Cultivating a Sustainable Writing Life

Kelly M. Merritt, PhD

In the rush to finish one project after the next, writers frequently find themselves stuck in the “plug-and-chug” model of productivity. Over time, this can lead to burnout, a lack of personal and professional fulfilment, and even lower-quality writing.

This webinar takes a moment to consider the bigger picture and what is required to achieve robust, meaningful, and sustainable writing routines over time. Using a bespoke framework, the webinar will suggest a constellation of tools for cultivating a sustainable writing life, along with concrete examples—specifically adding walking to one’s writing routine—to help participants
consider which proactive strategies they might explore.

A central working assumption is that a quality process is central to achieving quality outcomes, but it is frequently overlooked in the pursuit of bigger, better, and faster writing productivity.

Key takeaways for the participants:
● A framework for structuring your writing processes, rather than just single projects
● Insights and practical ideas for forging a more sustainable and fulfilling writing life
● Examples of what sustainable writing strategies can do for your individual writing

projects

Level: foundational

Previous knowledge required: Experience with—and dissatisfaction from—writing solely for
“productivity’s” sake. This webinar pushes back on the factory models that define productive
writing as bigger, better, and faster. Instead, it explores strategies for cultivating a more
sustainable writing life that, therefore, is capable of nurturing quality products over time.