Are You Ready? Make 2024 Your Year of Creativity!
Got a novel you want to start? A creative project you want to finish? Make 2024 your year!
Introducing a new support group chat, a virtual writing group PLUS how to book an online one-to-one chat with me and/or one of my coaching programmes!
As we’re drawing to the end of 2023, it’s time to start looking forward. For many of us the start of a new year is the perfect time to give our ideas a little (or even a big) push. To start the things we’ve been putting off, or to attack our ongoing projects with renewed vigour.
As for me? I’ve written before about how I don’t really do New Year’s Resolutions (“How I Learned to Live a Life Worth Writing - Learning to stop being so scared”), but I do take the end of one year and the beginning of the next to take stock.
And one of the things I always wanted from this Substack was for it to become a place where like-minded, creative people can come together and find support and community. I’ve also been listening to what my paid subscribers are telling me they’d like from Compendia, and so, for 2024, I’ve decided to introduce a few new features…
You wanted:
Support and guidance with your own creative projects- sometimes in a group format; sometimes individually.
A space where we can network with one another and grow together
A writing group that doesn’t feel pressured but is more of a place to talk about issues, get support from each other and/or just spend a bit of dedicated writing time together
Introducing:
A brand new support group-chat
Take a look at the pinned chat below. Drop a line about who you are and what you’re working on. Then check in regularly to offer and/or get advice and support, or just to hang out with your fellow creatives!
A regular online writing group
I’m starting a regular (monthly, initially, but we’ll see how it goes) writing group. The first few dates are below, and we’ll probably use the first one to bounce ideas around as to how we’d like it to work, but this is what I’m currently planning for each one hour session:
— We all log on at the same time. Cameras on if you can bear it.
— We’ll chat for a bit, and talk about any questions or issues. Microphones unmuted for this bit, but for the really shy I’ll try to enable text-based chat.
— We’ll spend some time writing, in silence. Again, cameras on if you can bear it.
— A few minutes round-up at the end.
This will be for my paying subscribers. The first few dates (all times UK time) are:
Sunday, January 7th, 6pm-7pm
Sunday, February 11th, 6pm -7pm
Sunday, March 10th, 6pm -7pm
I’ll send a link out to all paid subscribers a day or so in advance, and ask anyone who has any particular topic they’d like to discuss to flag it then.
A regular, exclusive ‘Ask Me Anything’ chat
At least once a month I’ll be dropping by to answer your questions in a regular ‘Ask Me Anything' right here on Compendia. Previous questions have included ‘What does Nicole Kidman smell like?’ and ‘If you had to give up pizza, beer or chocolate, which would go?’ so who knows how lively the chat might get! But don’t worry, writing-based questions will be entertained too…
Would this be the perfect Christmas gift for the writer in your life?
And finally:
My Meetings and Coaching packages are still available.
Meetings are a place for you to workshop your writing with me; discuss any challenges you’re facing with your work; or further develop characters and ideas - whatever you need.
Coaching is for those looking for a more personal and ongoing one-to-one connection in order to improve their writing or get a manuscript ready for submission. It offers a more bespoke package than is currently available via MEETINGS.
A reminder that all this writing ‘help’ is behind a paywall and therefore access to it does require a paid membership. This costs just £5.99 a month (or £4.91) if you take out an annual subscription. As well as full community access you’ll also get access to the entire archive of posts, including essays, humour, fiction and behind-the-scenes gossip.
Hi Steve! I'm a subscriber for the past year or two, and am wondering how the regular online writing group meetings work? Do I need to sing up? Thanks! Nicole