Welcome

Welcome to the Inked Voices blog. 😀 This will be a place to talk about process, both as individual writers and as members of writing groups, about craft, and about creativity. The ingredients that go into the bowl to make your work the best it can be.

Here is a little bit about me.

Here I am!

You could say that I drank the kool-aid when it comes to working in groups. I loved my business school classes in Management and Organizations and I –almost always—enjoyed group projects. In my former marketing role, my favorite projects were collaborations with sales or HR or the operations team. When I reflect on why, I think it’s the possibility for a bigger vision and the ability to work together to achieve it. I like being on a team.

A writing group is an interesting application of a team. There are some who truly write collaboratively as co-writers. But more writers work individually on altogether different projects. And in that sense a writing group is a collection of people seeking similar outcomes. Perhaps that outcome is broad, like writing consistently. Or it could be more specific, like mastering the art of writing a thriller. In either case, writers are able to band together with their peers to support, encourage and coach one another towards their shared goal. And along the way, hopefully, make some good friends.

I’ve been so very lucky to work with leaders and members of writing groups since our beta went up in March 2014. We have some truly awesome writing groups, more than 60 at this writing, and I’ve learned from listening to and working with our writers. I’ve learned by making mistakes and from our groups that haven’t panned out, too.

In the second half of 2015, I started to really examine and work on my own writing process. I’m an entrepreneur and a mom of young children and a writer. And in the winter I am a ski coach for people with disabilities, too. And so I am very interested in the practical side of executing on this writing thing – making time, bringing energy, prioritizing, finding creative head space. This blog will address individual process, too.

Thankfully for both you and me, this blog won’t be “all me”. The blog will also feature regular contributions by John Caruso, one of our members who approached me nearly two years ago to ask about starting a group focused on process and prompts. To date, John has created 99 (!!) writing prompts that are wonderful because they do not just help people generate new creative ideas, but they get them thinking about their work in new ways. John has been sharing these with Inked Voices’ members each month in our newsletter, and weekly in his group imPROMPTu. I am delighted that this blog will give him the larger audience that he so richly deserves.

We will share guest posts as well, so long as they fit the scope shared above. Please send me a note if you are interested in contributing. I’m also open to your suggestions of topics you’d like to see.

Thanks for reading and I’m looking forward to this!

– Brooke