Do You Want to Write?

In 2006, I received a writing fellowship. It gave me time away to write and an opportunity to connect and learn from other writers. When I returned home, creative thoughts were born and quickly fizzled and died. I had no space to think or write—mostly due to interruptions.

As both an author and a writing coach, I have noticed that writers who get writing done have:
• Desire: Writers want to write.
• Space: Writers have a physical space apart from the daily grind of children, work, friends, and chores to write. They also have what I call psychic space—the time and freedom to think, imagine, dream, and write.
• Time: Writers have chunks of time scheduled into their life to dream and write.
• Encouragement: Writers have at least one person in their life who says, “Go for it.”
• Writing colleagues. Writers who write hang out with writers who write. Recent studies suggest that behavior is contagious. Having one friend who is a producing writer will increase your chances of writing.

I created the Write Now! Retreat to give writers the space, time, encouragement, and connections they need to write. The Write Now! Retreat offers a program similar to an elite writing residency for ordinary writers who want to write now—not when they are better or published or famous!

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WHAT IT IS:
The Write Now! Retreat is a small, intense writing experience for ten people who want to put writing first but need more time, tools, or coaching to write right now.

WHERE:
Keep posted to this website for details on the next Write Now! Retreat.

Meet the Write Now! Retreat leader, Rochelle Melander:
I've written nine published books, a master's thesis, and more than one hundred articles. I've been editing books and articles since 1994. I have coached many writers through their own writing projects since 2000. At the same time, I've been busy having a life--working, maintaining relationships, and parenting children. People often ask me, "How do you do it?" They mean, "How do you manage to write and have a life?"
     I've been doing it for a long time. I wrote my master's thesis in one year, while doing the graduate coursework, teaching, babysitting, cleaning houses, and trying to have a life. Nearly every book I wrote with my husband was completed in less than three months, often in as little time as six weeks. In the fall of 2004, my friend Sue Lang and I wrote a book in nine days. In 2005-6, I wrote my first solo book—a 500-pager—in just over five months.
     In this weekend retreat and the coaching sessions that come with it, I'll be teaching you the tools I have used for more than 15 years to envision, structure, and complete writing projects. Listen to what participants and clients say about my work:

Rochelle Melander is not only a gifted writer developing her own ideas, she is also someone with skill to help other writers find their voice. As a University faculty member with a Ph.D, I have learned that I need someone who can understand the spirit and content of what I want to write about in my particular field. Rochelle’s coaching style and skills attended to my voice and ideas and worked to clarify and develop these ideas. The retreat also offered practical steps in overcoming some of the roadblocks that keep me from writing.
—Jan Ewing, PhD
http://www.ctcsd.org/

[The retreat] gave me inspiration in several forms: this included you, Rochelle, reminding us that if we write three pages a day, at the end of year, we'll have a book! That was the kind of "bite-able bite" that I needed to hear. It put perspective on my feeling of hopelessness that I would EVER get a book done. That it seems "do-able" is a great mental leap for me, and I thank you for pointing that out.
—Ingrid Huebner, Fall 2006 Write Now! Participant

I LOVED having time to myself and time to write. It was wonderful to have a coach affirm my dream and the next phase in life. I wrote quite a bit, and it made me realize that I can eventually finish this book if I just give myself the time and permission to write.
—Anne Noyes, Fall 2006 Write Now! Participant

Well, where do I begin? I appreciated having a weekend committed to writing. The setting was great! And the conversation even better! I learned great skills to assist me in making writing a daily habit. I look forward to the next event!
—Sarah Lutter, Fall 2006 Write Now! Participant
http://dissidentdaughter.blogspot.com/

Rochelle Melander's book coaching dropped into my life at the perfect time! As the published author of four books, with two more underway, I know firsthand how critical it is to spend high-quality time alone with one’s writing project if you really want to make headway on your work. Rochelle’s workshops contain the finest ingredients all writers know they need to get going, or make progress, on a project, and the fact that it’s affordable is an amazing plus! Every writer needs the thoughtful questions, editing help, and accountability and Rochelle provides all of that and more.
—Caroline Adams Miller, author and coach
http://www.CarolineMiller.com

For a registration form,
contact Rochelle Melander at:
rochelle@RightNowCoach.com
414-963-1222

For more information about Rochelle's coaching, visit:
http://www.RightNowCoach.com

Right Now! Notes is a free
monthly e-mail newsletter designed to
consider how we can integrate spirituality
and creativity into our daily lives. It is written and
produced by Rochelle Melander, personal and
professional coach. If you have any questions
or comments, please send them to:
rochelle@rightnowcoach.com.
I would love to hear from you.

Feel free to forward your copy of
Right Now! Notes to anyone you think
might enjoy it. I do request that you keep
the entire newsletter intact, including
my contact and copyright information.
 
This newsletter is COPYRIGHT 2007
by ROCHELLE MELANDER,
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Do not quote without the
written permission of the author.