It’s 7am. Are you awake?
Me neither. Maybe that’s why I started this newsletter and podcast, to get me up, get going, start a new writing day, hopefully with a whole crew of other sleepy and pajamaed types. I’m a published novelist with more than twenty-five years of teaching experience at a number of colleges and universities, including UMass-Amherst, Smith College, Boston University, Emerson College, and Brandeis. I co-founded and lead the GrubStreet Novel Incubator program, twelve years in running with more than 35 book publications by our alums.
Recently I turned 50. And this last year I had the great experience of publishing my mother’s first novel, but I wish I had helped her make it happen years earlier. So that’s why I’m waking up early. What I couldn’t do for her, I hope to do for you.
In October 2022, we started with a crazy-making seven weeks, seven-days-a-week writing challenge (49 days +1) intended to help you launch a new project, whether you’re a newbie writer or just trying to get something new going. Every morning began with thirty(ish) minutes of tips, inspiration, and some writing friends to help us out. I LOVE novels. But we tried to have something for everyone here, whether you write fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poems, plays, screenplays, and everything in between.
What did we do next? The March March writing challenge in 2023 and our follow-up Passages of Summer author interviews which focused on examining what makes an author’s first pages really sing. Then our January 2024 What’s Holding You Back? series: Twenty-two days (plus bonus episodes) addressing our listeners’ biggest writing obstacles to help you overcome your own. And in Summer ‘24? More author interviews focusing on a single craft element that each author really had to wrangle with in order to make their most recent books work.
See our most recent posts for our schedule and updates. We’ll be doing more writing challenges and interviews up ahead. Listen to all of these sessions again or for the first time on our SubStack page or other podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple, etc). Replay the writing challenge episodes for a challenge of your own. Thanks to all the wonderful writers who gave their time and energy to make this happen!
Why subscribe?
You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition goes directly to your inbox. Subscribers get full access to every episode of our challenge, stay in the know about announcements, and have a chance to participate in our community of other 7am-ers. Subscriptions are free. Ask questions. Comment on posts. Start a discussion thread. Whatever you choose!
Writing is lonely, especially in the morning. Join us!
