Everyone has a
story to tell.
What's yours?
Who's your guide?
Stephanie Dickrell
Writing coach and owner
Stephanie has been a professional journalist for more than 15 years, but she's never not been a writer. She recently found her passion in helping other people overcome their fear and resistance so they can realize their writing goals.
What is writing coaching?
Writing is a very personal experience, especially when we
write about subjects that are dear to us.
Just like any activity, writers can face obstacles along their journey.
I specialize in coaching people who write about mental
health, specifically their personal experiences.
I am not a licensed mental health professional, but I have personally dealt with depression and anxiety. I know enough
to talk about mental health thoughtfully and know when something is beyond my capability to deal with.
A writing coach is not an editor. I help with writing mindset.
I help you define your goals, decide how you want to achieve them and hold you accountable. I also provide high level guidance on your writing, by asking questions and inspiring new directions. I can help you move through the writing process, including moments of fear or resistance, sometimes known as “writer’s block.”
When writing about mental health, this resistance can run deeper than other types of writing and I am prepared to carefully coach you through them, the best way I know how.
I push and encourage — gently.
Ultimately, this is your work and your story. You decide where it goes.
What writing coaching is not ...
A publishing house. I know some about the publishing industry, but I am not an agent or affiliated with a publishing company.
Writers who work with me can decide if, how and when they pursue publication.
That could be self-publishing, publishing online, print-on-demand, the traditional publishing route or any other way.
That said, I can help guide and shape book proposals for traditional publishers, but I cannot guarantee any outcomes.
The process ...
define your vision
Work with Stephanie to decide the mission and vision for your writing, and what you want you to ultimately create.
make a plan
Create goals and an action plan to make that vision into reality. Stephanie can work with you on the best way to hold you accountable.
Get it done
Write! A lot! Work regularly with Stephanie to create, edit and finalize
your writing.
What we believe ...
- Everybody has a story to tell.
- If possible, people should be able to tell their own story, in their own words.
- Writing is an exercise in healing, a form of self-examination and of mental health care.
- Anti-racism, inclusion and social justice are a central part of our work and lives.
- The end product of writing is not the point. The art is in the process, the discovery, the journey along the way. (But being a published writer is pretty cool!)
- There is no one way to be a writer.
- There is joy and connection in sharing your writing, but it is not necessary. Your writing can just be for you. What you share and with whom is up to you.
- Form and genre don't really matter. Write in whatever way feels right, for you. We can figure out the rest, together.
Why 'Another wave'?
My business name is inspired by one of my personal mantras: "Another wave will come." The mantra is inspired by Eliza Landgren, who wrote “Get Organized.” In it, she tells us that energy is cyclical, where we go through periods of productivity and rest.
“Rather than viewing it as a high and low, we can begin to recognize that it is simply a shift in focus and energy. … I no longer force ideas … because I know another wave will come.”
This thought immediately soothes my anxiety — in times of stress and in times of contentment. It's a way of moderating my tendency towards all-or-nothing thinking.
When I’m stressed, I can repeat this mantra and remember that if I’m patient, this feeling will pass. The situation will change.
When I am content, my anxiety raises its head, fearing the happiness will end, waiting for the other shoe to drop, thinking this can’t possibly last. This is true: By definition, it can’t last. But by repeating this mantra, I know that I will feel happy and content again, even after this moment is over.
When I feel inspired, my anxiety springs up, saying “You don’t know if or when you’ll be inspired again, so you’d better do ALL the things now.” And this causes burnout. “Another wave” reminds me that another wave of inspiration will always come.
And in moments of depression or rest or low activity, it settles my anxiety where I worry inspiration will never come again. Because in those moments, I know rest is part of the process, and is necessary — but temporary.
So when you find yourself anxious about something, try thinking “Another wave will come.” See if that helps soothe your own soul.
We are part of
something bigger ...
“Another wave” links us to something bigger.
I imagine myself floating on a vast ocean, as the waves come and go, bobbing up and down, forever and always.
It reminds me that I am just one small piece of a very big universe. And this helps me feel connected to a higher power, to other people, to the past, to the future. I also know the ocean is not complete without my presence.
Another wave is a statement of patience, of faith, of trust, that everything will unfold exactly as it is meant to. And not before. It invites us to slow down, to be in the moment, and to appreciate what is.
Writing that inspires me ...
The work of
Brene Brown
The work of Glennon Doyle
The work of
Joan Didion
The work of
Jenny Lawson
The work of Michael Singer
The work of Morgan Harper Nichols
