Original collage by Helen Sword

We raise them, we nurture them, and then we let them go.  There's nothing harder -- or more exciting! -- than watching our darlings head out into the big wide world to make their own way. 

Maybe the book that you wrote for an academic audience will get picked up and read by a dog trainer, a preacher, or an engineer.  Maybe your daughter will write home to let you know that he is now your son.  Who knows what will happen next? 

This month, I have let several of my darlings go.  Now I've got that familiar pit-in-the-stomach feeling: How will they fare on their own?  What surprises do they have in store for me?  What will I learn from them? 

• The book: In early September, I pushed a book manuscript out the door -- a major research and creative project that I've been working on for at least four years, now in the hands of anonymous referees. Optimistically titled Writing with Pleasure, my book aspires to surprise and delight. But have I got the tone and content right? Will my readers hand me brickbats or bouquets? Patience, patience. . . .
  

• The artwork: I've started heading up my blog posts with my own handmade paper collages, another scary but exciting prospect. I've long resisted using the kinds of stock images that you find on most writing websites -- laptop computers artfully arranged on improbably uncluttered desks, good-looking people with designer glasses writing in poses of deep concentration -- but can I do better? Watch this space. . . .
  

• The website: I'm in the midst of a major website renovation, which means that every minor tweak (or error!) immediately goes public. I hope that you'll like the results of my home improvement, which includes streamlined navigation, this new blog creamed from my newsletter posts, and a calendar that you can use to find the dates and times of events in your own time zone.

What darlings do you have lined up, just waiting for you to gently push them out the door?  It's terrifying -- but it's worth it.   

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At our recent WriteSPACE Special Event on “Writing for Writing Grants,” special guest Professor Karim Khan from the University of British Columbia joined me for a wide-ranging conversation about why professional development for writers is so important and how you can sharpen your own writing style -- and get someone else to pay for it!

Our discussion focused mainly on academic and professional writers seeking funding in support of advanced writing courses such as the Stylish Writing Intensive. However, Karim’s advice could easily be adapted by any kind of writer applying for any kind of funding. Here’s a brief summary of his key points:

• Be creative about where you look for funding. Research grants, travel funds, teaching and learning enhancement grants, and even philanthropic gifts are all potential sources of support.

• Consider stitching together funding from more than one source and/or offering to cover some of the cost yourself. (In many countries, professional development activities are tax deductible.)

• Frame your funding request in terms of the benefits not just to you but also to the funder -- for example, “This course will better equip me to draft that strategic plan you wanted me to help with” (good for the department) or “This course on stylish writing will help me increase the outreach and impact of my research” (good for the institution and the world).

• Promise to bring something back -- for example, after attending the Stylish Writing Intensive you could offer to run a writing workshop for the graduate students in your department.

• Ask the facilitator of the event that you’re applying for to send you a letter of invitation or recommendation in support of your application. (Contact me if you would like me to provide you with such a letter for the Stylish Writing Intensive and/or WriteSPACE membership; I’d be delighted to do so!)

In the second hour of the live event, we walked participants through a series of prompts designed to help them craft a strong application, whether for writing development funding or for any kind of grant. You can replicate the workshop on your own by playing the second half of the video, and responding to the prompts yourself.

Warm thanks once again to Karim for a useful and stimulating event!

A recording of this WriteSPACE Special Event is now available for members in the WriteSPACE Library.

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Subscribe here to Helen’s Word on Substack to access the full Substack archive and receive weekly subscriber-only newsletters (USD $5/month or $50/year).

WriteSPACE members enjoy a complimentary subscription to Helen’s Word as part of their membership plan (USD $15/month or $150/year). Not a member? Join the WriteSPACE now and get your first 30 days free.

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