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You’re ready to create what’s inside you. Finally, you’re at a place where you can devote yourself to your creativity.

At Original Impulse, you’ve found a safe haven to dedicate yourself to projects that matter to you. Through online workshops, creativity retreats, our long-term creativity apprenticeship and customized one:one coaching, we are here to make writing a fun and vibrant part of your life.

Be sure to subscribe to Impulses to unlock your creative genius right away.

Be part of my online author's notebook to witness the ups and downs of writing a novel at Stumbling Toward Genius.

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If You’ve Been Overwhelmed, This Might Help

I know many of us are wondering, “What can I do?” How do we contribute to bringing peace into action in the world?

As a coach, I focus on helping my clients be stable so they can do their creative work. But distraction, overwhelm and the inability to focus is plaguing many of us now.

watercolor portrait by Cynthia MorrisWhat gets in the way of emotional stability? A deregulated nervous system. You’ve probably heard about how a deregulated nervous systems can cause us to feel:

  • Anxious all the time
  • Unable to sleep well
  • Easily irritated
  • Overwhelmed by emotions

If you feel out of whack and unable to bring calm and focus, you might consider building a new relationship with your nervous system.

With a regulated nervous system, we can:

  • Show up more for ourselves and others
  • Have resiliency around the intensity of the world
  • Feel grounded and able to act according to our strengths.

What’s making a difference for me now

Today, I share some of the things that make a noticeable difference for me and my nervous system.

One of the most meaningful shifts for me has come from working both as a client and a practitioner with a modality called Quantum Energy Coaching.

For the first time in my life, I know what it feels like to live with a consistently regulated nervous system. I’m still myself, but I’m no longer pulled into overwhelm or left at the mercy of sudden emotional surges.

When something does trigger me, it’s more like a match being lit and then extinguished. The fire doesn’t take over my day. I don’t get caught in endless thought loops that burn up my precious energy.

This kind of steadiness has made life and my work far more enjoyable.

If you’re curious about experiencing this kind of transformation for yourself, reach out, and I’ll send you more information.

Along with this longer-term support, there are easy, inexpensive things I turn to every day to bring myself back into calm. They’re not cures, but they help.

Here are my favorite calming practices.

Daily morning time in my studio ‘lounge’. There’s a very low bar = it’s just time with me as a human as I awaken to the day, not diving into work mode as I did in my 30s and 40s. This ritual is not any big whoop, just time with coffee, water, my notebooks. I pull my tarot and angel card and doodle some notes and images in my journal. As the coffee kicks in, ideas formulate. Sometimes I write for work, sometimes I do research.

This time is always accompanied by music on Insight Timer. I love the gentle, soothing sounds. I am not claiming this time as ‘meditating’.

Shakti mat naps You may have heard me rave about my Shakti mat. This acupressure mat allows for deep rest and a deep nap. The feeling afterward is like having had a wonderful massage or a great yoga class. Also accompanied by music on Insight Timer. I do this almost daily and take my mat on all my travels.

Walks in nature Living close to City Park gives me a giant backyard to wander in. Seeing the lake, tons of geese coming and going and squawking and pecking and pooping, plus people, dogs, life helps me recenter myself after being at a screen for long hours.

Time with my artist at my studio desk playing with watercolor paint. My artist is back! If you want to see what’s happening in my art studio, join me at Stumbling Toward Genius where I share my art and process.

Cuddling with my husband Steve or my granddog Rex instantly calms my nervous system. I feel a sense of love and connection. My body relaxes instantly in a primal way.

Expressive journaling has been helpful to clear thoughts and emotions and recalibrate to what’s true for me. Takes some time, but it’s surprisingly powerful and simple.

What helps you maintain a regulated nervous system? Share in a comment below.

Art on this website is by Cynthia Morris. 

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My 2026 Reading Plan

You probably know that I am all about books! For my upcoming workshop in Paris, An Illustrated Feast, I’ll share with participants a list of recommended reading. I’m also sending everyone a must-read Paris food book that will be a fun surprise.

Want to be a foodie artist with us in Paris? All the info is here to get your seat for An Illustrated Feast. 

Now, onto my reading plan for 2026 which I am very excited about.

What’s your reading plan for 2026?

I don’t typically feel the need to plan or organize my reading much. I am in a local book group and last year I was also in a group hosted by Kristen Tate. I still had plenty of time to read random books that come onto my book radar.

But I craved something more for this year. I didn’t feel inspired by a goal of reading a certain number of books.

Then I saw Hook Me A Book’s 2026 Reading Challenge. Here’s their post that captured my interest: 🌎 Reading the World 🌍

Greetings book friends!

I invite you to join in my #ReadingTheWorld challenge for 2026.

There are no hard-and-fast rules, only that you read books from 24 different countries: two per month, January to December. How you interpret this is up to you. You could make it easy and simply go by setting, or take the tough route and focus on translated fiction. Or maybe just see where the challenge takes you.

We have a lively chat group, where we share recommendations, discuss what we’ve read, and generally provide support and inspiration.

If you’re up for a challenge and fancy joining in the fun, please first follow your host @hook.me.a.book and admin @sslovesbooks. Then comment ‘I’m in’.

Looking forward to welcoming you on board! ✈️

~ Hook Me A Book

##

two shelves of books mostly fiction What do you think? Does this inspire you? It galvanized me. I love the idea of expanding my horizons in this way. I started a spreadsheet and so far have a dozen books on the list.

It’s fun searching for books to read in places I am traveling. The group chat is inspiring and I am getting recommendations there. So far several books from my book group make my list:

History of the Rain by Niall Williams

We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara

My Name is Emilia Valle by Isabelle Allende

So far this year I have read:

The Homemade God Rachel Joyce (Italy)

The Artist and the Feast Lucy Steeds (France)

All Fours by Miranda July (currently re-reading for book group)

Do you make a reading plan for the year or wing it as I usually do? Share your reading plan below.

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What are you hungry for? 

What are you hungry for, creativity-wise? If you’re like me, you have plenty of ‘good’ ideas. Maybe you’ve followed one of those genius ideas only to realize you had no gas in the tank to take it very far. It was a ‘smart’ idea, not a ‘heart’ idea.

You have probably heard me talk about creating from devotion, not discipline. Sure, we need structure to bring our ideas to life. But if we are forcing ourselves to do show up, it just won’t happen.

This was my experience last fall, when I committed to a writing project that was not aligned with my soul. I thought that accountability and structure would do the work of making it viable. Instead, it just felt awful. I cycled through a lot of dark forest paths until I found the bright light of my truth:

I cannot do anything that doesn’t come from the heart. 

This insight came to me during a reflective writing practice in my Write ON group. Wow, was it powerful. It may sound obvious but I truly felt the difference between the mind’s ideas about what we should do – perhaps driven by cultural expectations – and the heart’s desire – driven by our soul work.

This brings me to a natural experience – hunger. We know when we are hungry, and if we pause to inquire within, we also know what we crave. I believe this is the same for our creative work – it’s a natural impulse.

What are you hungry for now? What do you devote yourself to this year? 

After three years of writing and publishing a novel, I’m now hungry for my visual art. I have filled pages in my new artist notebook with what I want. Over the holiday break, I spent time every day painting in my studio and it filled me up and made me hungry for more.

I’ll share more about my Creative Edge for 2026 soon. For now, here’s the first painting I made when I came back to my watercolors. I love these colorful macarons so much. I simply played with my watercolor palette, exploring different color combinations.

Later this week, I will share what’s coming up for us in 2026. A couple of big new things are on the agenda and I can’t wait to share with you!

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Gifts for writers that cost nothing or next to nothing!

You may or may not be in holiday shopping mode. In case you are, today I offer several f*ree or inexpensive gifts for writers. That’s right, the scribbler in your life!

Because, wouldn’t it be great to give abundant, generous gifts to writers whose words have changed us?

It’s possible! I have ideas for free gifts for the writers in your life. It’s easy to do, and they never even need to know you’ve gifted them.

It’s hard to conceive how much authors and writers need you, our readers, to help us spread the word. Most of these gifts require no money and just a few minutes of your time.

Use my ideas below and add your own free gifts for writers.

Reviews make a HUGE difference

We really need readers to help spread the word. Reviews are not something an author can do herself. Make it easy to write reviews.

Make a list of your three favorite books this year.

Write and publish a review of those books. (You can use the same review on independent sites like Fable, The Story Graph, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Hint: reviews can be 1-2 sentences. Pretend you are telling me what you love about it. Feel free to record this and transcribe it.

Get their books on buyers’ radar

Help authors spread the word!

Order their book from your local library.

Order a copy of their book for yourself or as a gift from your local independent bookstore.

Go on Goodreads and add their book to your shelf. Add relevant tags to help people find it. Her Lisbon Colors tags could be: upmarket fiction, travel fiction, Portugal, Lisbon, artist.

A friend pointed out that Her Lisbon Colors is on a list alongside other quite popular novels. This made me so happy! Please add ‘book club fiction’ to Her Lisbon Colors on your Goodreads shelf. Takes just a minute!

Make a stack of your favorite indie authors’ books. Photograph it, post it on the socials and tag the authors. Here’s one I posted on Indie Author Day last month. (Some are mine, some are my clients’ books, others are friends’ books. See bottom of the post for titles and author names. >>>

For newsletter writers

Go into your spam folder and mark all the Substack newsletters as ‘not junk/spam’.

Don’t just follow; subscribe to their newsletter.

Pass their newsletter on to someone who will love it.

Leave a comment letting the writer know how their words have affected you.

Highlight favorite books, newsletters, and writers in your annual review. Comment on how they have impacted your life.

What ideas do you have to support writers during this season and beyond? Share them below. And THANK YOU for all your support of me and my books.

Titles and authors of books in the photo above: 

Override! What If There Was Another Way? Anne Ditmeyer

The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book Cynthia Morris

Permission to Glow Kristoffer Carter

Swing Ashleigh Renard

Some Dark Force Christina Boufis & Victoria Olsen

No Big Deal Torey Ivanic

Missing Tyler Tami Palmer

White Plains David Hicks

Stories I Can’t Show My Mother Ann Tinkham

Her Lisbon Colors Cynthia Morris

Chasing Sylvia Beach Cynthia Morris

Rise of the Reader Nick Hutchison

Part of Me Paul Wyman

I’d Rather Be in the Studio! Alyson Stanfield

Through Frankie’s Eyes Barbara Techel

Holy Wildness Tonja Reichley

Open to Love Dr. Horsley & Dr. Powers

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Do you keep a book book? 

I used to keep a list of the books I read. I don’t recall why I filled this little notebook*, because this was back in the ‘90s. I worked at a bookstore, and I was gobbling books up as fast as I could. Month by month, I chronicled the books I read and the ones I half-read.

Somewhere along the way, this practice ended. Perhaps I was more in love with the notebook than the process. I tried to pick it up again but it didn’t stick. One year, I used Goodreads as a place to chronicle my books, but that digital method didn’t light me up.

Now, I use my library reading history and my book group list as a partial way to keep track. I wonder what would help me get back into this practice? As a coach, I would ask:

  • What’s important about keeping track of the books you read?
  • What values are you honoring when you do this process?
  • If it’s important to do this, what would make it easy to record the books you’ve read?

I haven’t answered these questions yet, but I wanted to share them with you for any habits you may have let fall to the wayside. If I were to resume, I would use this notebook, which I found on my shelves while searching the archives.

*I thought that aforementioned little notebook was right there on the shelf. I spent some time looking for it. Then I realized that I waste a LOT of time trying to find images to go along with these boosts. I decided you and I would both rather me spend my time writing and coaching and making things than search for photos. 😵‍💫

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AI Will Never Be Able to Replace This

I’ve been paying attention to AI and using it to help with my business strategies and planning. While I still have misgivings, I feel I need to understand this technology and the role it plays now and in the future.

For those of us who LOVE ideas, AI is a no-holds-barred spree of possibility. The plans! The ideas! It’s all so…vomitously overwhelming.

For someone who loves ideas and loves executing on them, more ideas are not valuable to me. It gets vomitous when I am hosed with so many possibilities that I am paralyzed. I have pages and pages of ideas for promoting Her Lisbon Colors. So many that they are rendered useless. I’m left not with a great plan but with more confusion than when I started. We don’t need AI to trigger indecision swirl, do we?

If you like floating endlessly in idea land, great. Enjoy that! If you want the deep satisfaction of bringing ideas to life, read on.

Using AI for project vetting and development

I recently used ChatGPT to bounce my idea of a limited series Stumbling Toward Genius podcast based on the themes of my novel. Chat was super helpful for:

  • Discerning whether this was a good idea or not given my goals. (I always tell it to not fluff me up or flatter me but give me real data.)
  • I gave it the topics I had and asked what be interesting to my listeners.
  • I asked what was missing or needed strengthening. This prompt gave me the most helpful input. It offered new perspectives and challenged me.
  • Deciding to go ahead with a limited series of short episodes, I generated a table of contents for my podcast based on my existing topics.
  • Chat also gave me ideas for how to post the podcasts on YouTube as well.

I’ve got scripts that I drafted as social media posts, I have a plan and I have all the ideas for how to implement.

What’s missing? I’ll wait while you guess…

That’s right! Actually taking action on these genius ideas and plans. How’s that going to happen?

I can do what I usually do – set a deadline. These are often based around travel. I leave for Lisbon and Paris on September 25th, so ideally all episodes would be done and published/scheduled.

As a seasoned coach and maker of things and experiences, I know I can do this. But what about other projects that have a higher emotional burn? The stuff that I’m scared to do? For that, I need support. Someone to help make me do what I say I want to do. And I suspect you need that kind of support, too.

Here’s where AI completely fails

I’ve coached hundreds of creatives over 25 years, and almost every single client has cited accountability as the main reason they hire me. Sure, they need a thought partner, a hand-holder, an emotional support person. All of that is valuable. And, super important is someone there on a regular basis to make sure they actually do what they say they will do.

There is nothing wrong with needing this. We all need accountability. We are human, complex, messy, distractible, and emotional. 

There will always be the weeks when the shit hits the fan. Contrary to what we’d like to believe, there is no ‘normal’ week. Always, always, always there will be something planned or unplanned that disrupts our ‘write every day from 8-10’ schedule. What happens then? More ideas from AI will not save your bacon.

This is where my clients thrive with me. I am always helping my writers and artists:

  • adjust expectations
  • process disappointment
  • reset according to current conditions
  • make satisfying progress on their terms.

No AI can do that in any meaningful way.

AI Cannot Replace This

AI will never be able to replicate what happens in a 1:1 or group coaching environment. Group coaching has the power of the collective. I’ve been leading versions of my popular Write ON for a decade now, and I am 100% certain that the magic and connection that happens there is not in AI’s skill set.

Many of us join groups not for the leader, but for the companions who will travel alongside us. We gain so much from others’ experiences.

Working alongside others helps us:

  • normalize the ups and downs of the creative life
  • learn from how others do it – a springboard to reflect on our own processes
  • gather valuable resources we would not have found otherwise
  • and quite simply but quite powerful – have more fun.

In Write ON, we work in weekly sprints. We focus on gathering insights on how we best navigate the ebb and flow of our creative lives. I coach us through it, week by week. And, I paddle alongside with my own project, sharing the challenges and wins in real time.

And guess what happens at the end of our Write ON cycle? A ton of progress, that’s for sure. Here’s something AI will never deliver to you: 

  • confidence in your abilities
  • satisfaction that comes from doing the work
  • personal and creative empowerment that you’ve cultivated by showing up
  • earned experience and wisdom that you can apply to anything you create in the future.

I’m not worried that AI will replace me and my coaching. Sure, you can ask AI for ideas and even a detailed plan. But someone alongside you helping you grow and glow as you make your beautiful things, that’s for us humans.

Enrollment is open for Write ON, which starts later this month. We have a few spots left – I cap enrollment so there’s no chance to hide in a sea of participants.

This is a 16-week adventure for those with a project they need a container for. It’s a small group, so there’s no back row to hide in, no ‘falling behind’ and no wasting your money on another program that gets you nowhere.

It’s fun, effective and just the right amount of demanding. Get all the details here.

P.S. This article was entirely written by me, Cynthia Morris. AI helped slightly with Grammarly, but mostly I ignore those suggestions.

P.P.S. Please do not use AI to outsource your writing! Guess what? It shows! I can tell when someone’s social media posts are written by AI. AI is great for marketing, interpreting legal documents and wasting a lot of your time sucked into screen mode.

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The Author Care Kit I Wish I’d Given Myself

What a month! I almost feel like a different person. After launching the novel, I slid into what authors know is the inevitable letdown. It makes sense – for 2.5 years, I have had quite a force of momentum. Writing, editing, and publishing Her Lisbon Colors consumed the bulk of my creative energy. It also gave me a lot to focus on and quite a bit of meaning.

Cover for Her Lisbon Colors novel Cynthia Morris fiction book I’ve moved out of my funk and have shifted to promoting the book. It would be easy to move on! People ask, “What’s next now that the novel is out?” Making sure it has a life! It truly is like a baby that needs a lot of nourishment to stay alive. I’m committed to a year of putting the word out there.

This requires a lot of bandwidth, courage and focus. For all the hard work of writing and turning a manuscript into a book, the work of promoting is much harder. I am sharing about this through December at Stumbling Toward Genius. Are you subscribed?

My author self-care kit for publishing a novel

Oh I wish I had an ‘author care kit’ of sorts! In retrospect, I know what I needed, and I will share it here. This is for the sake of helping me debrief and sharing with you in case my bloops are of service to your own projects.

1. Take a break with rejuvenating treats. It really felt like I was zoomig on a highway for months and months and then exited. But I still had the feeling of movement, like I needed to keep working toward the launch deadline. I went away with Steve for a hot springs weekend and it was bliss to be offline and soaking in the water.

2. Lower expectations I have informally renamed myself the ‘lower the bar coach’. I know that our high expectations do nothing but turn around and bite us hard.

I don’t know what I thought – that I would get rave reviews right away? All I know is it felt very quiet for the weeks after the launch. A lot of friends said “I’m reading your book and loving it!” and then weeeeeeeeeks passed and I didn’t hear anything.

My inner critic had all kinds of stories about this, mainly that they didn’t like the book and didn’t know what to say. (Tip for friends of authors – say nothing until you’ve finished reading!)

3. Stay connected to the original impulse. Why MUST I put this book into the world? When we put stuff out there, we are now connecting our ideas and values and creative soul with the world. This is the cool thing about art – once it’s out there, it has a life of its own.

Staying connected with my WHY helps me know that the book is important to me, no matter how it is received by the world. I loved writing this book, I loved how it turned out, and my job is to keep loving it.

4. Have therapeutic supports in place. If you know me, you know that the reason I help creative people bring their bright ideas to life isn’t just for the sake of getting stuff done.

I believe in stretching and growing as humans. I love coaching people through the fears and insecurities we all face. I was so focused on all the details of making and launching a book, I didn’t take time to tend my emotional self. Luckily I have therapeutic support in place now and am feeling much more grounded and sane.

5. Forgive yourself for not doing everything, and for not doing everything RIGHT. My goodness, there are a million things involved in getting a book out there! We’re advised to stay focused on a few avenues of promotion, but it’s hard! I have made so many mistakes and I often still feel ‘all over the place’.

6. Make a plan for ongoing promo. I was sitting poolside on a Friday afternoon when clarity around how to stay on track with my novel promo came to me. I felt that recognizable spark of enthusiasm light in me. I made notes and now am on week two of 100 days of Book Promo.

With a million things to do, coupled with the emotional labor of that work, it’s easy to lose steam and do nothing. Having structure is vital for me, and I suspect for you, too. (This is why I love Write ON so much! Structure + camaraderie hosted by a certified coach = much more writing joy.)

What surprised you from this list? What would you add to your own author care kit? Tell us below.

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Why the stories you write are boring

I was in Lisbon when the total blackout hit the Iberian Pennisula, removing power from all of Spain and Portugal for the better part of a hot April day. This was interesting! Nothing like this had ever happened to me. Of course I would write about it.

I made notes that day and night to capture the sensual experiences of being without phone or light or access to my rented apartment. I wrote a draft of the story back in Denver.

But then I blundered into territory my clients and I always stumble into. I was three pages into telling the details of the blackout – trams stalled in the streets, all shops dark and locked, no cell phone access at all. Three pages in and still was not even close to getting to why this mattered.

What went wrong? We all think our stories are good – and they are! These tales are interesting to us, but are likely only mildly interesting to a reader. I’ve identified the problem. It’s a case of anecdote versus story. Here’s an example.

Anecdote versus story or boring versus life-changing

Anecdote: On the way here, I saw a performing monkey! It grabbed my beret and put it on and played the accordion! It was so funny!

Story: On the way here, a performing monkey grabbed my beret and played a song on the accordion. The song was the one I always have in my head when I think of my French life. All this time I had been in love with France, thinking the song and the beret made me more French. But my facade was easily taken on by a street monkey. I had never felt so cheap and superficial in my life. Now I question the things I love – am I such a cliche? Or was the song a sign? Did my beret hold the song about Paris but also all my hopes and dreams?

Do you see the difference? A story has a deeper meaning, something more important to the narrator than ‘isn’t that funny?’

We tell anecdotes to fill time and space and share an experience we had. We write stories to understand something on a deeper level and to convey some meaning to the reader. As writers, we have to work to excavate the meaning.

The blackout story was just an anecdote. Until I dug deeper for a reason to tell this story, it wasn’t worth continuing. I was bored adding up all the ‘and then this happened’. (If you get bored writing, chances are your reader will be bored reading.) I didn’t have the bandwidth to really delve in to discover what matters, why it matters to me, and how it might matter to you, the reader.

People telling anecdotes mostly just want someone to hear their story. People writing stories want to move the reader with a new insight, feeling, or idea. They want to be moved themselves.

If you are stuck in anecdote territory, wondering if it’s interesting to a reader, dig deeper.

Three ways to make sure your stories aren’t boring

Check into your values. What is meaningful for you in this story? I couldn’t find many of my values honored in the blackout story. But the piece about speaking Portuguese while in Lisbon? I had at least 8 values in that story. Writing it felt alive and meaningful.

WAIT. After you’ve pecked at the story a bit, take a break. Ask yourself Why Am I Telling this story? Why does it matter to you?

Who cares? When we get stuck, we often think, who will find this interesting? Who cares? If you know who you are writing for – and you should – it will be easier to know if your reader will care and if so, what they will get from this.

What do you want for the reader? Why MUST they read this story?

When drafting my novel, I had to cut many major chapters. Whole sections! I loved these scenes. But they were merely interesting, not essential to the novel. Editing skills are as important as drafting skills.

Get your copy of Her Lisbon Colors here. 

I hope this has helped you to improve your storytelling skills. Please let me know what this illuminated for you in a comment below.

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What a Book Coach Does: Developmental Editing and More

This year marks my twenty-sixth year as a coach. I knew when I came upon coaching that this would be my lifelong career. It's an honor and pleasure to serve the smart, soulful people I call my clients.

This week, I want to share a peek behind the scenes of my work with clients. Once, my dad, with a puzzled look, asked me, “What do you do?”

I get it. As a coach, a lot of my work is not visible. Recently, I shared about my client Donna Erickson’s newly published book. Not every day is a pub day, and the labor of our creative efforts make up the moments of our days. I believe they deserve attention.

You may wonder what Cynthia does with her clients and how she might help me.  I want to share what my other clients are up to and how I am helping them.

Come into my coaching studio to see the magic that happens!

Synthesizing a message for a keynote

Since her book launch two years ago, Paula has been busy speaking and publishing her new newsletter. Recently, she was in Mexico City to give a keynote and an all-attended workshop at a Montessori conference.

She worked hard to get her talk right but was still frustrated. She had too much in there! (Sound familiar?)

After hearing her out and acknowledging her frustration, I helped her shift her thinking about what to include so it would be easier to trim the presentation.

After we did this, I restated how we’d made this shift so she now has those skills to edit anything she writes more easily.

Making the most of an in-person event

Paula had a blast, and we debriefed afterward. Hearing her stories was so inspiring. I pointed out that she had at least six pieces she could write as a short series about the Mexican Montessori community and what she took away from the conference.

I am always on the lookout for ideas that my clients may miss. Highlighting what is of interest to others is one of my gifts.

Developmental editing for novels, non-fiction books and memoirs

Several other clients are writing their books. My role is to help them shape their ideas into a cohesive message. We talk about organizing their ideas. No matter how smart and articulate we are, it’s super hard for us to get to the essence of an idea and communicate it succinctly. Even for clients writing a book based on a model they’ve worked with for years, it can be hard to shape that into a book.

This work is called Developmental Editing.

I well know the challenge of this work, both mentally and emotionally. Then there's the work of organizing our materials. Documents, spreadsheets, outlines, drafts...this really is at least half of the work of making a book.

Crafting a compelling message for a book proposal

I’m helping another client with his book proposal. This is similar to developmental editing, and it’s also about thinking about how our books will sell. It’s incredibly hard work to shift from author to seller of your idea.

I hold space for the thrash that we all endure when we are trying to crystallize our ideas into something compelling and saleable. I'll often feel bad that it's so hard for them. I have to be tough. Sometimes I think - am I too tough? Then I realize it's not me that is being hard on them. The work is hard. I hold my clients to a high standard that equals their dreams and goals. I would expect the same from my coach.

 A book coach is more than an editor

Speaking of emotions, a lot of my work with clients is helping them navigate all the emotional churn that accompanies our creative work. You know what I mean, TET. The doubt, the insecurities, the overwhelm and confusion…that stuff is real. The emotional churn is the real thing that keeps us on the sidelines of our creative dreams.

Everyone, no matter how smart and accomplished, feels the full range of creative ‘crazy’. 

As a trained and certified coach, I have skills to help people navigate the ever-shifting terrain of their inner lives. Beliefs, feelings, and thoughts can work in our favor when we are aware of them and make choices.

As someone who has created and launched books, programs and creativity workshops in Europe, I know full well this rainbow of emotions. I bring empathy and, when useful, brief stories from my own creative work to help normalize the challenges.

Thank goodness I discovered coaching all those years ago in a magazine article. Thank goodness I trusted my instincts to follow this path. I continue with ongoing training and development, and I continue to love this work that brings so many of my skills and gifts to bear.

Do you have a project you could use an ally on? I’d love to help. I am accepting new clients this month. If you want to get me on your team, book a discovery session now to see how I can help you bring your ideas to life.

Get a sense of how I work with my book, The Busy Woman's Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book.

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Celebrating a new book by Donna Erickson

I celebrate my client Donna Erickson’s book, Rooted at the Edge: Ranching Where the Old West and New West Collide. (University of Nebraska Press/Bison Books, 2025).

Donna Erickson book This is a great book that speaks to one of the biggest issues the US faces now – the conflicting interests that have sprung up in different communities. Think farmland that has been repurposed for big box plexes.

Donna’s family story and her professional background come together for a compelling and informative read about how land use and communities are changing in Montana. 

It was a true honor to be part of this project. Donna wanted a book deal, so she hired me to help her write her book proposal. 

I knew when I read a sample chapter that this book would be a big hit. And yet, the work of writing a winning book proposal is not for the faint of heart. I call it a ‘stand and deliver’ moment. It’s a TON of work, and is very emotional. 

Luckily, Donna was up to the labor. She finished her proposal in four months. We had discerned that a university press was the best choice for this book. Within hours of submitting it to the University of Nebraska Press, they called her. Shortly after, she had a book deal.

This was a glorious moment, and today, holding the book in my hands, filled with her wonderful writing and her photographs and illustrations, I am thrilled for Donna. 

Donna’s writing is personal and professional, heartfelt and super-smart. Get your copy of Rooted at the Edge now. 

Bring yourself closer to creative success with me

My coaching calendar is open for new clients starting in May. Make real progress on your book or other creative project by booking a discovery session now. 

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Left and Right Brain Coaching Skills Save My Clients Time and Angst

Clients come to me because they want to write a book or articles for their work. They’re smart, soulful, and bursting with inspiration. They have lots of ideas and papers everywhere. They are ready to put their ideas into shape, but they don’t know how to get organized and get started. I get it!

There are two major aspects of writing that I help people with, and they may surprise you.

Left-brain systems understanding

Ironically, one of the main skills I bring to my coaching clients is structure. It turns out that my genius zone is helping people organize all those ideas and papers into smart, soulful books that make a difference in the world. Clients often say I have a laser-sharp focus and ‘hit the nail on the head’. I see what they don’t. This comes out when we’re brainstorming and I’m helping a client synthesize their many ideas into a coherent whole.

It’s so fun to help them bring their ideas into shape. The clarity they get allows them to get their ideas down much more quickly. But that’s only half of the work.

Right-brain empathy

If writing were merely a matter of organizing our ideas and materials, it would be much easier. But writing is one of the most vulnerable and scary things we can do. We’re called to be honest, to be generous, and to bring language to what we care deeply about.

Three main monsters stand at the gate, preventing us from entering our genius zone of writing:

  • fear of not having something to say
  • fear of merely repeating what is already out there and
  • fear of not being a good enough writer.

Writing a book takes time because we need to deal with these so they don’t keep harassing us and making writing a misery. No one is immune to insecurity about writing – not even my smart, accomplished, and soulful clients.

Coaching skills are real

My coach training taught me how to serve my clients by actively listening, staying out of my own story, and moving them inward to understanding and outward to action on their goals. I cannot emphasize enough that the training I started in 1999 and continue to this day is why I can succeed with my projects and help my clients succeed with theirs.

In all my work, I use my left and right brain capabilities. Designing and leading retreats, writing books, and coaching others to realize their creative dreams bring all of me to the table. I LOVE that. Empathy, organization, and seeing both the big picture and the details are the skills that make writing a book—or anything—possible.

What monsters linger at the gate to your writing joy? Share them in a comment below. 

I’ve shared a lot more about how to get organized here. 

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Know your creative truth at midlife: podcast with Kimberly Wilson

What fun to be on Kimberly Wilson’s podcast Tranquility du Jour. The current season of the podcast focuses on midlife, reinvention at midlife and how creativity plays a role in our well-being.

Among other things, we discussed balancing writing, art, and business by embracing seasonal shifts in focus.

I have the great good fortune to know Kimberly and to spend time with her in Paris, and this conversation was a delight. Enjoy!

Kimberly Wilson podcast Tranquility du Jour with guest Cynthia Morris. Women at midlife, reinvention creativity and well-being.