Writing & Publishing Club
The prompt of this Writing & Publishing Club: “What piece could you publish in the next 24 hours?”. It can be good to publish fast and publish a lot, and we are going to spend some time discussing it.
The prompt is inspired by me, your host, going to Inkhaven — a program for bloggers where you must publish a blog post every day for 30 days and if you fail to do so they kick you out of the program. I didn't get kicked out I wrote my 30 posts. I think publishing fast is great in many ways — and certainly worth considering.
All writing- and publishing-related topics are welcome
The prompt above is just one of the many topics that will be discussed. These writing clubs typically gather 7-9 people, and so the discussions topics vary a lot:
using AI when writing;
making editing more fun;
publishing platforms: substack vs others;
specific ideas for publishing;
pressure to conform to your audience's expectations;
resistance to getting things actually published;
getting fired for your controversial views;
writing grant applications.
The format
Share drafts with each other in advance on the group chat
Introductions in a circle: tell about yourself, what you are working on, what would you like to chat about, what kind of advice you'd like to receive (if any), what kind of advice you would like to give (if any)
Split into circles: talk, write, share stories & advice, etc.
You might end up coming and getting the exact advice you need to unblock you on publishing the draft you have. You might end up coming and giving someone advice that unblocks them while realizing your draft is best abandoned and starting writing another essay. We also might just get together, hang out and have lovely time together — making little progress towards publishing (making a little progress is the exact theme of this club).
Suggested Reading
1. “Why people like your quick bullshit takes better than your high-effort posts” by Georgia Ray
2. “How to Win Titular Metagames” by Taylor Troesh
This writing club started after me posting my mildly viral “Write It Just Like That” essay on the London Rational-ish WhatsApp and it generating a bunch of interesting discussions. If you haven't read the essay, you might want to check it out.
The venue
We are meeting at the cozy London Night Cafe on Feb 11th at 7pm. The entry is £7 — this is the default entry price at the Night Cafe, and all money goes to the venue (and not me). There will be unlimited tea, coffee and biscuits.
Don't forget to join the WhatsApp group
For sharing the drafts in advance and also for any future announcements.