✍🏼Spend a Month Writing with Me✍🏼
✍🏼Spend a Month Writing with Me✍🏼
What a thing to look forward to in 2025
I’m so happy to see you! How to Build a Life is a newsletter by me, bestselling author of 12 (!!) books Laura Jane Williams, going out to thousands of readers bang in the thick of life’s mess and mayhem… who are still trying to find the magic. I’m almost 40, a solo parent by choice, decorate my house like a tart’s boudoir, and lift very heavy weights. Those four things are my entire personality. I really love writing to you here. Hi.
Okay. Here goes. In 2025 I’m dusting off my acclaimed teaching chops to host a one-off, totally brand new, month-long writing course for all abilities, where we write, write, write. It’s called ~The Joy of Writing~
Yay!
The Joy of Writing is for everyone, from seasoned storytellers to those who have never even dared try, designed as a treat of a project over the colder months of January and February 2025.
If you want to get curious, feel creative, and have some fun, The Joy of Writing is for you.
The idea for The Joy of Writing came to me after I wrote about being terrified of the impending winter, and then how I keep inspired. I thought well, creativity begets creativity, and gosh, winter can be a lonely old time, how can I do something within community? And then I remembered how some of my most joyous writerly times have been when I’ve been teaching online. By my count I’ve had worked with between 3,000 and 4,000 students over the years. Now you can be one of them!
The Joy of Writing month-long writing course has been created based on the notion that regular creative writing can make us happier, more confident, and help regulate our anxiety to increase emotional resilience.
Losing yourself in creative writing is the ultimate antidote to stress and mundanity - and there’s no qualification needed! You just need to get started.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never written before, have no idea where to begin, or are halfway through the draft of a novel: The Joy of Writing is inspiration for everyone.
With wit, warmth and wisdom, this is Big Magic meets The Right to Write. I’ll give you a step-by-step breakdown of creating imagined realms with original and thought-provoking examples and prompts, inspired by my two decades of teaching and writing - not to mention my absolute determination to keep the process fun.
The Joy of Writing is the permission slip you need for escaping into a world that you get to make up, and enjoying yourself as you do it - with benefits far beyond what you can imagine…
In terms of what to expect, I mean… honestly? A bit of a laugh. It’s so easy with writing, with creativity, to get so serious about it. We think if we’re going to sit down to play with our imaginations it’s all got to ~mean something~. This four weeks together is going to be light, playful, and a chance to engage our creativity for the simple joy of doing so.
Learning to write shouldn’t be about where to put commas and the three-act structure. That stuff is way more intuitive than we’re led to believe.
Where do I start when I teach? I say:
It isn’t that difficult. It’s people you make up, doing stuff, over and over again. That’s it. Just have fun!
Learning to write is about letting go long enough to be curious and experiment. It’s about the magic of make-believe and the thrill of playing God in a pretend world.
I know why my courses get talked about so highly: because it’s a chance for people to lose themselves in order to find themselves.
It’s the definitive self-help. The best therapy. Pure medicine.
Worried you’re not “a writer”? Well. Two things:
First, everyone worries they’re “not A Writer” because unlike, say, being a surgeon who gets their medical license and is therefore A Doctor, there’s no governing body who gives out an official entry card into The Writers Club. If you put pen to paper - ta-da! You’re a writer.
Secondly, let me ask you this. Have you ever stood in the shower, making up an argument from scratch with somebody who really deserves a piece of your mind? You know what they’ll say, and what you’ll say, and who will stand where and wear what and who will flounce away first? Then congratulations - you’ve been making up stories this whole time. You’re a storyteller already! Now you just need to write it down. And that’s something I can help you with.
You only need bring yourself to the online sessions. And a notebook. And a pen. And a bit of enthusiasm. You won’t be on screen on the call, nor will you be heard - but the chat box will be open for you to ask questions in real time. I’ll give you some exercises, just little ones, that I’ll do too. They’ll all build on each other, week-on-week, and in the end you’ll complete a longer form project based on everything we’ve done. You can submit that to me at the end, for feedback, if you’d like. No pressure though. It’s up to you!
We’re going to start with character - and if you’ve ever met another person in your life, you’ve got everything you need to do that. I promise! After we’ve got characters, we’re going to write some action - and if you’ve ever left your house before, you’ve also got everything in your head to be able to do that too.
Here’s some more information. You can hit “reply” to this email or write me direct on me@laurajanewilliams.com if you have questions. And look, I won’t make a habit of emailing you “sales” stuff - but on this occasion, I thought you might be interested. We seem to like the same stuff and think the same way, after all. No pressure, though. Normal emailing service resumes on Monday… with a missive about how I keep crying a lot? Like, everywhere? All the time? It’s a lot. I’m a lot. I accept that.
Anyway. Come join THE JOY OF WRITING!!
The Specifics:
WHEN: January 2025 - February 2025
Saturday 18th Jan, Saturday 25th Jan, Saturday 1st Feb, Saturday 8th Feb
WHERE: Online!
And if you can’t attend online live, you’ll get access to the replay valid for one week
TIME: 1- 3pm (UK TIME)
Price: £295 if you pay in full (here)
or, 4 installments of £80 (click here)
There’s a bit more info about it all here, too, if you like.
Oh! And it might be worth mentioning that Dolly Alderton says I “combine sharp, relatable wit and bold, joyful sincerity”, and Emily Henry has said my work is “an absolute delight!”
And as for previous students on writing courses I’ve been running since 2016? They say:
I always leave your courses feeling like you have over-delivered in every way (which is often hard to come by in an online training) - Amelia
I can’t thank you enough for how much I’ve learned so far on the course. I love your teaching style and the notes you are so generous to share - Rebecca
Am enjoying myself and learning a lot but also wanted to thank you for your responsiveness and 'presence'. I've done other online courses and had barely any interaction with the host let alone such swift responses. I really respect your professionalism and have been waxing lyrical about how refreshing it is to feel so supported through this kind of process. So thank you - Laura
And my favourite, because WE ARE WORTH INVESTING IN!! ——→
It’s the first time I’ve spent money on something to fuel my creativity (classic! Why don’t we think we deserve to invest in it?!) and I have to say it is so perfectly pitched. I love the focus on curiosity and play and creative expression.
- Molly
Thanks for being here. Thanks for receiving me doing what I love with open arms. I’d so very much love to have you.
