[please scroll down to see participant feedback from my last session at Mark Twain House]

“One of the most popular writers from our 2nd Annual Writers’ weekend returns to jump-start your writing this summer.”

Would you like to boost your writing productivity, finish your projects, and find more joy in your work? You can do it! Learn the truth about how to overcome procrastination, perfectionism, ambivalence, time constraints, and other barriers to writing productivity in this fun, interactive workshop with Hillary Rettig, author of the best-selling The 7 Secrets of the Prolific. Also learn simple techniques that you can start using NOW to grow your audience and sell your work. This workshop is suitable for ALL creative, academic, business, and other writers; please note that while there will be some in-class exercises, most of the course will be devoted to lecture and discussion. Please see below for syllabus.

Classes will run on Tuesday evenings from July 2nd – August 6th (no class on July 16th) from 5:30 – 8:30 in the Twain Museum. Cost is $400. Call (860) 280-3130 to register.

Syllabus

I. Liberation from Procrastination, Perfectionism, and Blocks

Procrastination, perfectionism, and blocks are not caused by laziness, lack of discipline, or lack of commitment. They are habits rooted in fear, and once we start properly characterizing and alleviating our fears, procrastination and related problems are often remarkably easily solved. In this module, we examine the true nature of, causes of, and solutions to procrastination, perfectionism and blocks.

2. Liberation from Resource Constraints

What resources do you need to work prolifically? More than you might think! In this module, we discuss the dozens of psychological, material, and community resources most of us require. We also discuss the eight stages of most work processes and the requirements for each stage. Finally, we examine the major role luck plays in success, and how to function in its presence or absence.

3. Liberation from Time Constraints

We discuss the true value of time, and why time management is your primary tool for achieving your important goals. We also discuss how to budget and track time; how to prioritize; how to set and defend your boundaries; and how to use delegation and other techniques to “create” time.

4. Liberation from Negative and Limiting Ideas About Yourself and Your Work

We examine the degree to which you may have internalized negative and limiting ideas about yourself and your work, and discuss ways for arriving at a more objective and compassionate view.

Many underproductive workers are terrified of rejection. For them, procrastination, while a source of shame and frustration, serves a purpose in rendering them invisible to professional or personal communities that might harshly judge and/or reject them. In this module, we discuss strategies for building resilience and coping with rejection; also, how to defuse the kinds of traumatic rejections that foment procrastination and blocks.

5. Building Your Audience: a 21st Century Primer for All Authors

We are living in what is truly a golden age for writers, with the ability to produce, promote, and distribute printed works cheaply on a global scale. Come learn which cutting-edge tools yield the best results, and how to make crowdfunding, blogging, social media, and other tools work for you.

Participant Feedback

• A wonderful surprise.
• She normalized so much of what writers struggle with – while educating about solutions
• Most excellent – gained important insights into my obstructions with writing
• Splendid! Best of the weekend
• Filled w/ very useful info
• a very animated presenter.
• wonderful & informative
• LOVED Hillary Rettig! Best workshop ever.
• Masterful understanding and presentation of her topic.
• Absolutely most helpful, didactic session was Seven Secrets of the Prolific.
• Grade: A
• Please bring Hillary Rettig back! Her session was absolutely wonderful and just what I wanted to hear for my writing