Interview with Creative Writer, Jenna Avery
I am happy to share with you a recent interview with a favorite colleague, Jenna Avery, who was the first person to help me identify the Gifts in my hands. Her story is inspiring!
Gail: When did you start writing? Tell us about why you chose to write a screen play and what it is about.
Jenna: I’ve been writing professionally since graduate school, first as a city planner and urban designer, and more recently for my coaching business. Over the last 9 years, I’ve written hundreds of blog posts and articles, though it wasn’t until recently that I took the plunge into writing creatively. It took two wake up calls to get me going: 1) I had my hands analyzed, which made it clear that my life long fear and avoidance of my creativity was actually my life lesson and would have to be faced come hell or high water, and 2) my family and I were in a roll-over car accident, which gave me the kick in the pants to start doing what I am passionate beyond reason about: Science fiction.
I’ve always held the belief that I, Jenna Avery, could never come up with anything interesting enough or original enough to be quality fiction, so to get started, I began asking my creative muses for an idea. And one arrived. With some trial and error along the way, I’m now deeply entrenched in writing a sci fi screenplay about a powerful female commander who has to make an impossible choice between redeeming her past failures and protecting the people she loves. It’s darned exciting.
Gail: How does your personal writing fulfill your Life Purpose? Are they connected?
Jenna: My writing fulfills part of my life purpose as a Messenger to the Masses, otherwise known as a “Gifted Author and Speaker,” so they’re definitely connected! I also have “Lines of Genius” gift markings that reinforce the writing. Most telling, however, is my life lesson, which is to “Value & Trust my Creativity.” Together, they are a one-two punch that make it both hard to write and hard not to write, especially creatively. It’s a pretty picnic, indeed. Although it still scares the daylights out of me, I feel like I’ve finally come home. My full life purpose is Big Shot Messenger and Wise Elder Mentor Loving Life.
Gail: What keeps you accountable as a writer? Is your group an outgrowth of tricks that you have learned to keep yourself on track?
Jenna: Strange as it may sound, I’ve learned to make it even harder NOT to write than it is for me TO write. To that end, I have multiple levels of accountability: My online writer’s circle group gives me a place to report in everyday, and the fact that I am the coach and therefore role model for the group doesn’t hurt. I’m also enrolled in a screenwriting class where we have assignments due every 24 hours in a public forum. On top of all this, I have a certain level of accountability to my family to get my writing done in such a way that it doesn’t overly interfere with our time together nor with my ability to generate income through my coaching business until my writing begins to generate income directly as well.
The “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle is based on a system devised for academic writers needing support around completing their dissertations and tenure articles. When I saw that this system was available for other accountability programs and saw all the little green check marks that could be mine, I knew I had to have it for myself and for the writers I want to support.
We use several simple but critical principles to keep us on track in our writing, like showing up every day, using a timer to write, and more. See the graphic below.
Gail: What is different about this group that makes it so successful?
Jenna: The keys that make this system so successful are the unique combination of personal awareness and social accountability.
In terms of personal awareness, we ask you to note how much time you spent writing, what you feel good about, and what got in the way. We also ask you to reframe any inner critic’s messages that may be coming up for you around your writing. Just taking the time to notice and shift what’s working about your writing, what’s not, and what you’re telling yourself about your work is a powerful way to clear out the inner debris so it doesn’t accumulate into writer’s block while you’re also fine tuning and adjusting your writing process each and every day. The level of personal awareness that results is truly priceless.
On the social accountability front, we ask you to publicly state your goals to your coach and your small group, on a daily and on a session basis. Then, when you log on and report about your progress, your peers and your coach respond with supportive comments and encouragement. There’s nothing quite like knowing you’re not alone to help you stay on track and avoid the sense of isolation that can be crippling for artists and writers.
Gail: I know that you still have some of your Protection and Grounding jewelry that you make for sale on your website. The necklaces and earrings are quite lovely. Tell us how you got interested in making them and how they work.
Jenna: I’ve always loved making jewelry, and when I read “The Psychic Pathway” by Sonia Choquette, I was intrigued by the idea of creating jewelry with crystals that would help sensitive people with some of the challenges we face, like picking up other people’s energy and feeling ungrounded. The two remaining necklaces on my site are good for blocking negative energy and staying grounded and present.
For more info about Jenna and her group which begins on January 23rd, check out www.JennaAvery.com.
