Days 20, 21, 22, 23, 24- Writing with Accountability #31DaysofInspiration

No, that title isn’t a joke. Or click bait. This week got away from me.

But even when Monday turns into Friday on the blog, I connect daily with my accountability buddy, author Pamela Toler. Pamela and I have been friends for about eleven years, and last Fall we agreed to document our daily writing plans. It started with Pamela, who was under deadline. She wanted to share her intentions for the day. We reasoned (perceptively) that this would also give us a way to share other tidbits of our lives since I’d moved away from Chicago (where we met) a year before. There were no more monthly lunches on the calendar, so we transitioned to daily emails.

One morning, since it was November and Nanowrimo, I titled the email Pamowrimo. Get it? This evolved into PamoAmo when I hitched my own writing wagon to the plan. (And the creativity doesn’t stop there, folks.)

As of today, there are more than 765 PamoAmo emails in my inbox.

We write to one another 7 days a week. Holidays. Birthdays. Doesn’t matter. Pamela wrote to me from France. I wrote to her from NYC. We write whether we’re writing or not — but one thing we really have in common is we both work pretty much every day. Sure there are exceptions. Many fewer for Pamela than for me.

I think we’ve missed a day or two, but not more than that in 9 months. We check in am or pm and who ever writes first, writes first. Sometimes it’s quick, sometimes not. Sometimes we answer the emails (if need be), sometimes not. This has proven to be the best way I know to get daily support. Not only am I sharing my intentions with my friend — I’m scoping out the day for myself. I see it all in front of me in more than a to-do list. But you know why it works? Because it’s fun. It’s the sharing of intention, goals, news, and random tidbits with a friend. There is no judgment, though there is advice is we ask for it.

And there are presents!

Pamela sent me my very own Accountability Bunny. I hung it on a cabinet door in my living room and see it when I write. It reminds me that there’s someone in it with me! Pamela has her accountability bunny and Wonder Woman on her desk.

No wonder she’s super productive, right? (Pamela is an author, freelance writer and a historian. Check out her website, her blog, and her new book which comes out on my birthday).

I’m not sure how this next part started, but our daily emails also include a clever subject line. Or at least I think they’re clever. Again, whoever is first, is first. We always include PamoAmo, the date, and–may I present — the edition.

Here are some of my favorites:

• The Transgender Politics Edition
• The Hot Tub Edition
• The I Have Nothing Clever Edition
• The My Work Load is Light, Why Can’t I Get More Done Edition
• The Mr Rogers Edition
• The Headsmack Edition
• The it’s not Wednesday yet Edition
• The Velcro Cat Edition
• The Introvert Edition
• The Midday Pizza Edition
• The Ick Edition

Can you see why this is one of my favorite parts of the day? We’re serious about our writing, we’re serious about our friendship, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.

I think that’s a good way to be in general, don’t you?

What inspired you to write today?

xo Amy