Free Challenge Starts Jan. 16th!
Tues, Wed, Thurs at 11am PT/ 2pm ET/ 7pm GMT
Perfectionists, you officially have permission to do a half-assed job!
The Perfectionist’s Half-Assed Writing Challenge is a 3-Day event to help you write more, worry less, and tell that “it’s not GOOD ENOUGH!!!!” voice to F off for a second.
Whether you’re still a straight-A student at heart, an adult who overthinks every paragraph, or a woman who second-guesses every idea before deciding “nobody cares,” this challenge is for you.
For 3 days, you’ll get live trainings on how to brainstorm ideas, create simple stories (that can sell), and find out that writing doesn’t have to be so hard!
Through daily Zooms (at 11am Pacific or watch the recording whenever)
Plus, you’ll finish and share your first (or next) article by the end of the week!
All for the price of: FREE!
“The way Amber broke down the to-dos every day made writing feel doable, not hard or impossible like it usually does. I have no problem generating ideas but I never get over the hurdle of turning those ideas into words on paper, but during the Challenge, I finally did!”
- Jordyn Chartier
“Amber’s Perfectionist Challenge is anything but half-assed. The structure of journaling, exercises and live talks fitted easily into my week and really got me thinking. Amber is incredibly encouraging and generous with her ideas, experience and feedback. And it’s all free, which is brilliant while everyone’s tightening their belts. Give it a go – you won’t regret it.”
- Audrey Niven
From January 16th-18th, you’ll get:
Live trainings to learn more about freelance writing
Exercises to combat your overly critical voice
5-Minute exercises to help you start writing as easily as possible
Downloadable guidebook to help keep perfectionism at bay
A break from social media - the challenge just uses Zoom and email, so you’ll get to meet some new writers and not be thrown into another annoying Facebook group.
All your questions answered - I’ll answer questions every day on the lives or via email
Prizes! Everyone who shows up live gets a chance to win $20 and on the last day, someone will win $100!
Here’s what fellow perfectionists shared from previous Half-Assed Writing Challenges…
“I wasn't expecting to feel so empowered by the challenge, but it really helped lift my confidence and shake off my severe imposter syndrome. Everything was great! But I really liked hearing stories about ‘half-assed’ articles and newbie writers that actually got published. This has really inspired me to keep going! I also like having Amber's expertise on hand to answer any questions.” - Alex McCale
“I signed up because perfectionism has stopped me from finishing tons of creative projects. It helped me start a piece I’d been thinking about starting for months. I loved the exercises and having the support of the group. Amber’s kind, down to earth approach alleviated any anxiety I felt about producing work.” - Elizabeth Reynolds
“I wrote a piece in 2 sittings/ 2 drafts it would have normally taken me a week or more to assemble.” - Emily Jockel
Want to alleviate your writing anxiety and get more done in 2 settings than you’d normally get done in a week?
Hello, I’m a perfectionist
Also, my name is Amber Petty and I’m a writer for the New York Times, Thrillist, Greatist, Bustle, MTV, IFC, and a bunch more (including Snooki’s blog, are you jealous?).
When I started writing, I naturally assumed I sucked. I thought everything I wrote wasn’t good enough, clever enough, or important enough. Yet, I wanted to write (and needed to make money), so I tried freelance writing.
That meant I had to turn in articles before I had a chance to make them “perfect.” Because I got $20 an article and had to write 25 articles a week, I turned in some real half-assed work. And guess what happened…
I kept getting work! I found out that my bar of “good enough” was completely off. And work that felt half-assed to me was perfectly whole-assed to lots of people (people that paid for writing specifically).
As a perfectionist, you have the dickiest critic living in your head, criticizing every word or idea before it even has a chance. For this challenge, I’ll help you tell that critic to go suck an egg and leave you alone.
Take a 3-day break from your perfectionism and see what happens with your writing.
“This writing challenge helped me so much! I was able to get over my roadblocks. I realized through the course of the week that I had so many story ideas and found many outlets that I could possibly pitch to simply because I was encouraged by Amber to think differently about writing and the time I had for it.”
- Jaclyn Roessel
FAQs About the Challenge
When is the challenge?
It’s January 16th-18th at 11am PT/ 2pm ET/ 7pm GMT.
There will be recordings of everything if you can’t make it live!
Where is the challenge?
We’ll meet Tuesday - Thursday on Zoom and you’ll get email reminders and recaps. So, you don’t have to join any social media group (and you can keep your camera off during the lives if you like!)
How much does this cost?
Nothing! It’s free. You’ll get training, accountability, and see new friendly writer faces for 3 days.
What happens in the challenge?
Every day at 11am Pacific, I’ll go live with a training that includes a short exercise. These trainings will help you brainstorm ideas, find out what editors want, how to combat your perfectionism brain, and increase your writing confidence.
Lastly, you’ll write an article by the end of the challenge! You’ll have the tools to do it in the quickest, easiest way possible.
Do I have to be there live?
No! All the videos will be recorded and sent to you right after the live.
How much time do I need to devote to this challenge?
The lives will be between 45 - 60 minutes (the first day is a little longer). So, a live each day, then 15 - 30 minutes of writing time. You could do more, but why? You’re doing this half-assed remember. I promise you won’t spend hours suffering in front of a blank page.
How do I sign up?
Click the button below, enter your name and email, and voila! You’re in the challenge.
Are you going to use my information for anything weird?
No! I’ll email you with reminders, recaps, and links to the lives. If you tire of my emails, you can unsubscribe at any time.
I have a question that’s not here. What can I do?
You can email me! Email amber@amberpetty.com and I’ll answer anything!