Announcing the PNP Writing Circle!

A new community space for sharing and supporting your weekly writing goals

Greetings, dear writers! Welcome to the PNP Writing Circle, a sub-newsletter of Publish Not Perish designed precisely to bring folks together for camaraderie and accountability. Let’s fight the isolation so common in individual work and share this space together.

What is the PNP Writing Circle?

1. A flexible online space to check in with colleagues about your writing goals, challenges, aspirations, and victories

2. A space for accountability as you work towards your goals

3. A space to ask questions when you hit roadblocks in your writing and you need help

4. A space to share what you’ve learned about writing with your fellow travelers.

You write your own goals!

We are not going to require you to work on your writing every day or to make huge progress in your work. The focus will be on setting attainable goals and trying your best to achieve them, no matter how big or small those goals are. You create writing goals that fit with your other responsibilities and priorities.

We check in Mondays (ish) and Fridays (ish). Newbies are welcome anytime!

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Monday Check-In:

1. If you are new here, tell us about yourself in a few sentences, and be sure to include at least one non-academic thing about yourself.

2. Tell us what you are working on this week using the SMART goal format or any structure you find most useful for focusing your time and energy.

3. Respond to another person’s post.

You’ll come back to this thread on Friday to check in again.

Friday Check-In:

1. How did your writing goals go this week?

2. What do you need to adjust or do differently next week?

3. What can you celebrate about the week, no matter how small or large it is?

4. Please respond to at least one other person’s post.

Have a wonderful week, dear writers!

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Community Guidelines:

Come as you are. We accept and value you just as you are, regardless of how much or how little you write in a given week. Each of us will have good and bad weeks, and everyone is welcome, even if you do not meet or come close to meeting your goals. Just keep coming back.

Encourage positivity. We celebrate each other’s accomplishments, no matter how large or small, and provide encouragement without judgment. As one circle member explains, “It’s sometimes hard to see our own progress, but we can help each other see it in ourselves.” Academia excels at critique and constructive feedback, which are important in our work but not the focus of our circle. This is a safe environment to share small joys, large disappointments, and everything in between.

Offer advice mindfully. In the circle, we sometimes share advice and what has worked for us, but only when asked for. We prioritize empathy and understanding and refrain from giving unsolicited feedback. We understand that everyone’s writing journey is unique, and support should be given with sensitivity and care.

Speak from your own experience. We share insights and advice based on our personal experiences as writers and scholars. Instead of giving directives, we offer suggestions by saying, “Here’s what worked for me” or “Here’s what I might do.” This approach allows openness to many possibilities.

Support the well-being of yourself and others. We are a community that values and promotes the physical, emotional, and mental health of ourselves and others. We recognize that writing and other academic work are just one aspect of our lives. We value each other holistically.

Sound Like the Support You Need? Join us!