Oohs and Aahs for 3.29.24

Owl babies, bedtime stories, and messy writing...

Sometimes I describe coaching as gentle therapy and practical guidance for writers. Other times I simply say it’s a way for us to talk about all the questions you have about writing and publishing that aren’t about the manuscript.

Even an hour-long session can be enough for writers to walk away with a plan, either for how to write the book, how to actually publish the book they’ve written, or how to take the next steps in their career.

The last client who booked an hour sent me a list of ten questions before we talked, so I could send her any links or resources that I thought would be helpful to have on hand during the call. I didn’t want to waste time answering easy questions. I wanted to spend our time getting to the root of what was holding her back, so she could take her next steps feeling lighter and more confident. We talked about the things you might not feel comfortable talking about with your agent, editor, or even your writing friends. We talked about why now, why her, why this book.

Sometimes clients come to me about a specific book. They have ideas, but they don’t know which ones to pursue or if they all go together. Other times they want to talk about allllll their books, the ones they’ve written and the ones that haven’t been born yet. Either way it’s a chance to be seen and embraced as their messiest, draftiest, most creative selves. It’s honest and energizing, and I wish every writer could experience what it’s like! I always say it’s an honor to be a part of your creative process, and it’s true. If you are craving some honesty and inspiration, I would love to help you figure out why now, why you, why this book.

---

This Week I’m…

• Reading this magnificent if gorey book (We had quite the discussion about how to pronounce the title on Instagram!)

• Appreciating this interview, which goes way beyond “Wouldn’t it be nice to live in Sweden?”

• Loving this father’s reflections on telling bedtime stories to his kids (and how it made him a better novelist)

• Sharing a little look into what my meditation practice looks like in this busy season

  Mindful Mom in the Mud

• Accepting submissions for the dream-project round up (ICYMI—the ones I’ve received so far are so fun!)

---

If you enjoyed this post, please 💛 it so others can find it or share it with your favorite creative mothers.

PS—The fastest way to grow as a writer is to book a manuscript critique or a creative coaching session with an expert.

My clients get agents, sell books, and win awards. They also learn how to find ease and joy in the creative process, so they can keep going when life gets hard.