Cynthia Morris

The trend of writers enrolling paid subscribers is one I celebrate. As someone who has published a newsletter since 2001, I know how much work goes into producing content that people want to read. I’m happy to be able to contribute to these writers and honor their work. 

Secrets of Paris Heather Stimmler has been delving into the Paris we don’t always hear about for decades. I always open Secrets of Paris right away because there’s always news and information about the City of Light I wouldn’t find elsewhere. Heather, a friend of mine, always shares something useful to me and the creativity retreats I lead in Paris. Subscribe here. 

Paris by Mouth by Meg Zimbeck and Sara Garcia If you’re like me, you never want to have a bad meal. I will go the MILE to make sure the restaurants I eat at will produce a good experience. Good service, great food, lovely ambiance…it all adds up to a memorable experience, and I want that memory to be a good one, not a cringer. Paris by Mouth offers a thorough database of reviews for subscribers of restaurants and other foodie spots in Paris. You can search by type of establishment, by type of food, or by arrondissement. I happily pay for this curated information. They also do food tours. 

David Lebovitz I’ve been following David Lebovitz’s Paris food blog since 2005. When he moved to a subscription model, I was happy to put some moola in his pocket. David’s writing has gotten better and better over the years. I love his voice, his humor and his obvious passion for food in Paris. Reading his newsletter gives me insights about Paris and the French that make a difference in how I think about Paris and what I do when I am there. 

Department of Salad: Official Bulletin by Emily Nunn Who would think that food writing could be so funny? I love salad, of course, but Emily’s writing makes me pay to subscribe to this newsletter. She’s HILARIOUS. I feel like I have a really funny friend in the kitchen with me and I get lots of ideas, too.

Craig Mod I’m new to Craig’s world and so far I love what he’s doing. He’s crafted an interesting business model for a writer. He’s got several different newsletters which you can find here. Craig lives in Japan and writes essays and articles about walking in Japan and many other things. His members-only newsletter is called Special Projects. Craig also makes books, and sells limited editions of these photography and writing books. He both writes and makes videos.

One of the cool things he does are subscriber-paid Pop Up Newsletters. These are limited series newsletters around a topic. I got sucked into subscribing – willingly! – when he mentioned his Tokyo walk project. He’d walk for half the day and then go to his lodging and write a long newsletter about it. I have access to the archives as a subscriber, and I am fascinated by the project and the way he structured including subscribers in it. I was recently walking around London and this model for walking/traveling/writing came into my mind.

Not a paid newsletter, the Farm Share newsletter was a total delight this summer. It was fun and useful to get info each week on what the farm was producing and what to do with all that produce. Being a member of a local farm is one of my life’s greatest joys, and this newsletter added to that joy.

What newsletters do you pay to subscribe to? Leave a comment below! 

As you may know, I am endlessly curious about the forces at play in our creative process. My whole life is dedicated to this – conversations with coaching clients, writing books about it, and being an ardent student of my own process. 

The thing that fascinates me most is resistance. Why oh why do we resist the thing we say we want to do – write? I’ve got my theories about why, and as a coach, I’m actually more interested in what we do with it. We can ponder and wonder all day long, but unless that gets us into action, I’ve got limited time to just think about it. 

One thing that gets me into action is having social accountability. Writing my novel in November was a lot easier because I had told people I would do it. For me, this was an iron-clad promise not to others but to myself. 

Another thing that helps me show up is a recurring date. Every Thursday, I show up at 8:00 to write. It’s not that I am so structured and disciplined; again, it’s because others are meeting with me too. 

Last year, I hosted and participated in 45 Impulse Writing Club sessions. I had to miss two because of work travel, and the other five weeks were weeks off. 

When I set these sessions up in the fall of 2021, I had no idea how fun they would be. The simplicity of it – three timed writing sessions – made it easy to slip into the writing zone. I used the time to write various things: two book drafts, articles for my newsletter, personal journaling and more. Members of the Impulse Writing Club report these experiences after our sessions:

Of course, we all experience a range of things over the course of our 16 weeks of writing together. Overall, it’s quite a positive and productive time. 

If you want to write more this year, I think you’ll love the Impulse Writing Club. Please join us to write weekly. We start on January 12th. All the information is here. 

Leave your comments below

I’m going to start the new year with total transparency about why I teach and coach people to write. 

Because writing, well, it’s a fool’s journey. The work is difficult, chances at fame and monetary success are slim. Friends and family doubt why you spend so much time working on something that doesn’t pay you back. Even you sometimes wonder if you’re crazy. 

I know this. I’m not a pollyanna coach pretending ‘it’s all good’. I’m taking a stand for each and every one of us who wants to write. 

Because writing pays you back. I’ve seen it again and again. 

I believe if you have the impulse to write, you must follow it. Despite all evidence and advice against writing as a way to be a happy, sane person, I believe that giving in to the impulse to pen something is the very stuff of life itself. 

In my writing classes, I often give the prompt ‘I write because’. Writing for 15 minutes on this topic is often enough to plug someone into their motivation to write. A writing practice that is satisfying follows from there.

If you’re someone who has been sitting on her hands, hiding her voice and not writing, I offer nine reasons why you must write. 

Because it feels good. If you’ve ever caught the groove of the keyboard or pen across the page, you’ll know the breathless exhilaration writing can give. You can do that to yourself without spending any money?! Creative jollies for free! Who wouldn’t take that up?

Because you have something to say. Author Brenda Ueland says “Everyone is talented, original and has something important to say.” Believe it’s worth your time to get words on the page. 

Because you’re curious to see what emerges from your pen and heart. And that curiosity must be satisfied for you to feel right in the world.

Because writing introduces you to your true self. Writing offers a transformative process similar to sharing with a friend or counselor. When you write, you may feel a sense of being heard – by yourself, at least. And aren’t you the one you most need to know and trust? 

Because knowing yourself leads to positive changes in your life. You can’t help but notice the dusty corners of your psyche that need tidying up and the things you can no longer tolerate. Taking up the pen is taking up the sword in defense of a life you actually want to live.

Because it’s fun. Often in free writing, fictional stories will emerge from our pens. Free writing frees us to explore, play and enjoy a limitless freedom of our imagination. This is the giggly part of writing; not to be missed. 

Because you get to be free. You deserve to live without the weight of procrastination. Instead, you get to feel the exhilaration of your own creative flow. You get to move, and do things and share your world through your words. 

Because it’s good to express ourselves. I was in the audience at a conference when Brene Brown said “unexpressed creativity is not a benign force’. Tears flowed down my face. I’d known all along that our creativity is as vital to our health as is good food and exercise. To hear it validated by a researcher added wind to my wings.

Because you can. Freedom of speech is no small boon – take it and use it.  

Add your own tenth reason for writing. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and using the prompt I write because…write your heart out.

When asked what I do, I reply, “ I help people write books.” I’ve learned to super-simplify it, because I can’t go around firehosing people with “I’m an author, artist and coach who teaches people how to know, love and trust their process. I also lead creativity retreats in Paris and teach workshops online.” I’m exhausted trying to list all the things I do! 

But ‘help people write books’ doesn’t tell the full story of how I help my clients bring their ideas into form and into the world. In this article, I’ll open the kimono to show what, specifically, my book coaching can look like. We’ll walk through some of the ways I coached Paula Preschelack to write, publish, and promote her book. 

I love coaching Paula Preschlack. She’s a skilled, seasoned writer who wrangled her professional ideas and insights into a book that will reach millions. This year was ready to find a publisher. This is not an easy feat.

But Paula achieved what I consider the equivalent of getting an Olympic Gold Medal: she landed a book deal with an independent press. Chicago Review Press signed on to publish Paula’s non-fiction book, The Montessori Potential: How to Foster Indepence, Respect, and Joy and in Every Child. And, Paula signed an audiobook deal, too! Paula’s book comes out in February, 2023. 

I couldn’t be happier for her. I’m doing a victory lap for all her success; I know how hard she’s worked on this project. Here’s what brought us to this place. 

We’ve been working on her book for several years. I coached Paula through many drafts and life changes. We celebrated her new author life when she transitioned out of her career as head of school at a Montessori school into full-time writing and speaking. A coaching relationship with me is not just about getting things done. It’s much more than having someone you’re accountable to. 

Together we’ve worked through the following: 

How to write organize the material in her book This takes a lot of time and thought. Knowing what belongs in the book is one thing. Structuring the writing in a way that honors the material and the author’s style and voice is another piece. 

How to manage a busy life and stay focused on her book  This is a perennial subject that needs regular focus. There is no ‘normal’ week. Life is dynamic, throwing random things into the mix regularly. Often, we think we’ll have the same writing routine every week. But Paula learned she needed to be flexible and an ardent opportunist if she didn’t want life to overtake her writing goals. Every author will have to renew their commitment again and again. 

Transitioning out of her former career and into her writing career  This was a big life change. While she was ready for it, the change called for a lot of support. The emotional labor involved in a career shift is significant. I helped Paula process the feelings around all she was leaving and all she was moving toward. 

How to structure her time and energy as a writer and speaker I helped Paula think about the bigger picture of her career as an author. Once we identified what she wanted that to look like, we focused on both practical matters and mindset shifts required to go from employee to self-employed. 

Developing systems for her new work life  It was fun to help Paula design her work systems according to her specific writing goals. Taking time to set things up in a way that would work for her, rather than just adopting processes willy nilly, set Paula up for years to come. 

Writing pitch materials to get a publisher  This is a tough part of the author process. A writer has to shift from the person producing the writing to the person promoting the writing. Sales writing is a different animal. We spent a lot of time specifying the language she used that would convey the message of her book. 

Developing talking points around her book Paula is a seasoned speaker but needed help narrowing down a few topics she could discuss with the media. My feedback on her ideas helped to crystallize the most compelling points. 

Navigating the ups and downs of pitching a book  After the proposal and query letter are written, there’s the roller coaster ride of seeking the right agent and publisher. Then there’s the sending and waiting…and waiting. It’s emotionally challenging, and it helped Paula to have someone who understood the process. 

Celebrating a book deal with an independent publisher This is the moment she’d been working toward for years. Of course her family and friends acknowledged this big moment. I helped Paula to really appreciate her efforts and everything she had done to bring her to this point. 

Strategizing her book launch  Paula already has great contacts in the Montessori world. She’s a sought-after speaker and had several keynote speeches booked. I helped her strategize the pre-and post-launch tasks that would help her get the word out about her book. 

Helping Paula lean into her skills and gifts  Paula is a natural connector. While any publishing pro will tell an author they need to have a platform or public presence, I invited Paula to focus elsewhere first. I believed her vast network could be engaged to help her promote the book. She’s using her natural gifts to reach out, stay connected, and meet new people who will be interested in her book. We worked on setting up systems to make staying in touch easier. 

Developing a social media strategy Paula hadn’t spent much time on social media and didn’t know where to start. I encouraged her to sign up for a class that had helped me a lot. Now, she is active on several platforms and is doing a great job of bringing her message and personality into her posts. It turns out she’s a natural and her dog Louis makes regular appearances to help people get a feel for Paula’s sense of humor and style. 

There’s much more, but that’s the bulk of how Paula and I worked together. On a recent coaching session, Paula acknowledged my coaching skills. She said, “You really have a unique combination of gifts. You understand the needs of the creative person and your thinking is very organized. You manage to help me put order to all of my ideas. Most people have one skillset or the other. You’re both – creative and organized. I couldn’t have done all this without you.”

I love hearing that my work makes all the difference for a smart, experienced person like Paula. My 1:1 coaching has a much larger impact when a book like Paula’s makes its way into the world. 

The Montessori Potential gives Paula a chance to expand her passion beyond the school she helped to lead and develop. This book seeks to help demystify what Montessori education is and why it’s so effective. Find out more about Paula’s work and order a copy of her book here. 

Learn about how you can get on my coaching roster and bring your great ideas into the world here. 

Treat your writer self – and a friend – to these gifts for writers. These treats make it easy to gift your writer what they need to be happily productive next year and beyond.

The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book is the complete step-by-step approach to getting your book out of your head and onto the page. It’s not just for women!

Chasing Sylvia Beach will take you straight to Paris. Perfect for lovers of historical fiction and bibliophiles, this novel is great holiday escape reading. And, book groups love it; invite me to join your discussion virtually.

Perhaps you’d like my art on objects to inspire your home and studio. My notebooks make a great gift.

The Writer’s Manifesto gives ready inspiration when you don’t feel up to writing. It’s available as prints and on select objects.