Join my Creative Hour at 10am today (UK time)

Here's your Google Meet link.

Before we get into today’s Creative Hour, a change of plan for the next one: I know I said we’d do it on 28 January, but that was idiotic of me because I’m going away on a stag weekend (my first ever stag – which is UK-speak for bachelor party – for my old friend Andrew). Even if I’m home by 5pm on the Sunday, I am not confident that I’ll be fit to host a Creative Hour. Instead, I’m bringing it forward to next weekend, that is 21 January at 5pm GMT. Amend your calendar! And thanks for bearing with me.

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Now back to today’s Creative Hour, which is at 10am GMT – yes, it’s a morning one. I’m excited, because this is the first time in a year that I’ve been able to use this session for play and pleasure, rather than to chip away at an ongoing project that I’d committed to. Having freed up a bit of brain space by delivering my manuscript (which is now in the editing stage), I can think about starting to write something new, or several new things, just for fun.

If you’re joining me to write today, what are you working on? A creative experiment, or something more substantial?

I’m really looking forward to seeing you all. I’ll be on Google Meet from 10am UK time. There’s a timezone converter here for those who aren’t in the UK – just put your own location into the second section and it will let you know what time to show up.

If you haven’t attended a Creative Hour before, it’s a get-together for paying subscribers online. We say hello and have a brief chat, then write together in companionable silence for fifty minutes. It’s a small act of writerly solidarity, an opportunity to get to know other writers, and a lovely, uplifting way to end the week.

The schedule:

10am GMT: Click the link below to open Google Meet.

I’d love you to switch your camera on for the first few minutes while we settle in, and keep it on throughout the hour if you can bear it (it adds to the feeling that we’re all working side by side). As for microphones, we’ll follow a general rule of staying on mute, but unmuting when we want to speak. Please chime in during the chats at the beginning and end – I’d love to hear from you.

10.05-ish: Writing time. If you’re running late, you’re welcome to slip in whenever, but don’t be offended if we don’t say hello. As for what to write – it’s totally up to you. Pick up a project that you’ve been neglecting, start something new, or if you’re stuck for inspiration, do some journalling or write a letter.

10.55-ish: We’ll return to wrap up the hour and reflect on how it went.

11am: Say goodbye, and feel pleased with yourself for the rest of the day.

The link: