Write of Passage Cohort Version Notes – Write of Passage

A shared fear at Write of Passage is stagnation. We don’t believe in confusing motion with progress. As an organization and individuals, we are constantly creating and iterating. We post our version notes publicly, inviting you to see how far we’ve come and join in on where we’re going.

Version 11

SEPTEMBER 2023

• Renewed focus on publishing: To reap the benefits of writing online, you must publish. That’s why the Cohort 11 student experience has been refocused around helping all students publish across the five weeks. Our new target: 90% of new students should publish at least three articles during the cohort. All the curriculum and student experience changes listed below are in service of this goal.
  
  
• Refreshed Curriculum: Improving the Live Session curriculum is an infinite game. You’ll find a revamped set of Live Session slides, examples, breakouts, and exercises for Cohort 11. Look for updates to the Distribution and Shiny Dime frameworks, plus two simplified article prompts designed to bump up publishing rates.
  
  
• Better sorting for Peer Groups: Peer Groups help students stay accountable while getting close with a smaller set of writers. To improve these connections, Peer Groups will now be sorted along two dimensions: accountability vs. support and outcomes vs. creative expression. Survey responses will allow us to sort students into a more similar group of peers. Mentors will also be matched to Peer Groups with the same criteria.
  
  
• Publishing Gyms: Per the extra emphasis on publishing, you’ll find weekly Publishing Gyms in Cohort 11. Join before class each Wednesday to polish your article for the week, then hit “Publish” as a group.
  
  
• Expanded Writing Gyms: Writing Gyms have expanded to a three-hour daily slot. You’ll be able to jump into Writing Gyms directly in Circle at a time that suits you – stop by for real-time writing accountability and camaraderie with your fellow cohort members.
  
  
• Onboarding Packet: A lot happens in Write of Passage. It helps to have a roadmap. The moment you join Cohort 11, you’ll receive an Onboarding Packet PDF. Contents include What To Expect in Write of Passage, How to Prepare, a weekly schedule, plus a handy glossary of Write of Passage sessions.
  
  
• Crew training program: The Cohort Crew (think Mentors, Editors, Guides, Gym Leaders) has a new training system. In the past, Crew training has been an exclusive, behind-closed-doors program. No longer. For the first time, Mentor and Editor trainings were made available to all Write of Passage alumni. Over 150 alumni participated in these self-paced trainings. Several dozen alumni continued on the live Facilitation and Editing training sessions. The Cohort 11 Crew will be selected from this group. This revamped training program will ensure that draft feedback and Peer Group meetings are better than ever.
  
  
• Final Tuesday meetups: Zoom is great. But this cohort, we will encourage students to meet up in person. On Tuesday, November 7 (the 2nd-to-last day of the cohort), we’ll be helping to organize in-person meet-ups in cities around the world. Bigger cities will have official meetups, while everyone will receive a playbook to organize meet-ups, no matter where they are located. You’ll see a flurry of in-person photos during the final Live Session.

Version 10

April 2023

• Fully overhauled curriculum: You spoke, we listened. 114 pages of your rich feedback has led us to revamp the core Write of Passage curriculum. We have narrowed our focus around the most impactful ideas, the clearest examples, and an all-new theme for opening night. Join Cohort 10 to see the biggest curriculum overhaul in three years (since Cohort 5, July 2020). 

• Fresh breakouts and exercises: You’ll find a completely new slate of live writing exercises, breakout room topics, and discussion prompts for Cohort 10 Live Sessions. Prompts will be tied directly to assignments and focus on writing from conversation, with new post-breakout writing sprints to capture fresh insights.
• Skill-focused Deep Dives: Mentor Groups have been split into two new weekly session types. The first are Deep Dives — hour-long, skill-based sessions taught by Guides, our alumni experts from the Write of Passage community. Join to learn writing-related skills adjacent to the core curriculum, including audience growth, writing Twitter threads, creating weekly newsletters, and more. 

• Accountability Groups: The second new session type. As a Cohort 10 student, you’ll be organized into a group of 15-20 peers with overlapping interests and writing goals. You’ll meet for short, focused, Mentor-led sessions designed to keep you accountable to your weekly writing goals while being social. As Write of Passage continues to grow, Accountability Groups make a big course feel small. 

• Watch Parties: No matter where you live around the globe, you can now join Live Sessions without becoming nocturnal (thank goodness). The all-new Watch Parties give non-US time-zone students the chance to watch David’s session playback live with a group, and then participate in breakouts, live writing exercises, and group discussions in real time with fellow Watch Party attendees.
• Personalized Engagement Dashboard: This is a two-part performance boost. Part 1: You’ll fill out a “Pathfinder” questionnaire before the course starts. Your answers (to questions about current writing habits, future writing goals) will be used to give you a unique set of recommendations for how to squeeze the most value from Write of Passage without slamming your schedule. Part 2: When the course ends, you’ll get personalized suggestions for how to continue growing as a writer well beyond the course. 

• Sparring Gyms for Ideas: We’ll continue to offer Writing Gyms and Feedback Gyms each week to keep your writing on track. Join Cohort 10 to try out Sparring Gyms — hour-long “idea factory” sessions to help you generate new writing topics during the first two days of each week. Smash your writer’s block and get ready to rumble – intellectually. 

• Countdown Week: Formerly known as Build Week, the week before the cohort is now Countdown Week — a new and improved series of steps to get you ready to rock. New setup tasks, new video reminders, and all-new ways to prepare for the cohort await.
• New In-Session Videos: In addition to David’s enthusiastic self, you’ll find a new slate of in-session videos shared during Cohort 10 live sessions. These short, snappy clips will not only help set the tone for the kick-off session but also introduce concise new framings for course concepts and end-of-course reflections.

Version 9

September 2022

• Guaranteed Editor feedback on every article: Our team of trained Editors (assisted by a revamped backend system) will ensure that every single article draft receives Editor feedback (to supplement the exchange of peer feedback).
• New core commitments: Write of Passage students will learn to 1) Publish quality ideas, 2) Find their people, and 3) 2x their potential. These commitments will be a recurring theme that students often hear throughout the course. 
• Specific goal setting: All students will be asked a new question in the Initiation Survey: “Why are you here?” Students will rank their goals among six options (Accelerate career, Find new opportunity, Grow an audience, Express themselves creatively, Meet friends, Other). Each student will then be asked a follow-up true / false question corresponding to their top goal, to measure if they’ve received their most-desired outcome from the course.   
• New Build Week videos: Students will have a fresh set of videos to help them prepare for the course, including: Welcome, Course Overview, How to Prepare, Info Capture setup, website setup, and a new Guide to Feedback.
• Write of Passage Global: Students outside the Americas time zones will feel more welcome than ever before. We’re debuting Write of Passage Global this cohort, which will include a special Global Mentor Group (9:00am GMT on Fridays) to recap the week’s live sessions, plus Global Writing Gyms (9:00am GMT on Mondays and Wednesdays) and a weekly Feedback Gym (2:00pm GMT on Thursdays). Global students will also receive special communication to walk them through how to get the most from the course despite time zone differences.
• Ambassador Team: A team of course staff members will welcome all new students with small-group welcome calls, followed by periodic check-ins throughout the cohort to ensure all students are keeping up with the course.
• Self-organized groups: Students will be able to self-organize Writing Groups, Interest Groups, and Location Groups on Circle. Groups that reach a big enough size will be given a manual for self-organizing Zoom calls, plus a private chat space for async communication.
• Revamped Takeaways emails: Within 12 hours of each live session ending, students will receive an email with a short recap of the session, highlights of the session, top chat comments, notable moments, and a screenshot – giving those who can’t attend a sense of how the session felt.    

Version 8

February 2022

• Updated live session curriculum: We’ve revisited and improved core elements of the WOP live session curriculum. Changes include a new metaphor to supplement the Shiny Dime concept, a quadrant for thinking about your Personal Monopoly, and new techniques for sharing your ideas and building your audience.
• Expanded course team: We’re bringing on a revamped team of Community Steward editors to provide an additional layer of writing feedback. These editors will be trained by Feedback Captain Michael Dean to make sure that all students receive high-quality feedback on all article drafts. Cohort 8 will also feature a team of Write of Passage coaches to offer 1:1 support for students who fall behind or feel stuck on assignments.
• Refocused Mentor Groups: Our thirteen Mentor Groups have been given themes of Craft, Tactics, or Perspective. Mentors will spend at least 15 minutes on a discussion or live exercise related to their theme. Students will be able to select Mentor Groups based on which themes align with their specific writing goals. Mentor Groups will also spend more time on live exercises linked to weekly assignments.
• New social platform: The night of the first live session, we’ll debut a new optional community that will serve as a supplementary social hub for Cohort 8. This platform will include an ephemeral chat channel and an always-on video room for idea brainstorming or silent writing. Circle will remain the primary hub for article feedback, course information, and Mentor Groups.
• Community calendar: Each cohort, Write of Passage students organize groups and live calls based on shared interests. For the first time, students will be able to download a Community Events calendar separate from the main course calendar.
• Expanded Initiation Week: We’ve added an extra week between course enrollment and the first live session kickoff. Students will receive instructional emails on each day of “Initiation Week” (February 21-25) with extra information around how to set up their Write of Passage course infrastructure – their website, Start Here page, and info capture system. Returning alums will have the ability to opt-in to these emails.
• Writing and Feedback Gyms: Join fellow students in the Writing Gym for an hour of silent group writing every single weekday during Cohort 8. Need extra article feedback? Attend a biweekly Feedback Gym for 1:1 live article feedback with another WOP student.

Version 7

September 2021

• New live sessions: We reviewed every moment of live instruction, and compressed the material down into the twelve densely packed sessions. We ran POP Writing on the first Friday of the course. Otherwise, live sessions were on Mondays and Wednesdays. Moving from sixteen to twelve live sessions gives students space to focus on writing, publishing, and exchanging feedback each week.
• Feedback Pods: After running an experiment last cohort, feedback pods have now been elevated to a new layer of the Write of Passage course community. All students will have the option to opt-in to a small group of five students in a similar time zone. They’ll exchange writing feedback with their group in Circle and over live calls.
• Systematized writing feedback: In Cohort 7, every Write of Passage article draft will receive feedback. We’ve built a backend data warehouse to track assignment submissions and article feedback. Students will see a table display of submitted articles and articles that still need feedback. We also built out a small team of alumni to serve as Community Stewards, to ensure that students feel supported with article feedback and across the course forum.
• Always-on community: We focused on helping students meet fellow Write of Passage students, intentionally and through serendipity. This cohort we’ll introducing a new platform that will serve as a hub for real-time communication among students throughout the cohort.
• Updated feedback guide. Exchanging writing feedback is a core component of Write of Passage. We’ve created a new guide to sharing article feedback, including updated methods, checklists, and guided video instructions.
• Updated Initiation Workshop: All new students will now be asked to complete the “Big Five” activities before the course kicks off. This includes students’ website setup, Start Here page, and Information Capture system. Returning students are encouraged to refresh their writing infrastructure, too. We’ve created a new Course Overview video to make these steps as clear as possible.
• Expanded Mentor Groups: We have a new team of Alumni Mentors offering thirteen weekly Mentor Groups. These sessions will include presentations, discussions, live exercises, and Q&As. No matter what time zone you’re in, you’ll find options that fit your schedule.
• Welcome Back Alumni call: All returning alumni were invited to our first-ever welcome back call. We caught up, built excitement for the new cohort, and talked about students’ latest writing in breakout rooms.

Version 6

February 2021

• New video modules: The live session curriculum will be supplemented by brand-new pre-recorded video modules. These modules will introduce core Write of Passage concepts, which opens up live sessions for new material. All new modules have been filmed with a professional crew. ​
• Revamped live sessions: We’ve reviewed every minute of the live sessions. The updated material will feature ideas from David’s “50 Days of Writing” series of articles, plus fresh metaphors and new examples. Sessions will still emphasize breakout rooms, writing exercises, and group discussions. We want these calls to be as active as possible.
• Updated writing curriculum: The Friday writing curriculum has been refined from last cohort. Among the changes: you’ll find a new session on growing your email list, plus a new POP Writing exercise designed by our Lead Mentor Charlie Bleecker.
• Preparation Week: We’ve built in an extra week before the course starts. Enrollment closes on February 17th, but the kickoff session isn’t until February 24th. New and returning students can focus on their websites, Start Here pages, and information capture before live sessions begin. You’ll find new tutorials for Info Capture and website setup (Squarespace and WordPress) in Teachable’s “Initiation Workshop” section.
• New ways to meet others: We’re focused on helping you meet fellow Write of Passage students, intentionally and through serendipity. You’ll have several new ways to “find the others” in this cohort – join to find out more!
• Interest Group support: Student-created Interest Groups in Circle that meet certain criteria will receive support from the team, including Zoom links and support for a group moderator. This will give groups the chance to self-organize their own live calls.
• Feedback guide. Exchanging writing feedback is a core component of Write of Passage. You’ll receive a detailed guide for how to leave constructive feedback for fellow WOP students.
• Expanded Writing Groups: We have a new team of Alumni Mentors offering 13 weekly Writing Groups. These optional Zoom sessions will include 45 minutes of exercises and discussion, followed by 15-30 minutes of 1:1 writing feedback in breakout rooms. They’ll be held at various times throughout the week. No matter what time zone you’re in, you’ll find options that fit your schedule.

Version 5

July 2020

• “Mechanics of Writing” curriculum: I added four new live sessions to the curriculum, focused on the mechanics of online writing. They’re focused on four themes: style, words, sentences, and overall structure. It’s a synthesis of the best writing strategies and techniques I’ve discovered since I started writing online.
• New Friday classes: The new writing curriculum will be delivered through Friday live sessions, which will run each Friday from 12pm – 1pm ET (UTC -4:00). These sessions are included as an addition to regular Monday/Wednesday sessions at 8pm ET. Cohort 5 features a total of 16 live sessions across five weeks (July 1st – August 5th).
• Revamped live sessions: We performed an audit of the entire course curriculum. Cohort 5 live sessions will emphasize breakout rooms, live exercises, and real-time demos. We want the live sessions to be as active as possible. 
• Segmented video recordings: All course recordings will be divided into 5-15 minute segments, making re-watching particular moments and lesson topics easier.
• Audio recordings: We’ll share downloadable audio recordings of all 16 live sessions. You’ll have lifetime access to these and all course materials. 
• Write of Passage Knowledge Base: A collection of frequently asked questions from past cohorts, along with answers from David. We’ll continue to add to this database over time. 
• Write of Passage Media Library: You’ll have access to an additional Teachable curriculum with reference material and bonus videos focusing on different writing aspects. Examples include: how to generate ideas, alumni tips on how to get “crazy value” out of Write of Passage, and a tour of David’s Evernote. 
• Opt-in Writing Groups: In addition to weekday sessions and Saturday “CrossFit for Writing” sessions, we’re rolling out new Writing Group sessions. Taught by our team of alumni mentors, these calls will consist of 30 minutes of group discussion, followed by 30 minutes of 1:1 writing feedback. They’ll be held at various times on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, designed to accommodate students in different time zones. 
• Revamped course forum: We introduced the new Circle course forum in Cohort 4. In the past four months, the platform and forum design has improved substantially. In addition to space for writing feedback, small groups, and resources, the forum now includes: 
  • Course members area, with photos and bios of fellow Write of Passage students
  • Direct messaging for 1:1 student conversations
  • “Spotlights” area to highlight specific students’ writing 
  • Comments synced in real-time with lesson comments in the Teachable curriculum. 
• Student-created Interest Groups: Students can create their own interest groups on the Circle course forum, organized across any topic (ex: philosophy, Spanish speakers, UK residents, book recommendations). 
• Course roadmap diagnostic assessment: We’ve rebuilt the onboarding and completion surveys from scratch. At the beginning of the course, you’ll complete a survey that assesses your current abilities across ten different dimensions, creating your Online Writing Process score. After the course, you’ll retake the survey and receive a comparison of how your results changed throughout the course. 

Version 4

February 2020

• New Community Center: A new course forum, hosted on Circle (rather than Discourse). We’re one of the early adopters of this new community platform, which has a familiar Facebook-like interface without all the noise.  
• Initiation Week: We’ll hold regional Zoom meetups during the first five days of the course (Feb 20th – 24th). These smaller group calls offer the chance for students to meet and build relationships as the course kicks off and energy is high. 
• Feedback groups: Students will be placed in small groups for the duration of the course. These groups will be for assignment submission, discussion, and feedback. You’ll exchange article feedback at the group level, which will help make a large course feel small.   
• Alumni Mentors: A group of Write of Passage alumni will help to support and mentor new students throughout the cohort.
• Saturday Live Writing Workshops: Students call this “Crossfit for Writing.” Each Saturday at 12pm EST we’ll gather on Zoom to write the weekly assignment in a rapid-fire series of steps over two hours. We tried this twice in Cohort 3 and it was a hit.   
• Student Directory: We’ll provide a full list of students, including names, locations, and websites. You’ll have the option to add your email address and Twitter handle, which will make it easier to connect with others.
• POP Writing: A new framework for making your writing memorable. We’ll talk about how to make your writing distinct by aiming to be personal, observational, and playful. 

Version 3

November 2019

• Information Capture section: We added a bonus module on idea management and information capture to help students manage their ideas and write from abundance.
• Heavier Focus on Writing: We increased the number of writing-focused assignments in the course.
• Revamped Initiation Workshop: Students will set up their full writing infrastructure, such as a website and an email newsletter before the first live session. As they do, they’ll follow the Write of Passage toolkit with feature comparisons.
• Updated Assignments: Added assignment variety to focus on different writing styles. The updated assignments come with increased direction so students can spend more time writing.
• Formal Assignment Submission Process: Students will follow a dedicated assignment submission process instead of sharing them on the forum.
• Breakout Room Topics: Discussion topics will now be sent before every live lecture. That way, students can prepare for their live conversations before they begin. Feedback-focused breakout rooms will now come at the end of the live sessions, instead of the middle.
• Improved Intra-class Networking: Students can learn about each other using a “Bio Book” on the online forum. On the first week, they’ll join a writing group to build camaraderie and encourage student-to-student feedback.
• Optional Industry Groups: Students can connect with peers who work in the same industry.
• Deeper Alumni Engagement: We added an ambassador program so alumni can continue participating in Write of Passage once the course ends.
• New Recorded Video Sessions: More showing. Less telling. The new collection of videos includes direct responses to common psychological obstacles, such as writer’s block, imposter syndrome, and fear of judgment.
• Detailed Course Schedule and Syllabus: This document serves as a central source of truth for all things Write of Passage. Students will find a detailed description for all the assignments, course tools, and live sessions.
• Improved Writing Feedback Process: We’ve added an alumni feedback team and ambassador program to accelerate the speed of feedback and give students a chance to receive mentorship from alumni.
• Global Zoom Meet-up Groups: Students will have time to meet in a casual setting on Zoom. The experience is a mix between a social club and a coffee shop, where like-minded people can speak freely and chat casually.

Version 2

August 2019

• Live Meet-up Groups: Write of Passage will become an in-person experience. Students will meet in-person across major cities around the world with three live gatherings in five weeks.
• Course On-Boarding Survey: Students will receive a more personalized experience by completing a survey before the course begins.
• Initiation Workshop: Students can complete their online home and email newsletter before the course begins.
• Recorded Module #3 Lecture: The new-and-improved module 3 lecture builds off the Initiation workshop.
• Shorter Assignment: Transitioned away from one long-form essay to a series of short assignments, designed to help students build the publishing habit.