Let me tell you a story…
Story is devotional for me. Story doesn’t belong to us, it is a dance partner and it can’t be owned. The minute you try to claim a story as yours and only yours, all creativity will stop. Sure, you might get words on the page (maybe). But frustratingly, the magical and on-point message you hear in your head will become a clumsy record scratch when you try to write it. And all because you know what you know and you want to tell the world your story.
I invite you to let go.
I invite you to let the story have its way with you.
I invite you to discover the artist and creative you are and let go of being a ‘good student’ and ‘doing it right’.
I’m guessing that ‘doing it right’ hasn’t produced a finished manuscript for you yet (am I right?).
Back to the story.
You’re the story. Your manuscript, your book, your collection, your presentation, your play, your movie, your album, your your your your your your your is your invitation to share it. Just like life, a story is a series of decisions strung together by actions and reactions. Just like you, stories pause to wonder, to worry and reflect. Like everything you’ve started, stories are driven by things we want, things we chase and things we question. And like all things that die, stories can close abruptly, gently, consciously, and all the ways things can end. You are the story. You get to decide if you leaves the safe solo confines of your mind, or if you take the risk to tell/write/share your story.
You’re the story, and you matter.
Your Story Matters.
The world is waiting.
More concretely,
Here’s how I work with people
One to One
- A personalized approach that usually follows a rhythm of 2 – 90 minute sessions/month, moving through…
- a six draft journey until we’re onto draft 4 (voice & editing see below), at which point we…
- work on your piece act by act (also below), until your book is ready for…
- first readers, then notes, then off to your publisher for…
- final notes and tweaks and into finals.
- CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
- $$$
Groups
- A start-any-time curated process with personalized touch points for accountability and writer and artist care…
- that begins after you’ve completed the collecting draft (see below) and you have begun working on draft 1 or later.
- This path greatly benefits from a read through with notes from Tina first (see Story Menu below).
- Groups meet online via zoom monthly.
- This path is a combo of ‘do-it-yourself’, using the Grab and Go path (see next column), with monthly workshops, and the option of some as needed add on support.
- COMING NOVEMBER 1st
- $$
Grab and Go
- A ‘Do it Yourself’ model for the freedom lovers who like to drop in, and drive their writing across the finish line when it works for you.
- This is an online course that can run alongside the weekly writing group community (optional $9/mth extra).
- The six draft journey is broken down into 6 – $99 programs, or a bundle for $499
- #1 – Collecting Draft
- #2 – First Draft (all words on the page)
- #3 – 2nd Draft (hole filling & frame)
- #4 – 3rd Draft (research & credibility)
- #5 – 4th Draft (editing & voice)
- #6 – 5th Draft (polish & alchemy)
- COMING NOV. 1st
- $
Understanding the Process
1
From start to finish, we work through six drafts. From collecting to dumping (draft 1), to seeing what we have and filling in the holes (draft 2), to research and rooting the content (draft 3), to editing, voice and finding the music (draft 4), to readers, feedback and polish (draft 5), and then off to the publisher.
2
Writing is an art form, therefore you are an artist. You are about to engage in a process that is messy, beautiful, sometimes tender, sometimes fierce. I use structure to hold the process which ensures a vibrant, authentic product (your manuscript). I do not use structure to teach you how to write. The journey does that.
3
Sometimes you tell the story, and sometimes the story tells you. Where these two worlds meet is where story happens. We will be uncomfortable at times, because that’s where creativity happens.
4
Your work is safe. I will never sacrifice your well-being for the work we do, and I will never sacrifice the work (writing) for your comfort. We’re here to serve the story while taking exceptional care of you.
8 Authors, 11 Books, 4 more coming this year, 12 Writing Retreats, 100s of stories…
Drawing on three decades worth of knowledge as a storyteller, from theatre to film to PR to sales to editorial, to poetry collection, to longform narrative of novels, personal development, thought leaderships and autobiographies…
This is your creative process.
Your story matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I’ve never written before?
Perfect! This process is designed to move you through the drafts at your speed. We build one layer at a time. Writing is less about the rules (though they’re important at the end), and more about finding your voice, asking and answering hard questions, and staying with the process. You got this!
How long is the process?
From start to finish, count on 18 months. Does it ever take less time than that? Sure… The fastest I’ve seen it done is 9 months. It all depends on what you are writing, how ready you are, and how much time you have to write. If you can put in 10 hours/week, we’ll move at a great pace.
Do I have to write?
Great question. There are so many ways to discover your voice and writing style that it’s possible that portions of your process will be done verbally, or through writing prompts and even with a little bit of help from AI. That said, I help people create work that is artful, truthful and authentic to you. We’ll find our way together, all the way to the publisher.
What do you know about the publishing process?
Lots. When we get started, you’ll decide the path you anticipate taking towards publishing. While your choices to traditionally publish, self-publish or ladder-up publish doesn’t affect the content, it does change what we can be doing to leverage your content while you are writing your book.
p.s. I’m a fan of self-publishing as it keeps more $$$ in your pocket, takes less time to get to print, the same amount of marketing effort is spent, plus you can always ladder up to traditional publishing when you have a following.