Stories and Sandwiches
Learning to become better writers at our latest Lunch-and-Learn
How well do you know your grandmother’s life story?
When Joann Dobbie first asked the question, she was the corporate education director at a major university, building on an extensive career in financial services. Pursuing the answer led her to Austria, and eventually, to writing an entire book about her grandmother’s journey to America.
Earlybird hosted Joann late last month for the latest installment of our ongoing Lunch-and-Learn program. She shared the transformative experience of authoring a family biography, and discussed her current work as a writing coach and ghostwriter. Her business, Executive Book Coach, helps executives and other professionals bring their non-fiction books to fruition, even if they haven’t published anything of significant length before.
Going around the room, many members of our team expressed a genuine desire to write more, both personally and professionally, but hadn’t really been successful in doing so, citing struggles with choosing the right topics, anxieties about sharing publicly, and difficulties with completing writing projects. Joann acknowledged that these obstacles are common, and led us through brainstorming and free-writing exercises that can make it easier to get started and stay committed.
The most important tip, she emphasized, is making writing time a dedicated priority, scheduling time weekly or monthly to practice writing and incrementally advancing any ongoing projects. While this can be a challenge, especially for busy professionals and working parents, even setting aside a half hour can make a difference if done on a recurring basis.
For more on Joann’s work, check out the Executive Book Coach website, and to hear about future Lunch-and-Learn programs open to the public, drop us an email at hello@earlybird.co.
