Not everyone will be a fit for this membership, and that’s by design. I want serious craftspeople who aren’t just interested in striving or surviving. I want to bring together writers to thrive.

So this community will be for you if:

• You’re in transition and feel the next step in your journey is within reach. With some perseverance, guts, and elbow grease, you really feel like you’re ramping up for your next level, whether that’s getting an agent, publishing your debut, or reigniting your backlist.

• You’re naturally curious and love to learn. This includes sharpening your industry knowledge, traditional publication, indie publishing, writing for pleasure, submitting to literary journals, serializing a web novel … whatever! Craft doesn’t care what you do with it, and the strategies we’ll explore together are applicable to many different scenarios.

• You want to give as good as you get. One time, a writer applied for one of my workshop intensives and said she wasn’t interested in giving feedback. She just wanted everyone else’s notes on her work. Wrong answer. Wrong attitude. Only by giving freely of our creative selves do we grow. I want to spend my time with people who’ll be generously engaged because they know a rising tide lifts all boats. Writing is a solitary endeavor and we need one another for morale, accountability, and growth. If you don’t yet trust that it’ll come back around to you, you’re not ready.

• You’re excited to give constructive feedback, understand a writer’s intentions, and make an actionable difference in their storytelling. I’m not looking for writers who want to poke holes simply to show how smart they are, or to glorify their own work (which, I’ve found, is actually a sign of insecurity). We’re all in this together.

• You’re open-minded and read widely. You’re always scanning for your next great book, industry article, or craft technique, and you want to share what you find and ignite discussions.

• You’re not precious and you don’t cling. Yes, you’re fiercely committed to your work, but you also realize that writer’s block is an illusion and that ideas are everywhere. You’re not afraid to pivot as you refine your ability to generate your next great story.

• You’re dynamic, show up, and are maybe slightly goofy and unhinged, too. (Said with love, as a fellow goofy and unhinged person!) Writing is supposed to be fun, right? Most days, that’s easy to forget. I want to surround myself with people who can see the humor in this crazy endeavor. Who do the work on their good days and bad days. Because I’m right there with you.

However, you will not be a fit if:

• You’re seeking to vent, bitch, and moan only. Oh, don’t worry. There’ll be venting, bitching, and moaning. However, our overall trajectory is trending decidedly upward.

• You’re obsessed with product instead of progress. Sure, most writers want a book deal with a Big-Five house or New York Times best-seller status. But you can’t control what the industry and market do. You can only control your own process. The product of any writing journey isn’t a single manuscript—it’s your creative self.

• You’re competitive with fellow writers. Challenge yourself all you like—a fighting spirit often gives us motivation. But I’m not interested in writers who tear one another down or who can’t celebrate someone else’s good news or PM announcement. Writing is already full of rejection and disappointment, and we shouldn’t be adding more.

• You collect theory without putting it into practice. The goal is actual butt-in-chair time, not endless preparation. Having information is wonderful, but if you don’t use or play with it, you’re not making actionable progress.

• Everyone who’s ever given you critique is an idiot who doesn’t understand your genius. This tells me you aren’t yet mature enough in your craft to make good use of feedback. You don’t have to take every note you’re ever given and blindly follow it, but reactivity has no place here. If you can’t ascribe positive intent to writing notes, you won’t do well.

• You don’t have time or the idea of a community makes you feel overwhelmed in advance. I’m not asking you to spend hours a day with us. But if you haven’t yet figured out how to make time for a regular writing practice, I’d rather you go and do that instead. Add a community to your mix later, but don’t stretch yourself thin, or you’ll never get your actual work done.

• You’re not ready to commit on every level. Your contributions, your energy, your creativity, and, yes, your money. If you’re planning on joining something and forgetting all about it, or buying the resource and getting around to it … later, you’re better off elsewhere. Community is what you make it. It’s not a one-way street, nor can it be sustained only by one expert blathering from a podium. (Yes, I have been this expert for years! But I’m no longer convinced this is the best way to truly transform anyone’s writing life.)

sounds good? join us!

You’ll enjoy a one-week free trial and if this isn’t the best writing community you’ve ever joined, there’s also a 30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. If you have the time, energy, and passion to build this with me, let’s gooooo! Don’t take my word for it, and join us for your next chapter.