It’s All About Pleasure!
Resolutions, reframings, roadmaps, and readings to help you write with pleasure in the New Year
Dear fellow writer,
Today’s newsletter is all about Writing with Pleasure in 2024 and beyond.
To get started, kick off the New Year with my free 30-Day Show Up and Write Challenge. Sharpen your pencils, fire up your keyboard, and get ready to write with delight each day of January 2024.
Every day for 30 days, I’ll send you a writing prompt inviting you to write with pleasure for at least 25 minutes a day, no matter what kind of writing you do. The more serious your scholarship, the more profound your professional commitments, the more you’ll benefit from this daily reminder that writing doesn’t have to be painful — in fact, productivity and pleasure walk hand in hand.
Enrolling in this joy-filled daily challenge could not be easier. As you’re already subscribed to Helen’s Word, follow these 3 simple steps:
Navigate to your account Settings page via www.substack.com/settings. Or when logged into your Substack account, select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
Under Subscriptions, click on Helen’s Word.
On the next page, scroll down to “Notifications.” Slide the toggle next to the 30 Days of Writing with Pleasure section. A green toggle means you’ve signed up! From December 31st, you’ll begin to receive daily, pleasure-focused writing prompts designed to restart, reset, and reinvigorate your writing practice.
For more help, see this handy Substack page about subscribing to Sections.
I’d love to see you there!
Coming soon
The Pleasure Catalyst 2024 is now open for enrolment!
Follow up your 30 Days of Writing with Pleasure with my popular Pleasure Catalyst, which runs from February 3 - March 14, 2024. This 6-week online course is designed for academic, professional, and creative writers who want to reframe their negative emotions about writing and find new paths to pleasure.
Join me and fellow writers from around the globe as we explore writing-related pleasure in its many guises. I’ll introduce six core components of pleasurable writing — patterns, tools, processes, identity, challenge, balance — and guide you through a sequence of pleasure prompts designed to transform your writing practice from a painful chore to a enjoyable challenge. You can also join weekly group discussions in my Live Writing Studio, with two sessions available each week to accommodate participants in any time zone.
WriteSPACE members qualify for a 10% discount, and WS Studio members and Catalyst alumni save 20% off the regular price. Check your membership Lounge or contact us for your discount code.
In the WriteSPACE
Weekly Wayfinder for December 18 - 24
WriteSPACE and WS Studio members: Every week in the WriteSPACE Maproom, you’ll find a playful pomodoro timer to help you keep your writing on track, a featured writing resource to expand your horizons, and a writing-related challenge to sharpen your skills.
This week’s timer: Pink Lamb- NEW!
This week’s resource: The WriteSPACE QUIZ
This week’s challenge: Read your Roadmap
Not a member? Sign up for a free 30-day trial and check out all our great writing resources for yourself.
Other writing news
Writing with Pleasure
If you’re still hunting for inspiring holiday gifts for friends and family (or yourself!), look no further than my online Bookshop. You’ll find books on writing, books on creativity, books on well-being, and a shelfload of my own books — including, of course, Writing with Pleasure. Enjoy!
Do you have writing-related news, events, or resources to share? Contact me with a brief description (50 words max), a hyperlink, and a high-quality image.
Spread the joy! Please encourage your friends, colleagues, and students to join me in the WriteSPACE, a vibrant, low-cost writing community with members in 30+ countries. As a WriteSPACE member, you’ll get premium access to resources, workshops, and tools designed to help you hone your wordcraft, sharpen your style, and coax your writing gently out the door.
Kia pai tō koutou rā (have a great day) – and keep on writing!
Helen
Books on writing by Helen Sword
Writing with Pleasure
Princeton University Press, 2023
Air & Light & Time & Space: How Successful Academics Write
Harvard University Press, 2017
Stylish Academic Writing
Harvard University Press, 2012
The Writer’s Diet: A Guide to Fit Prose
University of Chicago Press, 2016
