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Sit Write Share: Practical Writing Strategies to Transform Your Experience into Content that Matters
Do you keep promising yourself to write but never quite get around to it? Do you delete almost as many words as you write? Do you write things that never get shared?
Nobody is born knowing how to write. Like any skill, writing improves with deliberate practice and attention. With growing skill often comes heightened enjoyment. This book will help you develop writing skill so you can share your message.
There is no single writing recipe that works for everybody, but successful writers rely on common ingredients. Play with the experiments in this book to find what works for you. There is a free workbook to take stock and find the next best experiment for you, available at the book web site, sitwriteshare.com. 13 Sit experiments will help you get your writing started, escape writers' block, defeat internal gremlins, build habits, and find inspiration.26 Write experiments will help you imagine your message, create a rough draft, and then edit in phases until your polished version emerges.16 Share experiments will help you get support, publish, and spread your message to those who need it.
This book will help you build your own unique writing practice.
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Sit Write Share builds a structure that helps writers overcome the doubts, distractions, and digressions they inevitably face. Written with humor and compassion from Britton's deep experience as an author, editor, publisher, writing teacher, and coach, Sit Write Share will make you a better, happier, and more productive writer.
Henry Edwards
Author of The Daily Reasons for Optimism
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About the Author
Kathryn Britton’s clients call her the brilliant midwife of words. She has helped hundreds of people become word crafters who complete writing projects, big and small. Her own publications include books and articles about computer science, coaching, and applied positive psychology. After earning a Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree at the University of Pennsylvania, she founded Theano Coaching LLC to coach writers and run writing workshops. Kathryn has witnessed the power of her writing experiments to help authors find joy, build confidence, and get writing done that changes the world.
For more information and for a workbook to help you move through the 55 experiments, visit SitWriteShare.com
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2022
26 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
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April 27, 2022Writing is hard, and writing well is even harder. If you struggle to begin the writer's journey or you have ever felt lost along the way, this book is elven bread to sustain you as you scale your personal Mount Doom.
Kathryn Britton packed this book with a tremendous variety of examples, discussions, stories, and experiments that support the writer's journey at every stage. She addresses the many obstacles writers face with kindness, generosity, and empathy: finding your reason to write, defining who you want to write for, overcoming writer's block, getting your writing out into the world, etc. In the exercises and discussions the author writes directly, clearly, and with an infectious enthusiasm. But it is the sheer number and variety of exercises that really testifies to the author's generosity and sincere interest in helping other writers succeed.
The author has assembled this material from a variety of sources with an eye toward usefulness and practicality. Many of the most interesting and refreshing techniques are uniquely hers, developed during her writer's workshops and her previous as a successful author and editor. The Share section stands out for its practical and thorough approach to the many ways writers can find and serve their audience.
I was a fortunate member of more than one of Kathryn's workshops, and was privileged to read this excellent book in its beta edition. No book is perfect, and no book on writing can be the last word. Being a sort of Swiss Army knife of writer's books, some tools are well implemented and others appear in a perhaps less practical form. Despite the well defined structure of the book, I often forgot which type of section I was reading. But that's a minor quibble, because the material is useful, absorbing, and certainly bears repeating in more than one context.
Kathryn Britton packed this book with a tremendous variety of examples, discussions, stories, and experiments that support the writer's journey at every stage. She addresses the many obstacles writers face with kindness, generosity, and empathy: finding your reason to write, defining who you want to write for, overcoming writer's block, getting your writing out into the world, etc. In the exercises and discussions the author writes directly, clearly, and with an infectious enthusiasm. But it is the sheer number and variety of exercises that really testifies to the author's generosity and sincere interest in helping other writers succeed.
The author has assembled this material from a variety of sources with an eye toward usefulness and practicality. Many of the most interesting and refreshing techniques are uniquely hers, developed during her writer's workshops and her previous as a successful author and editor. The Share section stands out for its practical and thorough approach to the many ways writers can find and serve their audience.
I was a fortunate member of more than one of Kathryn's workshops, and was privileged to read this excellent book in its beta edition. No book is perfect, and no book on writing can be the last word. Being a sort of Swiss Army knife of writer's books, some tools are well implemented and others appear in a perhaps less practical form. Despite the well defined structure of the book, I often forgot which type of section I was reading. But that's a minor quibble, because the material is useful, absorbing, and certainly bears repeating in more than one context.
April 28, 2022
If you are often asked “Have you ever thought of writing a book?” “Do you have a blog?” to which you respond far too quickly with “What would I write about?” “Who would read my book?” or “I’ve been thinking about it..”, here’s your writing coach in a book!
Sit Write Share: Practical Writing Strategies to Transform Your Experience into Content that Matters
Kathryn Britton has heard it all and met us all in her writing workshops, and that clearly shows that in her book Sit Write Share. I feel like she lives in my head. Astonishing! How she catches me out in my Sit-Stare-and-Not-Write game. It's like playing chess with a Grand Master who is ready for every possible move you might make. Britton gently guides the struggling diffident would-be or jaded writer on a let’s see what you need journey. “This is your writing manual to tailor to your own needs”, she coaxes in her introduction.
Fifty-five experiments – no pressure – just experiments for you to consider to get you started, keep moving and stay inspired. The experiments are set up in the format of neat little packages of story, observations, baby steps, and the moral behind it. We all love stories - they fuel our own. We imagine possibilities and quicken our lagging faltering efforts to step up.
My favorite section was the Share Experiment collection. Sharing what I write has always been the bane of my life - so huge that it gives me reason not to Sit and Write. The fact that I am writing this is testament to the impact of Britton’s work on a seasoned shirker from writing!
Sit Write Share: Practical Writing Strategies to Transform Your Experience into Content that Matters
Kathryn Britton has heard it all and met us all in her writing workshops, and that clearly shows that in her book Sit Write Share. I feel like she lives in my head. Astonishing! How she catches me out in my Sit-Stare-and-Not-Write game. It's like playing chess with a Grand Master who is ready for every possible move you might make. Britton gently guides the struggling diffident would-be or jaded writer on a let’s see what you need journey. “This is your writing manual to tailor to your own needs”, she coaxes in her introduction.
Fifty-five experiments – no pressure – just experiments for you to consider to get you started, keep moving and stay inspired. The experiments are set up in the format of neat little packages of story, observations, baby steps, and the moral behind it. We all love stories - they fuel our own. We imagine possibilities and quicken our lagging faltering efforts to step up.
My favorite section was the Share Experiment collection. Sharing what I write has always been the bane of my life - so huge that it gives me reason not to Sit and Write. The fact that I am writing this is testament to the impact of Britton’s work on a seasoned shirker from writing!
June 2, 2022
Sit Write Share approaches writing from a relatable perspective which I expect may help me bring to life a couple book “projects” gathering cobwebs. While I have written and edited many hundreds of “published” mostly technical books and articles, transitioning to amateur/hobbyist writing has proven elusive.
After buying Sit Write Share I “thumbed” through the Kindle Edition reading a few pages here and there and quickly realized the well organized book really provides steps to transform an idea into a successful finished work or it may be used as an excellent reference/checklist for many specific tasks. The “sit” and “write” sections are oriented to helping the writer develop and grow where the “share” section is more task oriented. The “experiments” are interesting and insightful and many will help any writer. A companion Sit Write Share Workbook might be useful.
Sit Write Share spans the spectrum from starting with a bank piece of paper to having a book manuscript you want to self-publish – from exploring and learning ways to write that work for you to specific steps to successfully self-publish. Sit Write Share encapsulates Kathryn Britton’s unique writing-coaching and editing style which lets the writer’s personal style shine through.
Sit Write Share is extensively personalized drawing upon both Britton’s evolution as a writer and her writing workshops and coaching experience. Britton frequently explains how a particular step relates to the creation of Sit Write Share. When reading Sit Write Share I thought the juxtaposition of the steps and the book was particularly helpful to understanding the process.
I think Sit Write Share may help people like me who need a “jump start” to transform their experience into content that matters.
After buying Sit Write Share I “thumbed” through the Kindle Edition reading a few pages here and there and quickly realized the well organized book really provides steps to transform an idea into a successful finished work or it may be used as an excellent reference/checklist for many specific tasks. The “sit” and “write” sections are oriented to helping the writer develop and grow where the “share” section is more task oriented. The “experiments” are interesting and insightful and many will help any writer. A companion Sit Write Share Workbook might be useful.
Sit Write Share spans the spectrum from starting with a bank piece of paper to having a book manuscript you want to self-publish – from exploring and learning ways to write that work for you to specific steps to successfully self-publish. Sit Write Share encapsulates Kathryn Britton’s unique writing-coaching and editing style which lets the writer’s personal style shine through.
Sit Write Share is extensively personalized drawing upon both Britton’s evolution as a writer and her writing workshops and coaching experience. Britton frequently explains how a particular step relates to the creation of Sit Write Share. When reading Sit Write Share I thought the juxtaposition of the steps and the book was particularly helpful to understanding the process.
I think Sit Write Share may help people like me who need a “jump start” to transform their experience into content that matters.
May 18, 2022
Sit, Write, Share is like a great cookbook that would be a staple in your kitchen... Follow the recipes to the letter, or let them guide your experimentation. Some experiments will be your favorite go-to staples that appear frequently on your writing menu, others will help you think holistically about planning a dinner party or whole four-course meal-- presumably the book or long-form piece that you want to write.
The clarity and order of the book are excellent. Kathryn covers the topics in a friendly, approachable way with great story-telling, keen observations, concrete steps and a nifty morals to sum it up each experiment. Sit, Write, Share, presents information in a in a complete and logical format, including three sub-sections, Image, Draft, Edit. Both neat, clear triads will stick with readers and they conceptualize the writing process. Readers may "dip in and out" and find the experiments most useful to them, but there is also a unity as the book moves along so that readers can also use it as a "start to finish" resource for a writing project.
I particularly enjoyed the Imagine stories, as they felt most relevant to my own writing, but I appreciated the Draft and Edit sections as motivation to get me beyond writing to think about how to put together and publish a finished project.
Every reader of Sit, Write, Share stands to benefit from the generosity of Kathryn's wisdom!
The clarity and order of the book are excellent. Kathryn covers the topics in a friendly, approachable way with great story-telling, keen observations, concrete steps and a nifty morals to sum it up each experiment. Sit, Write, Share, presents information in a in a complete and logical format, including three sub-sections, Image, Draft, Edit. Both neat, clear triads will stick with readers and they conceptualize the writing process. Readers may "dip in and out" and find the experiments most useful to them, but there is also a unity as the book moves along so that readers can also use it as a "start to finish" resource for a writing project.
I particularly enjoyed the Imagine stories, as they felt most relevant to my own writing, but I appreciated the Draft and Edit sections as motivation to get me beyond writing to think about how to put together and publish a finished project.
Every reader of Sit, Write, Share stands to benefit from the generosity of Kathryn's wisdom!
September 29, 2022
I'm uniquely qualified to review this book, having taking one of Kathryn's writing workshops (not as painful as I feared, even enjoyable!) and having co-authored and co-edited a book with Kathryn (Character Strengths Matter: How to Live a Full Life). I knew the book would be good, I just didn't know how helpful it would be.
She takes an engineering, process mindset to an artful craft and the results are a great hybrid of the two. In the sections of the book, (aptly named sit, write and share) you have practical exercises for each one of these activities. As someone who finds all three parts challenging, having it broken down into specific tasks that I could choose (or not choose) was very helpful.
My only (tiny) constructive feedback: I would have rather had all the references in the book itself. Then I adjusted to it and realized, it's not that hard to go to a website. With more tools to boot!
It can be read all at once or in pieces as you find the need to create something written for work or to publish. My favorite idea in the book is the procrastination hierarchy. The concept is that if you have something you would like to do LESS than writing (i.e., your taxes) then you will do the writing. If there is something you would rather do than writing (i.e., organize your desk) then you will do that. It's fresh and fun and helps me to stop procrastinating.
She takes an engineering, process mindset to an artful craft and the results are a great hybrid of the two. In the sections of the book, (aptly named sit, write and share) you have practical exercises for each one of these activities. As someone who finds all three parts challenging, having it broken down into specific tasks that I could choose (or not choose) was very helpful.
My only (tiny) constructive feedback: I would have rather had all the references in the book itself. Then I adjusted to it and realized, it's not that hard to go to a website. With more tools to boot!
It can be read all at once or in pieces as you find the need to create something written for work or to publish. My favorite idea in the book is the procrastination hierarchy. The concept is that if you have something you would like to do LESS than writing (i.e., your taxes) then you will do the writing. If there is something you would rather do than writing (i.e., organize your desk) then you will do that. It's fresh and fun and helps me to stop procrastinating.
May 18, 2022
Kathryn is a master of the craft of writing and this book is a journey into her toolshed
As someone who has written and worked with writers for years, Kathryn has unique insights and ideas that can be useful for anyone interested in writing. What I love about the structure and style of the book is that it invites the reader to write. Each of her 55 experiments offer a fresh and magnetic way for us to engage in the different aspects of the writing experience.
One particular gem for me was Write Experiment 22: Edit words and punctuation. Instead of offering platitudes about editing, she dove into numerous specific examples of things we should be on a lookout for in our writing. It’s the kind of advice that only someone who has helped edit thousands of drafts could offer. It was like reading a word choice and punctuation textbook for writers, except that it was only a few pages long, fun to read, and easy to come back to and use as a checklist after I finish any writing piece.
This book is now my go-to gift for anyone engaged in writing, and certainly a book I plan on coming back to as I grow in my writing practice.
As someone who has written and worked with writers for years, Kathryn has unique insights and ideas that can be useful for anyone interested in writing. What I love about the structure and style of the book is that it invites the reader to write. Each of her 55 experiments offer a fresh and magnetic way for us to engage in the different aspects of the writing experience.
One particular gem for me was Write Experiment 22: Edit words and punctuation. Instead of offering platitudes about editing, she dove into numerous specific examples of things we should be on a lookout for in our writing. It’s the kind of advice that only someone who has helped edit thousands of drafts could offer. It was like reading a word choice and punctuation textbook for writers, except that it was only a few pages long, fun to read, and easy to come back to and use as a checklist after I finish any writing piece.
This book is now my go-to gift for anyone engaged in writing, and certainly a book I plan on coming back to as I grow in my writing practice.
May 19, 2022
I’ve had the privilege of being a part of Kathryn’s writing workshops for over six years and following her advice changed my life in the best way. I started as a scattershot writer who struggled to find a consistent topic. Kathryn’s advice, which is so wonderfully captured in this book, helped me build a successful company blog, presentations, and secure a book deal with a major publisher.
While there are many books that talk about style and grammar, Kathryn’s book goes deeper. She hits at the heart of how to actually get words on the page consistently, find your own voice, and develop content that will serve whatever goals you have. Whether you’re writing a memoir, fiction or building your business, Kathryn provides incredibly insightful and practical advice that will help you get your ideas out of your head and into the world!
While there are many books that talk about style and grammar, Kathryn’s book goes deeper. She hits at the heart of how to actually get words on the page consistently, find your own voice, and develop content that will serve whatever goals you have. Whether you’re writing a memoir, fiction or building your business, Kathryn provides incredibly insightful and practical advice that will help you get your ideas out of your head and into the world!
December 26, 2022
Sit, Write, Share is one of those books that is easy to read but loaded with insight. Britton's advice is both practical and incredibly insightful. She takes a lot of the mystery out of creation in a good way. Rather than sitting and waiting for divine inspiration, she helps you to simply start, and then to take those baby steps to something much larger. It's not just about her own experience as a writer. It also reflects years of teaching writing workshops and helping people overcome their struggle to write. I've been working with her book for a couple of months and it has helped me to progress and keep going. Reading her book is filled with "Aha!" moments. When she writes about other writers' experiences, it feels like she is talking to me. I feel seen and then encouraged to just keep writing.
May 5, 2022
This is an extremely helpful book for anyone who needs to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. It offers concrete strategies using examples and experiments for preparing to write (sit), for delivering content (write) and for getting published (share). The experiments have been informed by use in the real world by the author, her students and others, while her writing is warm and readable. If you need to write a theme paper, reduce data to an academic article, write a memoir, even a Christmas letter, or simply want to convey wisdom you have accumulated, this book will be amazingly helpful to you. Kathryn Britton has done a service to writers and their readers everywhere. Kathryn Britton
May 18, 2022
If you feel like writing is a huge, monstrous task that get your thoughts all tangled-up, if you find yourself writing frantically at times only to hit the delete button compulsively later on, and if you don't feel in control of your inspiration, this book will put your writing gremlins to rest once and for all. With simple, concrete and actionable steps anyone can experiment with and for free (no "buy this super helpful gadget" schemes here), this book will help you defeat all your writing excuses if you really want it to. As evidenced in the book itself, Britton has helped many, many authors get their books, blogs and other writings out into the world, and is now sharing her knowledge and experience with anyone who is ready to take their writing from dream to reality.
May 10, 2022
Britton's book is full of relatable anecdotes and practical strategies! My favorite is towards the beginning of the book and was a new concept for me - a commonplace book. I love the idea of a collection of quotes, poetry, video, and writing that I find inspiring and insightful. What a great way to track my interests and learning over the years. This is only one example of a practical strategy that can have a big impact. I also find myself thinking more about what I'm reading, why I like or dislike it, and how what I am reading may inform my future writing. This book is a gem - you will be glad you read it!
June 20, 2022
It's clear that the author has helped a lot of writers in her career as the ideas keep flowing in easy to read "experiments" that she encourages you to consider. She has the wisdom to let us choose the ones that resonate and you can almost hear her encouraging us to try this experiment for generating ideas and that one for creating first drafts. I especially liked the one about thinking of your audience as individuals you've talked to and know so that you can write directly to them. She puts a lot into each idea and there are at least 60 such experiments so you get a lot of her writing wisdom. Highly recommended!
April 28, 2022
I’ve read several books on writing. Kathryn Britton’s Sit Write Share, is the first I’ve read that taps so many topics related to human flourishing. Through this book, we benefit from Kathryn’s expertise as a positive psychology scholar and writing expert. She seamlessly combines practical writing advice to overcome the many roadblocks writers face, along with insights from disciplines like growth mindset, expert performance, and Buddhist psychology – to name a few. What a gift! I can hardly wait to use her sage advice to improve my writing, and my life!
April 24, 2022
This was the perfect thing for me to read right now as someone on the brink of starting a big writing project who has been stewing on how to get started for months. The wisdom of what’s shared, the clarity of the path, the pragmatism of the recommendations, the obvious joy that shines through the pages, and the sheer gold mine of utility was exactly what I needed. This is a wonderful resource and will be well used to all who buy it!
April 28, 2022
Writing can be hard and intimidating. I am currently working on my second book and found Sit Write Share to be extremely actionable and bursting with helpful strategies to help me actually sit and write. Kathryn breaks down the 55 strategies in 3 categories - sit, write, and share, and each is filled with experiments (55 in total!) to see what works best for you. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to become a better and more consistent writer!
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May 30, 2022I really needed this book!
It took me out of my writer's slump and put me to the task with a much better idea of where I was going, why, and how to get there.
I loved how Britton unpacked the writing process, the things that get in the way, and how to get past them, with such a reassuring and friendly touch.
If you are contemplating taking on a writing project, this book is a wonderfully helpful companion to take on your journey.
It took me out of my writer's slump and put me to the task with a much better idea of where I was going, why, and how to get there.
I loved how Britton unpacked the writing process, the things that get in the way, and how to get past them, with such a reassuring and friendly touch.
If you are contemplating taking on a writing project, this book is a wonderfully helpful companion to take on your journey.
May 18, 2022
Kathryn Britton skillfully helps people bring their unique skills and experiences to the surface through writing. Quite like Gwendolyn Brookes, Kathryn plys "the slipping string, with feathery sorcery" for writers to find pleasure in writing their own stories for the world to enjoy. Her book is a jewel!
April 28, 2022
Writing has no barrier to entry and yet mastery requires a lifetime of practice. This book speed up the mastery process.
There are only a few skills every human must get better at. Writing is one of them. Get this book and buy it for anyone who wants/needs to level up.
There are only a few skills every human must get better at. Writing is one of them. Get this book and buy it for anyone who wants/needs to level up.
September 6, 2022
A writing adventure!
I used this book as a “choose my own adventure” journey through the world of my inner writer. I am lucky enough to actually work with Kathryn in writers workshops and she has provided invaluable guidance to me as a writer.
I used this book as a “choose my own adventure” journey through the world of my inner writer. I am lucky enough to actually work with Kathryn in writers workshops and she has provided invaluable guidance to me as a writer.
September 27, 2022
Sometimes I get stuck with my writing practice, and this book is the antidote. I love the author’s kind and practical tone. I have tried several of the exercises, and they have moved the needle for me. This was well worth the read and something I will return to again and again!
October 8, 2022
I read through this book once and now find myself coming back to it! Practical strategies from someone who has heard the struggles and helped the writers through them. . I particularly appreciate her section on 'sit' which I personally find so challenging. When I am feeling 'stuck' or just can't get started, I come back and find a new strategy to try.
A great read, an even better resource!
A great read, an even better resource!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews