Before Chapter 1 comes another chapter

Long before Chapter 1, many writers ask themselves questions like:

• Is this really a book?

• Who am I writing it for?

• What do I want readers to take away from it?

• Is now the right time to begin?

Those questions can seem like distraction from writing. Shouldn’t we just sit down and, well, write?

Of course we can. But those questions have a way of finding us eventually. They’re the questions I ask writers to answer when they arrive with a stalled manuscript, a draft of a book proposal, or when they're trying to make sense of an idea that hasn't quite taken shape.

Planning isn't separate from writing. It happens when you outline, when you choose the next scene, when you set up your life to make time to write. Planning and writing are knotted together.

Sometimes loose planning is enough. Sometimes it’s worth stopping to wrestle with the bigger questions before you move on.

That’s what I’m offering tomorrow: an hour to think, to plan, and perhaps most importantly, to decide whether a book is part of your future.

Tomorrow, at 1 p.m. EDT, I’m hosting a free live workshop on Zoom called You Should Write a Book: A nonfiction book-planning workshop.

Sign up & access the workshop

YOU SHOULD WRITE A BOOK is especially for people who have been thinking about writing a nonfiction book or memoir.

It’s for people who have years of professional experience they’d like to pass on.

People who have a story they feel ready to tell.

People who have an idea that keeps returning.

People who have been holding onto “someday” and wondering whether it’s time to take their writing seriously.

If that sounds like you, bring a notebook with your tomorrow. This is a workshop, not a presentation. Together, we’ll explore:

→ What your book is really about

→ Who needs it most

→ The change you want your readers to experience

→ The first steps toward a real book plan

You'll answer the first questions every writer should ask before beginning a book. Questions that can turn uncertainty into clarity—and help you decide what comes next.

You’ll leave with something on paper, not just inspiration.

📅 Friday, June 26

🕐 1:00 p.m. EDT

📍On Zoom, inside my Skool community, Writing What’s Possible.

How to join: Join my free community and you'll find the workshop link in the calendar. While you're there, you'll also discover a growing community of writers exploring the writing life in the middle of full lives, encouraging one another to keep showing up for the work.

Join us

One small favour: if you've come across this invitation in my newsletter or on social media today, thank you for your patience. I don't usually repeat myself this much, but I wanted to make sure anyone who has been quietly thinking, "Maybe someday..." had one more chance to hear about tomorrow's workshop.

Maybe your book begins tomorrow.

PS. There are only a few days left to catch the replays from Write On 2026, the two-day summit organized for writers by Book Coaches Canada on May 30-31. No matter what stage you’re at in your book project, you’ll find something in these sessions covering the craft of writing, genre considerations, finding your story, approaches to revision, addressing fears, writing with ADHD, the mindset that will carry you through, and more. It’s all available until July 1, including the free resources and coaching offers.

Catch the replays here