Your could-be curriculum:
Introduction to Elephant Academy: Write your Heart Out.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
- Join Waylon for a Bow. (1:23)
- Welcome to Elephant Academy's Writing Apprenticeship. (4:47)
- Meet the Academy Team.
- Community Discussion.
- Stress isn't all bad. (1:28)
- It's already time for your first quiz. (Don't panic.)
- Sharon Salzberg teaches us how to actually practice Maitri. (26:14)
- You're on your way!
You're a Writer.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
- Why are we here? {+ a Pop Quiz.} (1:27)
- Set Yourself up for Success. (1:05)
- Passion + Making a living = Right Livelihood. (8:45)
- The Elephant Approach to Writing. (3:28)
- Writing is Hogwarts-style Magic. (5:27)
- Tell us about your Relationship with Writing.
- Waylon's Advice for Beginner (or Beginning-again) Writers. (0:56)
- How to be a Writer with Ada Calhoun. (3:37)
- The Best Way to become a Good Writer. (1:23)
- Never Stop Learning... (0:45)
- The Number One thing Writers get Wrong. (3:28)
- What to Write about when You don't know What to Write About. (3:40)
- Write What You Know.
- Natalie Goldberg: Shut up and Write. (6:56)
- Verbs, Adjectives, & Adverbs: Developing Good Writing Habits. (2:33)
- How to Submit Writing.
- There is Magic in Sharing your Writing. (1:58)
- Peer Editing is the Opposite of "Yikes!" (1:09)
- 11 Writing Tips from Waylon Lewis. (0:32)
- You're on a roll, don't stop now.
Get (Yourself) Un-Stuck: Beating Writer's Block.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
- The Elephant in the Room. (2:29)
- How to get through Writer's Block. (2:13)
- What to do when Anxiety keeps you from Writing. (0:29)
- Leaving your Reader with an Elegant Punch. (4:03)
- Write from the Heart. (4:23)
- Is Emotionalism Bad? (4:04)
- Choose your own Adventure: Emotionalism or Catharsis? (8:08)
- Waylon's Take: Writing about Vulnerable Topics. (3:27)
- Be Eager to Search out Writers who will Edit You. (1:27)
- If you want to be a Writer, you need to know the 3 Kinds of Editing. (3:42)
- A Mindfulness tool for Self-editing. (5:12)
- Pema Chödrön: the Master Editor. (17:12)
- Self-Editing: How to Edit Your Own Work (2:20)
- Editors aren't here to make you happy. (6:02)
- Feedback Helps Us to Uncover Our Own Voice. (1:31)
- It's not all about You. (3:30)
- Being Criticized is Hard. (2:29)
- Liz Plank leads a Writing Exercise to Discover your True Self. (3:46)
- You Have 10 Mistakes You're Going to Make. (0:44)
- Let's talk about Libel. (5:24)
- Practicing Ethical Writing: Key Terms & Frequently Asked Questions.
- The Fourth Estate. (4:25)
- Congrats. You've earned this.
Drawing in your Reader.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
- Are you Feeling Lost? (2:00)
- Let's Recap: Why are you here? (0:40)
- Writing 101: Thesis Statements. (1:11)
- Titles & Images: A First Impression. (9:55)
- Editing Components: Titles. (1:02)
- The 3 Elements of a Good Title. (4:30)
- Choosing a Winning Title.
- Example Article Titles on Elephant Journal.
- How to Choose an Irresistible (and Legal) Image.
- Editing Components: SEO.
- What Connection does Meditation have with Writing? (1:28)
- Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation with Linda Lewis. (9:59)
- A Writing Prompt with Waylon Lewis. (0:34)
- Elephriend: you're a star.
The Craft of Editing.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
- You've been vulnerable & brave enough to open up your messy closet. (3:30)
- Finding your Voice through Editing. (1:35)
- Waylon Gets Romantic about Editing. (1:37)
- Learning to Edit is like Taking a Dance Class. (1:09)
- Why do we Edit? (1:11)
- On Breaking the Rules. (6:14)
- Developmental & Substantive Editing. (0:54)
- Stylistic/Line Editing.
- Copyediting.
- Editing: Before & After. (16:29)
- Waylon Edits and Falls in Love with the Writer's Commas. (8:37)
- Editing does more than Improve your Writing. (1:05)
- Editing Quiz!
- 12 Truths Anne Lamott Learned from Life & Writing.
- Add this Trophy to your shelf.
Finding your Voice through Editing.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
- A Writing Prompt with Linda Lewis. (2:18)
- Your Voice isn't a Big, Exciting Discovery. Calm Down. (2:21)
- The Best Writers have Simple Voices. (5:40)
- Be Gentle with Yourself. (0:19)
- Julia Cameron on Listening to our own Wisdom. (4:09)
- Waylon Critiques his own Writing for the Academy. (3:14)
- The Role of an Editor is Not to Overedit. (2:04)
- Elephant Journal Editors aren't reading your Writing with a Red Pen. (1:18)
- Editing with Waylon: The most Respectful thing an Editor can Do. (8:39)
- Editing with Waylon: The Impact of Feedback. (7:36)
- Editing with Waylon: The Sound of Editing. (7:33)
- A Conversation about Voice. (5:40)
- Waylon shares an Awful Poem. (2:11)
- Advice on Creativity: Make Big things feel Little & Little things feel Big. (8:41)
- If you have an excuse not to do this, do it anyway. (4:07)
- Add this to your growing collection.
Connecting Genuinely with an Audience.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
- Join Waylon for a {Final} Academy Bow. (0:12)
- Mindfulness & Awareness Meditations with Writing Prompts. (24:47)
- The "What about Me" Mantra. (1:02)
- Let's Rewind. (0:43)
- Death Comes without Warning. (3:02)
- Waylon is Actually Anti-Social Media. (8:25)
- It's our Duty to Be Genuine. (3:49)
- How to be Positively Shameless. (6:48)
- Invest in Yourself. (3:33)
- Trust is a little bit Blind. (2:11)
- You are a Mountain in the Rain. (5:48)
- Tyler Knott Gregson on how to Make a Living doing what you Love. (2:21)
- What to Remember about Writing & Editing (for the rest of your Life). (3:29)
- One Final {fun!} Writing Exercise. (5:25)
- One Last Thought... (0:42)
- Stay Involved after your Apprenticeship.
- Elephant Academy Feedback Survey.
- Congratulations!
Resources
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
Academy Archives.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
A Sampling of Elephant's Most-Referenced Writerly Articles.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
- Julia Cameron of Morning Pages & “The Artist’s Way” fame talks Guidance with Waylon Lewis.
- How to Write. ~ Jack Kerouac (& Waylon Lewis)
- How to Meditate: The Dathun Letter, via Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
- Best Classic Beginner’s Buddhist Books Ever?
- Cheap Words. {via The New Yorker}
- “A Writer Writes.” Tips for Living an Authentic Life.
- Nora Ephron: Everything is Copy.
- The Problem with Publishing Today that Impacts All of Us.
- 12 Books on Editing and One on Life that should be on every Writer's Bookshelf.
- Humility is Bullsh*t.
- The Cocoon.
Here's our little gift for you.
Available in
days
days
after you enroll
More ways to grow with Elephant Academy:
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