Make real headway on your novel or memoir this April.
One month of writing community, accountability and guidance.
It can be difficult to prioritize your book. We can help.
Join us for:
Four live calls and ongoing community support
Guidance and Accountability
Actionable Writing Goals and Prize Drawing
Led by Developmental Editors:
We believe intuitive writing taps into your innate storytelling wisdom.
We don't believe there is one right way to write a book. Writing, structuring, and revising a book is a long, sometimes arduous, but always deeply personal and meaningful journey.
Our goal is to create a supportive space for you to lean into the joy of writing that got you started on your book in the first place!
As developmental editors, we also know that successful books require crafting.
We offer proven guiding principles for story and structure that will help you write, assess, and revise your book.
Abigail Raeke is a developmental editor based in Portland, Oregon. Abbie is on a mission to help aspiring authors achieve their publishing goals. Creative writing can be taught. Her instructive style demystifies the narrative process and breaks down how to build a strong book! Learn more at abigailraeke.com | Libby Baker is a developmental editor based in Los Angeles, California. Libby helps screenwriters become novelists, and novelists write their best books. Stories are powerful! Libby has devoted her 25+ year career in the arts to telling meaningful stories and guiding others to tell theirs. Learn more at the-story-guide.com |
Lean Into Your Writing
Generative Workshop & Accountability Series
Live Support - Zoom Calls
- 4 Friday check-in calls with hour-long live writing sprints.
- Each call lasts for 1.5 hours.
- Q&A with Abbie and Libby offered at the end of each call.
Structure
- Monday emails with structural exercises to inspire and advance your story (Four in total).
Community
- Post your responses, questions, triumphs, and frustrations in our private community forum.
Real Incentive
- Post and reach your personal writing goal; get entered to win a coaching session with Abbie & Libby.
Writing goals are self-regulated, no judgment or critiquing involved.
Authors thrive in community, with accountability and measurable goals.
Imagine finishing that draft, and feeling confident about next steps!
The Details:
Join Lean Into Your Writing:
1. Set your personal writing goal for April
For Example: Word count; Page Count; Writing Time; Chapter or Section of your book.
2. Start writing!
3. Join check in sessions and writing sprints on Fridays at 3pm Pacific Time.
An overview of Friday sessions as follows:
- We begin with introductions.
- Libby & Abbie give a brief overview of that week's Story Fundamental exercise and how you can use it to help shape your book.
- Join a short breathing/grounding exercise to get you centered to write.
- Write.
- Stay for Q&A with Abbie and Libby for any craft/writing questions or support meeting your goal.
You can do this! Shelve your inner editor and critic and produce the material you need for your novel or memoir. Editing comes later!
Additional Support:
Introduce yourself to our intimate writing group and support fellow writers on a shared community board.
Each Monday, receive an email with an optional story fundamental question designed to inspire your writing and strengthen the structure of your book.
- Defining your Plot Hook/Premise
- Defining your Character arc
- Defining your Take Away
- Your Why (and why it’s important!)
Post and discuss assignments, ask questions, and cheer each other in the community board!
Live Zoom Calls and Sprint Writing Sessions will be held:
April 4th @ 3:00pm PT
April 11th @ 3:00pm PT
April 18th @ 3:00pm PT
April 25th @ 3:00pm PT
Post goal accomplishment by Monday, April 28th, and get entered to win a one-hour coaching session with Abbie and Libby.
Who should join the Lean Into Your Writing Series?
Writers who want to:
- Prioritize their novel or memoir in April.
- Try something new with community and group-coaching support.
- Get out of their own way, and get that book written!
Books are largely edited into publication. But they have to be written, first!
Too many writers try to edit while they write, and end up feeling frustrated or stuck.
Abbie and Libby provide a supportive path through the generative phase
with gentle guidance towards the essential story fundamentals phase.
FAQs:
Can I use a novel/memoir that I’ve already started writing?
Absolutely! The goal of Lean Into Your Writing is to hold you accountable to your writing project, motivate you to show up to the page, and support you as an author!
What if I’ve never written any part of a novel/memoir before?
Welcome! This is a great way to start.
Will I be required to share my work, or will you give me feedback on my pages?
No, we believe that it’s not in a writer’s best interest to worry about feedback in the generative stage.
We want you to feel free to follow your writer’s intuition. Put perfectionism and criticism, even (especially) your own criticism, aside.
Books are largely edited into print, but you have to write from the heart in order to produce material for the editing phase!
What if I can't make all of the live calls?
Come to as many (or as few) live calls as you wish.
As long as you meet your personal writing goal and post your success on the community page, you will be entered to win the coaching prize!
What if I can't complete my writing goal?
That's okay!
If you participate and end up partially completing your goal - that's a win! You'll still be an important part of the community. We'll simply encourage you to repeat your progress again the next month, and the next ... we all have our own processes and timelines.
But clear goals and the power of community often push us to accomplish more than we imagine!
How it works:
Step 1: Click one of buttons to join the community with a secure Stripe payment.
Step 2: Receive your first welcome email with Zoom link for live calls.
Step 3: Set and share (optional) your personal writing goal for April, 2025.
Step 4: Stay on track with weekly emails, Friday Zoom check-ins and writing sprints, and community writers' board.
Step 5: Celebrate reaching your personal writing goal. Get entered to win a coaching session to reinvigorate next steps for your novel or memoir!
Refund Policy
We realize that sometimes life derails the best-laid intentions. Unfortunately, once the challenge has begun, we won’t be able to issue refunds. You will have access to all posted community board resources through May, 2025.
35Days
13Hours
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We're counting down to our April kick-off!
Doors to Lean Into Your Writing close on Sunday, March 30th, as we prepare to celebrate our small group of committed writers.
Numbers are limited, so join now!
