1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: tip is to be virtually accountable. Zoom and other video 4 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: conferencing programs have uses well beyond meetings. Sometimes no one 5 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: even needs to talk to make it easier to do 6 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: the right thing. So a few weeks ago, I got 7 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: an email from my friend kJ Dellantonia that she was 8 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: hosting Zoom writing hours. The idea was that at the 9 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,480 Speaker 1: appointed time, people could click on her link and join 10 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: a virtual group of writers. People would turn their cameras on, 11 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: but they're sound off. The session would go for about 12 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: two hours, and during that time people would feel more 13 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: accountable to working on their writing projects because other people 14 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: were watching, they wouldn't be jumping up to do other 15 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: things or watching videos on their phones. I decided to 16 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,559 Speaker 1: give these Zoom Writing Hours a whirl for two days 17 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: in a row. I gave myself specific assignments for the hours. 18 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: On day one, I was going to go through an 19 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: old novel manuscript and write up a chapter outline. Here 20 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: is what happens in each chapter. This would help with 21 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: the revision process. On day two, I would write the 22 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: flap copy for the book. That is, the short description 23 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: of the central premise and tension of the novel that 24 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: might go on the book jacket. I am happy to 25 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: report that it worked. I finished those two short projects, 26 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: and it's not that I couldn't have done them on 27 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,559 Speaker 1: my own if I had time for zoom writing hours. 28 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: I clearly had time in general, but having a group 29 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: of other people all working on stuff helped set the tone. 30 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: I hadn't worked on that novel in three years, but 31 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 1: in two days I made some serious progress on this 32 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:29,239 Speaker 1: speculative project. It turns out that lots of folks host 33 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,839 Speaker 1: similar accountability groups. I saw a time log recently where 34 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 1: a woman was up early every weekday morning to write. 35 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: On her log. She put writing and then a word, 36 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 1: which I later learned was the name of her group. 37 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: These writers all got up to write first thing. Rather 38 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: than be lonely at five am, they turned on their 39 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: cameras and held each other accountable for showing up. Now, obviously, 40 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: accountability group aren't new. I am sure many people listening 41 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: to this episode are already part of one, but old 42 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: school accountability groups often required being in the same place. 43 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: Accountability partnerships tend to be built around check ins. They 44 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: don't often involve the hours of actually doing the work, 45 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 1: but they absolutely can. They can also involve people from wherever. 46 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: If you feel more accountable when you have a set 47 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: time for something and other people are doing it too, 48 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: then see if you can host some zoom accountability hours. 49 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: You and a colleague could turn on your cameras and 50 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: both work on projects that you need to get done. 51 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: You and your fellow artists all turn on your cameras 52 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: in your studios and keep going for a few hours. 53 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: Students could have homework buddies. Now, of course, there could 54 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: be a social element to this too. There is nothing 55 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: wrong with saying hello at the beginning, or midpoint or end. 56 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: Knowing a little bit about the other people helps with accountability. 57 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: But for the same reason that some folks run a 58 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: little faster on the treadmills at the gym, we often 59 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: work a little harder when we know people are watching. 60 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: Why not use that truth to your advantage in the meantime. 61 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making 62 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 63 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your 64 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: questions or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 65 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E the 66 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: number four than breakfast p o D. You can also 67 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia 68 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all 69 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to 70 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. 71 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 72 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.