Resources
Power up your writing toolkit
Imaginative Storm Blog
Here we feature pieces by our writers, written in 10 minutes, raw and unedited. You won’t believe what’s possible in 10 minutes!
We’ve also reprinted some writing advice from our Subxtack newsletter.
Information and Inspiration
Read now
Why Write? ~ for others, and for yourself
How to Use Writing Prompts ~ you’ll never lack inspiration
Overcoming Writer’s Block ~ yes: forever
Writing for Beginners ~ you don’t have to be “a writer” to write
Writing Your First Book - how to start, and how not to start
Writing a Memoir ~ a short overview. A full-length book is in the works
On Creativity ~ expand your imaginative intelligence
How to Edit ~ and how to get the best from those who edit your writing
How to Self-Publish ~ much easier and cheaper than you might think
Listen Now
Extracts from the book and audio course Write What You Don’t Know
Write Playfully ~ how to have fun and not take writing too seriously
Write Without Trying ~ how to find your authentic voice on the page
Write Without Criticism ~ how to vanquish your inner critic
Write What You Don’t Know ~ make your writing authentic and original
Write with Curiosity ~ the best material comes when you surprise yourself
Write Without Attachment ~ the secret to writing well is not trying to write well
Write with Courage ~ be vulnerable, and explore the uncomfortable
Resources We Recommend
Books by other writers
Creativity / Writing
Mihály Csikszentmihalyi, Flow
Scott Barry Kaufman & Carolyn Gregoire, Wired to Create
Dacher Keltner, Awe
Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way
Ross Gay, The Book of Delights
Stuart Brown, Play
Mirabai Starr, Ordinary Mysticism
John Truby, The Anatomy of Story
Robert McKee, Story
Memoir
Mary Karr, The Liar’s Club
Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle
Cheryl Strayed, Wild
Min Kym, Gone
Brian Keenan, An Evil Cradling
Salman Rushdie, Knife
Patti Smith, Just Kids
Kat Duff, The Alchemy of Illness
Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
Andrea Scrima, A Lesser Day
Chloe Dalton, Raising Hare
Professional Services for Writers
KN Literary Arts
Everything you need to self-publish your book, from writing it to making it real to publicizing and selling it:
Coaching, editing, copyediting, proofreading, design inside and out, marketing, online sales strategies.
We recommend KN Literary highly!
Original Impulse: Create Your Writer’s Life
Cynthia Morris is a writing coach and developmental editor, and author of The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book.
You can also find Cynthia on Substack at Stumbling Toward Genius and Your Artist Knows the Way.
Heather Demetrios: writing coach
Heather describes herself as “an author. A writing coach with a focus on mental health and process for writers. A mindfulness-for-writers evangelist and a pushover for passionate people.”
Karen Geiger: writing coach
Karen describes herself as a “JOY concierge. Language nerd. Midlife believer. Burnout buster. Pickleball obsessed. Certified Author accelerator book coach, journaling coach and licensed speech-language pathologist.”
Creativity Workshops and Retreats
Sparks Fly Retreats
Based in UN World Heritage Site Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Sparks Fly hosts Allegra’s 5-day Memoir Intensive. They also host workshops on photography, general creativity, and more.
LEAF: The Lake Eden Arts Festival
This long-running festival of music and arts in beautiful Black Mountain, North Carolina (near Asheville), also hosts Creativity Retreats. We teach our East Coast “Write Without Limits” retreat on their beautiful estate.
Sarah Gillespie: songwriting courses and mentoring
Highly acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Gillespie, renowned for mixing elements of blues, folk and jazz with her distinctive streetwise lyricism. With Sarah’s guidance, you willwrite lyrics, set them to music, record your songs, and produce an album!
SoundYourSelf Piano Improvisation
With acclaimed musician Daniel Barber. Courses, private classes, coaching, and community to make your own music medicine.
Just Draw the Boots: Figure Drawing
With acclaimed artist Alex Alford, live in Asheville, NC, Atlanta, New York, and on Zoom. An important practice for artists and non-artists alike, the practice of drawing the human figure from life builds empathy, patience, tolerance, and appreciation for human diversity. And it changes your view of yourself and your potential.
Mirabai Starr: Spiritual Retreats & Workshops
Award-winning author, contemporary translator of sacred literature, international speaker, and world-renowned teacher of contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Her book, WILD MERCY: Living the Fierce & Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, continues to sell widely and has been translated into multiple languages.
Mirabai’s most recent book, Ordinary Mysticism (2024), celebrates the imagination, not-knowing, amazement, and the surprises of everyday experience: just as we do in the Imaginative Storm.