The Skyward Path
Premium resources for ambitious writers
Dear fellow writer,
Are you an academic or professional writer who aspires to write more stylishly, productively, creatively, and joyfully — or simply more — in 2024 and beyond?
Over the past few weeks, I’ve introduced you to three different routes that you can follow to reach your writing goals:
The Meandering Path (aka the free resources on my website) will get you there eventually, but you’ll have to chart your own course and navigate alone.
The Guided Path (aka WriteSPACE membership) affords you a quicker, smoother journey. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to hundreds of bespoke writing resources such as premium videos, live workshops, and diagnostic tools — plus a supportive community of fellow writers and an expert guide by your side (moi!).
The Skyward Path (aka my annual program of Courses and Retreats) offers the most ambitious and scenic pathway of all, carrying you to higher levels of productivity, enjoyment, and craftsmanship within a matter of weeks or even days. Read on to learn about the transformational routes, spectacular vistas, and welcoming mountain inns that await you along the Skyward Path.
I’d love to see you there!
Writing Catalyst courses
Kickstart your journey
Each of the four courses in my popular Writing Catalyst series includes 6 weeks of research-based workshops, self-paced activities, and live coaching. You can choose from Creativity, Productivity, Pleasure, or Wordcraft — or enroll in all four Catalyst courses for maximum benefit. WriteSPACE members get a 10% discount off all Catalyst courses, and WS Studio members and Catalyst alumni save 20%.
First up this year is the Pleasure Catalyst, which runs from February 3 - March 14. Drawing on research findings from my 2023 book Writing with Pleasure, I’ll introduce you to six core components of pleasurable writing — patterns, tools, processes, identity, challenge, balance — and guide you through a series of pleasure prompts designed to help you transform your writing practice from a painful chore to a enjoyable challenge.
The Pleasure Catalyst was a luscious, sensual and very rich course that took my writing to a different level through deep reflection and exchange with peers. The course offers ample opportunity for deep and impactful engagement with your own writing.
(Dr Birgit Heckemann, Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden)
The Pleasure Catalyst starts next weekend — there’s still time to enroll!
Stylish Writing Intensive
Transform your writing style
Accelerate your skyward journey with the Stylish Writing Intensive, my flagship online writing retreat for ambitious writers who want to step up to new heights of skilful wordcraft and audience engagement. Whether you aspire to increase your research impact, develop a more personal voice, or write with increased pleasure and flair, this transformational retreat will help you get there — all in just three action-packed days. Your daily 8-hour schedule includes advanced writing and editing workshops, dedicated writing time, curated breaks, and two hours per day of live coaching with me as part of an intimate, craft-focused cohort. Don't miss this chance to become the engaging, impactful writer you’ve always wanted to be!
The next Stylish Writing Intensive is coming up soon! Join us online from March 21-24, 2024.
Island Time and Mountain Rise
Treat yourself to a retreat
At the highest point on the Skyward Path you’ll find Island Time and Mountain Rise, the twin jewels in the crown of my writing year. Travel by ferry to beautiful Waiheke Island, New Zealand in February 2024, or ascend in a cogwheel train to the stunning alpine village of Wengen, Switzerland in late June, for seven glorious days of writing time, workshops, and craft-focused feedback, plus plenty of opportunities for walking, dreaming, and exploring.
You can sneak a peek at both retreats by attending my upcoming free WriteSPACE Special Event on February 13/14, “Open Beach House at Island Time,” and watching this video of last year’s June retreat: “Open Chalet at Mountain Rise.”
Registration for Island Time 2024 is now closed, but there’s still space available at Mountain Rise, which runs from June 23-29, 2024.
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 but firmly 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
