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Write and finish your damn (good) book!

Hi! I'm Claire! An enthusiastic and imaginative book coach who uses way too many exclamation points, talks too much about my beloved pittie mix, Kira, and is fueled by inspiring and motivating fellow writers! I'm an Author Accelerator certified book coach and Writing From the Top of Your Head certified facilitator. From first spark to final page, I help fiction writers ditch the rules, fall back in love with writing, and finally finish their damn (good) stories! Sign up for mini-book coaching in your inbox, subscriber only specials, and general shenanigans.

A woman holds a peach up toward a full moon while manuscript pages flutter around her.
Featured Post

You don’t have to point your 🍑 at the moon

Hi Reader, I’m coming in with a little cheek today (get it? Peach emoji… butts… cheek?) The listening tour (see footer) has been going on for a few weeks and one thing I’ve noticed so far is, when asked “What do I do in your words?” The answers are… all over the place! 🫠🙃🫣 I think one person came close when she said, “You’re like a life coach... but for writers.” So, to help explain what I actually do around here, I wrote a little ditty about it. You can read that here. But never fear. I’m...

a xeriscaped garden at night lit by string lights and pathway lights

Hi Reader, Sometimes taking a break is the thing that gets you motivated again. If you replied to my last email with book recommendations – Thank you! I have your email and will reply soon. I’m also going to compile the list and share it here with my own additions. Stay tuned! During my break, I did a lot of soul searching… Because I’ve been wondering if I still want to do this anymore. Author coaching that is. Sometimes clarity brings fear and anxiety. I created The Creative Goblin Way and...

A blond dog with paw raised as if waving hello

Hi Reader, A long time ago, I missed my calling as a theatre kid. I was 7 years old. A cringingly shy child. I decided I wanted to try out for the local theatre company's production of Cinderella. I auditioned. I got passed up. BUT, days later, they called back. Apparently my audition form had gotten stuck to another one. I actually did get the part. But at that point, I'd moved on already. The calling had vanished. The shyness had overtaken me again. Anyone who has worked with me or attended...

Baby bunnies eating by a green evergreen bush

Hi Reader, There are currently four baby bunnies living in the bush in my front yard and every time I see them, I squee with delight and sit and watch them, slowly dying from cuteness overload. 🥹 Baby bunnies eating. That's all they do is eat. And scatter. The bunnies scatter the second they think there’s a threat. Yesterday, a truck rumbled down the road behind the house and the bunnies fled to safety inside the bush. Their instincts are strong. Fast forward to probably a week or two from...

a blond dog resting her chin on the arm of a brown chair, gazing at the viewer.

Hi Reader, From hotdog flavored whiskey to IKEA’s meatball lollipops, we cannot trust the internet on April 1st. I have been working hard for the past 3+ months getting a new quiz up and running. This one uses 100% my own IP (instead of borrowing from Jim Henson). I spent hours drawing graphics for each result, days designing the dossier style results pages that actually look like files from an archive. I obsessed over the questions, logo for the fictional agency, all of it. I was so excited,...

Hi Reader, Since I’ve asked so much of you lately, I’m keeping this one short and sweet. I have a few things to share that I think you just might love. If it’s cold right now where you live, this amazing soup will warm you right up! (Warning: it is 100% not fat free, which is probably why it is sooooo yummy). A fun little break from the daily grind (xenials will adore this) This inspiring article for writers (very on fleek with what I’ve been talking about of late… do people still say, on...

Hi Reader! Just a quick note to let you know my talk, ACE Your Story: 3 Things You Need to Craft a Compelling Story goes live today at 4pm MST (3pm Pacific, 6pm Eastern) at the Perfect Your Process summit! This is a free event for writers who want to create joyful writing practices. I’ll be in the comments answering questions! Come join me! It’s gonna be FUN!!! If you haven’t already, Register here Plus, you’ll get access to the ACE Diagnostic Tool! Claire 💛 P.S. This is the last email you'll...

Perfect Your Process Summit starts tomorrow!

Hi Reader! Just a quick reminder, in case you haven’t gotten your free ticket yet, the summit starts tomorrow! Join me and a bunch of other amazing speakers here. Among MANY others, here are a few of the talks I’m especially interested in: Structuring Your Memoir with Marion Roach Smith (I have a memoir about all the dogs I’ve loved in my life in my idea bank that is demanding to be written!) Your Writing Personality: The Hidden Key to Your Creative Process with Rachel Clair How to Find the...

Hi Reader! I know I’ve been asking a lot of you lately, and here I am again with another thing that’s happening! 🫣 I had the honor of being invited to speak at Daniel David Wallace’s Perfect Your Process summit. This is an annual writing habits and practices summit happening over the weekend into next week! I hope you'll come and see my presentation! It goes live on March 23rd at 4pm MST (that’s 3pm Pacific, 6pm Eastern) If you're here reading my newsletters and articles, you probably love...

Hi Reader, I’ve sent a couple emails about this already, and I’m going to send one more just in case you were on the fence about joining the workshop on the 25th. Because there might be something I’ve failed to mention: This workshop isn’t about tips and tricks. It isn’t about plotting. It isn’t about “how to be marketable.” It’s a creative reboot. It’s for the writer who: Keeps overthinking their beginning (👋 hi!) Feels creatively rusty Misses the version of themselves who used to write...