WEBVTT - Be virtually accountable

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to be virtually accountable. Zoom and other video

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<v Speaker 1>conferencing programs have uses well beyond meetings. Sometimes no one

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<v Speaker 1>even needs to talk to make it easier to do

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<v Speaker 1>the right thing. So a few weeks ago, I got

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<v Speaker 1>an email from my friend kJ Dellantonia that she was

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<v Speaker 1>hosting Zoom writing hours. The idea was that at the

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<v Speaker 1>appointed time, people could click on her link and join

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<v Speaker 1>a virtual group of writers. People would turn their cameras on,

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<v Speaker 1>but they're sound off. The session would go for about

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<v Speaker 1>two hours, and during that time people would feel more

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<v Speaker 1>accountable to working on their writing projects because other people

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<v Speaker 1>were watching, they wouldn't be jumping up to do other

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<v Speaker 1>things or watching videos on their phones. I decided to

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<v Speaker 1>give these Zoom Writing Hours a whirl for two days

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<v Speaker 1>in a row. I gave myself specific assignments for the hours.

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<v Speaker 1>On day one, I was going to go through an

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<v Speaker 1>old novel manuscript and write up a chapter outline. Here

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<v Speaker 1>is what happens in each chapter. This would help with

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<v Speaker 1>the revision process. On day two, I would write the

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<v Speaker 1>flap copy for the book. That is, the short description

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<v Speaker 1>of the central premise and tension of the novel that

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<v Speaker 1>might go on the book jacket. I am happy to

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<v Speaker 1>report that it worked. I finished those two short projects,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's not that I couldn't have done them on

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<v Speaker 1>my own if I had time for zoom writing hours.

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<v Speaker 1>I clearly had time in general, but having a group

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<v Speaker 1>of other people all working on stuff helped set the tone.

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<v Speaker 1>I hadn't worked on that novel in three years, but

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<v Speaker 1>in two days I made some serious progress on this

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<v Speaker 1>speculative project. It turns out that lots of folks host

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<v Speaker 1>similar accountability groups. I saw a time log recently where

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<v Speaker 1>a woman was up early every weekday morning to write.

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<v Speaker 1>On her log. She put writing and then a word,

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<v Speaker 1>which I later learned was the name of her group.

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<v Speaker 1>These writers all got up to write first thing. Rather

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<v Speaker 1>than be lonely at five am, they turned on their

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<v Speaker 1>cameras and held each other accountable for showing up. Now, obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>accountability group aren't new. I am sure many people listening

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<v Speaker 1>to this episode are already part of one, but old

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<v Speaker 1>school accountability groups often required being in the same place.

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<v Speaker 1>Accountability partnerships tend to be built around check ins. They

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<v Speaker 1>don't often involve the hours of actually doing the work,

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<v Speaker 1>but they absolutely can. They can also involve people from wherever.

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<v Speaker 1>If you feel more accountable when you have a set

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<v Speaker 1>time for something and other people are doing it too,

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<v Speaker 1>then see if you can host some zoom accountability hours.

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<v Speaker 1>You and a colleague could turn on your cameras and

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<v Speaker 1>both work on projects that you need to get done.

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<v Speaker 1>You and your fellow artists all turn on your cameras

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<v Speaker 1>in your studios and keep going for a few hours.

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<v Speaker 1>Students could have homework buddies. Now, of course, there could

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<v Speaker 1>be a social element to this too. There is nothing

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<v Speaker 1>wrong with saying hello at the beginning, or midpoint or end.

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<v Speaker 1>Knowing a little bit about the other people helps with accountability.

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<v Speaker 1>But for the same reason that some folks run a

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<v Speaker 1>little faster on the treadmills at the gym, we often

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<v Speaker 1>work a little harder when we know people are watching.

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<v Speaker 1>Why not use that truth to your advantage in the meantime.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your

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<v Speaker 1>questions or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook,

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E the

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<v Speaker 1>number four than breakfast p o D. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia

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<v Speaker 1>dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all

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<v Speaker 1>the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to

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<v Speaker 1>staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio.

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