Posts Tagged ‘writing inspiration’

Am I Even a Writer? On Writing Identity and Practice

October 26, 2024

Am I Even a Writer? On Writing Identity and Practice

I’m excited to share that I’m working on a new book titled Am I Even a Writer? This quick-read, available on Amazon in January 2025, explores questions at the heart of what it means to be a writer, including issues of writing identity, writing practice, self-permission, and authenticity. A conversation-in-print, Am I Even a Writer? is meant to offer insights and inspiration to anyone who’s wondering if they can truly call themselves a writer.

The book is based on the first of five deep, wide-ranging conversations I had with my friend Melissa Jo Hill on our podcast Jamie Helps Mel Write a Novel. During this initial conversation, Mel and I touch on worries about our identities as writers and whether a writing practice might help us feel more like the “real thing.”

As a writing coach, I’ve worked with many folks who are passionate about writing–but who may stumble over creative self-doubt: Am I a real writer? they might ask. Or, Do I have the skills to tell my story effectively? Through insights, practical reflections, and shared stories, Am I Even a Writer? On Writing Identity and Practice invites readers to consider these and other questions about what it means to be a writer, along with Mel and me.

Of course, writing is more than just putting words on a page. We can write as a personal practice, a way of exploring who we are; or as a way to share our stories with others—and for a hundred other nuanced purposes in between. In Am I Even a Writer? we’ll consider the value of having a writing practice and what having a practice does (or doesn’t) mean about our identity as writers.

Does Writing Practice Make Perfect?

Whether you do free-writing exercises, daily journaling, or sit down at your desk regularly to develop outlines, scenes, or chapters, writing practice can you make sense of your thoughts, unlock creativity, and deepen your connection to your work. But is writing as a practice—albeit one that allows us to explore without judgment and find our voice at our own pace—a prerequisite to calling ourselves “writer”?

Am I Even a Writer? On Writing Identity and Practice is meant to be encouraging to anyone on the writer’s path. Short and sweet—and funny and poignant—this tiny pocket guide to big questions is a quick, approachable read. Am I Even a Writer? will be available on Amazon in January 2025. I invite you to join Mel and me then to share in this journey of self-reflection, practice, and connection.

In the meantime, I hope you’ll explore the writing resources on my site for tips, prompts, articles, and discussions to support your writing journey.

6 Types of Writing Practice to Help You Become a Better Writer

October 24, 2024

Whether you’re just starting your writing journey or looking to improve your craft, writing practice may be helpful to you. Here are 6 types of writing practice to help you become a better writer. Each method helps sharpen different skills, offering you a variety of ways to develop your writing and stay inspired.

1. Freewriting

Freewriting, introduced to this writer by Natalie Goldberg in her classic book WRITING DOWN THE BONES, is one of the best creative writing exercises to unlock your creativity. It involves responding to a prompt and writing continuously without editing or overthinking. This practice is great for beginners and seasoned writers alike because it helps you get words on the page and break through mental blocks.

Example: Use a simple prompt like “The air was thick with…” and let your mind wander for 10 minutes. Write whatever comes to mind without stopping to correct or censor yourself. This freewriting practice is ideal for generating ideas and breaking free from writer’s block.

Key takeaway: Freewriting uses a prompt to get started but remains unstructured and raw. It’s a great way to practice writing without worrying about perfection.

2. Morning Pages

Morning Pages, introduced by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way, is a daily writing practice perfect for clearing your mind and staying focused. Unlike other forms of writing practice, Morning Pages are designed to help you dump all your thoughts and worries on the page, freeing up mental space for more creative work. Morning Pages can be an excellent tool for writers looking for writing inspiration each day.

Example: As soon as you wake up, write three longhand pages about whatever is on your mind. You can reflect on dreams, plans for the day, or emotions you’re working through. The goal isn’t to produce polished work but to clear your mind and set the stage for creativity.

Key takeaway: Morning Pages are a structured, daily practice aimed at mental clarity rather than idea generation, making them a useful habit for any writer looking to improve their writing skills.

3. Prompt-Based Writing

Prompt-based writing is one of the best writing prompts for writers who need focus and direction. A writing prompt gives you a starting point to explore, helping you shape a specific story or scene. This exercise is ideal for improving narrative structure and for anyone wondering how to improve their writing skills with more focused practice.

Example: Use a prompt like, “Write about a time you felt completely lost,” and develop it into a short story or reflective piece. Here, the prompt doesn’t just trigger the writing—it also guides the direction, leading to a more coherent result than freewriting.

Key takeaway: Prompt-based writing is focused and intentional. It’s perfect for writers who want to develop specific pieces while exploring new ideas or themes.

4. Journaling

Journaling is a flexible, introspective writing practice that helps you reflect on daily events, emotions, and experiences. It’s a great writing practice for beginners because it encourages regular writing without the pressure of creating polished work. Journaling can also serve as a source of writing inspiration when you’re feeling stuck.

Example: At the end of each day, write a few paragraphs about something that happened and how it made you feel. Journaling helps you track personal growth, process emotions, and can inspire future writing projects.

Key takeaway: Journaling is a personal and reflective writing practice. It helps writers stay connected to their thoughts and provides material for future creative writing.

5. Writing Exercises

Writing exercises are focused activities that help you improve specific aspects of your writing, such as dialogue, pacing, or character development. These exercises are perfect for anyone looking for creative writing exercises that target areas where they want to grow.

Example: Write a scene where two characters argue, but only use body language and action to convey the tension—no dialogue. This exercise challenges you to “show” rather than “tell” in your writing, a valuable skill for any storyteller.

Key takeaway: Writing exercises are structured, targeted practices that help you improve specific writing techniques. They’re perfect for writers who want to sharpen their craft and grow in particular areas.

6. Rewriting and Revising

Rewriting is an essential writing practice for anyone looking to improve their writing. Often, your best work comes through revision, where you refine ideas, tighten sentences, and clarify your message. Rewriting helps writers elevate their work and is an important step in developing your voice.

Example: Take a draft of a story or essay you wrote a few weeks ago and revise it. Focus on cutting unnecessary words and making your dialogue sharper. Rewriting often leads to surprising improvements in your original draft.

Key takeaway: Rewriting is where the real work begins. It’s one of the most important writing tips for new writers, teaching you to critically assess your own work and make it stronger.

Conclusion:

Writing practice is essential for every writer, from beginners to experienced authors. By incorporating these six types of writing practice into your routine, you’ll stay inspired and continue improving your writing skills. Whether you’re freewriting to unlock creativity or working through a prompt-based story, the key is to keep writing and exploring new approaches.

Writing Coaching for Older Writers

December 2, 2023

In the past week, I’ve been contacted by four writers, all in their sixties or seventies. Each of them is relatively new to writing. And they are all excited to finally embark on their long-held writing dreams. But where to start? When I offer writing coaching for older writers—perhaps like you?—I suggest we begin by exploring your wealth of experience, looking for the aspects that will most benefit you on your writing journey.

Writing coaching for older writers gives direction to writing dreams!

All your life lessons apply!

If you have reached your middle or later years without gaining literary traction, you may wonder, Is it too late for me, now? As a writing coach for older writers, I’ve learned that older writers may be much better-prepared for learning their craft than younger writers. Mastering the writing craft can take time. And as older writers (yup, me, too), we may have developed the patience that will help us onboard those important skills.

In fact, by fifty or sixty or seventy, many folks have learned how they learn best. We can capitalize on that knowledge to make the most of educational resources and opportunities. For instance, will we do better with an online class or with personalized instruction? Or maybe we’ve found that we are actually autodidacts, able to teach ourselves what we need to know?

Writing coaching for older writers: habit patterns and perspective

As we get older, we get better acquainted with our own preferences. This awareness helps when we’re engaging in a writing project that may demand a long-term commitment from us. Knowing, for example, that we’re an inveterate night owl, not a lark, allows us to schedule our writing when we know we’ll be most productive.

And because our years have taught us more about what it means to be a human being, our work will be more meaningful and deeper than anything we could have written earlier in our lives.

First-time writers take heart

NEW YORK TIMES‘ ADVICE COLUMNIST ROXANE GAY has addressed concerns that newer or unpublished middle-aged-ish writers may have. She says, Throughout my 20s and most of my 30s, I was convinced I was never going to make it as a writer. My writing was constantly rejected, and I took the rejection personally, as one does. It is easy to fall prey to the idea that writing success is intrinsically bound to youth, she says.

But what about getting published?

THE GUARDIAN recently published an article about the opportunities for older women writers. In it, Cherry Potts, the founder of the independent publisher Arachne Press, has much to say about the “ripple” opening doors for women over seventy.

She says, “There has been a sea change in publishers’ understanding and acceptance of older women’s experience and their voices, which are no longer dismissed as safe or cosy. It started with small presses like us but our ripple is now working through to the industry as a whole.”

In ON WRITING, Stephen King has something to say about older writers! “Agents, publishers, and editors are all looking for the next hot writer who can sell a lot of books and make lots of money … and not just the next hot young writer, either. Helen Santmyer was in a retirement home [in her eighties!] when she published AND LADIES OF THE CLUB. Frank McCourt was quite a bit younger [66] when he published ANGELA’S ASHES, but he was still no spring chicken.

Kit de Waal’s first novel, MY NAME IS LEON, was published when she was 56.

Harriet Doerr’s first novel, STONES FOR IBARRA, was published when she was 74 years old. It went on to win a National Book Award.

Then, there’s Sir Christopher Bland, who was 76 when his first novel, ASHES IN THE WIND, was published. Today, the Royal Society of Literature has established the RSL Christopher Bland Prize, to encourage the work of older writers. The £10,000 prize is awarded annually to an author who was fifty or older when they were first published.

Starting to write later in life? Writing coaching for older writers can help you get off to a great start!

If you’ve waited to explore your writing dream, you have likely seen many trends come and go in the world of literature. I’ve been coaching writers of all ages for over a dozen years. Let’s see if we can put my experience in the publishing industry to good use in the service of your long-deferred writing goals. Start by scheduling a free writing consultation with me. You might also want to check out THE WRITER mag article “Should I Hire a Writing Coach.”

Thank you to U.S. Games Systems, Inc. for kind permission to use the image of the Seven of Swords from the DRUIDCRAFT TAROT.

Writing Coaching Inspiration: One River Is Like Another River

November 14, 2023

Working with writers can be tricky. They’re on a wild and unpredictable journey. As a coach, I want to help—but sometimes a writer’s goals can prove out of their (current) reach. That’s when I reach deep into my bag of writing coaching inspiration. I need to pull out something that both acknowledges the hard truth they’re facing and offers reassurance that there are still fine opportunities likely to arise for them.

Recently, I read a beautiful ancient tale—one of discouragement followed by unlikely success. Told in Dianne Skafte’s LISTENING TO THE ORACLE, it’s the story of a Greek soldier who loses his way in enemy territory. He is supposed to meet up with his troop on the banks of a certain river. They plan to board a ship there and travel to a town friendly to their cause. Having hired a guide to help him get to his destination safely, the soldier is devastated to find he has been led to a different river!

He berates his guide, only to be met with a shrug—and this enigmatic response: “One river is like another river.” What? But in fact, appearing on the shores of this river is a small boat captained by a man who agrees to take the soldier back to the friendly town that was his original aim.

Once the soldier disembarks from the small boat in the town, he learns, to his horror, that the ship with his mates was captured and all aboard were killed.

Writing coaching inspiration

The soldier was not able to reach the river he aimed for. But he was guided to another river that carried him to safe harbor.

Similarly, when we set our sights on big writing goals, it may be that we can’t reach them—or not at this time. Whether we want to publish in a major magazine or attract an agent to represent us, our desired outcomes may be (temporarily) unattainable.

That’s when it’s time to scout out another river. Reset your goals. Aim to get published in a regional magazine, rather than in O Magazine. Agents can be tough to impress. Consider submitting your manuscript to small press editors instead. Match your target to your current abilities to meet it.

Fortunately, different from this Ancient Greek tale, no one is likely to die in the literary trenches. But when we’re rejected, it hurts. Still, it’s a wise Modern writer who will remember the motto of that Ancient Greek guide. One river is like another river. So look around. A boat you never imagined might appear on a river you didn’t notice. And you might find, ultimately, you are carried exactly where you want to go.

Need some clarity about your writing goals? A consultation with a top writing coach might help! Let’s chat.

Writing is a powerful and compelling endeavor. If you are setting goals but not meeting them, though, you might need a different approach—or more nuanced goals. With over a dozen years’ experience helping writers take their work to the next level, I might be able to show you how to make similar strides. Schedule a free writing consultation with me. Also, check out THE WRITER mag article “Should I Hire a Writing Coach.”

Book Coach Tips for Writing a Successful Novel

September 10, 2023

As a professional writing coach, I always want to support writers in their quest for success. This month, my post “Book Coach Tips for Writing a Successful Novel” focuses on the most important aspects of novel writing. I also include resources that will help you level up your novel-writing game.

Tips for writing a successful novel: Voice + character

Job one, connect your reader to your main character (MC). While we often think that readers are more interested in the plot of our stories than our characters, that’s not quite true. What’s funny, perhaps ironic, is that while readers generally think plot is the main draw for them, they’re actually wrong! (Most of the time. Generally speaking. In this book coach’s experience.)

In fact, what pulls a reader into a story first is voice. While the back jacket copy’s catchy synopsis of your story is what gets a reader to open your book, the voice your potential reader meets on page one must hook them.

Voice conveys attitude—usually, your main character’s attitude. It’s how you introduce your character, and it sets the tone for your reader’s experience. (It’s similar to a vacation destination: Some readers hate the snow. They won’t book a ski vacation! But another reader might love the crisp chill of your character’s voice.)

If the voice is engaging, you will keep your reader’s attention long enough to reveal your character’s need, goal, dilemma—those elements of story that integrate character with plot. If your reader finds your character sympathetic, they’ll tumble down the rabbit hole of your story, committed to seeing how your character fares.

Tips for writing a successful novel: Plot

As mentioned, readers tend to think that plot drives their reading choices. And a well-turned plot with a strong hook will certainly get your book “read-more” clicks! Whether your story is high concept or not, your plot should drag your main character into situations, environments, and relationships that, in her ordinary world, she would avoid at all costs.

Convince your reader that your MC has no choice but to involve herself in the dire circumstances you’ve built for her. Do this by creating irresistibly compelling stakes: putting her loved ones in danger, perhaps, or forcing her to face illness, financial ruin, or loss of her hard-won reputation.

Once your MC has embarked on the roller-coaster ride of her story, make sure there are no exit ramps along the way (sorry, mixed metaphors). In fact, you want to keep escalating the stakes! Push your MC to continually face new challenges as she tries (desperately!) to either meet her initial goal or to succeed in whatever glass-mountain-climbing task your story has provided her.

However you play it, for your main character, there must be no way out but through. And every plot point you create should enforce this. (My deepest sympathies to your main character!)

Resources for novel writers

There are many masters of the novel-writers’ craft. And, fortunately for us, quite a few of them have written books to guide us on our writing path. As a long-time writing coach, I’ve found several that I recommend quite often. Here’s a short list for you.

THE SECRETS OF STORY, by Matt Bird

PLOTTING YOUR NOVEL WITH THE PLOT CLOCK, by Jamie Morris, et al

HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD NOVEL, by James N. Frey

PLOT & STRUCTURE: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish, by James Scott Bell

SAVE THE CAT WRITES A NOVEL, by Jessica Brody

You might also enjoy my article “How to Write a Novel” or be interested to learn more about how successful authors have used my Plot Clock method to get their novels agented and published.

Interested in receiving personalized book coach tips for writing a successful novel? A free chat with a top writing coach can offer just that!

Novels and their authors are near and dear to my heart. Over the last decade, as a professional writing coach, I’ve helped many novelists take their books to the next level. If you’re working on a novel and wonder how to make it more successful in the current market, let’s chat. Schedule a free writing consultation with me. Also, check out THE WRITER mag article “Should I Hire a Writing Coach.”

Writing Coaching: The Hard Stuff

August 1, 2023

I’ve been in the trenches, coaching writers, for well over a decade. From long experience, I can tell you that, with writing coaching, the hard stuff is the stuff that can make or break a career. And by “hard stuff,” I mean whatever you currently don’t have in your writer’s toolkit.

Most writers have mad skills in some areas, but struggle in others. For instance, you may be a crazy plotting genius, but create flat-as-a-pancake characters. Or, you’re an amazing researcher, but stumble when trying to organize your ideas on the page.

As writers, we all have strengths and weaknesses. But, weirdly, it’s looking our weaknesses straight in the eye that separates successful writers from those who never reach their full potential. It’s natural to want to work around our literary deficiencies. But if we’re willing to really dig in to the less-developed aspects of our writing, we will—eventually—strike gold.

Writing coaching: the hard stuff

Tackling those underdeveloped skills head-on isn’t easy. As a professional writing coach, I often see writers struggle with aspects of writing that feel completely out of their current reach—creating a dynamic plot, for some; finding a convincing voice for others. However, I know that if they keep at it—putting in what may seem an unreasonable amount of time and effort—there will be a pay off.

On the other hand, some writers can’t—or won’t—harness their energies to make the admittedly uphill climb to mastering a tough skill. They truly believe their current (easier, go-to) strengths will carry them to where they want to be in their writing life.

I understand! But that’s not how it works—at least not in my experience.

Hiring a writing coach

So … you know something in your writer’s arsenal needs to be powered up. You hire a writing coach. And it’s going wonderfully! Your coach is an angel on your shoulder. She encourages you, provides accountability, reads your work with enthusiasm and insight. Fantastic!

Of course, she also points out areas of your work that could use some improvement. Many of these aspects are easy-peasy to address. Yes, I can easily be more precise with my verbs, you say. Also, Giving more visual cues to my readers? No problem.

But the hard thing? That “weakness” which is native to you as a writer, your literary blind spot? As you work with your coach, that will become more and more evident. Worse, no matter how hard you try to address this most difficult of skills, you may feel you aren’t making significant progress. And your darned coach won’t let it go!

Fortunately, she will bring myriad ways to help you on-board the skill you most need to master. That’s because she knows how important it is to your career. You can’t maneuver around a deficit without compromising your work as a whole.

Yet, despite your—and your coach’s—best intentions, you may get to a point of frustration. You might want to toss up the whole enterprise and walk away. But—and I am telling you this with the deepest compassion I can bring here—if you keep moving in the direction of excellence, especially when the going gets tough, you will make it through. Then, you will reap rewards you can’t even imagine when you’re humping that huge load of sticks uphill toward your beautiful writing dream.

I believe in you! If you’re ready to dig and find out what you’re made of, a chat with a top writing coach might be your next step on the road to literary success.

As a professional writing coach, I support fiction and nonfiction writers working in a number of genres. Wherever you are on your writing journey, I would love to see how I can help you achieve your literary goals. Schedule your free writing consultation with me. And take a look at THE WRITER mag article “Should I Hire a Writing Coach.”

The image of tarot’s Ten of Wands comes from the ASTROMATRIX TAROT, available on Amazon.

How to Write a Fantasy Novel: Quick Tips!

July 10, 2023

Wondering how to write a fantasy novel? As a professional writing coach, I’ve learned that following a few important guidelines can make all the difference! Here are some magical tips to help you write fantasy fiction, from me—and NEW YORK TIMES best-selling fantasy author Lev Grossman.

Quick tips for writing fantasy fiction

World-building: Your fantasy world may be an ancient one, filled with a long history of dwarves and elves and dragons. Or it might exist in a contemporary city, where magic hangs heavy in the air.

Whatever your fantastic world, make sure you establish consistent rules to govern your magical elements. Also, even if there’s not a dwarf in sight, you will still need to include the background of your world.

To do so, answer questions like these: What is the origin of magic in your world? Who is allowed to use the magic? How does the magic manifest? Are there factions in your world? If so, what is the source of their differences?

Limit point of view (POV) characters; Your fantasy may encompass many characters. However, if this is your first foray into writing fantasy, I suggest you limit yourself to no more than four POV characters.

Limiting POV characters makes it easier to map out your story. It also allows you to create an internal arc for each POV character. Those arcs ensure your readers invest in your characters as well as your plot.

Create a stand-alone first novel: Fantasy novels are often developed into series. However, if you’re a first-time fantasy novelist, I suggest you write a stand-alone first novel. Forcing yourself to complete a significant narrative arc in a single book will keep you from drowning in story-line possibilities.

If you love your fantasy world, you may decide to set another story there. Eventually, you may find you have created a series! But if you follow this advice, each volume of that series will be a satisfying read on its own.

Of course, as you dig deeper into your fantasy-novel-writing craft, you’ll be ever-better prepared to commit to a full series, right from the get-go!

Let’s learn from Lev Grossman!

My short list of tips covers what I consider to be the most important for fantasy writers to consider. However, Lev Grossman has written a terrific essay on novel writing that addresses many other points of interest for fantasy—and other—writers.

Check out his Buzzfeed piece “How Not to Write Your First Novel,” subtitled, “It is Okay Not to be a Genius.” (Hm. Reading about Grossman’s chilly, oddly heart-filled journey through six cold months in Maine, I’m pretty sure I see his genius shining through.) Grossman is the author of THE MAGICIANS, THE MAGICIAN KING, and THE MAGICIAN’S LAND, among other well-regarded fantasy titles.

Wondering how to write a fantasy novel? A chat with a top writing coach might help!

As a novel writing coach, I support writers working in a number of genres, fantasy, among them. Whether you’re world-building or developing your characters, I would love to see how I can help you, too. Schedule a free initial consultation with me. And also check out THE WRITER mag article “Should I Hire a Writing Coach.”

Book Writers’ Coach

June 8, 2023

Why am I a book writing coach? Great question! Over the last ten years, I’ve coached writers of all types. New writers, short story writers, dissertation and thesis writers, hobbyists and journalists. But after a decade of working with a myriad of different writers, I’ve found my greatest joy as a book writers’ coach.

Folks who commit to writing a book are a different breed. They’re tenacious (and sometimes hard-headed, lol).

They see the long view. They know their actions today (and tomorrow, and the next day/week/year) create their future: If they keep writing, they’ll be authors.

Me? I want to be along for that ride. Sure, there will be ups and downs. (If it were easy, everyone would write a book, right?) So when I agree to become a book writer’s coach, I’m declaring myself in it with you for the long haul.

I’ll be there to remind you about your goals, sure! But more than that, I’ll listen to your ideas and help you develop them in ways that (almost magically) transform your book into something more than you ever imagined it could be! (Believe me, I have a track record for doing just this!)

I’ll guide you to be more efficient when you need to get something—chapter, outline, query letter—done. But I’ll also encourage you to explore enticing paths that may make your work both richer for you as a writer and deeper and more meaningful for your eventual readers.

So, why am I a book writers’ coach? Because I consider it a gift and an honor to help creative people—you!—accomplish the huge task of turning your dream into a book.

It’s possible. It’s hard. It’s worthwhile. And you don’t have to do it alone.

Gearing up to write a book? A chat with a top book writers’ coach might help!

As a book writers’ coach, I have tricks of the trade to share! Schedule a free initial consultation with me. And also check out THE WRITER mag article “Should I Hire a Writing Coach.”

Tarot’s Judgment: Your Writing Coach

May 20, 2023

When tarot’s Judgment card volunteers to be your writing coach, fasten your seatbelt! It’s time to rev up a manuscript you thought had breathed its last. We’ve all been there, right? (Or is it just me?) We give up on a “failed” manuscript. Then we push it as far away from ourselves as possible, leaving it to die an ignoble death.

But is it really dead?

Tarot’s Judgment card can coach a writer’s draft to life.

Judgment, in tarot, is about rebirth. In this image, we see a Phoenix rising from the ashes. From the Judgment card’s perspective, we can see that our manuscript did not actually collapse into a pile of cold ashes. It just needed time to settle.

In WRITING DOWN THE BONES, Natalie Goldberg discusses “composting” our ideas. She says that with repeated attempts to express a concept or aspect of our lives, we’ll eventually develop a sort of critical mass of attention. And “something beautiful will bloom.”

This seems to me to be similar to the way we can focus sunlight through a magnifying glass and eventually set fire to a pile of kindling. (Please don’t try this at home!)

Tarot’s Judgment writing coaching moment

It’s been my experience that our ideas, gathered like tinder in the form of a draft, may lay dormant for longer than seems reasonable. In fact, having shoved the darned thing in a drawer or file, we swear we’ll never look at it again.

And then … one day … it calls out to us. Then, it’s time to bring out the magnifying glass and stare at our draft until it bursts into fiery new life. That moment when the twigs spark, that’s a Judgment card moment! When our book draft (finally) starts to kindle, though, we must be right there to fan the flames.

You see, Judgment may make the call. But we must to be ready to answer with a full heart—and faith that this time our book will be fully born from the flames.

Ready to (re-)commit to your book? A chat with a top writing coach might give you the boost you need!

When a writer is ready to tackle either a significant revision or an entirely new approach to their book, a professional writing coach can offer a perspective that will help them get traction right from the get-go. Would you like to discuss your project? Schedule your free consultation.and check out “Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

Tarot’s Judgment Card as Your Writing Coach uses the image of Judgment from the ASTROMATRIX TAROT.

Tarot for Writers: 9 of Coins

May 19, 2023

When we writers consult tarot and see the 9 of Coins, it may signal a high-five from our muse! Have we graduated in some way? Had a step up in our writing life? Have we made the leap from student or apprentice to master of our writing domain?

If so, huzzah!! Here’s the 9 of Coins’s story—and some lessons we can take from it.

Tarot for writers: Introducing the 9 of coins

Let me tell you about the 9 of Coins (aka 9 of Pentacles). This lady was born to wealth. (For a writer, that’s like being born with talent.) Her father owned a successful vineyard. He was grateful when his daughter took an interest in the business and apprenticed with him. (That’s us, acknowledging our abilities and embarking on an education to develop them.)

After years of dedication and application (us, working our butts-in-chairs off!), she took over the vineyard, allowing her father to retire. Once she was in charge, she established a winery, hosted wine-tasting weekends, and created an annual wine-and-grape competition.

Her father was concerned she was overreaching, but the 9 of Coins was ready to try new approaches. Some of her innovations succeeded and some failed. But either way, the reins were in her hands, and she was going to steer the business according to her own lights.

(That’s us! We may have spent years studying with wonderful teachers in amazing writing programs. But at some point, we’re ready to step out from under their wings—or shadows—and try it our own way. Good for us. Those we’ve trusted for guidance in the past might not approve of some of our choices. But we’ve put in our time—and now we’ve graduated and are steering our own literary ships.)

Tarot’s advice for writers from the 9 of Coins

If tarot’s 9 of Coins were your writing coach, this is what she would tell you:

You’ve studied hard and learned from many teachers. The time has come to move out of the role of student and put your hard-won knowledge to work in the fields of writing.

You have earned your opportunities. Capitalize upon them. Not all will bear fruit. But don’t let failed crops discourage you from sowing new seeds. Work hard and eventually you will harvest the riches of your own creative labor.

Although you’ve inherited a vineyard, you may decide to plant some of your fields with corn. If you studied business writing, but have a different inclination, follow your inner urging. Embark on a memoir or novel or volume of poetry, if that’s what you prefer.

Evaluate the marketplace, sure. But also listen to your intuition like you once listened to your teachers. The baton of authority has passed to you. If you find resistance from the writing elite—publishers, agents—consider self-publishing. Or even starting your own press.You are responsible, now, for your own literary well-being and for nourishing those who consume the fruits of your labor.

May your fields be fertile and your work well-received.

Let a top writing coach support you in your writing life!

When writers are gearing up for new challenges, a professional writing coach can help them make the most of the moment! Let’s chat. Maybe I can offer some support as you move ahead on your writing path! Schedule your free consultation.and check out “Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

Tarot for Writers: 9 of Coins uses the image of the Nine of Pentacles from the LO SCARABEO TAROT, published by Lo Scarabeo.

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