Roots and Branches
Writing tips and inspiration from a fellow author
As you've probably noticed, I've started sharing some thoughts on writing as process and practice in recent months.
For various reasons, I've decided to shift that writing conversation into a sub-section of my newsletter that people can subscribe to separately (though I hope you'll subscribe to both!)
So welcome! I know many of my current readers are also writers, whether you write professionally or touch pen to page only occasionally, so I hope this will be fruitful both for your own practice and a great source of conversations between all of us about our work.
Why now?
To me, it's a mark of respect for my readers' time and attention to let you know what exactly you're getting: Our attention, collectively and individually, is spread oh-so-very thin these days, and none of our inboxes are empty.
When you get a newsletter from me, I want it to be one you'll enjoy and get something out of. So keeping things thematically distinct means you know if you're getting Root's food, history, and nature-related writing or if you're getting Roots and Branches' newsletter issues about writing and creative practice.
This moment is also part of a natural evolution of my own career, as I continue to center writing coaching and writing workshops alongside my work as a writer.
I sit down and write every weekday (and sometimes on weekends), but I also sit down with other people each week and help them navigate their own writing processes. I also am learning, constantly, from my clients, my students, and from fellow writers.
Having somewhere to put that knowledge is both exciting to me and a way I can continue to support the writing community I love, thus the birth of Roots and Branches as a distinct space where I can dive into those explorations more fully.
What can I expect?
Unlike Root: Historic Food for the Modern World, which is published weekly, Roots and Branches will be a bit more sporadic.
Think of it as a "I have a really cool writing idea/tip/resource that I want to share with you!!" publication, which comes out as often as those ideas/tips/resources emerge.
In it, I'll share:
· Practical tips from my own writing practice and my work as a writing coach (like this post on building a playful writing practice)
· Exciting ideas and bursts of inspiration that come through, as they come through: These might be very random and messy, as writing often can be, but can be revelatory and joyful too (e.g. what prompts I'm using for freewriting about my practice that week).
· Links to other resources I find useful for supporting myself in the craft and practice of writing.
· Updates on my work as a writing coach, both musings on the experience of coaching (positive musings, but also anonymous, general ones: My clients are wonderful and I respect their privacy).
· Reflections on creative processes and the interconnections between all our creative work.
· Opportunities to work with me to support your own writing.
· And...whatever else seems to fit well in this space (suggestions and requests welcome!)
I have a couple ideas already in the hopper for things I want to cover, including tools for reflecting on your ideal audience, and thinking about your creative ecosystem. I'm all ears for your ideas, too!
As of this week, I'm sharing two new ways to work with me beyond this newsletter, for those who are interested:
Bloom: an 8-week one-on-one intensive for writers at any stage of the book writing process, especially if you're feeling stuck, like you struggle to make time for writing, or you aren't sure where or how to start.
and
Mycelia: regular virtual co-writing sessions for accountability and skill-building. Each one-hour session opens with brief skill-building chat, followed by dedicated writing time on whatever you most want to work on that day, and an intention setting at the end so you can bring the skill we learned into the rest of your writing practice.
An unlimited monthly pass gets you as many or as few sessions as you would like, and I try to space them out across weekdays as much as I can to fit multiple time zones and schedules (all will be within regular business hours in Eastern time).
I'm forever grateful to and inspired by my readers and to my fellow writers, so if you're reading this, I do hope you'll join us for Mycelia and, if it feels like the right fit, that you'll join me for Bloom too.
Just for you, dear readers, please use the discount code THANKYOU for Mycelia, which will give you 20% off your monthly pass.
Whether or not you join me in either of those spaces, I hope you'll find this newsletter to be one that offers you some writing inspiration and practical tools.
I'm so looking forward to writing with you! And I'd love to hear: What writing-related topics do you most want me to cover?