What is happening you ask??  I have had a number of emails from people who are interested in contributing to the project - just waiting on photos and blurbs. 

Now, if I can just get my computer to stop freezing on me  ;)

This morning one of our contributors, Amberley Laverick, sent me another great project to have a look at!  Crowd projects are definitely the way to go!   http://honelife.com/

Hi Everyone,  Happy Monday!  Today, most of the Western World is headed back to work after the Christmas Holidays and I can't think of a better time to build momentum for The 20 Project!

I have had quite a few inquiries about the project and contributors are popping out of the woodwork from various countries from around the world (awesome!).  Here are a few commonly asked questions (and answers)...

I am not a writer... what do I have to contribute to something like this?
It doesn't matter if you are a writer or not!  The better questions are; Are you successful in your own right with whatever path you have chosen?  Are you happy?  Have you made mistakes and learned from them?  Has anyone ever asked you for advice?  I know that we all have stories to tell and thoughts to contribute and everyone has a different path.  It doesn't matter if you are a social worker, economics professor or Wall Street suit, everyone has had challenges and everyone has their own journey!

Am I going to make any money from this?
Maybe.  The basic goal of this project is not to make money but to tell stories.  We plan to self-publish the book using an online marketplace such as Lulu but to that end, the book may make $100 or $10,000 over the years.  But the first, we need to cover our expenses (website, editing, and design work) and then we will equally share the profits.  

What do I need to do to be a contributor?
Send me an email!  With your name, a recent photo and blurb of why you want to be a contributor!  I will add you to the Contributors Page and we are off to the races!

What are the expected deadlines?
Please see the very first post on this blog. 

Thanks for your energy and enthusiasm!  (and please 'like' us on Facebook!)

Cheers,
Hilary

The art of story telling is one that is alive and well in the world.  The first thing that comes to mind is the oral history of many native tribes.   There are also other projects happening that have the purpose of storytelling and engaging the audience in a conversation!    Since the world has gone digital the art of oral history is dying out, so writing things down (or blogging about them!) is most likely the practical way forward.    One cool example of this is  https://maptia.com/ where people tell their travel stories.  Something a little different than The 20 Project but awesome all the same! 

What else have you found online?

Let 2014 and The 20 Project begin! 

Thank you for your interest in the project.  If you decided to be a contributor please have a read of the following and take note of the deadlines that are required.

1. Please send an email to me by Friday January 10th 2014 if you would like to be a contributor to The 20 Project.  In this email please send me a picture and a short paragraph that you would like to appear on the contributors page. 
2. Your first draft deadline is Friday February 21st 2014.  The submission should be a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 pages typed in a WORD document.
3. During this process please feel free to write a blog post or two!   Just send it along to me for re-posting!
   
4. What should you write about?  You can simply write about your life journey or a life event that changed everything or someone who made a huge impact on your life!  or if you want, you can be artistic and draw something! Your pages are your own. 
5. A full first draft of the book will be compiled and ready for a formal edit by the end of March 2014
6. Reviewers will be required in April 2014 for a full final review.
7. The goal is to be done the full draft for publication by May 2014.

So very excited about going on this journey with you! 
Cheers, Hilary