Friday Freewrite: Biography of a Snowflake

Friday Freewrite

Today’s freewriting prompt:

A biography is the story of a life written by someone else. Write a short biography of a snowflake.

New to freewriting?

Freewriting is that wonderful key that unlocks the writer within. It’s the vehicle by which we trick our inner selves into divesting the words and ideas that we want to share but are afraid won’t come out right on paper if we do. So, read the freewriting prompt, set the timer for 5-10 minutes then write whatever comes to mind. Just keep the pencil moving!

Need more help? Check out our free online guide.

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[Podcast #270] Celebrating Karen O’Connor

Brave Writer Podcast

On New Year’s Day, Julie’s beloved mother, Karen O’Connor, passed away at the age of 86. Karen was a remarkable woman who touched the lives of many with her kindness, warmth, and wisdom. As a prolific author of 70 books and a gifted writing teacher, Karen’s legacy is one of inspiration and creativity. She was deeply cherished by her three children, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

In this special podcast episode, we honor Karen’s life and contributions by sharing an interview recorded in 2018, when Karen was one of Brave Writer’s most beloved writing coaches. Through this conversation, we celebrate her incredible journey, her passion for writing, and her lasting impact on the Brave Writer community.

Show Notes

You can read Karen O’Connor’s obituary here.

Donations can be made to the Sierra Club in her name. And visit Karen’s website and learn more about her books at www.karenoconnor.com.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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Can You Trust the Process?

Brave Writer

Your kids hate writing because they don’t know that the words that live in their heads are the ones that need to be on the page. They think they have to find the words the teacher has in mind or the words that the assignment expects. They sometimes think they have to find the words that they can spell or punctuate.

The Secretary for Your Brain

But writing is merely being the secretary for your brain. Your kids need lots of room to simply hook up the hand with the mind and scribble it onto a page. That’s it!

Can you trust that messy process to grow a writer? YES!

Today: set a timer for one minute. Everyone (including you!) writes! Keep that pencil going at top speed, no regard for errors. Just write. At the end, pencils, down, and give a big exhale. No need to even read the writing! Just do it.

Writing is hard when we think it’s a performance. Writing becomes easier and easier when we see it as a skill that hooks up a brain with a hand. Nothing less, but nothing more either.

Everything in the writing life starts with the confidence to put the pen on the page and write what you think.

This post was originally shared on Instagram.
Watch the accompanying reel for more.

Growing Brave Writers

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Friday Freewrite: Snowstorm

Friday Freewrite

Today’s freewriting prompt:

Choose three fictional characters from three different stories. Now describe how each might react if caught in a snowstorm.

New to freewriting?

Freewriting is that wonderful key that unlocks the writer within. It’s the vehicle by which we trick our inner selves into divesting the words and ideas that we want to share but are afraid won’t come out right on paper if we do. So, read the freewriting prompt, set the timer for 5-10 minutes then write whatever comes to mind. Just keep the pencil moving!

Need more help? Check out our free online guide.

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[Podcast #269] 25th Anniversary Celebration (Part 2)

Brave Writer Podcast 25th Anniversary

Welcome back for the second half of our walk down Brave Writer memory lane! If you missed Part 1, you can listen to it here.

On today’s podcast episode, Julie regales us with never-told-before stories about the ups and downs of the Brave Writer business. She tells us about the one and only time she took out a loan for Brave Writer. We also hear about a stressful lawsuit that ended up with a scammer getting arrested!

Most of all, we hear story after story about how the love of writing, and the commitment to developing kids’ self-expression, has rippled out across thousands of lives.

Show Notes

Value Your Skills and Knowledge

For a long time, Julie thought everyone knew as much as she did about writing and teaching writing. Then, even when she realized she had something to teach others, she didn’t give herself credit for the tasks at her business that she enjoyed doing.

Many times, we downplay our own skills and knowledge. Also, we assume productive work, whether in business or at a school desk, must be a slog. Remember: What you find easy and enjoyable can also be incredibly valuable!

Just Try It

When Julie describes her business journey, she actually tells a story that predates it. As a very young mom living in Morocco, she had to cook everything from scratch– something she definitely wasn’t prepared for. She had to learn how to cook, step by step. Eventually, she even learned how to make her own yogurt using a lambskin technique.

There’s a lot of powerful space between starting to learn a skill and mastering it. Don’t expect perfection the first time you try something new. Allow yourself to enter a creative problem-solving mode and stay there. Be ok with failure.

Surround Yourself (and Hire) Great People

Brave Writer’s origin is rooted in community discussion boards. Julie’s stories about Brave Writer are always peppered with names and descriptions of how much she holds those people dear. From the beginning, Julie has surrounded herself with thoughtful, engaged people throughout her journey–and hired many of them!

Find your people, even if you can only find them online. Engage in thoughtful, respectful conversations. Support each other. And, if you’re a CEO, always hire people who are better at the work than you are.

Here’s to 25 more years of Brave Writer!

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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