Hello friends!

Unbelievably (not least because it is 88 degrees outside), it is September. I love September—it feels like a fresh start and of course it is the beginning of….

It’s also the perfect time to set goals and make plans to finish out the year strong! What are your writing goals? Hit reply and let me know.

There’s a lot happening in writing and coaching land over here.

🌟I’m in the middle of a two-week sprint of co-writing sessions with a client with the goal of finishing our novels. I’ve dipped in and out of other co-writing sessions before, but for whatever reason—perhaps because I have a super clear vision of what I need to accomplish—it is working wonders for my productivity.

(If this is something you’d be interested in, let me know! The sessions are free. I just fire up my zoom, we set an intention for the time, and then mute and GO.)

🌟My writing goals for the end of the year include finishing this book, regardless of whether I start to pitch it right away (still on the fence about that; those of you who have been around for a while know why) AND planning and starting to draft a new novel that I am incredibly excited about. It’s totally different from my current book and frankly, that feels necessary. I’ve already started on a Blueprint!

🌟For years, I’ve resisted leaning too hard into my project management skills and knowledge when it comes to book coaching, but in talking with other writers and coaches, I’ve realized how valuable some of those skills can be when it comes to taking on the complex thing that is novel-writing. In upcoming weeks, I’ll have

• A fresh set of free worksheets about how to use strategy and scheduling to keep yourself accountable (with room for adjustment and a hefty dose of grace) and allow your creative energies to be directed where they are most useful—on your writing!

• An inexpensive tool you can use to actually plan and build a schedule for your novel project in a few simple steps, along with a ton of supporting materials to help you break it down. Not to mention an opportunity to work with me 1-on-1 if you need some help breaking it all down.

• More free tips and advice on how to make the most of your precious writing time

I’ll give you the first piece of advice right now, as it is one of my mantras:

Commit to a writing practice, whatever that looks like for your life.

Very few of us have the luxury of devoting hours of time each day to writing. We have to fit it in amongst all our other obligations. We do it because we love it, because we have something to say that we want to share with the world, and because we feel like words and stories are important.

You don’t have to put your butt in the chair every day to be a writer, but you will make the most progress and find the most satisfaction if you can find time (and space) to write regularly.

Maybe that’s 15 minutes on the train while you commute. (I had a classmate who wrote an entire novel on his phone this way.) Maybe it means you get up before the kids and hide in the closet for an hour on weekend mornings. Whatever it is, it’s good.

Start small. Build as you go (if you want to). But whatever you do, DON’T STOP.

You’ve got this. And if you need support, or even a kind word and a dumb joke, please reach out! I’m here and I’ve got your back.

Cheers friends! Let’s get this unofficial new year off to a great start.

♥️Kerry