"If a story is in you, it has to come out."
William Faulkner
Good to Meet You!
Sometimes you just have to write
I’m hooked on helping my clients gain insights so they achieve their goals more quickly.
I’m a certified Leadership and Life Coach with the International Coach Federation. And I’m an Author Accelerator-certified Book Coach. After a long corporate career developing leaders, I added book coaching to my practice because, like other goals, creating that book you’ve dreamed about can be so daunting that you don’t reach your destination – a completed manuscript that tells the story you love.
I know. I’ve been there.
After publishing a non-fiction business book with a major publisher, I told my editor about the book that was burning inside me – the story of my Spanish family’s amazing immigration from Spain, through the Hawaiian Islands, and on to California. “That sounds wonderful,” she replied, “but the immigrant thing has been done. So if you want to write it, do it – but do it just for you.”
Well, I did want to write it. I had to write it. I’d met my Spanish relatives in 1998, and their stories of our ancestors leaving for America gripped me and wouldn’t let go.
So I set out - researching history and genealogy, studying story structure and craft, taking workshops, writing and revising draft after draft. Along the way, I decided to become certified as an Author Accelerator Book Coach – you can never learn enough, right? I got better and better at the journey…but only a bit better at reaching my destination.
I needed a coach.
Someone to help me get clear on the basics - my messages, my story arc, my character arcs. Someone to brainstorm solutions when I was stuck at a roadblock. Someone to validate my ideas. Someone to help me stay on track, to keep putting one foot in front of the other even when the road felt long and bumpy. Someone who would celebrate with me when I wrote “The End.”
"We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories.
There isn't a stronger connection between people than storytelling."
- Jimmy Neil Smith, Director of the International Storytelling Center.
What people say
"Working with Jackie is a fabulous experience. Not only is she knowledgeable and insightful, she’s direct and gives actionable advice that improved my process and my draft.
Her questionnaire helped me to distill my thinking and prompted far more efficient writing. I recommend Jackie for any writer looking for focus and direction while maintaining creativity. She’s an excellent guide!"
Cindy Villanueva
Author of the BLOOMING Series
Just like our characters, our beliefs shape the way we see the world,
inform the decisions we make, and fuel the actions we take.
I believe...
The way we see ourselves is the first essential step. Especially for first-time authors, claiming the identity of “writer” is the first hurdle.
Have you scribbled some notes about that story on scrap paper? Have you typed a few lines into your laptop? Then you’re a writer! Yes, you are!
The path to writing a book is often difficult. It’s full of twists, fallen trees, losing ground, and thunderstorm days. But you can push through, and you must pause frequently to enjoy the view, to look back and admire the huge progress you’ve made.
Have you taken stock of your successes? Have you let yourself breathe and smile before moving forward again with fresh resolve?
Surrounding yourself with people who nourish you and your writing can keep you centered and boost your productivity.
Who is on your support team? Who brings you down (perhaps unintentionally) and who lifts you up? How do you purposefully shape your network?
While writing may come more easily to some, everyone can learn the craft of storytelling - story structure, character development, and all the many nuances that, together, make a story meaningful and memorable.