Category: Writing + Blogging

Bravery

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

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Bravery.

Bravery is showing up.

Bravery is saying what you believe in. Out loud. To the people who need to hear it. Even if that person is you. 

It’s having honest communication with your self, your teams, your communities.

Bravery is saying no when you know you need to. It’s saying no to the wrong things so that you can say yes to the right things.

Bravery is having the courage to quit when you know you’re on the wrong track, even if hundreds of thousands of people are headed in one direction. It’s knowing when the path you are on isn’t the one for you. It’s taking that scary leap, swimming upstream, or wandering down unfamiliar trails.

Bravery isn’t fun, macho, or full of gusto. It’s not always done in one big sweep.

Bravery is all the heroes in Boston, visible and invisible, local and global. 

Bravery is having the courage to stand out on social media and remind people to collect the dots, not connect them too early.

Bravery is saying something different and showing empathy for our peers around the world. It’s not jumping to conclusions too quickly. It’s remembering what we stand for and believing in the best of us.

Sometimes bravery is remarkable, unfathomable courage by the youngest and oldest of human souls who rush forward to help everyone and put their lives on the line to save others. The runners in Boston who kept running to the hospital to donate blood were Remarkable. Beautiful. Stunning. Incredible.

Other times bravery is calm, methodical. Sometimes it looks quite peaceful. Sometimes it’s shaking off the noise and clamor and distraction and realizing with simple focus that your next steps require you to take those steps and walking forward is the best and happiest way forward.

Bravery might not be visible to anyone else at the time that you’re being brave. Bravery might be broadcast on national television (but that’s not the point).

It’s showing up, little by little. 

It’s putting yourself out there, even if “out there” is pushing past your own mental barriers.

It’s deciding that now is a better time than later.

Bravery is bravery, even if it doesn’t look that remarkable to anyone else. You are still brave.

It’s continuing to press on, even when your stomach drops in fear, your hands shake in nerves, and you collect sweat in your armpits faster than fog droplets in a San Francisco “summer” day. It’s taking a step forward in the midst of whirlwind gusts of wind and shouting into the windstorm, I’ve got this, dammit! I’m still going to do it! I have to! 

My soul tells me I have to do this, and I have to listen.

Start small. (It’s okay to start with a bang, too, but small is still very brave).

Watch for the mental overwhelm, and give yourself kindness and space to freak the heck out (although maybe not publicly just yet).

Be very kind to yourself.

And also, remember,

in your quest for bravery:

In order to do something new, you often have to let go of something old.

The trouble with starting something is that it requires a different behavior than what you did before.

We are creatures of habit, yes, but we are also creatures of continuous change.

Spring is the perfect time for creative bursting, for unfolding, for the skin-shedding, cocoon-bursting metamorphosis that transforms you towards your next self.

The world is waiting for you to grow into the next version of you. 

Bravery doesn’t always feel like bravery.

It can feel like whirl-wind, mind-bending, all-changing upset, filled with unpredictable whims and whammies, stomach upset and nervous twitters, body aches, starts and stops, trial and error, and a whole lot of messy.

Sometimes bravery feels nauseating, overwhelming, scary, and downright hard.

It’s still brave.

 

A little insider’s story–my story:

When I opened the doors and launched my writing class last week, I was terrified. This was my brain:

What if I wasn’t ready? What if no one showed up? What if nothing worked? What if this dream of mine, that I’ve been working and crafting and creating for so many months past, resulting in a big giant internet wall of silence? 

Intellectually, I know that I can do this. I’ve been ready to do this for years. I’ve taught workshop after workshop and coached folks for years. I have a chart on my wall of the things I’m leaning towards this year, and the one big thing not lined up for the longest time was creating a course for writers. I can’t confess to understanding all of the reasons that I’ve avoided doing it, but I can speculate.

It means so much to me.

I knew deep down that I would do it even if only one person showed up. I would do it even if no one paid me the first time, and I would keep honing my chops and my offerings until I found the right fit.

That still doesn’t mean I’m not incredibly terrified. I get scared! Scared SHITLESS. My brain, many weeks ago:

What if no one shows up? What if I’m a terrible teacher? What if I can’t get it all done? What if it doesn’t work? WHAT IF NOT ONE PERSON SHOWS UP? What it I can’t do it on top of the work I’m already doing? What if this isn’t what I’m meant to do? WHAT IF, WHAT IF, WHAT IF EVERYTHING???

WHAT IF IT’S ALL JUST WRONG?

So scream the fear-monster voices in my head.

Yes. They are there. I have them. 

When you get close to your dreams, fear can rage like a giant monster. Every thing that could go wrong seems to loom large. The website broke. I stayed up all night, nervous about prepping the materials. Funky characters showed up across my website. More things went wrong. Before launching the program, I waited for months. I studied stacks and stacks of books, compressing more knowledge into the course documents in order to make it even better. I stalled. And then stalled some more. I thought about not doing it at all. I almost said to myself, “Nah, one wants this. It’s not worth trying.” 

And then someone thanked me. People went out of their way to reach out and tell me how excited they were. 

Several more people signed up. The class started filling up before I had all my ducks lined up and my posts ready to go. (I have so much more promotion I’m planning on!)

In the form: “Yes. I’ve been waiting for this. This is exactly the class I want.” and “I’m so excited I cannot WAIT until the 29th!”

Holy shit. I’m so excited. And thankful. This is going to be good.

Today, with the class more than half full already, I could laugh away those fears and pretend with a big shiny smile that everything is all and well, but it’s not the truth. I’m scared, too. The fear monsters hit everyone. I don’t know all the answers. But I do love writing!

I’ve learned, slowly, over and over again, that the scariest part of doing anything is not doing it and wallowing in thought. 

And wrapping your thoughts around all those fears? That’s a scary space.

Be brave. Get started.

The best way to do anything is to do it. If you’re afraid of starting, make it smaller and simpler. Want to have a conversation with your boss about something you’re frustrated about? Don’t write a big report or delay on it. Write a quick, simple email that says: “I’ve got a couple of items I’d really like to talk to you about–including a couple of frustrations I’d like to work through. When’s the best time to chat, and is there a format that’s easiest for you?” Do it as soon as you know that you have to have this conversation. Stop by and say what you think. Look for solutions.

And be brave. I know it’s terrifying, I know it’s not easy, and I go through it all the time.

Be brave.

With big love this week,

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Spring 2013 Writer’s Workshop | FAQ

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

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There has been such an incredible response to the writing course! Here are some of the main questions so far and feel free to reach out on twitter if you have any other questions. If you’re thinking of joining the course, registration ends this week. 

I love the idea of a Writing Course! But who is it for? How do I know if it’s the right fit for me?

This course is designed for people who want to get better at writing but aren’t ready to commit to a full-time program at a University, or want to increase their writing habits by doing a 3-week course. If you’re a professional, creative, or have a personal writing hobby and want to step up your game, this course will help you improve your writing and teach you fundamental skills and lessons in storytelling and narrative.

How does it work? What does the class consist of?

The class is broken down into three weekly themes:

  • Week One looks at Visualization and Imagination — we’ll talk about crafting our ideas, shaping them, using different methods for imagination, and exploring each of our writing dreams.
  • Week Two is on Storytelling, where we get to dive into specific frameworks and structures for creating stories, and practice writing many of our own.
  • Lastly, Week Three focuses on Persuasion and using writing to get more clarity in what we want and communicating with others.

Every weekday during the course, there’s a core lesson followed by a writing prompt for you to start your creative writing. The core lesson is a teaching example or a short story to get you thinking and learning about new ways to consider your writing and narrative–on average, it’s about 1-2 pages of reading with examples and links to further resources for you to dig into. At the end of the lesson, there’s a prompt for your daily creative writing exercise–a series of thoughts for you to respond to.

The prompts will get you into the habit of writing each day and putting words onto paper.

It sounds like a lot of content. I work during the day – how will I get it all done?

It is a lot of content! I cover a lot quickly, but I don’t want you to get overwhelmed. In the beginning we’ll work on framing your personal writing goals, and you can pick how many days you’d like to practice. For some people, just writing 3 days a week is an ideal goal, so they can save the Tuesday and Thursday lessons for later. Each lesson is designed as a complete package, and the more lessons you do, the more you’ll learn.

Do I get to keep the course materials?

Yes! Each day you’ll get a PDF of the course lesson for you to keep. At the end of the course I’ll send you the complete digital document (it’s nearly a book!) for you to keep as well.

What if I while I’m taking the course I come up with a great idea and I want to take my writing in this new direction — what should I do?

The biggest goal of this class is to help you get started with your writing craft and to unlock your creative vision. If you get a great idea, run with it! The people I work with all have lots and lots of creative ideas–but haven’t found a consistent way to get their ideas on paper, and tend to feel “stuck” in some way or another. To that end, I encourage everyone to follow your instinct and intuition. You can save the lessons for future prompts and days when you’re looking for a way to start. The most important thing is that you take the time to write and explore your ideas. Everyone has a story to tell–scratch that, everyone has lots of stories to tell, and this course is about exploring your narratives and stories and putting your ideas into words.

How big is the class?

The target size is a group of 20-30 people so you can find and meet great peers and start to connect with your classmates, but we’re still an intimate group so that I can interact with each of you. Depending on how many people sign up, we may be a bit smaller for this pilot group. Registration closes on Friday, April 26th.

What’s your teaching style? Do you have a teaching philosophy?

Absolutely. I work under several premises that create the foundation for the work I do with my clients, on this blog, and in my life.

  • Get Started. I believe that one of the most difficult things for each of us is the “getting started” part of any habit. We spend so much time locked in our heads and minds and not enough time actually doing the things that need to get done. By setting up a three-week course with daily prompts, the goal of this course is to get you started on a writing habit, and build up a positive association with opening your writing document and letting your heart out on the paper.
  • You Need A Team. If we could each simply “motivate” or “do” everything we wanted to, life would be great–but it doesn’t work like that. We need community, coaches, friends, mentors, teachers, and a whole crew of people to help us walk (or run!) towards our dreams. This class is designed to help you unlock your creativity by adding structure, mentorship, teaching and accountability to your wonderful burgeoning creative talents. 
  • Positivity. The next premise is one of positivity. I believe we need to be very kind to ourselves about our progress. In my experience, a lot of folks engage in a dialogue about why they’re not accomplishing or achieving what they meant to do yet. I like to re-frame this, and instead talk about all the good things you’re capable of doing, and be positive about whatever level you can achieve. Signing up for the course and taking the steps towards being a more prolific writer is huge! Congratulations to you on that! And once you’re in the course, –the course can be taken at different paces, so that if you want to write only 2 or 3 times a week, that’s just fine. Everyone’s definition of success is different, and the most important thing is creating space and time and a community for writers to connect and create.
  • Intuition. I believe in honing your relationship with your intuition–your instinct, your gut. If you’ve spent years in academic or work environments with a particular rigor or structure, it’s highly likely that you’ve lost touch with your base creative intuition. The good news is that each of us can build and strengthen our relationship with our instincts by getting out our tools and “exercising” our intuitive muscles daily.

Are you giving feedback to everyone on their essays?

While I won’t be reading everyone’s essays every day — that’s far too much for me to take on (30 essays every day for 15 days is a LOT of essays), but I will be reading at least one essay by each person and giving thoughtful suggestions and feedback and answering your questions each evening in our online community. We will use the Facebook group as a place to have conversations and talk about common threads, themes, and questions. I’ll be online a couple of times per day (usually in the evenings) to go through and answer each of your questions and add thoughts and resources for your consideration.

Is this a technical class?

This is not a technical class. I’m less concerned with a typo or proper sentence construction, and much more excited about getting your ideas out onto paper, quickly. You can always polish something later (and I recommend Strunk & White’s Elements of Style if you’re interested in this). This course is focused on dreaming, scheming, imagination, and building your writing practice and craft.

I can’t make this session–I’m so bummed! Will you be offering this course again?

Yes. I’ll be offering a similar course either this Summer or Fall.

I don’t have a Facebook account. Will that affect my ability to take the class?

One of the ways we will interact with each other is a small, closed Facebook group that lets us meet and discuss on a forum page. I’ve looked through several alternatives and this is the best one to date. If you don’t have an account, you can still do the prompts and learn from each daily lesson and get a great class out of it. You might also consider creating a temporary account for the duration of the course if you’d like to be a part of the community conversations.

Are there any surprises?

Of course there are surprises! :) I have a couple of additional tricks up my sleeve that I’m working on and can’t wait to share with you. Sign up and you’ll see!

Where do I register?

Class Description: Start Writing | Digital Writer’s Workshop
Course Cost: $300.
Direct Registration Link 

 

Start Writing | 2013 Writer’s Workshops (A three-week digital course for writers)

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

Imagine: a three-week course for writers to practice your craft, learn about writing tips and tactics, get direct feedback on your writing and meet other people in a small-group format. A way to enter the digital world. A place to get better at writing–and learn from others in direct conversation. An opportunity to learn about storytelling, narrative, and writing.

I hear from so many folks that want to write, but haven’t started yet–or don’t know where to start. Individuals with a developing writing craft who want to get better at storytelling, narrative, and online writing. People who have been writing for a while–and are ready to share their work with other people.

“The act of starting something is powerful.” – (Tweet this)

I’ve been working this past winter and spring to develop a course just for this purpose: a 3-week digital writing workshop with daily exercises and a private, shared community of colleagues to converse with and learn from. I’m excited to share it with the world and invite you to participate!

Join me.

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The Details: Spring 2013 Writer’s Workshop

A digital writer’s workshop: A 3 week (21-day) adventure course on creative writing, storytelling, and blogging. Monday through Friday weekday essay prompts, 3 live calls and Question/Answer sessions, and a small, private group to meet fellow bloggers and community members interested in the same thing you are – writing.

Course Dates: The program starts Monday, April 29th and goes through Friday, May 17th.

The Goodies:

  • Fifteen introductory essay prompts and thoughtful phrases sent each weekday morning, plus a reading/thought reflection question. Each question will be a short exercise to stimulate your thinking, teach you a new writing skill, and (optionally) extend into a longer essay (if you have the time).
  • Live Q/A group calls every Wednesday at 5 PM PST (and recorded so you can watch later) to ask any questions you have about developing your writing, to ask questions and share experiences, and to talk about all things writing, blogging, brainstorming, storytelling and internet.
  • Weekend optional/alternative assignments to “catch up” on missed weekdays or do bonus writing (not required). Take the time to expand, re-write, edit, and hone in on one of your favorite ideas from the week.
  • A private, closed Facebook page for the group to talk to each other, share tips and ideas, and form connections with other writers looking to expand their practice.
  • A chance to submit your writing for review or feedback through a weekly “featured essay contest,” where I’ll be giving feedback directly to you on your essays and questions.
  • The choice to go at your pace: while prompts will be delivered daily, you have the option to select anywhere from 2-, 3- or 5-times a week writing (although I encourage at least three per week to help set the habit!). Pick what feels right for you and select your personal writing habit.
  • At the end of the course: a bonus pack of 15 essays prompts and ideas: an extra three weeks of self-guided writing after the three-week course. Would I send you off into the woods alone? Nope! I’ll give you more exercises for you to do at your own pace.
  • If you complete all the prompts and ideas (including the bonus pack) you’ll finish the workshop with 30 essays—enough for a year’s worth of blogging!
  • Crafted with love, design chops, and a desire to make an impact on your writing. Let me help you get started writing in this Spring Writers’ Workshop.

Learn About:

  • The power of great storytelling, and how to improve your storytelling.
  • Narrative Arc, storytelling formation, and writing structures including Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey.”
  • How to add color, texture and detail to your writing;
  • Finding your own voice and story.
  • What to do when you get stuck and how to develop great habits for great writing

Explore:

  • New topics to write about and prompts for you to pursue
  • Thoughts and ideas from writers across multiple centuries.
  • Resources and tools to teach you more about storytelling, writing, and communications.
  • The psychology behind habit formation and building a writing practice.
  • The brilliance of your brain–you are already a wonderful thinker!–explore ways to let your voice come out on the page.
  • Engage in feedback and conversation with other writers, and get direct feedback on your questions, ideas and concerns.

“Writing is essential to our creative self, our soul: write to learn and to live.” – (Tweet this)

This course is perfect for:

  • People with aspiring creative writing dreams;
  • Professionals looking at improving communication skills for day job;
  • Bloggers who want to improve their craft;
  • New writers who want to get started on a writing project;
  • People with a writing practice who want to meet other like-minded people.

Registration details:

THE SPRING 2013 WORKSHOP IS SOLD OUT.

Register here. Registration opens Monday, April 15th and closes Friday, April 26th (or when spots fill up).

If you’d like to join for a Summer Workshop, sign up to be notified of blog posts and future classes.

Summer 2013 and Fall 2013 Workshop Details coming soon. Registration will open June 1.

EARLY REGISTRATION: $300.

  • Registration closes April 26th or when the class is full ~ whichever comes first!
  • The course is $400 for three weeks, 30 total essay prompts, daily inquiries, three live calls, and a closed community of like-minded writers.
  • Miss a day? Exercises can be done throughout the week, before or after work, or you can catch up on weekends if you miss a day along the way.

I hear from so many folks that want to write but don’t know where to begin, or haven’t carved out the time yet. Many people are also writing but haven’t formed a community online. This course is designed to help you do both. The course will combine several of my teachings from the Storytelling workshops I’ve taught at World Domination Summit, Bold Academy and at General Assembly — as well as detail new processes and resources for your use.

Let’s get started – a private community and daily digital course focused on getting better at writing.

Want in? Join me!

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With (writing) love,

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Keep Writing.

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

I’ve had a few people ask me about writing habits, what compels me to write, and how to keep the habit.

A couple of thoughts:

Don’t worry about what it looks like, or how much of it you’re doing.

Don’t worry about who’s reading it, or what they’re saying, or whether or not anyone’s reading it.

Don’t worry about whether or not it’s “the right time,” or that you’re in your pajamas at 1 AM scrawling out a couple of things.

Don’t worry if it’s 6 AM and you forgot to wash your face and you still need to brush your teeth and the coffee is cold, or warm, or not even made at all–or if you’re on your tenth cup.

Don’t worry about whether you’re writing on a bus in between trips, on a notebook without any lines on it, on a age-old laptop (mine’s called Tubby, by the way, ’cause he’s a real chunker), or whether you’re working in Pages or Word or Tumblr or WordPress.

Don’t worry if you switch topics and platforms and ideas and think that it’s all confusing other people. It doesn’t matter.

Maybe don’t make too much of a plan, other than the basic commitment to keep showing up and writing about whatever you want to write about.

Don’t worry–at least not yet, and maybe not even then–about what it adds up to, or what it will become, or even why you’re doing it.

Don’t worry about only having 20 or 30 minutes a day to write; don’t be discouraged. Keep writing, whenever and however you can. A couple thoughts a day for a month can add up before you know it. Write when you can, and thank yourself for doing it.

Don’t worry about the fact that your life doesn’t look like a “writer’s lifestyle,” or the fact that you have a job or you only have limited time each day to write. Mark Twain was an insurance salesman, if it makes you feel any better.

Don’t worry about whether or not you don’t have a bed to sleep in at the moment, or if you have a house over your head, or if the bed you do have is too short for you so you’ve got to sleep on the concrete floor in your sleeping bag for a couple of months.

Don’t worry about the people who don’t understand why you need to write, and if someone tells you that writing isn’t important or that you aren’t a good writer or that you shouldn’t spend so much time writing, by all means do it anyway, because it’s not about whether or not they think you should write, but about whether or not you think you should write.

Don’t worry about not getting enough sleep, about forgetting to wear deodorant, about feeling incompetent, about not being sure what to say.

Don’t worry if your first ten, twenty, or an entire year’s worth of posts are shit and you can’t figure out if you’ll ever be able to string together words in the way you want to.

Just keep writing. Writers write.

Remember: Just keep writing. The only way to become a writer is to write.

And all of the above, for me, has been true. And I kept writing, and so should you.

With love,

2012: Year In Review

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

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Pelican on the San Francisco Bay, November 2012 (see below for the photo-behind-the-photo).

This is my typical annual review, a process by which I review this blog, my life (although not all of it is shared here), the lessons I’ve learned, and some of the growth that’s occurred through projects and processes I have (or more painfully, haven’t) achieved and accomplished. This review is tailored towards this blog and my work in psychology, philosophy and online community building; I’ll share each of the sections of the review in categories accordingly, and it’s likely to be a lot longer than most blog posts.

Why An Annual Review? 

I’ve been blogging here at It Starts With since May 2011, or for about a year and a half. Previously I wrote another blog for about six months, although I quickly tired of the title and theme and was frustrated with the design; before that I wrote essays for the local Examiner, many of which were cross-posted to create the early archives of this blog. Technically speaking, this site that you’re looking at didn’t exist until May 2011.

I engage in regular monthly reviews as well as a longer annual reviews similar to what Chris Guillebeau does–basically reviewing what went well and what didn’t go so well at year-end.

In the past year and a half, I’ve gone from zero subscribers and traffic and very little understanding of WordPress to designing my own website, playing extensively with Google Analytics and MailChimp, learning about subscribers, and interacting with a continuously-growing audience of some of the smartest and most interesting people I’ve ever met.

Where We’ve Been, and Where We’re Going.

More and more I’m convinced that very few of us truly understand the flattening and leveraging power of the internet: with consistent effort and publication of your ideas, you can find people and they can find you. No longer do we need to stay within the same location, job, city, or network, although the previous world constrains our thinking and perceptions of barriers more than we’d like to admit (or even understand). The best books I’ve read to this effect include Nick Bilton’s and Clay Shirky’s, among other of my favorite books from 2012.

In conjunction with this revelation that the internet allows us access and influence in ways not possible before, I’m also realizing how important understanding scale is for your objectives: and it’s not necessarily that bigger is better. Believe it or not, you don’t have to be the most important person on the internet (or in real life). The network size and community size you need is highly variable and doesn’t need to be that big–a lot is possible with access to just a few people, provided you cultivate the right niche and community. If you build a community of 100 people interested in knitting across your city, you can create a movement. The first YouTube video just crossed the 1 Billion threshold mark. The world is changing, as it always does. It’s exciting.

But back to this particular internet world, my blog:

Every year I sit down and look back at my piles of notes, writing, publication (on and off line) and the last year’s dreams. Dreams and goals are only as good as the number of times you revisit them to take steps or learn why you’re not doing what you want to be doing. Each annual review is typically a two to three-week process of reflection and discovery. Often I’m surprised, delighted, annoyed (and many other emotions) from discovering that in some ways, I’ve done more than I wanted, and in other areas, far less than I wanted. Continue reading “2012: Year In Review”

Happy Holidays 2012!

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and all the love and joy I can send your way over the holidays. Thanks for being here, for building such an amazing community, and for teaching me so many things over the past year. I’ve learned so much from each of you who write in, comment, and tell me stories about how you’re changing and growing throughout your lives and explorations. I feel so lucky to be able to write (and that people listen!) and that I’ve spent a year doing this thing on the side that I love doing–telling stories and being here. It’s wonderful.

It’s been an incredible year, both at my job and in editing several of the websites and projects I’m involved in, and I’m so grateful to have another internet home here on this site, to tell the stories of how I do it and what I’m learning along the way. I love writing, thinking things through, and sharing the behind-the-scenes of what I’m working on and how I think–and this year, I’ve been lucky to work with a few of you one-on-one both in calls and in the month-long Start Something Program. I’m blown away by the incredible people I get to meet and interact with.

You, seriously, are the best. I hope you all know how wonderful you are. I want to highlight some of the amazing people I’ve gotten to work with, as a quick nod to all of you and your talented ways:

  • Krista, who explores the everyday human experiences and  “response crafting” (I love this term!) … who doubles down as an IT Consultant by day and philosopher-doer by night;
  • Jennifer, whose backstory is so touching and who has such grace and confidence; she’s building a platform and website called “The Health Sessions,” looking at how to achieve your dreams while dealing with chronic illness (check out her Facebook page, and watch for her new website coming soon);
  • Lauren, who works in social media in New Orleans and blogs about travel, work and love at Mermaid Chronicles. (And my personal favorite: her story of landing a job via a story of carrying a surfboard through the subways of New York. Yes!)
  • Lisa, an all-around “Advocate for Awesome,” who is a Higher-Ed power-punch and triple threat through her talents in speaking, writing, and intrapreneurial mindset–and a contagious zest for growth and learning.
  • And so many more. There are some goodies still being crafted behind-the-scenes, and I can’t wait to see (and support) so many of you. Continue reading “Happy Holidays 2012!”

Building Something Bigger (And a Peek Behind The Curtain): My Monthly Review

Posted on by Sarah K Peck


It’s the end of the month (Happy Halloween!) and I’m sitting down to do my monthly review–which happens as close to the 30th as I can get each month, give or take a couple of days depending on my schedule and deadlines. I find that I like to check-in on the 30th to see how things are going, because a monthly check-in is a good rhythm to gauge whether or not I’m making significant progress on my larger goals, what I moved forward on, and whether or not I’m happy with the balance in my health, lifestyle, ambitions, physicality and writing dreams.

I’m sharing a peek-behind-the-scenes into my monthly review because I think you’ll like it–I love learning how people operate and how often they check in with themselves, what (or whether or not) they set goals for themselves, and how they go about reaching them. I like getting things done and making things happen, and this is a system that works for me. I’ve shared it with a handful of people over the past couple of days and so I’m documenting both what I do–and some of the questions they have–as a peek behind the curtains. Continue reading “Building Something Bigger (And a Peek Behind The Curtain): My Monthly Review”

The Importance of Story

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

There are thousands of bad presentations. What makes a good presentation?

Nancy Duarte looks at the importance of stories and narratives in our collective history, and how the use of storytelling can captivate audiences.

In it’s most simple structure, a story contains a likable hero, who encounters a roadblock, and overcomes the adversity to achieve a goal.

This is one of my favorite presentations and part of my recent research into storytelling, designing presentations, communication, and public speaking.

Four Mantras All Writers Know And Love

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

I’m on a writing retreat with my younger sister and family this weekend, and we’re editing, writing, and working on several projects (from crochet to design to catching up on other unfinished ideas).

We were sitting by the ocean, bantering about writing and editing. She shared four “writing mantras,” from one of her favorite teachers, and we both realized that these are rules we live by in our own writing practice. I loved them and I thought I’d share.

If you can’t read well, you can’t write well. The most important thing you can do to be a better writer is read. I recently listed a years’ worth of my favorite books, and I’m already embedded in at least half a dozen new novels, historical accounts, and business books this month alone. Immersing yourself in good quality writing is the best teacher.

There is no good writing, there is only good re-writing. When I work with new writers, I often tell them to expect the first page to be “full of shit, with a few gems hidden in there somewhere.” It takes time, patience, and a whole bunch of red-lines to work with words on a page. It also takes the courage to put words down on paper without initial judgment or concern. Just do it, and let yourself write. Don’t let your judgment of yourself preclude you from starting in the first place. Trust that it can continue to get better with editing, time, and practice.

The goal is not complex words and simple ideas, but simple words and complex ideas. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. Writing does not need to be complicated, pretentious, confusing, or full of jargon. To me, writing is a process for building understanding for yourself, and others. For myself, I often copy notes, explore ideas, and re-work words on a page just to tango with an idea until it makes sense in my mind. If I can’t explain it to people, then I’m not well-versed enough in the concept. Writing is a tool for communication (externally) as well as understanding (internally). Often, much of my writing is just about my words, rants, ideas, and explorations–before any of it gets shared with anyone else.

What you take out is just as important as what you leave in. Getting to a clear, simple essay or point is not straightforward. Often, I have to write 5-6 pages just to get to a distillation of one great paragraph. It’s part of the process.

What are your writing dreams and goals? Are you upping the ante with your writing? I’ve recently received multiple messages from people who want to be writing more. My advice? Do it, and do it as often as possible. A little is a lot.

 

 

A Rant on Ridiculous Words and Phrases

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

Perhaps it was my foray into Twitter and Google+ this past year, but I’ve found myself simultaneously overjoyed by the opportunities and connections, and also, now, a bit weary of repetition. Some of the same themes, ideas, and mantras crept up time and again, each time undermining their efficacy and usefulness. In particular, given the limitation of 140-characters (a typical tweet), I find that people keep using the same (awesome!) words (epic!) over (insane!) and (sweet!) over again (cue: Top Ten Things You Must Do To Become Cooler Than You Are Now).

Anyone else tired? Maybe, of course, I just need to shake it up and start following different threads. But for now, I’ll rant.

Here’s a list of what I think are the most over-used words from the past year. These aren’t the 100 most common words in the English language (words like “the,” “and” or “if”) — these are words that have crept into common lexicon and subsequently eroded their usefulness. Without further ado, I bring to you the list of most over-used words of 2011 (I, too, am guilty of these–please note locations where I’ve self-edited said words out of this post!). 

Words (and phrases) to eliminate from our vocabulary

Epic. Really. Epic? Is it really epic? Seriously. I’m sure. I’m certain that your blog post, or personal photograph, or even your dinner meal was epic. Or how about this: it definitely wasn’t, and I don’t care. Epic is for things like wire-walking. Or doing an entire iron man while pulling, pushing, and running with your disabled son. Or a dog jumping out a plane because of his sheer love and trust of humans, not because it’s a few words on another internet page (see this rant on photography, with a photo of the dog about halfway down). 

Amazing. To cause amazement. To induce a state of surprise and wonder. Really, see micro-rant from “epic,” above. The cosmos are amazing. The discovery of a helio-centric universe and it’s subsequent explanation and rebuttals by the church is pretty amazing. The internet is amazing. Physics and mathematics from the 16th century, aka Galileo, is quite amazing. The word debuted in 1530, so I’m pretty fairly sure Galileo (circa 1564) might have used the word once or twice. (I have included the original drafts’ use of “pretty,” which is a word I also think is overused–see below, and slap me on the wrist for that.)

Super. This one just makes you sound like you’re somewhere between the ages of twelve and eighteen, and no older. I’ve used it handfuls of times this year already, to dismissive and skeptical looks. Trust me, stop using this word. Like, that’s super! Yeah. Not so good.

Freaking.  A filler word used to make other words seem even more important, but usually has the opposite effect. That’s pretty freaking cool.

Outstanding. I’m a nice person. But most things aren’t outstanding. Things are well done. Good. In progress. Great. Incomplete. Very well researched. Time-intensive. Find another word that doesn’t erode the validity of this one.

Awesome. Just see “epic” and “amazing” above.

Like. Makes you sound … like… a valley girl. Want to know how to eliminate it from your speech? Videotape yourself while you give a presentation. Or just videotape yourself and try talking about anything. Have a friend count on their hand the number of times you use this word in conversation with them.  If you don’t mind them doing so, have them slap you each time. It’s a nervous tic, a habit, a lazy habit of speech that can be eliminated. Bring it to the front of your consciousness. Then, try to speak without using the word going forward.

Totally. What does this word even mean? I get the vague sense that it should mean complete, or full, or in total agreement. We use it to offer concurrence or acceptance of what someone else is saying, and we use it to prod someone to keep speaking (or worse, to finish speaking). What if you smiled and nodded instead? If you used your body language instead of flippant words to make a point?

Word. This should have died years ago.

Literally. If it’s not literal, don’t use it.

Seriously. Right?

“See what I’m saying” which is equally interchangeable with “Know what I mean?”  (see below). These phrases bubble up like nervous chatter and become filler phrases that indicate that you’re not sure if someone is listening to you.

“Know what I mean?” Equally interchangeable with, “You know?” as a question inserted at every breath point in a sentence, ending in a lilt, you know?, that kind of, like, you know?, drives the other person bat-shit crazy.

Ending anything with questions. For the love of God. If you’re going to say something, have the courage to believe in it. Say it with purpose. Intention. Belief. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will? At worst case, you could be wrong, and then you can issue a corrective statement. … right?

Bold. “It’s a bold new century.” Is it really now? Are you sure? Because I think it’s just a new century. We’re talking a lot of bold nonsense. Let’s get real.

Passion(ate). Your passion could eat itself off the page and sell you a job. In fact, I think you’re so passionate, I’m certain you’ve said it six different times in your resume and cover letter. Find a different word. In fact, skip the word altogether and go straight to the examples–the ones where you’ve volunteered, donated, started your own project, built, and succeeded in doing these things, and your passion rings true. You don’t have to say it anymore.

Social media. Two of the most generic words: media, how we communicate, and social, how we interact. So you’ve used “social media” to do … what, exactly? If you say you’re a social media strategist, I’ll look at you with glazed eyes, unsure if you just surf facebook or if you’re actually doing something more useful with your time. Tell me more specifically about who you are and what you do; what your objectives are, and what tactics, specifically, have worked in your industry and why. Everyone’s calling themselves’ a social media strategist nowadays. Don’t be one of them.

Just. Inserting the word “just” before any phrase undermines it’s strength. It’s a way of putting a clause in front of your work, of reducing the importance of what you do. I’m just a girl. I’m just an intern. I’m just doing my job. It’s an excuse, it’s bullshit, and if you’re just doing something, perhaps you shouldn’t do it at all.

Pretty. A filler word, used to reduce the value of other words. “Yeah, that’s pretty cool. … dontcha think?”

Kinda. See “Just” and “Pretty.”

If you use any of these words, imagine me hitting you each time you do it. Stop. And likewise, remember that bloggers usually write posts because they need to hear the words as well: give me a little nudge if I slide back into this lazy form of writing. I know that we can be more creative, more expressive, and more clear in our use of language to make the point that we’re trying to make. We have one of the most  a nuanced, elaborate language–a complex blend of German, Anglo, Saxon, Roman, Celtic, and multiple other influences.

There are a few recent posts I enjoyed — such as Alpha Dictionary’s 100 beautiful words list, which gives us 100 under-used words to add to our lexicon. Try them.

Thanks.

Any other terrible phrases, words, or commonalities that should be eliminated from our everyday vocabulary? Let me know and I’ll add them to this post if I agree. :)