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Tag: Writing
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Three Ways to Work with Dr. Roshaunda
Hi y’all,
I’ve got big news!
I am an Author Accelerator certified book coach!
So what does that mean? Let me tell you.
Author Accelerator is a year-long (approximately) course that trains people to become book coaches. Per the Author Accelerator website, a book coach is an editor, a mentor, and a cheerleader; a sounding board for creative ideas; a committed partner; an independent expert; an entrepreneur; a human.
That last one–human–is very important in today’s world of AI. I’m not an AI detractor. I think it can be a great tool, but AI cannot write or read like humans do. AI cannot respond to a writer or their manuscript with expertise and compassion, with creativity and insight, with grace and accountability, with passion and love.
And that’s what I do as a book coach: respond to you and your writing with expertise, compassion, creativity, insight, grace, accountability, passion, and love.
So how is that different from what I’ve been doing? Let me tell you.
It’s not so much different from what I’ve been doing as a coach for Black women in higher education as it is a beautiful expansion of the coaching I do for Black women in higher education.
To my decades of experience in supporting academic writers, I’m adding dozens of practicum hours in fiction coaching: including how to move from idea to outline, from outline to draft, from daft to manuscript, and from manuscript to pitch package. And friends, these lessons do not only apply to fiction; they apply to academic writing as well.
Not only can I now support you in your fiction writing, I can also help you bring the possibilities inherent in fiction into your academic writing. You want to work on the narrative arc of your nonfiction? I’ve got you. You want to narrate your nonfiction through the lens of a protagonist? I’ve got you.You want to frame your nonfiction in such a way that one scene causes the next? I’ve got you.
My new certification as a fiction book coach enhances my ability to support Black women in higher education in all the ways. In other words, I’ve got you.
So, my beautiful Black sistahs in higher education, there are three ways to work with me: SDJ, Dissertation Deliverance, and Strategic Semester. And you don’t have to choose just one. I recommend SDJ for everyone and then add Dissertation Deliverance or Strategic Semester, depending on what kind of writing you’re doing. Of the three options, choose one or two to best support your current needs and your future aspirations.
SDJ (Sistahs on the Doctoral Journey) is a community of Black women in academia (from ABD through senior leaders), who support, celebrate, encourage, connect, and build together.
Dissertation Deliverance: Weekly Accountability Coaching is private, personalized 1:1 coaching to help you navigate your doctoral journey once you’ve completed your coursework. You may be doing self-directed work, but you don’t have to work in a silo.
Strategic Semester: From Idea to First 100 Pages in 16 Weeks is a 16-week cohort for Black women in higher education. You will go from being unsure of how to start your book project (fiction or nonfiction) and struggling to create a writing habit to having dedicated writing time, a blueprint for your book, and your first 100 pages.
So what should you do right now, now that you know all of these wonderful things about my business and book and writing coaching?
- Hug a human who means a lot to you, being grateful you get to exist in a world of beauty, writing, and humanity.
- Sign up for at least one of the following: SDJ, Dissertation Deliverance, and Strategic Semester
- On the off-chance you don’t sign up for any of my services, share this post with your network. You can repost on your various platforms; send the link to a friend, family member, or colleague; or even become a financial sponsor for someone you know who needs my services.
Happy writing, and may God bless you on your journey!
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I Made the Mistakes on My Doctoral Journey So You Don’t Have To
Videography by John Lore of John Lore Photo & Video I earned my Ph.D. nine years after I started my coursework. I had many pitfalls and drama. Some of the drama was of my own creation, and most of it was avoidable. My journey took much longer than I anticipated and way longer than I wanted.
I learned a lot from my experience, though. One of the most important lessons was that, by and large, academia and doctoral programs are not built for Black women. I didn’t see much representation of other women who looked like me, and I felt very alone, despite having a professor in a different department who eventually became a member of my committee. She really helped see me through, but because of the systemic differential in our power dynamic, I didn’t feel comfortable sharing my full self with her.
I needed someone who operated outside of the academic system who also had firsthand knowledge of the system. I needed someone outside of my institution who could see things differently than I did. I needed someone who had been in my position and understood the journey. I needed someone who could help me get and stay on track and hold me accountable to my goals. I needed a partner who I could trust with myself and my work. In short, I needed a coach.
So I became what I needed, and now I do this work for Black women in doctoral programs.
If this resonates, post “I hear you!” in the comments.
And for a sneak peak into the transformational work I do with clients, check out 10 Strategies for Navigating Your Doctoral Journey + Coaching Workbook.
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Duolingo to Doctoral Journey
My aunt and I were discussing our Duolingo progress the other day. She is studying Spanish, and I’m studying German, and neither of us is anywhere near fluency, despite impressively long daily streaks.
I like Duolingo for what it is. It’s a fun social app that challenges me to learn a new language. I’m not expecting to gain fluency from it. I’m expecting to learn a little German. To gain fluency, I would need to spend time working on German with other people, especially people fluent in German.
And if I had my druthers, I’d sit and talk with Dr. Georgiana Rose Simpson, the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in the US. She earned her doctorate in German in 1921 from the University of Chicago, at the age of 55. Fifty-five! She is proof you are not too old to follow your dreams. I won’t dive into her fascinating story today, but I encourage you to check it out here.
What I will dive into is contemplating how difficult it had to have been for Dr. Simpson. Earning a doctorate is difficult under the best of circumstances. Earning one during the Jim Crow era had to have been unspeakably challenging. Yet she persevered.
I wonder who supported her on her doctoral journey. I wonder what strategies she used. I wonder who she cried with when the road seemed impossible. I wonder what wellsprings of strength existed inside of her.
And I wonder what it was like for her to be one of the first Black women on this doctoral journey. Two other Black women also earned Ph.D.’s in 1921–Dr. Sadie T. M. Alexander (the first National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.) in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Eva B. Dykes (another member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.) in English from Radcliffe College. All three women graduated in June 1921, within days of each other
I know what my doctoral journey was like. I felt alone and in the dark about many things. I earned my Ph.D. in English in 2009, 88 years after the first trio of Black women to do so, but I wonder if they felt much like I did. I wonder if they had anyone to talk to who really understood what they were going through. I think we too often travel this journey alone when we don’t have to.
So if you are a Sistah on the Doctoral Journey, please know that you don’t have to travel alone. I’m here to support you and bear witness to all that this journey is for you.
And I’m here to offer a little help. I’ve been helping people on their doctoral journeys for years, and I’ve created a workbook of strategies and coaching questions to help you navigate your own journey.
Please click to purchase 10 Strategies for Navigating Your Doctoral Journey + Coaching Workbook. And leave a comment to share how the stories of these Black doctoral pioneers resonate with you.
Onward.
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Let’s Have an Intentional Finish to the Year
Hi, y’all,
How are you? Like, really – how are you?
I’m doing well. I’m experiencing my annual shock that it’s almost the end of the year. Years go by so much faster than they used to. One day it’s mid-October, and I’m enjoying watching the leaves turn, and next thing I know, it’s New Year’s Eve.
If the year is flying by for you (along with all those writing deadlines you’ve set, ahem), then we are in the same boat.
I’ve invited myself to have an Intentional Finish and wrap up my writing for 2025. I’m dedicating 4.5 hours per week, over the course of 6 weeks between now (mid-October) and early December, to focus on my writing and flesh out some of the ideas I’ve been working on. And I’m inviting you to join me.
What I’m not doing is stressing myself out or berating myself for all the things I haven’t done. I’m also not pretending like I’m going to do a lot of writing over the holidays. I’ve seen how that has worked out for me, and I’m trying something different.
So instead, I’m focusing on what I can do to move forward in my writing in a way that works for me. In other words, I am plotting an Intentional Finish to my writing for 2025.
In brief, Intentional Finish is 1 week of writing together (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), then getting a professional review of what you have written, up to 5000 words – all for $250.
You can learn more and sign up for Intentional Finish by clicking the link.
If you’re like me, you were going to get yourself a little something for the holidays (maybe a few little somethings). Why not gift yourself forward progress on your writing? As they say, investing in yourself is the best investment.
Click to sign up today to create your own Intentional Finish.
And if you know anyone who may be interested in their own Intentional Finish, please pass this along to them.
Until next time!
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Tell Your Story Now
I don’t believe anyone should spew hate. We should not hold hate in our hearts, and we should not act on any hate we find within ourselves. But I do believe in the US we have the right to speak hateful things. Yes, limits exist to free speech, but simply saying something a group of people don’t like doesn’t negate a person’s right to speak those things freely. Additionally, what we say and what we believe in our hearts affect the people around us. Hate doesn’t exist in a vacuum. I am deeply disturbed by recent developments regarding our penchant for spewing hate in the US.
First, the US was built on spewing hate. Hate is built into our foundation. Chattel slavery. Atrocities against Indigenous peoples. Rampant misogyny. I could indefinitely list instances of hate permeating the US, because the incidences of such are endless. This endless march of hatred has shaped the US, and we shouldn’t pretend that it has not. Removing images and teachings of this hate doesn’t erase it. Instead of helping us remember our sordid history and learn from it, removing uncomfortable truths from the public sphere helps us to pretend like our past didn’t happen, enables us to repeat it, and facilitates a return to a society where only wealthy White men enjoy the full rights and safeguards of US citizenship.
Secondly, no one should die because they have said something someone doesn’t like. And no one should lose their jobs for this reason. And television shows should not be canceled for this reason. What I’m watching happen is that it’s ok for some people to exercise their right to free speech but not for others. Recent assaults on the First Amendment are disturbing, and more importantly, they are dangerous. They are leading us ever closer to an Orwellian future where “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
So if you have a story to tell that promotes a history that will likely be erased, tell it now. If you have a study that safeguards the lives of people whose lives seem to matter less and less, write and publish it now.
Now is the only time in which you can do anything, and, friends, the world needs to hear from you now. That novel that’s been burning in your soul? Bring it into the world now. That idea that keeps you up at night? Bring it into the world now. That research you have pored over? Bring it into the world now.
Take the next step and get some support for your writing endeavors. I’m here to help with Book & Writing Coaching and Life & Accountability Coaching. Click to book some time with me. And if we work together or not, please bring your art into the world now. We need it. I’m rooting for you. And for all of us.
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My Philadelphia Era & My Book and Writing Coaching Era
I believe I have entered my Philadelphia era in my reading. As you know, I have a love-hold relationship with Libby. I put books on hold, and they are all invariably delivered to me when I cannot read them (usually because I’m already reading several books when several more get delivered to me). So I postpone delivery of the books, and the vicious cycle continues.
I recently finished reading Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren (after several rounds of Libby holds and deliveries), and I’m currently reading The Grimkes by Kerri K. Greenidge, along with several other titles as well, but these are my Philadelphia titles. And previously I was reading All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore. I started Unexpected Diva several months ago and was in an unhealthy relationship with it via Libby. The main character feels like we would be friends in real life. I’m on my first round of reading The Grimkes. It will go back into the infernal hold loop soon, but I’m enjoying that book as well. The various races of members of the Grimke family have always fascinated me, and this book is taking me on a deep dive into how they navigated having family on opposing sides of racial lines. Both books have a lot of action in Philadelphia, and I feel like the people in them surely would have crossed paths.
Unexpected Diva is a biographical novel, and The Grimkes feels just shy of being narrative nonfiction. I love how both books blur the line between fiction and nonfiction. The authors are adept storytellers.
I started All We Were Promised a while ago, and it got swept back into the depths of Libby. Like other books, I allowed it to wallow in Lake Libby, likely never to return. Now that I’m in my Philadelphia era, however, it has come back to mind, since it takes place in Philadelphia. I want to read it alongside these other Philadelphia adjacent books; and thus, I have reentered into the Libby hold cycle.
Also interesting to me is that the action of these three books coincides with the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. I’m discovering I’m endlessly fascinated by the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. I studied that law while writing my dissertation. In my dissertation, I looked at four novels written during the 19th Century that had action taking place circa 1850. I examined Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe; Clotel, by William Wells Brown; Bondwoman’s Narrative, by Hannah Crafts; and Pudd’nhead Wilson, by Mark Twain. I explored how enslaved women manipulated race and gender to find freedom for themselves and their children, with the burgeoning Women’s Rights Movement and the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act as backdrops. When I studied the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act while writing my dissertation, I did not know I would still be intrigued by it 16 years later.
My Philadelphia era also brings to mind Midnight by Beverly Jenkins, which takes place in Boston. While Boston is not Philadelphia, like Philadelphia, it is a site where US freedom was contested during the early years of the United States. Also unlike the three books mentioned above, Midnight takes place during the US War for Independence. But, like the aforementioned books, Midnight highlights the tenacity and spirit of African American women in the US during the long 19th Century by offering glimpses into the lives and hearts of these women and telling their narratives as primary to the foundations of the US, not ancillary.
I love a good book with action set in the US during the long 19th Century (which spans approximately 1775-1920), especially if it considers the lives of African Americans generally, African American women specifically, and the multilayered system of enslavement that pervaded every facet of life in the US. I recognize that may sound super niche, but I find I always have books to read on those topics, both fiction and nonfiction. Some are novels; some are academic; some fall in the space in between. Some are Westerns; some are romance; some are biographical. Other books I’ve read recently include James, by Percival Everett; Hester, by Laurie Lico Albanese; They Were Her Property, by Stephanie Jones-Rogers; and Abolitionist’s Daughter, by Diane C. McPhail.
I love books written during the long 19th Century, and I love books written about the long 19th Century. I read all kinds of books written during a variety of time periods, but I always have at least a couple of 19th Century books in my reading pile at any given time.
Because I love that time period so much, I’m a writing coach for people who set their writing during the long 19th Century. And if you write about the lives of African Americans generally, African American women specifically, and the multilayered system of enslavement that pervaded every facet of life in the US, then I want to work with you! I coach both fiction and nonfiction writers, and I have worked for years with nonfiction and academic writers, but today I’m specifically looking for fiction writers.
I’m in a book coaching certification course through Author Accelerator to learn more about the process of bringing a work of fiction to life from conception to publication. As part of the course, I get to work with three practicum clients as part of my training. Practicum clients will cover the life cycle of writing fiction.
The first practicum client should be early in the writing process. If you have an idea and would like support in fleshing it out and moving it forward, then I would like to work with you. You would complete a manuscript blueprint and have a Zoom call with me to discuss how to write forward.
The second practicum client should have a completed or nearly completed manuscript. If you are at this stage in your writing, I would love to work with you. In our work together, I would review your manuscript, write an editorial letter, and hold a Zoom call with you to discuss revision strategies.
The third practicum client should be ready to query a publisher. If you are at this stage of your writing, I would love to work with you on a query letter.
If you’re interested in working with me as a practicum client, please message me! I would love to talk with you about your work and how I can support you.
And if you made it this far, you’re likely interested in US literature set during the long 19th Century, you’re in a locale-specific reading era, or you are wallowing in Lake Libby. No matter what prompted you to the finish, you are my people! What have you been reading and writing lately? Let’s chat.
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Hope
Hello and how are you!?
I pray you’re well.
I’m doing well, myself.
I live in St. Louis, MO, and we just got hit by a tornado the other day. God spared my family and our home, and I praise Him for it! But so many homes and buildings were destroyed, and several people lost their lives. I knew one of those people. We were in praise dance ministry together at church. Because of her, and because of how hard our church building was hit by the tornado, and because of the many people I know who have been displaced and just don’t know how to move forward, and because of how my city is reeling, I am experiencing a mixed bag of emotions.
Yet I have hope. I have hope because God is still God.
I see God in so many ways during this time. In the people who are helping neighbors and strangers remove downed trees and debris. In the people who are giving away food and blankets. In the outcry against the unequal media coverage and distribution of resources. In the smiles. And even in the tears.
I also see God in my writing. I didn’t sit down to write about the recent tornado. I sat down to write about how working through my book coaching course has prompted me to read more and to write more. But God had other plans.
So here I am contemplating how God shows up in the midst of adversity, and writing about it to share with you.
I don’t have all the answers (or even any of them), but I know God does. And He’s not bothered by the questions and grief that weary your body, mind, and soul. To you, He offers rest. Matthew 11:28 (NLT) reads, “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’”
Rest is a gift from God, and we all need it. Whether or not we are in the midst of adversity, God wants us to rest. To relax in the knowledge that He is all sufficient and will supply all of our needs. That doesn’t mean you don’t need to work. Of course you do, It means you also get to rest in the midst of your labor.
I know that is a word for me, and I hope it’s a word for you, too.
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Cultural Custodian
Hello!
How are you? I pray you’re well.
I’m doing fine and dandy, thank you very much.
Last time I wrote, I mentioned I’ve come to consider myself a cultural custodian for black women, and I promised I’d elaborate on that idea.
Lately I’ve pondered a lot about my career, and what I love to do, and what I love to read, and who I like to serve, and so many things pointed to black women. I’m a black woman, and I love that. I love my skin and my hair and my culture. I’ve even learned to love things like having to work harder for half as much and consistently being underestimated when I walk into a room. I don’t love that those things are reality; rather, I love that through them I’ve learned strength and compassion.
I seek out and surround myself with black women. I read books by and about black women, particularly historical black women. I care about what concerns us. And through LELA House, I find my work connects to protecting our hearts, expanding our joy, and highlighting our voices.
All of this led me to consider myself a cultural custodian of black women. Obviously I looked up many definitions and connotations of cultural, custodian, and cultural custodian. Who would I be if I didn’t look up definitions? 🙂
Many definitions included the ideas of preserving, maintaining, safeguarding, and promoting the traditions, practices, values, and narratives of a culture. I find all of those ideas valuable and accurate as they relate to my work at LELA House. Through book coaching, writing coaching, and self-care services, I do, indeed, strive to preserve, maintain, safeguard, and promote the traditions, practices, values, and narratives of black women. One definition of cultural custodian, from “The Custodian: Introduction: The Custodian and the Significance of Art Preservation” in the November 13, 2023 issue of Selections Magazine, added some nuance that particularly struck a chord with me.
“In the world of art, the custodian plays a pivotal role in the protection, curation, and promotion of artworks and collections. Whether an individual or an institution, custodians shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that these artistic expressions remain intact for future generations. Their role extends beyond mere preservation; it encompasses a commitment to making art accessible, fostering an understanding of its historical and cultural context, and supporting the broader appreciation of artistic endeavors.”
Resonating the most with me is the idea of black women ourselves, not solely the creative works we produce, as art. My take on the quotation becomes the following.
In the world of black women as masterpieces, the custodian plays a pivotal role in the protection, curation, and promotion of individual black women and us as a collective. Whether an individual or an institution, custodians shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that black women’s narratives remain intact for future generations. Their role extends beyond mere preservation; it encompasses a commitment to making black women’s stories accessible, fostering an understanding of their historical and cultural context, and supporting the broader appreciation of black women, our experiences, and our creative expression.
And yes, that is work I want to do.
Why do I care so much about our stories from the long US 19th Century and supporting those who tell them? Because mere preservation isn’t enough; our stories must be accessible to foster an understanding of our historical and cultural context. Why do I care about our stories from other historical eras and supporting those who share them? Because our narratives must remain intact for future generations. Why do I care about our joy and well-being and supporting black women as we incorporate these things into our lives? Because we must support the broader appreciation of black women, our experiences, and our creative expression. Why do I consider myself a cultural custodian for black women? Because we are masterpieces who must be protected and promoted as individuals and as a collective, and God created me to serve in that role.
God has been leading me to work as a cultural custodian for black women for my entire life. From my high school acts of civil disobedience to pledging my sorority to adventuring with my mother, to being outraged at discrimination in a library, I’ve spent 30+ years serving as a cultural custodian for black women without knowing that was what I was doing.
But I know now. Let’s see where God will take me.
Until next time!
