Why Co-Writing Works

By Suzette Mullen, Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach

The other day I saw a cartoon in The New York Times that made me smile.

The punchline?

Anyone who’s ever considered herself a writer or aspired to be a writer knows how true this is. I’ve written blog posts about the challenges of putting our butts in the chair. Given the option, most of us will choose to do anything but.

And yet, we feel called to write.

There are many solutions to this “showing up” problem, but I came upon a new one (at least new for me) during the pandemic.

Since January, I had been hosting a weekly co-writing time over Zoom for a small group of female book coaching clients. We’d check in with each other, set an intention for our time, write for an hour, then reconvene and share how the writing went. A week into the stay-at-home order in my home state of Pennsylvania, I was feeling directionless, disoriented, and wanting to do something that could offer value to others.

Why don’t I open up the co-writing time to women beyond my client base? Maybe someone will show up. Maybe they won’t. But at least I’ll show up and get some writing done.

I created an event. Posted it on Facebook. Shared it with friends and multiple female-centered groups I’m part of. Five women logged on the first week, three of whom I knew and two who were strangers at the time.

Seventeen weeks later, we’re still at it.

I never know who will show up from week to week, which is part of the fun. Once it was just me (Memorial Day), and some weeks there have been as many as 10 on the Zoom. Typically there are 5–7 writers, some who have become “regulars” and some who happen to see the event posted for the first time.

A. writes: “The co-writing group has been hugely beneficial for me and easily one of the highlights of my shelter-in-place experience. Despite my MFA and creative nonfiction publications, I still find it difficult to create a structured time to write, especially while working full-time. Suzette’s co-writing group has provided a much-needed writing anchor at the start of each week. She adeptly facilitates introductions and encourages participants to pinpoint their specific goals for the co-writing time. Her astute and friendly guidance, and the fact that each of us is working on our own distinct projects, is what keeps me coming back week after week. Thank you, Suzette, for offering this writerly refuge in the middle of a viral storm!”

For those of us who have been craving community during the pandemic, we’re becoming one. We follow A.’s progress on her essay about parenting and J.’s memoir about depression. Z. writes from Paris about the twists and turns of the ownership of a painting. K.’s nearing the finish line of her daily meditation guide. And I use the time to work on my memoir about self-trust and a book I’m just starting on grief. Sometimes I blog, which is exactly what I am doing right now :)

It feels good to provide a space and structure for writers to do the hardest thing: show up.

I plan to keep my co-writing time for female writers open through August. Want to join in? Email me at hello@yourstoryfinder.com and I’ll send you the details. If you’re looking for more structure and incentive to “show up,” check out yourstoryfinder.com to learn more about my 1-, 3-, and 12-deadline one-on-one coaching packages.

Interested in starting your own co-writing group? The formula is simple: pick a time that works for you (90 minutes has been a good sweet spot for my group); upgrade your Zoom from free to pro (or find someone with a pro account); advertise with your extended network of friends, and go! Co-writing works, and there’s no better time to start than now!

Suzette Mullen helps women make meaning out of their experiences so they can write memoirs and prescriptive nonfiction books that impact other people’s lives. Her book coaching practice focuses on cutting through all the noise and getting to clarity first so her clients can write forward and get their books into the hands of the readers who need them.

Suzette is an Author Accelerator Advanced Certified Book Coach, a Dare-to-Lead™ trained professional, a graduate of Harvard Law School and Wellesley College, and she also holds a certificate in spiritual formation from Columbia Theological Seminary. She has written two memoirs and is currently working on a self-help book about grief after initiating a divorce.

Learn more about Suzette and how she helps women nonfiction writers here.