Literary Alchemy
Our words matter.
The stories we tell ourselves and each other matter.
And each of us has a role to play in shaping the evolving narrative of our times.
So whether you consider yourself a writer or simply someone with gems to share, there is one thing for certain: the world needs your stories—now.
Offerings
Workshops + Retreats
Writing and Meditation Retreats
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I regularly offer writing workshops and combined meditation + writing retreats to support you to discover the stories that keep you stuck & the tools to help you write (and live!) your deepest truth.
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Check back for new event listings or join my Substack, Write Your World Awake, for news about upcoming events.
6-month Memoir Writing Course
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Join a small cohort of writers and write your books together. Gain insights into the structure of narrative, learn craft tools to commit your story to the page, explore your role as narrator and get boots-on-the-ground know-how to get you from outline to a strong first draft. You will receive guidance and encouragement every step of the way.
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The next Literary Alchemy cohort is scheduled for Spring, 2025 on Zoom. Click below to get more information and to add your name to the waitlist an.
Find your voice and write your book.
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I am here to help you through every step of your book writing journey. You will receive clear guidance, support, inspiration and accountability.
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We meet and discuss your work and your goals. We will establish where you are at in the writing process and create a plan for our time together. We can cover anything from an overview of the book writing process to craft-specific guidance and creative idea generation.
There are three essential elements of my writing process that will help you to find your truth so you can share it with the world:
Narrative Mapping
We live in a time of unprecedented change when the stories we’ve assumed to be true about identity, whose story counts, and what has value are undergoing radical revision. It’s important to parse personal and cultural narratives and challenge our assumptions. Your story often lives just beyond familiar terrain and you will be called to venture to unexpected places. I offer tools and practices to discover your truth and the narrative building blocks of your work.
Mindful Awareness + Mythic Insight
The writing process is much more than committing words to the page in the order in which events occur. Meditation, mindful awareness, and creativity exercises help us move beyond the limits of our ordinary experience. We can heal old patterns. We can see old stories with new eyes. We can move into the realm of mythic imagination. We can discover new possibilities and write–and live!–our way toward that truth.
The Craft of Writing
The tools of writing are so satisfying to use when you understand what they are and how to use them. When you learn how to set a scene, for example, or distill and convey complex ideas, or capture the idiosyncrasies of dialogue you can forge a voice as unique as your own DNA. Knowing your craft allows you to commit your story to the page and finally write the essay, story or book that’s inside you.
Client Projects
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Karen Solt, an eighteen-year-old nonconformist with an alcohol problem, is working at a gas station when a slick Navy recruiter railroads her into enlisting in the military. Before she knows it, she is on a ship in the Deep South, struggling to navigate not only a world much different from her small Northern Arizona hometown but also her new discovery: she’s gay.
Figuring out her sexuality clarifies many things, but also creates a daunting new set of problems, for Karen. It’s 1984: being gay in the Navy is considered a crime. Karen learns to hide her secret and find a way to serve—and even thrive professionally—without getting caught. But concealing her truth leads to devastating consequences.
A story of desire, addiction, the damage of secrets, the power of community, and the soul-crushing cost of turning people into “others,” Hiding for my Life is a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit—and a poignant call for each of us to come out from hiding and live our truth.
Purchase on Amazon
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American Buddha is Mary Ann McGuire’s lively and insightful memoir of her physical, psychological, and spiritual voyage towards enlightenment. Set in Northern California and the spiritual sanctuaries of the majestic Himalayas, her book resounds with wisdom’s voice of truth. Buddhism teaches that the innate nature and pure qualities of all are serene and soothing. Welcoming the ups and downs of life’s journey, which soar with the birds and swim with the fish, Mary Ann’s story flows compassionately with all that came and went throughout the decades. The beautiful prose of American Buddha, illustrating a global spiritual journey in search of Truth (i.e. Dharma), is an inspiring bridge between east and west. —Tulku Thondup, noted scholar of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, author of The Heart of Unconditional Love
Purchase on Amazon
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Ziba Design reveals the nature of authenticity in business in its new book Authenticity is Now: A working definition of the fluid state of being as it applies to business and design. Essays and a poignant pictorial narrative unearth the issues every company must consider when evaluating their commitment to being authentic: Why authenticity, why now?; What are four components of authenticity? Is authenticity in the eye of the beholder? Does authenticity get lost in translation? Authenticity is Now is an essential handbook for any company intending to be relevant in the global marketplace today.
“I love every prescription in it, and encourage every reader to apply them. Even better: the book exemplifies these principles itself.” ~ B. Joseph Pine II, co-author, Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want
I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Kristin coached me from just an idea to my award-winning memoir Hiding for My Life: Being Gay in the Navy. She has a real gift for guiding aspiring writers. Her positivity and intuitive ability have taken me to such a different place than I originally had in mind. I'm grateful for all of it.
Karen Solt, Retired Senior Chief, US Navy
Kristin has an incredible sense of narrative structure and was able to help me identify and develop a story arc that brought my experiences to life in a meaningful and compelling way. She helped me finesse unclear passages and directed me to areas that needed additional research. She also has a deep understanding of the mystical side of life and could grasp and articulate both Eastern and Western spiritual concepts. Our professional relationship became a close personal friendship. Kristin is a gifted editor and book coach. I cannot recommend her highly enough!
Mary Ann McGuire, American Buddha: How a Christian Minister Discovered her Spiritual Destiny
If you've always wanted to write a book but don't know where to begin; if you have dozens of pages written but unsure of next steps; if you are looking for a post-graduate MFA program to nurture your skills and workshop your work, then Kristin’s book writing course is absolutely the right course for you.
Rozanne Gold, American chef, journalist, cookbook author, international restaurant consultant and four-time winner of the James Beard Award. She holds an MFA in poetry from the New School for Social Research in New York City.
