosters psychological well-being and practical application in various creative and professional contexts.
You Did It! Congratulations, and What's Next?
Congratulations!
You've officially completed 'The Novice's Guide to Not Novel Writing.' You’ve looked inward, laughed at your creative fears and uncovered a powerful truth: your voice is far more valuable than any preconceived notion of what a writer/ coach/ any title "should" be.
Before you go, I have a few simple requests to help keep this creative journey moving forward.
First, your feedback is gold. Please take a moment to fill out our short feedback form. Your honest thoughts help me make this course even better for future creators.
Second, if you’ve loved this journey, please tell your friends. The most rewarding part of this work is seeing others find their way.
Third, now is the perfect time to post your writing. Whether it’s in your own blog, on social media, or shared in our private Group Thread, put your brilliant words out into the world.
And finally, if you have any 1:2:1 coaching sessions remaining from your course package, don't let them go to waste! Please book them now, as this is the perfect time to turn these new insights into a clear, actionable plan.
You Have the Insights. Now What Are You Going to Do With Them?
You’ve spent six weeks on a journey of discovery. You’ve uncovered what truly drives you, learned to navigate feedback and found your unique voice. But the insights you’ve gained are just the beginning. The real, transformative work happens when you take them and build a creative life that is genuinely yours.
If you're ready to get serious about that work, I’d love to help you go deeper.
My 1:2:1 coaching is designed for people like you who have a unique creative fire but need a dedicated partner to turn that spark into a sustainable flame. As a coach, a former wayfinding and workplace consultant, and an author, I'm uniquely positioned to help you connect your creative drive to real-world action.
We'll work together to co-create a personalized roadmap that goes beyond the course materials. We'll define clear, actionable goals, navigate any new creative blocks and build the systems you need to thrive. It’s about taking those a-ha moments from the course and turning them into a powerful, practical reality.
If you’re ready to turn those discoveries into your creative reality, let keep connected.
I'm excited to hear from you.
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