Monthly missives to help you access your creative magic and build a writing practice you love.
Allow me to reintroduce myself.
You might notice that things are looking a bit different around here! The newsletter formerly known as Word to the Wise has gotten an upgrade and is now Ink + Alchemy.
You’ve probably already noticed a shift over the past several months as I’ve incorporated more magical under- and overtones into the newsletter. That was intentional! I’ve been building more magic into my daily life and into my practices as a book coach, and recreating my business behind the scenes.
I’ve got a shiny new website that I’d love for you to explore, and I’ll talk about my updated programs and changes to the newsletter here.
First things first, who and what is a Literary Witch?
A literary witch is anyone who wants to bring a bit more magic into the world (and especially into their writing practice).
As the head witch in charge, I’ve taken on the mantle of the Literary Witch to reflect my devotion to the power of the written word—and my work helping other writers access and practice their own forms of creative magic.
Hi! That's me, the Literary Witch
With my PhD in rhetoric and writing studies, I have a wealth of strategic, research-driven knowledge that can help authors build successful writing practices and finish ambitious book projects.
As the Literary Witch, I combine that hands-on writing studies knowledge with a deep love of intuitive, magical activities that can help writers access their own creative power and find new paths back to their writing.
It’s all about the both/and here. We can talk structure, strategy, and scaffolding alongside pulling tarot cards, working with bibliomancy, and incorporating spellwork into your writing practice.
In my book coaching programs, writing gets to be practical and magical.
What book coaching programs are you talking about?
*rubs hands together delightedly* I’m so glad you asked, because I’ve got some real magic in store for you, whether you’re looking for a supportive writing group or deep, one-on-one coaching.
The Ceremony
The Ceremony is a monthly space for creative ritual, sacred writing time, and powerful group coaching.
We meet each month around the full moon and start with a magical activity (think: oracle card pulls, bibliomancy, and more). Then we spend time writing together—people have already made real progress on personal essays, short stories, and book projects.
We close with a bit of group coaching, during which folks have had powerful breakthroughs about what’s keeping them stuck and what they need to access their creative magic again.
The Potion Bottle is a one-on-one strategy session to help you break through a writing block and unleash your creativity.
If you’ve been going around in circles rather than making forward progress on your writing, if your usual writing practice isn’t working anymore and you can’t figure out why, if you can’t seem to access the motivation to write even though you desperately want to finish your book…you need what’s in The Potion Bottle.
We’ll spend 90 minutes together working on a creative ritual to get you back in touch with your intuition and then do a focused exploration of exactly what’s keeping you stuck and how you can get back to writing with clarity and confidence.
The Coven is a cohort-based writing and coaching group that meets for 6 months and focuses on supporting your writing mindset, practice, and craft.
Every witch needs their coven, including the literary witches! The Coven is where you turn when you need support, feedback, and encouragement.
The Coven is open to authors of fiction and nonfiction. Each season of The Coven welcomes a maximum of five people and includes a private community space so everyone gets the individual attention they need alongside powerful group support.
We’ll meet live twice a month. One meeting will focus on creative ritual, leveling up your writing, and lessons from guest experts. The other meeting is all about the feedback you need to level up your writing. Plus, you’ll get free access to The Ceremony throughout the program.
The Coven is ordinarily $400/month for 6 months ($2,400 total). The Coven starts in July, and I am looking for founding members—writers who want to improve their craft and give me feedback on the program. Founding members will join The Coven for half off—$200/month ($1,200 total).
The Grimoire offers deep magic for visionary thought leaders, academics, intuitives, and passionate writers who are ready to finish their books and want expert, powerful one-on-one support throughout the process.
This 6-month book coaching program blends magic, ritual, and intuitive guidance with rigor, structure, and experimentation—all with the goal of helping you call your unique way of writing into being. We’ll meet twice each month and I’ll provide asynchronous support between calls. You’ll get developmental edits on your draft to help you hone your writing as we go.
We’ll partner on personalized creative ceremonies and rituals to support your creativity. I’ll also craft and send you a customized supply box with everything you need to infuse your writing practice with magic (these boxes are so unbelievably cool). As with The Coven, you’ll get free access to The Ceremony each month.
The Grimoire is $2,000 per month for 6 months ($12,000 total). If you’re ready to step fully into your creative power and devote yourself to writing the book you were meant to share with the world, this is your sign to contact me about The Grimoire.
What’s changing with the newsletter, though?
Ink + Alchemy will arrive in your inbox around the new moon (like today!). Each monthly missive will contain magical and practical ideas you can incorporate into your own writing, along with book recommendations, useful resources, and the occasional oracle card pull for inspiration.
You’ll get reminders about upcoming events like The Ceremony, along with invitations to join me at workshops, summits, and other writing-related events. Ink + Alchemy will be longer, juicier, and filled with even more goodies to help you find the magic in your writing practice.
If there’s something that’s not in the newsletter that you’d like to see, let me know! The goal is to make Ink + Alchemy an invaluable resource for you, so help me make it as useful as possible. Reply to any email with questions and ideas—I love hearing from you!
Writing is magic. Let’s make some.
I believe that writing is one of the most powerful acts of magic we have access to as human beings. Now, more than ever, we need human storytellers to use their magic—to tell the stories that will change the world for the better.
I can’t wait to read what you write, and I am honored to be part of your writing journey.
The Literary Witch will lead an opening ceremony to guide you back to your creative intuition. We’ll devote time to our craft, so bring a writing project you’ve been yearning to focus on. The circle will conclude with community sharing and coaching.
The Ceremony meets on or near the full moon, a time for bringing your creative magic to fruition. Re-enchant your writing practice and experience the power of practicing in community.
Here are some of the best books I've read recently! (Affiliate links*)
Play Nice, by Rachel Harrison—I don't read a lot of horror, but I enjoyed this haunted house book. Chaotic youngest daughter Clio is determined to take over renovations of a maybe-demon-haunted house after her estranged mother's unexpected death... only to have to confront her family's darkest secrets once she steps inside.
The Everlasting, by Alix E. Harrow—Time-traveling Arthurian-inflected romantic fantasy that explores the complexity of history and legend, the power of empire, and how far people will go for true love? Yes, please! Another banger of a read from Harrow.
Super Nintendo, by Keza MacDonald—A very fun exploration of Nintendo's history through the lens of some of its best-known games. It's nostalgic without being gooey, and clearly rooted in a deep knowledge of the company and the industry.
Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life, by Carmen Urbita and Ana Garriga—The subtitle is maybe overselling things just a tad, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the lessons we can learn from long-dead nuns (including Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, my personal fav!). Any book that brings a modern twist to archival research is basically catnip for me.
Operation Bounce House, by Matt Dinniman—Dinniman is best known for his long-running Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Operation Bounce House is a refreshing standalone that still explores many of the themes that interest Dinniman—power, who wields it, and what happens when the little guy stands up and says, "No more." It also happens to be very funny.
Killers of a Certain Age, by Deanna Rayburn—A member of my book club recommended this one and I read it in one sitting. Four women go on a cruise as they prepare to retire from being assassins, only to realize they've become the targets. This is a romp from start to finish. I recently started reading the second one (Kills Well With Others) and it's just as enjoyable.
💬 Words from the Wise
Looking for support for your writing or publishing opportunities? Check out these goodies from around the internet.
Article: "Do You Need to Go on a Writers Retreat?" I loved agent Kate McKean's exploration of what a writing retreat can (and cannot) do for you as a writer (including the heavy lifting that "need" is doing in that question!).
Event:Black Girl Book Fair. This free, one-day virtual book fair for adults is happening on April 25 and was inspired by the book fairs of years gone by. It looks like an amazing event!
Article: "Habit of Mind: Metacognition." My final piece for the Writer's Fun Zone blog is all about one of my favorite habits of mind for writers—the ability to think about your own thinking.
Newsletter:Finocchio. Finocchio is a place dedicated to liberating queer people through the power of art, community and storytelling. Mike De Socio shares wholesome and horny stories about his life in Italy, from the naughty nights out to the heartfelt moments in between. It’s got the heart of “Eat, Pray, Love,” and the heat of “Queer as Folk.” Along the way, Mike aims to inspire and help his readers live their most unapologetically queer lives.
Submissions: Steel Jackdaw is open for submissions. I had a piece published in the most recent issue of Steel Jackdaw, and I highly recommend checking this journal out! They're looking for creative writing, poetry, spoken word art, photography, and more.
Submissions: Story Unlikely is open for submissions through October 14. They are looking for cross-genre work of up to 7,000 words.
Attend The Ceremony: A group of multi-dimensional writers who meet monthly for creative ritual, sacred writing time, and group coaching.
Uncork The Potion Bottle: Sign up for a 90-minute one-on-one creative strategy session to work through your toughest writing challenge.
Join The Coven: This cohort-based group coaching program connects you with experts and peers for 6 months of focused writing growth.
Open The Grimoire: Access deep magic in this 6-month, one-on-one book coaching package to reimagine your writing practice and finish your book.
*Affiliate Disclaimer: I sometimes include affiliate links to books and products I love. There's no extra cost to you when buying something from an affiliate link; making a purchase helps me keep creating Ink + Alchemy!
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I do not use generative AI to write my newsletter.
As a writer, I do not believe there is an ethical use case for generative AI in my creative practice or my business. That means everything you read here, from brilliance to BS, comes straight from my actual human brain.
If you have any questions about this, feel free to reply to any of my emails! I read and answer every response I get.