Hi ,

“Find inspiration in the falling leaves and the crisp November air.” – Unknown

November was traditionally the month for National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known as NANOWRIMO. The goal of NaNoWriMo was for writers to challenge themselves to write 50k words in the month. There was no big prize (if you completed there was a downloadable certificate) and it was self monitored so no one really knew if you did it or not. The organization had a bit of a blow up a few years ago and the event has faded in popularity, but the concept behind it is still awesome. 

What if you gave yourself permission to make writing your priority for one month? Where you gave yourself the excuse to eat a lot of canned soup and Door Dash. If you muted your social media and the endless scrolling. If you told family and friends “yes, I love you, but right now, for these few days, this is my focus.”

The goal of NANOWRIMO was never to have a completed book. Words written that fast are typically messy and calling out for revision. Sometimes life got in the way and you didn’t hit the target, but you still had the satisfaction of stretching yourself. 

This is your reminder you don’t need approval from others or a fancy official event. You can always decide to give yourself the gift of focus. And if you want some help with that we have some things to keep you busy. 

Workshop Wednesdays

November 5th: Blue Pencil with Bonnie – Sometimes what we need is a chance to know how our work is hitting. This is your opportunity to have the group review 750 words of your writing or a query letter and get some feedback in real time. 

November 12: Structuring Your Novel with Eileen – This topic is a member request! Let’s explore how you can play with structure to tell your story. We’ll look at different types of structures and the challenges and advantages that these can bring.  

November 19: Craft Book Club with Jenny – There are many craft books out there, but having a chance to talk about them with fellow writers helps you decide what will be helpful to you. 

November 26: Mind Mapping with Jacqui – Ready to harness the collection brain of the community to take your writing to the next level? Come and brainstorm plot problems, prompts, or character issues. 

Community Events:

FORUMS/GENRE MEET-UPS/ ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS:

Be sure to check the events schedule for the regular genre meet-ups and weekly accountability groups. You can join those communities (they’re all listed down the left side of the main page) so that you’re notified when events are happening. 

Volunteer Thank You and Member Feedback

A big thank you to all our volunteers. This place wouldn’t run without people who step up to lead a workshop, share their wisdom, and offer to host genre groups. A special thank you to new volunteer Harry, who's stepped up to help out with the accountability groups.

Have ideas for what you'd like TCA to do next–or how to make the community even better? We'd love to hear from you!

Keeping the Lights On

As we wrap up this month’s newsletter, we want to take a moment to thank you for being part of this community. The Creative Academy thrives because of writers like you who show up to learn, share, and support one another.

A heartfelt thank-you to those of you who contribute regularly to help us keep this creative home thriving — we now call you our Monthly Sustainers. Your ongoing generosity helps us plan ahead and continue offering workshops, resources, and community spaces for writers all year long. 💛

Every week, our workshops, genre meet-ups, accountability groups, and 24/7 Zoom room keep writers connected and inspired—and we love being able to offer it all on a pay-what-you-can-afford model so that no one is left out.

Just like finding time to write, keeping this community running takes a little dedication—and a lot of heart. If The Creative Academy has helped you grow as a writer this year—if you’ve found your people, feedback, or focus—please consider contributing to help sustain the time, tools, and care it takes to keep this creative home open for everyone.

If you are further along in your writing journey, or life has been good to you, you have the opportunity to help others by supporting the Academy. Paying it forward for those who might not have the option is a great way to contribute to the writing community.

Your support keeps the lights on, the workshops running, and the coffee cups (real and virtual) full.

👉 Contribute Here: https://creativeacademyforwriters.com/contribute/

Thank you for helping keep this creative space open for everyone.

If you were waiting for external validation to say it’s okay to focus on your writing- consider this newsletter your official permission slip! 🧾

Happy writing!

xo

Eileen and Stephanie