DO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK?
Writing coach and literary agent, Sarah Bullen provides a structured system for helping writers who want to become authors. She, along with her team of experienced editors and authors, will guide and mentor you to write a book.
Her approach is personal, to build a relationship through this creative process by community, connections and friendship.
The Writing Room is the platform where the community happens.
"Sarah Bullen is a relatable, vibrant and creative mentor who, on a global level, helps writers tell their stories through the connection and community in The Writing Room."
HERE'S WHAT YOU WILL FIND
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TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST
A mentor who can guide you and bring out the best in you, and your book. CONNECTION You want a personal, honest and upfront connection while your formulate your story COMMUNITY Writing is a solo journey, but being able to reach out to others who are on the same journey is important |
GUIDANCE
You are open to a creative method that is rich and deep and to work with someone you can relate to and trust. RESULTS You want to go from thinking about your book, to writing it and getting it published. I like books to be commercially viable - and over 100 published authors will show you that it works. At the end of our process, and if you really commit to it, you will have a book ready to publish. |
STARTING YOUR BOOK?
Join a year-long personal mentorship to finally get your book written. I have a method and process to get your book from zero to finished over this time. I like books to be commercially publishable - and over 200 published authors will show you that it works. At the end of our process, and if you really commit to it, you will have a final book ready to publish.
JOIN A RETREAT
We run writing retreats in Greece during the summer, Lamu, South Africa and Italy. Here is a list of all the upcoming ones.
Just some of our published authors
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I’m no writer but had a story I needed to tell. If you have a book “inside” you and you have determination then catch a ride. Sarah's wealth of knowledge on the craft of writing, the industry, and process and the motivation around it all was priceless. With all the content for my book in hand and a message I wanted to share, I needed someone to help me structure my thoughts and give life to my ideas. Sarah Bullen masterfully brought all the words together into a completed manuscript with patience, persistence, integrity and professionalism. You made my dream come true! Kim Potgieter, Your Midlife Money Makeover 2020 |
WHAT'S COMING UP?
Writing Room Sprint Sessions
Join our weekly dedicated four hour online Writing Room sessions and get your writing locked down and in progress.
You can join for one hour, or all four and can be working on any project (writing or book related).
In theory, this isolation time should be good for writers. Writing is solitary. You sit alone at your desk for a year. But too much alone is not good for anyone. We have all started to crave the company of other crazy writers for connection and support, feedback, a giggle or a moan. That's why we have started to write together in weekly 'bum time' sessions online. It is powerful and productive. I invite you to join in those sessions and just write with a global family.
We start at 11am GMT (please convert to your timezone)
The first 15 minutes we will take questions and connect,
Then all writers will mute audio, put off their cameras and write.
We connect again at the top of each hour, take a 5 min break and check in on our progress before sprinting the 55 min writing session.
You can join any time and pop in and out.
When you sign up you will be sent a link to join.
Professional Manuscript Appraisal
You have written your best possible version of your book, and now you need someone to make it better. The good news is that there are other people (professionals) who can take your book to the 'next level'.
Please note that a manuscript (MS) appraisal is not an EDIT, but is a high-level structural assessment of the MS. The onus is then on the writer to 'fix' the structural suggestions and accept and work on the changes.
This is for writers who have completed a full draft of a book and feel it needs input / improvement or a professional eye to assess it and give critical feedback. A MS appraisal report is a professional assessment of all aspects of the structure of the MS such as plot, character, dialogue etc . It is a commercial assessment that gives you a fresh, objective outsider's perspective done by a qualified editor The overall aim of this high-level assessment is to improve your MS and give you real ways to make it better and more publishable. During the process they will make significant notes and changes. At the end of the process you will get a full written report. The report will make suggestions, changes and act as an overall assessment. It will suggest specific large-scale changes / improvements / refinements (plotting changes, structure changes, pace, characters and overall novel read).
Some editors will also make detailed edit notes on your manuscript, or comments, for you to work with.
In a novel a manuscript appraisal focuses on structural strengths and weaknesses: Character. Setting. Plot.
The process will be completed in 3-4 weeks.
Beta Reader Report
A Beta Reader report is highly useful and honest report by someone who knows and loves books. It will be someone who we know will give you an honest report and feed back to you what a reader thinks of the book, with some ways to make it more readable.
This is not a professional Manuscript Appraisal (see below for that link).
As an author you are looking for fresh eyes and honest feedback.
The reader report needs to be objective, honest and constructive.
An author will use this beta feedback to re-assess, re-write the next draft and take the book forward.
It will cover
1. Overall impression
2. Beginning of the book / hook
3. Characters (general, lead character, other main characters)
4. The middle
5. The ending
6. Plot progression or argument development (this is about the book structure)
7. Language use
8. Weaknesses
9. Strengths
Do you need a more professional review?
Then look at rather booking a Professional Manuscript Appraisal here
https://www.thewritingroom.co.za/store/p15/manuscriptappraisal.html#/
The Writing Room Community
To sign up please this link rather https://www.thewritingroom.co.za/writersonthlysubscription.html
It may have been years ago when you started your writing journey on a course, or it may that you are at the start. We know how hard it is to keep walking down this path as a writer. We are going to make sure you do. This is our very best way to support and nudge you along the path.
Join the online writing community. This is a subscription-based community and we do a lot together in writing every week, and month. Mostly we have a lot of fun, connect and share the journey of writing.
We are both strict, coupled with oodles of love. Join us on this ongoing commitment to your writing.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The rate is $20 per month and it is a monthly subscription (The first month is FREE).
You can cancel it at any time. As part of it you get all these things...
1. Unlimited access to our WEEKLY WRITING SESSIONS
Every Wednesday there is a writing sprint session. We gather from 11am-3pm UTC/.GMT and hang out and write. Sounds boring? Then it is not for you! We are all writing, and many writers will be on mentorships, but we also connect, chat and share. You can join for one hour, or all four and can be working on any project (writing or book related). Join and get your writing locked down and in progress. Drop ins or non-subscription rates are $10 per session.
2. Access to the MONTHLY THREE DAY WRITING IMMERSIONS
A monthly 'at home writing group'. Three days of solid and real writing. We connect in 9 hour sessions over three days. It is a sure way to progress your writing... 27 hours of solid work.
Drop ins or non-subscription rates are $80 per retreat
3. The entire Write a Novel in 100 Days course at an 80% discount
You pay just $60 instead of $250.
4. A seat on the MONTHLY WRITING CHAT AND Q&A
We have a monthly chat on the craft and either we will answer your questions or cover a topic, or we will invite an expert to chat - an editor, poet, publisher, Amazon expert, author brand specials or agent once a month for a chat, Q&A and lesson.
5. The Writing Room Author Support Group.
This is a dedicated FB page for our authors, a place to ask questions, share your writing and connect. You can get feedback, share your concerns, get Beta readers and find out what we are up to next.
You can join and ...
- Tackle and finish any writing project in your heart
- Simply connect and be in a community of writers and creatives
- Push your book the the end.
- Write your second draft to make it the best version possible
- Finish your book proposal and pitch deck
- Build your author brand collateral
- Commit to blog content
- Write a course
Sometimes it is not that easy to put LIFE aside and do it. We consistently find that what writers need most is to be held accountable. For someone to set a deadline, watch that you actively work towards it and hold you to your promise.
Three Day Writing Retreat at Home
We have one of these every month
2022 DATES
24 - 26 January
25 - 27 February
18 - 20 March
22 - 24 April
27 - 93 May
Three days of solid and real writing. We connect in 7.5 hour sessions over three days.
Times are 11am-6.30pm UTC/GMT (convert to your own timezone! - please check your timezone here.
For all writers on any of my mentorships this is a no-cost weekend so ask me for that link to register.
HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS....
So here are the rules... you can join for all three days of it... or a few of the times.
Once you register you will get a link for the entire time, and you can pop in and out using the same link.
We connect and chat at the start of each session.... and we break to connect every 1.5 hours.
You set your goals and your word count.
You can be working on any creative project.
This is a serious push to write, connect and get something done.
Don't feel alone. Weekends are for writing!
REVIEWS
“After sitting for over a week with a stagnant word count, I managed to reach 7000 words in one at home retreat. Part of those 7000 words was the most daunting part of my novel that I have been putting off for months. I was overthinking it, procrastinating on it, and questioning myself on every word that came to mind. The weekend made me realise that
1. That’s every writer’s struggle and when you all gather and talk about it, it takes away the majority of the self-doubt because it’s not a “you” problem.
2. Having to answer to writers you respect on why you haven’t put the words on paper puts a real fire under your butt
3. Spending a weekend with like-minded people (even virtually) reignites the passion that made you start the project.
Vicki Mac Callum - radio personality and journalist
I’ve done a few of these retreats and I have yet to end a weekend feeling like it wasn’t the best investment I made that month”
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Storytellers ought not to be too tame.They ought to be wild creatures who function adequately in society. They are best in disguise. If they lose all their wildness, they cannot give us the truest joys.
Ben Okri.
Writing a book is a long and magical journey. It takes time, hours of work and a good writing strategy. It takes a deep calling to share a story. We can start at any point in the writing process. Most often I work with an author for 6-12 months to get a book from IDEA to publication. Some books take longer. Some take less time. The way I work is initially over 6 months.
"We write a book for many reasons; to share a journey, to entertain, to build a brand, to record a life or to highlight a cause. I like to make sure your book is the best version it can be. For me, that means well-structured, real and it reflects your voice and life."
Sarah Bullen
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STORIES
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