On Write of Passage

Perhaps the greatest writing course there is...

Hey friends,

Greetings from Bangalore, India!

Write of Passage ended a week ago, and I’ve had a week to recuperate and get back to my schedule. As I recover from the sprint, I reflect on the journey below.

After finishing my biggest project - Heroes in a 100 Faces - I now turn my focus to all the other projects I have lined up. I’ll write about them soon.

Recently, I met my writer friends

Charu Gupta

and

Malavika Mudit

who I met in Write of Passage! It was so cool to meet folks from the course in real life!

Here are some links I enjoyed this week:

• Write of Passage distilled: Want to know what Write of Passage is about? This one hour video is a distillation of the entire course. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve watched it before enrolling. It must be in the hundreds…

• The Book Thief: This book is one of the best works of fiction I’ve read in a long, long time. The style, the story, the messages. Gosh, I cried so much while reading this… (Here’s the link to buy it)

• Raised by Mirrors: One of my favourite essays by my friend

  Haley Brengartner
  . It talks about topics like body image, and how we must value ourselves more. Loved it.

  Raised by Mirrors

---

Writing

Joining Write of Passage is perhaps one the best things that has happened to me.

For those of you who don’t know, WOP is an online cohort-based course that teaches you how to harness the power of the internet through writing. By typing out your passions and sharing them with the world, you can connect with like-minded people and attract opportunities for yourself.

WOP was started by David Perell, who is a prolific online writer. He has crafted a business around teaching people how to write online, which now makes millions in top-line revenue. HOW COOL IS THAT!

We WOPers often joke that we’re a cult. But it really is a very close-knit community. We give feedback to others on their work and promote it with our audiences. We share a love for the same craft. We believe in each other. Having a community that holds you up and with whom you can discuss ideas is a gift beyond what even the best words can describe.

There are so many lessons I’ve learned from WOP. I can’t hope to cover all of them in one newsletter. So here are some highlights. They are not in order of importance.

• How to do PowerPoints: One thing that WOP has perfected is the art of making PowerPoint slides. I’m a university student, and let me tell you; my professor’s slides look like something a child put together. They are chock full of points that are so dense that no one can read them. In WOP, the slides are clean and there are rarely more than 2 points per slide. That, coupled with David’s presentation skills, make the sessions POP. WOPers will get the inside joke ;)

• How to build a community: Man, you should see the dedication WOPers have to the community. The way people encourage others. I’m sure you’ve all seen an over-enthusiastic parent who cheers on their kid at a soccer game. Now imagine that, but they’re not related to you, and they’re cheering you. How lucky is that! I’ve gotten so much support from the WOP crowd, especially for my recent project - Heroes in a 100 Faces.

• How to teach writing to everyone: Many believe that only a few people can write. I say otherwise. I think that once you find something you’re interested in, you’ll be able to write pages about it. Don’t believe me? Join WOP and find out.

• How to inspire people: This is perhaps the biggest thing about WOP. They make you believe in your dreams and give you a path towards achieving them. All you need to do is work hard (WOP isn’t a “Get successful quick” scheme. You got to be willing to put in the work. If you’re lazy, then don’t bother reading further.)

Through WOP, I’ve made friends all across the globe. It’s crazy to think that folks sitting in Greece to the US to Bali are reading my work. My mind can’t process it. 

Write of Passage is more than a course. It is a message, a way of life. It teaches you how to write your dreams into reality, one word at a time. 

And you can adopt that too. Watch this video and get started writing online. That’s how I started, and I’ve been doing this consistently for almost 2 years now. (This video is old and many things have improved. But the essence is the same. 

I watched this banger video in one of the WOP sessions. It captures much of the WOP ethos. If you have a dream, this is for you. Fair warning; after watching it, you’re going to be PUMPED!

Postcard

Can you spot the eye in the foliage?

A Malabar Giant Squirrel lays hidden among the leaves. It was so hard to spot; I would have missed it if I hadn’t glanced in that direction.

Think about ALL the animals that lay hidden like this, eyeing us from the shadows. All the tigers, leopards, and bears…

Favourite Quote

“I am not writing myself into existence, I've been here. Instead I'm writing myself big. Because my writing can be big. Bigger than me." -

Sandra Yvonne

, my friend from Write of Passage who writes the

Sunday Candy

newsletter.

Have a creative, energetic and inspiring week!

If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.

Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.

I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)