Rhonda Douglas is an award-winning poet and fiction author. She’s the host of The Resilient Writers Radio Show podcast for writers, and the creator of First Book Finish.

Living and writing in Ottawa, Canada, she’s committed to helping writers overcome fear and eliminate distractions so that they can write with ease and achieve their writing dreams.

On this episode, we’re talking about writing retreats.

Rhonda has vast experience with a range of retreats from the high-end paid ones to free events you can create in the comfort of your own home. By yourself or with friends, a writing retreat is what you make it.

Rhonda tells us how retreats are page boosters, and if you bring them into a regular part of your schedule, they can be a lot of fun. She shares how to do advanced planning that works best for you and your lifestyle for a 3-day retreat. Making it fun and comfortable is very important to her. She comes prepared with writing prompts, scheduled breaks, and the pomodoro technique.

Listen in to learn her tips on balancing productive writing with relaxing downtime. Even if you can’t do a 3-day retreat, make the most of the time you DO have. If you can’t write for hours at a time, that’s okay. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Don’t wait for “ideal conditions” like a spotless home or enough energy to feel like what you’re writing is perfect. Ideal conditions are myths. We must stop telling ourselves false stories about our limitations. Start by regulating your nervous system, then find your writing flow NOW!

Download her FREE The Busy Writers' Guide to DIY Writing Retreats, then connect with Rhonda on her website and Instagram. Make sure to listen in to the Resilient Writers Radio Show too!

Journal Prompts:

If money were no object, what would your ideal writing retreat weekend look like?

In your current situation, what would an ideal D.I.Y. writing retreat look like?

What preparation needs to be done for your retreat?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach

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Worthy Writers! I've got a solo episode for you today where I read story excerpts from THREE different authors:

Author 1: Catherine Larkin

Catherine Larkin is the author and illustrator of the Wizards of the Apocalypse series. Growing up in Washington state, she spent her free time voraciously reading and drawing characters to go with her short stories.

Catherine’s passion for creative writing is inspired by the love of fantasy, horror, and history. She started writing the first book in the series during her junior year of high school. When she’s not writing, she is drawing a few of her favorite characters, taking commissions, traveling, playing piano, and visiting with friends.

Her snippet is about the three main heroes of the story investigating a break in to the king's castle.

Website: https://www.x-zombie.com/about

Author 2: Heather Lucinda

Heather Lucinda lives in Newmarket, Ontario. She’s the author of three thriller\drama novels all of which are on amazon. She’s a collector of oddities and taxidermy. You can find her primarily spending free time at the cottage enjoying a drink and a good novel on the dock, normally beside her dog Eddie, or watching a good horror movie.

This excerpt is from her second novel CONFESSIONS. The synopsis is:

Izzy Calleta never knew her real father; he disappeared before she was born and her older half-sister and her mother claim he vanished one day fifteen years ago, never to be seen or heard from again.

Izzy has always been close to her sister Theo and Theo’s best friends and they’ve always felt like a family. But as Izzy gets older and starts questioning the ties that bind her family and their friends together, it becomes clear that everyone knows something she doesn’t...

As questions are answered and the lies part to reveal the truth, Izzy starts to ask herself: is it sometimes better not knowing who you are and where you come from?

Instagram: @heather.lucinda_author

Author 3: Cecilia Agetun

Cecilia Agetun writes YA fantasy. Growing up she was an avid reader of Fantasy and always enjoyed creating stories in her head and writing them down. However, due to her dyslexia, she never thought she had the skillset to write and publish her own books, but the lock downs provided her with a perfect opportunity to expand her writing skills, and overcome her insecurity. After all you’ll never know how far you can go until you try.

So she set her sights on writing a series about love, friendship, and self acceptance, inspired by magic and Norse mythology. Her first book Forgotten Memories published in September 2022. Magical Bond, the second book, published February 2024 – She’s currently working on book three, and book four, which will be the last book in the series.

Her excerpt is from Chapter 1 of Forgotten Memories, the first book in Freya’s Legacy series. Jax is a crow demon that has the ability to turn into a crow. He was abandoned at birth and taken in and cared for by Freya, who taught him the importance of Love and Friendship.

Instagram: @ceciliaagetun

Journal Prompts:

How would you handle fighting a zombie?

Write about a time where you had a challenging argument with a loved one. How did you handle it versus how you WISH you handled it?

If you could be any animal, what would you be and with what powers/abilities?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach

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Worthy Writers! I've got a solo episode for you today where I read story excerpts from THREE different authors:

Author 1: C.H. Carter

C.H. Carter is a fantasy author with a lifelong love of the genre in all its forms. In middle school, she wrote a fan letter to Tamora Pierce and received the most encouraging reply! That experience cemented her desire to become an author. (She also still holds out the hope they can meet in person one day!)

When not writing, you can find her working on a number of rotating projects (Crochet, anyone?) and obsessing over her two rescue dogs.

Her excerpt is from her debut novel, To Kiss the Sea. It's the first full chapter from Ally's POV. It gives an insight into what her childhood was like and the events leading up to the traumatic moment that triggered her incredible fear of water.

Website: chcarterwrites.com

Author 2: Elizabeth Suggs

Elizabeth Suggs is the co-owner of the indie publisher Collective Tales Publishing, owner of Editing Mee, and is the author of a growing number of award-winning published stories, one of which was part of an Amazon Bestseller collection. She is also a book reviewer (EditingMee.com), popular bookstagramer, and cosplayer (@ElizabethSuggsAuthor) on Instagram. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s traveling the world.

Her piece was inspired by the exclusion Covid and a new move brought to her life. It also sheds light on her relationship with her family, specifically her mother and how Elizabeth couldn’t cope without her around.

Author 3: B. Joyce

B. Joyce, author of the Moon Beetles series, is a Canadian independent fantasy author. She writes to connect readers to deep emotions and themes such as mental health, self discovery, intuition, and authenticity, with a backdrop of high fantasy world building.

To create her fantasy world, she uses her experience with biology and psychology to create an environment that sucks you into new magical possibilities and forces you to care about the characters. In her free time she can mostly be found playing video games, reading, wandering in the woods, or creating for the sheer enjoyment of it.

Her excerpt is from Soul Tether, the second book in her three part Moon Beetles series. Eliote doesn't have any essence abilities (magical abilities) like most people in the world of Illyson. However, she is able to see and feel auras from other people. She's been training at a Guardian academy for the past year, but as she's learned about herself, she's starting to think it's time for something new, something that fits her own skills.

LinkTree: B Joyce

Journal Prompts:

What would you do in Ally's situation?

Write a journal entry reflecting on a time when you felt isolated and how you handled the situation.

What is your favourite element of fantasy?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

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"Kris Ashley is a dynamic coach, author, speaker, podcast host, and television host with a passion for personal development. She has spent over two decades immersed in the research and teachings she shares.

With both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in creative writing, and a flair for transformative storytelling, she first made her mark in the tech industry as a copywriter before moving into digital marketing. She quickly worked her way up to head of marketing, where she led teams to break new ground with bold campaigns.

Her leadership journey then took a turn towards wellness, overseeing west coast operations and a team of eighty as a Director for a major yoga company. She also ran workshops and led yoga teacher training, discovering her love of serving others in the process.”

-Excerpt from Kris’ About Page – View Full Bio Here

Kris’ book is a spiritual personal development book. It was endorsed by 3 experts from the film The Secret, Anita Moorjani, John Gray (who wrote Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus), and many others who are in the spiritual and personal development space.

On today’s episode, Kris shares all about her book Change Your Mind to Change Your Reality. It was a decades long process in building a life that she HAD to turn into a book, and once the writing began everything flowed.

She talks about creating a manifestation memoir, and other strategies for strong manifestation, as well as how to change your thoughts to build a beautiful life for yourself. Break away from what’s blocking you by listening in to this episode!

Connect with Kris on her website, Instagram, and her podcast, and don’t forget to buy her book!

“Imagine looking at the events of your past and the circumstances of your present moment from a completely new perspective. How would this new mindset alter the course of your life?” -Kris Ashley

Journal Prompts:

What meaning does life hold for you?

What strategies help you keep a positive mindset on your writing journey?

How do your current writing and mindset habits reflect the person you're meant to be?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

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Heart-centered entrepreneur, Abigail Gazda has transformed her passion for education into a full-time career as an author, publisher, and life coach.

Abigail is the CEO of Hearts Unleashed, a full-service transformation company committed to empowering people to operate with full freedom, power, and self expression in every area of life.

As the Founder of Hearts Unleashed House Publishing, she helps authors share their mission and message with the world.

She is a Clarity Coach and supports souls speaking up about their silent struggle and unleashing the authentic leader within. She also empowers heart-centered leaders to create a life of fulfillment, impact, and legacy.

As the Host of the Hearts Unleashed Podcast, she is committed to turning dreamers into doers and helping raise the frequency of humanity with the development of Emotional Intelligence.

As a best-selling author, she personally thrives the most in life while writing, educating, and spending time outdoors. Born and raised a proud Indiana Hoosier, Abigail enjoys traveling the world to speak, work with clients, and adventure.

Today we connect with Abigail to learn about her business Hearts Unleashed, her writing experiences with over 6 books, and advice on facing fears in your writer journey.

Though she had writing experience from an early age, she didn’t claim the title of writer until later in life. As a heart-centered leader, she has learned many lessons about who she is and how to create a sustainable business that helps others unleash their greatness and embrace their authenticity.

When working with writers, she helps them manage their expectations of success while still embracing the full extent of their passion, ambition, and excitement. Abigail shares her thoughts on how worth it the writing experience is and what it means to be open to failure.

Share your voice, because “we cannot find each other when we’re all hushed up.” Connect with your creative self to ensure you’re in alignment and integrity with the true YOU.

Abigail says kindness to yourself is the “healing we need to have the courage we want.”

Connect with her on her websites (Abigail Gazda + Hearts Unleashed), Instagram, and check out the episode we did on her podcast: Finding the Courage to Publish

Journal Prompts:

How are you unleashing your writer heart?

What are you passionate about that you'd rather keep to yourself and what are you open to sharing?

What fears are holding you back from being your most authentic writer self?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

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Heather LaFond is an emerging thought leader on empowering women to stop playing small, kill limiting beliefs, and start leading kickass lives.

After overcoming an addiction to alcohol, challenges with emotional eating & losing 100 pounds, she awakened to her calling: elevating other women. Heather built a coaching biz from scratch to pass-on what helped her transform so other ladies can stop struggling alone.

Heather’s straight-talk style delivering real advice has attracted speaking gigs from podcast appearances to events globally. Her vision is no joke - ignite worldwide change by encouraging women through motivational messages that provoke action.

‘Cuz when we help gals maximize their potential? Society transforms. Period.

Her mission is to empower girls and women to stop settling, find their voice and change the freakin’ world.

You in?

In this episode, Heather LaFond shares her experiences writing her first book Rise & Roar: Unleash Your Inner Power. She had no idea what she wanted to write at first, but working with a publishing coach helped her understand her ideal reader and kept her accountable through the process.

There are ebbs and flows to creativity and surrendering to the process is key. Trust yourself and the ideas that are flowing through you. It will all work out in the end!

Heather loves to shake people up and push them towards a positive transformation. Writing her book helped her embrace who she is and to see what’s possible on her creative journey. She hopes when you’re reading Rise & Roar, you will have a similar experience.

Find her book on Amazon, and connect with her on Instagram and Facebook!

Journal Prompts:

What are your biggest strengths as a writer?

What is the powerful impact you have on your readers?

What does Rise & Roar mean to you?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

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Caitlyn Mentzel is a full-time regulatory specialist in the food industry, and entrepreneur. She runs a marketing business with her husband of over 5 years. She also cohosts The Intentional Podcast with her friend about leading intentional lives to become more fulfilled. Her coffee journal is available for purchase to review coffee shop experiences, and More Than Conquering: A Season of Surrender is releasing in Fall 2024!

Learn about her writing experiences through the pandemic, and being told she couldn’t write well (despite having to do chemistry papers in college).

Through blogging, journalling, and her connection to God, she has found her way to writing her novel More Than Conquering: A Season of Surrender. She hopes this book helps women who feel stuck and struggle with new stages of their lives.

This book includes stories from Caitlyn’s life transitioning from high school to college to the working world. Once she let go of control and surrendered her life to God, everything throughout this journey become so much easier.

There’s plenty of vulnerability involved in sharing your personal story, but the right readers will find some relatable piece to it, and it’s so satisfying to realize you are not alone. Caitlyn thinks that even if her book helps one person, that would be really cool.

She shares how it took four years to put the book together, and the grace and patience she learned along the way. If you want to write about your life, listen to Caitlyn’s episode to uncover her advice for getting more comfortable writing and sharing publicly.

Connect with Caitlyn on Instagram, listen to her podcast, and check out her old blog!

Journal Prompts:

What moments in your life would you want to write about?

How does it feel to share your writing publicly?

What lessons do you hope readers take away after reading your personal story?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

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Chris Williams is the owner and founder of Shine Wellness LLC. A 7 figure woman owned company dedicated to empowering women coaches + wellness professionals to create soul-led and heart-centered 6-figure businesses, without the hustle and sales tactics that feel so out of alignment for many women.

She is known for cultivating community, connections, and collaborations that inspire and create WIN-WINS for everyone. As part of her Soulful Abundance System®, she weaves the abundance mindset and soul-fueled strategy along with a simple system to create 10K months and beyond, without trading your well-being or integrity for success.

She teaches you to:

• keep things simple and focus on the power of ONE
• let go of self-doubt and become infinitely more confident
• believe in yourself and how powerful and capable you really are
• value your unique brilliance
• take inspired action so you can create a magnificent life you love while being well paid by serving others

On today’s episode, we explore how to make an impact with inspired action.

If you’re a writer looking for more book sales or a book coach building a business, listen in!

Chris is all about finding your passion and learning how to set up your business in a way that feels aligned. She shares how to connect with the right people, as your books and services won’t be the best match for everyone.

Also, she shares her experience writing and editing her book about the Soulful Abundance System®, which will release in Fall 2024. When her book is out there, she will discover more clients who are the best fit for her coaching services.

Overall, it’s important to be in the right energy to create abundance of money, time, experiences, and more. Listen in to discover Chris’s inspiring advice on building your holistic business.

Connect with Chris in her Facebook group Holistic Business Abundance: For Women with a Vision for a Multi 6-Fig. Biz, or on her Website!

Journal Prompts:

Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? What are your goals for your book business?

How do you align yourself with the right energy to go through your day?

What is the impact you make/want to make on your audience?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill: Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach | Book Editor | Artisan

Create Your Worthy Writers Lifestyle 5-Day Challenge

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