Your ideas, your voice, and your stories matter

For writers who are stuck, stalled, or seeking a safe space for their ideas, imagination, and voice to flourish, I offer Mindset, Meaning, and Momentum Coaching.

For select clients working on nonfiction and creative nonfiction manuscripts, I offer Developmental Editing.

My work with writers draws on the deepest roots of my journey with creativity coaching, a time in graduate school when I was publicly relishing being a writing instructor and privately suffering with a hideous inability to make myself write.

These two strands - helping writers clarify and refine their projects and helping writers stay connected to the joy of writing - have continued to weave through my coaching work.

How I work with writers

“Sara is the antidote to every mean writing teacher or callous critique group you’ve ever encountered.”

— Kris B-B

What Does Mindset, Meaning, and Momentum Coaching Look Like?

The focus of my coaching is on supporting you in fostering functional and loving relationships between your deep self, your creative process, and the work that has chosen you to bring it to life.

This deeply intimate set of relationships have a huge impact on your overall well-being. When your inner needs are met, your creative fires are burning, and your work is flowing, you are in a state of grace. And when any part of this intricate system is out of balance, everything feels off.

Some signals that you might benefit from this relational coaching approach include:

you’ve fallen out of trust with your creative instincts
you’ve lost the spark of a project that once held great passion
you are in a creative void, sensing a desire for change but frustrated or confused about where you are heading next
your relationship with your creativity has gotten squelched by the demands of children/work/community/citizenship on your energy and time
the pressures of monetizing or professionalizing your creative work have leached the joy from your process
you feel called to tackle a long-form project but don’t know how to begin and/or doubt your ability to see it through
you have a great relationship with productivity, but suspect that your relationship with creativity is not as well-developed

Mindset coaching

focuses on unlearning toxic beliefs and stories that our culture bombards us with, like:

My writing is a waste of time - I should do something more productive.
Claiming the space I need to write is selfish when my children/friends/community/country/world need my attention.
If I can’t guarantee success, there’s no point trying

Together, we explore and practice alternative thought patterns, like:

Creativity is just as valuable and ethical as productivity, it just operates by different rules.
When my inner needs are met, I’m able to attend more cheerfully and unresentfully to the needs of others.
I deserve the joy of adventure and discovery, regardless of where it leads.

Meaning coaching

focuses on existential and identity issues like:

What does it mean to claim a writer’s life (or at least a life with space for writing)?
Does it matter whether I write or not?
What can I do when it all suddenly feels meaningless?

Together, we talk about what is at stake for you to engage and honor your writing self. We’ll explore what the practice of writing does for your ability to make meaning, and learn to focus on small actions even while engaging the big questions.

Momentum coaching

focuses on nurturing the systems and habits that allow you to stay unstuck and keep making progress. We work on issues like:

I’m starting or re-starting a writing project, how do I build a sustainable routine that will support me in completing the thing?
How can I learn to recognize and work with the nuances of resistance, fear, or stuckness that come up in my writing life?
What are the special strategies that can help me make it through the final stages of a long writing project?

Together, we’ll look at the realities of your current life and develop a do-able set of habits and routines that can flex based on the kind of project you are undertaking, the stage of work you are in, and the other obligations.

How We’ll Work Together

Typically, we begin with a free 20 minute consultation to get a feel for each other and begin to sketch out a specific focus and approach for our work together.

All new clients begin with an introductory package that includes 6 coaching hours. This package includes 360 minutes of live zoom sessions, as well as email exchange as needed.

Together, we’ll decide the appropriate frequency and rhythm for your coaching experience - you can elect to divide your 360 minute package into 30 or 60 minute sessions with a frequency of weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meet ups.

If you elect to continue working with me beyond your initial 360 minute package, you can choose packages of 3, 6 or 12 coaching hours from the A la Carte Coaching menu.

Because the focus of Mindset, Meaning, and Momentum coaching is on your relationships with yourself, your process, and your project, I do not read or comment on your writing within the boundaries of this kind of coaching package. (If you are seeking project support, please see Developmental Editing below)