profile

Julie Duffy

Writer, Coach

Hi, I'm Julie Duffy, founder & director of StoryADay. Every year since 2010 I've challenged writers like you to prove to themselves that they can write more (and better) than they think, during the StoryADay May challenge. During the rest of the year, StoryADay supports you with the StoryAWeek newsletter (writing lessons & prompts), a popular podcast, blog posts, mini-challenges, courses, and a members' community. StoryADay May has become a fixture on the writing calendar, and the lively community is one of Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers. Join me for info, workshops, challenges & courses, and of course, the StoryAWeek newsletter.

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Featured Post

Daily Prep for StoryADay May

Did you know I'm doing daily videos on YouTube full of lessons from 15 years of running StoryADay May? So far, I've talked about Being Kind To Yourself Finding the Best Writing Prompts Collecting Story Sparks for success during the challenge Ways to Make Time To Write Writing in the Gaps (when there isn't much time) Control What You Can and Make Time To Write Setting up Your Workspace for StoryADay May All these lessons can apply to any writing practice, not just the StoryADay May challenge,...

16 days ago • 1 min read

Here in the US we're all talking about tomorrow's solar eclipse. If you (like me) are not in the path of totality it can be tempting to be sad or cynical about all this excitement, but don't be! I think the reason we're so excited about the eclipse is, ironically, that the lack of light illuminates the world in a new way for humans. It's a non-everyday event that has the capacity to change how we see the world we live in. Writing and writers bring this gift of a perspective shift every single...

20 days ago • 1 min read

Dear Reader, StoryADay May 2024 is fast approaching. And I need to hear from you, about how I can help you succeed in your writing.. Can you help me? Answer this quick, two question survey to help me make sure I’m putting together tools and resources that will help you right now. (Sometimes I write back!) And stay tuned for our 15th Anniversary StoryADay May. For the first time in a few years I’m putting together all the prompts myself, taking everything I’ve learned from 15 years of the...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Intrigued by StoryADay May's 15th Challenge (sign up here!) but intimidated? Don't be! In this week's podcast episode I walk you through all the rules including the most important rule: Make Your Own Rules! Listen or watch here Keep writing,Julie P. S. Need a warm up? Take the 3-Day Challenge! P. P. S. Yes, even if you're receiving these emails, you DO need to sign up for the challenge if you want the daily writing prompts emailed to you. Opt in rulez!

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Do you ever start a story only to get stuck, and find yourself either abandoning it or wondering if it’s really a story at all? First of all: welcome. This means you are a writer. This frustrating phenomenon strikes us all, especially when we are just starting out or just starting to come back to our writing seriously. This doesn’t mean you “aren’t meant to be a writer”. It just means there are some strategies you haven’t discovered--or fully-integrated--yet. This week I have a technique for...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read
I, Writer Course: your roadmap to writing success

I never do this, but I'm in the mood to celebrate 2/29 - a whole extra day for writing - so I'm offering you a great deal on the I, WRITER Course, self-study version, today only. This 6-week journey through the craft of story writing, will build your confidence in your fiction skills, help you build a body of work you can share, and help you shape a writing practice that fits your life, today, not ‘someday. And this self-study version can be yours today: Grab the deal now >>> $497 $229 (2/29,...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read
image of women working out

I regularly talk to writers who confess to me that they’re not sure they’re ‘meant to be a writer’ because they find it hard. So, should they quit? When I started taking my physical health seriously (ahem, in my 40s) I found out that I had completely misunderstood what ‘getting fit’ meant. I had always thought that, with enough practice, exercise was supposed to get easier. When it didn’t, I got discouraged and quit. Over and over again. Eventually I started working with a trainer whereupon...

4 months ago • 1 min read
close up of person playing piano

A young man sat at a piano, his fingers easily traveling over the keys…until a grumpy old guy with a vaguely Eastern-European accent, batted the younger man’s hand away. “You have to breathe after this phrase, to bring life into the music.” I was astounded. The old guy was correcting the piano playing of Jon Battiste, who had recently been nominated for 11 Grammys and who is one of the country’s most beloved musicians. And yet, Battiste listened to his old teacher, breathed, and nodded...

4 months ago • 1 min read

As an endlessly-curious reader and writer, when do you like to be inspired? I mean, when is your favorite time to settle in with a writing-related email or article? Answer my 2-question poll here Are you a weekend reader? Need a jolt first thing every weekday morning? Or do you curl up with your inbox late at night, looking for inspiration for tomorrow? Whatever your answer, I hope you're getting a little end-of-year chill time to do some writing, read some stories, and look ahead to the...

4 months ago • 1 min read

So...the podcast has been on a bit of a hiatus recently, but it's back, baby! In this week's episode I talk about the workshops I've been running and talk about what's coming next for StoryADay, AND encourage you to understand the value of the work you're doing. Listen now (or watch it with subtitles) here Watch/Listen Now Keep writing, Julie PS. There are links to tons of great resources in the show notes. Check it out now. And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on YouTube or in your...

4 months ago • 1 min read
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