Ten Years in: The Next Phase of The Writing Barn

This year, we celebrated ten years of The Writing Barn serving writers. Much can happen in a decade—and much has.

Ten years of classes.

Ten years of intensives.

Ten years of success stories.

And the publishing landscape has changed in the last ten years as well. What was never an easy industry is now even more challenging.

Editor and agent burnout is at an all-time high.

No response is the response when it comes to submissions.

Making it through acquisitions feels like a minefield.

Manuscripts need to be near pitch perfect. Strong craft and major potential is no longer enough.

In our early days, with a combination of 6-week craft classes, weekend intensives, and perhaps a Write. Submit. Support. program or two, writers were moving through the phases of the literary life fairly quickly.

• Dreamer
• Builder
• Reviser/Submitter
• Agented
• Author
• Early to Mid-Career

It was still difficult to realize your dream of becoming a traditionally published author, but it didn’t feel impossible.

As things got more difficult for writers, I created the Courage to Create community, a sister endeavor to the Writing Barn. There the focus was on industry transparency, community support, and literary life coaching.

That’s where I developed the 7 Phases of the Literary Life, but in serving these writers intimately and in creating programming as the Creative Director and Owner of The Writing Barn, I realized I left a step out:

Writers on the verge.

I don’t have to tell you—the "On the Verge" years suck. They can last forever—or feel like it.

My “On the Verge” years spanned a decade. Yep, the same timespan it took to build The Writing Barn to serve thousands of writers globally.

From 1999-2009, I spent about 780 hours a year studying craft; and at least $80k total on craft classes, an MFA, conferences, mentorships, and more.

Now, in 2023, the amount of programming, conferences, and communities are exhausting. The expenses and options are dizzying. You might ask yourself...

Where do I spend my hard-earned money?

On what?

And when?

Is my work ready? Am I talented? Why am I hitting a wall?

I am tired of writers fielding these questions alone. While our journeys may be distinct, after shepherding so many writers from pre-published to published, I see there is a need for clearer pathways to publication.

Clear distinct steps to take at each and every phase to maximize our time and talents.

So we are making some changes here at The Writing Barn, based on my first big goal that I ever achieved—and what it took to get me there.

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I have a confession. It took me forever to learn to ride a bike.

(Not a decade like my “On the Verge" years, but it sure felt like it.)

It took me long after all the other kids on the block were popping wheelies and riding no hands.

I couldn’t get four feet without falling.

I got so battered and bruised that, at one point, my mom took my bike away from me for my own good. I was livid! How was I ever going to catch up to my friends?

When was I ever going to enjoy the freedom riding a bike would give me—the wind in my hair, the power in my legs, and the autonomy to go where I wanted to go and when?

I had been throwing myself over and over at my desire to balance on that yellow banana seat and ride like the wind. It wasn't working.

And with no bike?! How was I ever going to accomplish my dream?

A part of me wondered if my mom thought I couldn’t do it. But now that I am 51 and looking back at my seven-year-old self, I see my mom knew I needed to rest, assess, and see if there was another way to get to my goal instead of pretending I was Evel Knievel, battering my body to its breaking point.

That’s where I think we all are in publishing: at a breaking point.

The industry is changing, but it needs to change.

We just can’t break down while it becomes more equitable. We have to keep going, but not in our Evel Knievel ways.

I learned that the hard way.

The first weekend of summer vacation, I broke my leg.

BAM. Major surgery! Eight weeks in a wheelchair. I had to cancel plans and rearrange my schedule, but I was able to keep the 12 Courageous Strategy Sessions I had on my calendar with CTC writers where we worked together on their pitches, query letters, and submission plans for those in the query trenches.

And for those mid-career, we jotted down keynote ideas, went through school visit presentations, created marketing timelines, and made income goals.

I helped writers create a plan. A courageous plan. One for right where they were and where they wanted to go. And I listened to what they wanted:

The freedom that a YES would bring. The inner shift in confidence.

I realized in a deep, deep way that writers need actionable advice, not just talent and craft classes to get there.

Meanwhile, over at The Writing Barn, business was business as usual. We were doing what all writing organizations do: lots of à la carte offerings—anything you want at any time!

As a kid, when my mom gave me my bike back, I still had the same milestone I always had in mind:

Ride. And ride with no hands!

It wasn’t the dream that was the problem… it was the way I had been pursuing it.

My mom wanted my success for me as much as I wanted it for myself. She knew I had places to go. Life to experience.

But she also knew, despite the fact that I shook off her help, that she had to stand up to her headstrong daughter.

And we worked on a new plan. A strategy to get me where I wanted to go.

We did sit ups to strengthen my core.

I walked the balance beam at gymnastics class—not to become the next Olympian, but to test my balance.

I let her put her hand on that yellow banana seat and run behind me.

I accepted her help and support.

And I wasn’t out there every afternoon, beaten and bloody. I took time off between tries. I enjoyed my second-grade life: brownies, riding an elephant in the circus, wow... lots of wonder.

I stopped comparing myself to others. And my inner pep talks were nicer.

Before I knew it, I could ride!

Then, I met my next goal!

"Look Mom, no hands!"

The ultimate sign of freedom and control.

That’s what I want for writers: the freedom to be creative and the autonomy to shape their destiny.

"Go Bethie, go!" Mom cheered.

"Your yes is next!" I cheer.

My mom’s strategy worked. She validated my pain and deep desire. We changed things up. We went both slower and faster. And we did it.

So, that’s what we are going to be doing here at The Writing Barn. Instead of endless offerings, and Evel Knievel daredevil moves, we are building all our programming around the 8 stages of the Literary Life, with a special focus for those in the difficult “On the Verge” years.

Together, we will look at what phase you are in, and you will be guided to the programming that will take you where you want to go...

To start a writing practice.

To get the basics under your belt.

To finish that novel! Expand your body of PB work!

To revise and polish and pitch.

To create deep connections while On the Verge. Break in!

To land an agent—your “Write Match.”

To bring your book to market.

To navigate those early to mid-career years.

And as we play and experiment, draft and revise, craft and critique, pitch and polish, we will keep our eyes on thriving—not just surviving—through this difficult journey, which we practice in community at the Courage to Create.

Overall, we are embracing: more strategy, more humanity, and deeper connections.

At a difficult time in the industry, we are backing away from the breaking point and we are turning instead toward creating breakthroughs!

This is where ten years of serving writers has brought us.

This is where our creativity and industry expertise has led us.

Not just for a few writers.

But for all writers.

We hope you join us for the ride...

Yours in fiction—and non,

in bruises and bumps,

in breakdowns and breakthroughs,

- Bethany Hegedus

​For more about the 8 Phases of the Literary Life and to see what phase you are in, click here.​

Overview of what's ahead at The Writing Barn:

• A new website, where our offerings will be arranged by the 8 Phases.
• Core six-week classes offered live on Zoom at least twice a year.
• Limited webinars and half-day classes.
• Expanded application-only six-month programs, such as Write. Submit. Support. for more 1:1 instruction and mentorship.
• A new year-long program, The Verge—with direct industry connections where each writer is assigned an Author Advisor, Agent Advisor, and Editor Advisor with the ultimate goal of breaking out of The erge and into the industry.
• Opening the Courage to Create community to be enrolling at all times instead of just twice a year.
• A continued focus on disrupting the country club version of the publishing industry to the more generative community garden approach.
• More direct marketing and engagement with Bethany and the Writing Barn and Courage to Create staff to get your questions answered, and decide which program is right for you—and when!