Ink + ALCHEMY

Monthly missives to help you access your creative magic and build a writing practice you love.

In this newsletter

• A poll!
• The importance of collaboration in writing
• An invitation to and update about my group coaching program, The Coven!
• An oracle card pull
• A reminder about the next time we'll meet for The Ceremony
• Book recommendations
• Writing resources to amp up your creative magic

Poll

Before we dive into today’s topic, I have a question for you.

Collaboration in writing

What role does collaboration play in your writing—and what role should it play? Where, in short, is your coven?

Before we get too deep into the magical side of collaboration, let’s start with the practical. We’re going to dip into some writing studies scholarship, where there’s a truism I find myself repeating frequently: “All writing is collaborative writing.”

In today’s New Moon Missive, I want to talk about that idea—what it means (and what it doesn’t), why it matters, and how you can harness the magic of collaboration as part of your writing practice.

In her book Regendering Delivery: The Fifth Canon and Antebellum Women Rhetors (a fun read if you’re a rhetoric dork!) (affiliate link*), Lindal Buchanan defines collaboration as “a cooperative endeavor involving two or more people that results in a rhetorical product, performance, or event”—like a book.

Collaboration involves working together in some fashion toward a goal, and Buchanan’s argument is that collaboration can look like a lot of different things.

At its simplest, “All writing is collaborative writing” reminds us that no one writes in a vacuum. As writers, we are constantly influenced by the writing that we’ve encountered:

• A book we read that sparked an idea
• A metaphor that profoundly changed how we see the world
• A story we’ve carried with us since childhood
• The tropes we love (or hate)
• The papers we wrote in school
• The newsletters and social media posts we scroll through on a daily basis

Every bit of writing you do is affected by writing that came before, whether you are responding to/riffing on something or practicing the conventions of a new genre.

Productive and Supportive Collaboration

On top of reminding us to pay attention to our influences, “All writing is collaborative writing” has other dimensions that are worth exploring.

We often think of collaboration as two people working together on a text directly—and that is one mode of collaborating. However, it’s far from the only one! Buchanan argues that we have to pay attention to writers working together, sure, but also to “the web of backstage relationships” that make writing possible.

To help clarify that web of relationships, Buchanan positions collaboration on a spectrum between “productive” and “supportive” collaboration.

A productive collaboration is the type we might default to thinking of: two or more people making direct contributions to “the crafting and completion,” as Buchanan puts it, of a piece of writing.

If you’ve ever done the Exquisite Corpse writing exercise, where each person in a group contributes a word or line to a poem (or draws one portion of a body), you’ve participated in productive collaboration. Channing Tatum and Roxane Gay writing a romance novel together is a productive collaboration that I personally cannot wait to read.

In her fantastic book Magic Maker, Pam Grossman writes about the ways productive collaboration can result in work that “seems to come from a separate entity altogether.” (affiliate link*)

When productive collaboration goes well, she says, a “Third Mind” is created by the deep commingling of separate but deeply intertwined creative individuals. Not every collaboration works that way—but when it does, it’s pure magic.

A supportive collaboration, on the other hand, involves indirect contributions to another person’s ability to get their writing done.

If you’ve ever asked a friend to watch your kids for an hour so you can focus on your book, that person has offered you a form of supportive collaboration. Your writing group, book coach, editor, publishing team, and helpful friends, family, and pets are all part of Buchanan’s “web of backstage relationships,” providing a form of otherwise invisible collaboration that makes writing possible.

As Pam Grossman notes, “By the time this book finds its way to you…it will have been refined by my collaborations with an entire creative coven.… and it will be a different book than if I’d shown it to no one and published it myself.”

Collaboration doesn’t have to look like co-writing a manuscript—it can instead mean working with editorial feedback, hiring a coach to keep you on track, asking for help with daily tasks to free up writing time, or finding a shoulder to cry on when you’ve hit a rough patch in your draft.

As Buchanan points out, collaboration doesn’t exist only at those two extremes. Sometimes collaboration involves a mix of productive and supportive collaboration, with various people taking on different roles and making unique contributions throughout the process.

Collaboration, as she writes, can take on “countless forms.” We get to figure out what our collaborative needs are and the best way to get them met.

So let’s talk about how to do just that.

Accessing the Magic of Collaboration

If all writing is collaborative writing, it might be a good idea to look at your writing practice through that lens to see who you’re collaborating with and where you might want to expand the support you’re asking for (and giving in return!).

You can use the following list of questions as journal prompts. If you want to add a magical dimension to this reflection process, you can also pull a tarot or oracle card for each category.

First, think about the influences on your writing.

• What authors inspire you?
• Who do you strive to emulate in your writing?
• What books have had the biggest impact on you?
• What writers do you dislike?
• What do you try to avoid in your writing?

Creating a clear picture of your influences is one way to acknowledge subtle forms of collaboration—and to offer credit and thanks to the writers whose work has enhanced your own.

Understanding your sources of inspiration can also help you make more deliberate choices about what you read and how you grow your craft. If you really want to write like Ursula K. Le Guin, for example, then reading a lot of her books is probably a good idea!

Then, reflect on your experiences with productive collaboration.

• Have you ever participated in a productive collaboration? What was it like?
• Who in your life would you be interested in collaborating with in this way?
• What books have you read and enjoyed that were the result of a productive collaboration?

Thinking back on times when you collaborated directly with another person can be incredibly revealing. Past experiences—positive and negative—inform how we feel about collaboration in the present moment. Reflecting on those experiences can help us decide what we want to do going forward.

Was your last productive collaboration a truly painful group project in college where you were the only one pulling your weight? (We’ve all been there!) What might look different if you opened up the possibility of a small collaboration with an equally invested writing buddy now?

Finally, think about supportive collaboration.

• Who or what in your life provides supportive collaboration?
• What does that supportive collaboration look like?
• What is missing from your “web of backstage relationships” that might help you write more?
• How can you get access to that type of support?
• How can you be a supportive collaborator for another writer in your life?

Identifying the types of indirect collaboration you’re benefiting from can be a quick emotional boost. It’s easy to overlook this kind of support, and reminding ourselves of the help we do have feels good. Even if it’s just the nice barista who always remembers your order, it’s something!

Exploring supportive collaboration can also reveal areas where we need far more help than we’re currently getting. Reflecting on what’s missing from that web can point to areas in our writing practices where asking a friend, partner, or coach to step in can make all the difference.

Collaboration and Conversation: Finding Your Coven

Collaborative learning, finally, is an important part of creating a successful, sustainable writing practice.

Getting together with other writers to talk about writing is one of the most powerful (and frequently one of the most magical) things we can do to overcome a challenge and stay the course on writing the books that matter to us.

In his article “Collaborative Learning and the ‘Conversation of Mankind,’” writing professor Kenneth Bruffee talked about what made collaborative learning work for writing students:

“What students do when working collaboratively on their writing is not write or edit or, least of all, read proof. What they do is converse. They talk about the subject and about the assignment. They talk through the writer’s understanding of the subject. … Most of all they converse about and as a part of writing.” (emphasis added)

Conversation is an intrinsic and essential element of writing, Bruffee argues, because writing and speaking and thinking are all deeply linked to one another. If we don’t have other writers to talk to about our writing, we are missing out on a major component of what will help us advance our craft and reach our goals.

Grossman, writing about magic and creativity, concurs. She writes that, “...many of the ideas I’ve teased out here are the fruiting bodies of years of collaborations between friends, mentors, colleagues, and teachers, not to mention the work of all the Magic Makers this book seeks to be in dialogue with.”

Conversing with others is an essential element of understanding your own ideas more thoroughly and figuring out the best ways to communicate them. Writing and talking to other people about writing form a magical feedback loop.

At the end of April, I experienced this type of magic for myself. I went on a nearly week-long retreat in the Cascade Mountains with a group of fellow freelancer and business-owner friends. During that week, we talked about writing and business, life and work, and everything in between.

We made things with our hands—collages, food, an altar with flowers and rocks and sprigs of evergreen—and sat outside and hiked and all the while, we talked to one another.

Every single person at that co-created retreat came away with new energy and creative inspiration. We’re still following up with each other about what we’re making now.

So, who do you talk to about your writing? Where do you turn when you’ve gotten stuck on a thorny plot problem or can’t figure out the best way to explain your idea?

Join Your Coven

Every literary witch needs other literary witches in their corner. That might look like the writer friend you talk craft (and exchange writing-related memes) with. It might look like a book coach who can hold you accountable and help you find new possibilities for your writing practice. It might look like a writing group at your local library—or online.

The trick is that finding or forming a writing group of your own can be challenging. What if you don’t know any other writers IRL? What if you’ve tried a writing group before and it fizzled out when everyone’s schedules got busy? What if you needed a bit more structure and support than you were getting from the last group you joined?

That’s exactly why The Coven exists. As the head witch in charge, I’m the one who will work magic behind the scenes—bringing together the right writers, handling the logistics, and providing the scaffolding so you (and your Coven cohort) can put your attention where it’ll make the most difference: working on and talking about writing with other writers.

​The Coven is my witchy writing group for authors who want to grow their craft in community. It’s a 6-month cohort-based coaching program open to 5 writers. Writers of nonfiction and novels are equally welcome.

Now, here’s that update about the program that I mentioned at the start of this email: The Coven was originally slated to begin in July and run through December. However, I’m having surgery in early June and need time to recover so I can bring my best self to the writers I coach.

As a result, the start date is moving to September—which means you get more time to decide whether you’d like to join!

Here’s the new schedule for The Coven and an outline of how this virtual group coaching program will work.

• The Coven will start in September 2026 and run through March of 2027. We’ll meet as a group twice each month in September, October, and November, then take December off for integration, writing work, and the holidays. We’ll resume meetings with fresh new year energy in January, February, and March.
• One of our two monthly meetings will focus on creative rituals and writing lessons about mindset, practice, and craft. We will also welcome occasional guest experts and writing teachers! The second meeting will center Coven-only group coaching and writing feedback.
• We’ll have an asynchronous, Coven members-only space to chat between meetings, ask questions, share drafts for more feedback, and get coaching and support.
• Each Coven member can schedule 2 one-on-one meetings with me so we can go deep on a draft, hack through a thorny writing challenge, or find ways to add the magic back to a writing practice.
• Coven members also get to come to The Ceremony for free during The Coven to get even more creative ritual, writing time, and group coaching opportunities.

The Coven is for writers who want to join a writing group that feels magical and supportive—and that helps them make real progress on the book they’re trying to finish.

In The Coven, we will “converse about and as part of writing,” as Bruffee put it. We’ll talk about the ups and downs of writing, the tools (both magical and practical) that can help you build a practice you love, and so much more.

If you have been hungry for real, honest conversations about writing that are designed to help you enhance your craft and make real progress on your writing, The Coven is for you.

Since The Coven is a new program, I’m looking for literary witches to be founding members who are willing to give me honest feedback about it as we work together. Help me help you get exactly what you need from a writing group. I’m offering founding members of The Coven 50% off, bringing the investment to $200/month instead of $400/month (or $1,200 total instead of $2,400).

I have 5 spots open for this first group of literary witches, and I will not offer The Coven again until April of 2027, at which point it will be full price. If you’re interested in working with me (and some other amazing writers), now's the time!

​Applications are open until August 20, so you have plenty of time to decide if this is the right writing group. The Coven commences on Tuesday, September 1.

If you have questions about The Coven, you can reply to this email or schedule a call! I’d love to chat about whether The Coven is a good fit.

New Moon Oracle Card Pull

As we sit in the dark of the new moon, let's reflect on our creativity and what it might be asking of us. I pulled three cards, one for each of the elements of writing alchemy: Mindset, practice, and craft.

Mindset is how you think about writing and about yourself as a writer.
​Practice is how you make time and show up for the work of writing.
​Craft is how you continually refine and hone your skills as a literary witch.

Here's what the cards had to say. I invite you to use these questions as journaling prompts or jumping-off points for creative reflection.

Mindset: The split gill. Key word: Adapt.

• The split gill is a hardy mushroom found on every continent except Antarctica.
• Is your writing mindset as adaptable as the split gill mushroom?
• How do you respond to setbacks in your writing plans?
• Can you better attune to the cyclical nature of creativity in your work?

Practice: The verdigris agaric. Key word: Impress.

• The verdigris agaric is a striking blue-green mushroom. Its color makes it unique and easy to spot.
• How can you let your writing practice be as unique as the verdigris agaric mushroom?
• Can you let your writing practice take center stage—and are you willing to be impressed by your own creative efforts?
• Where in your writing practice have you been trying too hard to impress others instead of yourself?

Craft: The shiitake. Key word: Nourish.

• Shiitake mushrooms are nutritious and easy to grow, and they provide a range of medical benefits.
• What part of your writing craft needs nourishment right now, and where can you find it?
• What creative project needs more attention than you've been giving it?
• How can you balance growing your craft with nourishing yourself—and when are those activities one and the same?