Tag: Creative Buddy

“I know somebody who needs this book!” she shouted

This is the book that shows you how to get any project finished while helping others finish theirs.

Our literary agent’s assistant was down the hall making copies of the  proposal for this book and that’s when the shouting started:
“I have to give this book to somebody! I know three people I have to give this book to!”

We get it. We all know a few people we’d like to give this book to. So here’s a suggestion: Think of a friend or family member with an unfinished project or who just can’t ever get around to finishing anything, and click on this link. –Cary T.

Smash the oligarchy, finish your novel, de-clutter your workspace and make new friends: Here’s how!

Listening to Rachel Maddow this morning, I HAD AN INSIGHT:

Finishing School can be a powerful tool for political action!

Think about it: In Finishing School we break down big goals into little tasks.

Then we agree with someone else to do these things at a certain time.

Then we watch with pleasure as all these little completed tasks turn into major accomplishments.

It began as a method for writers. But has been used for all kinds of things.

In fact, it’s ideally suited for political activism.

Political activism is a big project that depends on many small discrete actions. Some of these are, frankly, not all that exciting to do.

Say you need to call your congressional representative but you haven’t done it yet. You can connect with your Finishing School buddy and say,

“at 1 o’clock on Thursday I am going to make a phone call to my representative.”

That’s the Finishing School method in a nutshell.

Get the book and learn more.

You will learn things like, why we schedule more time than we think will be needed.

Here are some reasons:

  • Maybe you are a little nervous about doing it and need a few minutes to get settled in.
  • Maybe you want to make a note of exactly what you’re going to say.
  • Maybe you want to get a cup of coffee.
  • Maybe you do it right away and then get fired up after the first call and want to make more and so you have some extra time to keep going.
  • Maybe you find that you don’t even know for sure who your representative is or what their number is and you have to find that, and in finding that you call someone with whom you then chat for 15 or 20 minutes and then something happens and your two hours is interrupted.

But you still have time!

Danelle Morton and I wrote a whole book about this method but it’s really very simple: Set a time, notify a buddy, and do the thing!
Oh—and when you’re done with the time period you have set, then you also contact your buddy and say you’re done. That’s it.–ct