Writing & Livelihood Coaching
Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”~ Rainer Marie-Rilke
Work with me one-on-one on writing poetry, fiction, memoir, essays, or non-fiction (and especially finishing your book),, facilitation, or right livelihood (making a living from your gifts and callings). Coaching sessions are individualized for your needs, goals, and timelines.
Why Coaching?
We all have our callings: the work we’re meant to do. I help shine a light for you — on your writing, creativity, facilitation, or livelihood — to help you see your innate imagination and courage. I have experience, presence, tools, and tips to help you:
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Learn What Wants To Emerge: Start with an idea, then listen for what else is ready to emerge, deepening your capacity to listen to yourself and the art or livelihood possible.
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Create With Your Whole Self: Glean wisdom from all of you, and listen to what signs and wonders emerge.
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Strengthen Creativity Resilience: Whether you’re writing a novel or planning a community workshop, cultivating resilience awakens your widest and wildest creativity.
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Set and Reach Goals: Clarify your intensions, set benchmarks, develop specific and do-able tasks, and make adjustments as needed.
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Embrace the Journey: Creativity is often a winding path through surprise tangles of trees and unexpected giant parking lots where you can’t find your car. Find more peace, gifts, and insights in the process.
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Redefine Blocks Into Opportunities: Reframe “writer’s block” and stuck stretches into opportunities to replenish your creative spirit.
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Balance Work and Life: Sustain spaciousness for your creative process in concert with your day job, family, and community.
Coaching Specialties
I offer coaching for writing, workshop and meeting facilitation, or Right Livelihood:
Start or Finish Your Book (or Other Writing Project):
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Begin and or begin again: Find your way into a book, blog, Substack, collaboration, or other word-based project and how to finish it. t
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Find Your Focus and Structure: Unearth the best structure for a poem, story, novel, memoir, or article.
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Dissolve blocks and barriers while revitalizing your inspiration.
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Embrace revision and your best process for completing your writing.
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Create strong book proposals or design and publish beautiful books with my help.
Facilitate Transformative Meetings and Workshops:
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Make and sustain brave and participatory spaces for meetings or workshops.
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Design and assess vibrant agendas and curricula for welcoming sessions.
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Engage with conflict and challenges effectively in balance with the group.
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Craft sessions that welcome people with diverse backgrounds and learning styles.
Embrace Your Best Livelihood:
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Dream on and discern the work that matters to you -- whether livelihood, art, service, and purpose -- in concert with your callings, community, and experience.
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Craft seasonal and annual plans to reach your goals as well as new audiences, clients, and communities.
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Build or revamp your website and marketing material and approaches.
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I also offer customized coaching packages with Kathryn Lorenzen, a creativity and career transition coach with extensive experience. See more here.
How Coaching Works
Sessions: Sessions are 45 minutes, followed up by notes, resources, prompts and/or readings. Coaching may be done by phone or Zoom (in-person sessions available for locals). We work with Google Docs so that we're literally on the same page together.
Your Investment: I offer a free 20-minute Discovery Call to talk about how coaching can best support you. Once we determine we’re a good match, we can arrange payment through Venmo, Velle, or by check.
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10 session package: $900
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6 session package: $570
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3 session package: $300
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Individual sessions: $110
Individualized Packages: Contact me to learn more about individualized packages tailored to your goals, budget, and timeline:
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Write or Finish Your Book: Comprehensive monthly immersion includes coaching sessions, big-picture editing, email and phone support, and if you choose, book proposal, publishing option, and marketing plan guidance.
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Websites: Website creation or revision on WordPress or Wix, including architecture, writing and editing copy, design, and graphics.
What People Are Saying
"Want to know how I published two books (and a book chapter) in the last three years and am about to sign a contract for a third book? Her name is Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, and she is my writing coach. What’s a writing coach do? Here’s some of the things Caryn has done for me:
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Believed I could do it
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Organized the structure of a number of sentences, paragraphs, chapters and books
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Helped me select things to write about.
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Explored my rough drafts with me to find 'the story that wants to be told'
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Helped me write a book proposal. (I find out soon if book three is accepted!)
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Killed my darlings (those turns of phrase that I had written and loved but didn’t need)
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Laughed together and encouraged me when the going got tough
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Helped me find places to get things published
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Listened and had brilliant ideas
As awesome as all that is, she does even more things."
~ George Thompson, child psychiatrist and author of Polyvagal Theory and the Developing Child and Working with Relational Trauma in Children's Residential Care.
"Caryn has been a treasured editor for several of my best-selling books, and other writing projects. I can’t imagine the writing life without her.” ~ Harriet Lerner, bestselling author of The Dance of Anger and Why Won’t You Apologize?
“Caryn’s gift is her intuitive ability to pull your vision and desire for your business out of the cloudy thoughts in your head and translate them into something concrete and clear. There have been times in the last few years Caryn has held my vision strong and encouraged me during times of fear and doubt.” ~ Dr. Laurie Fickle
“Never the critic, Caryn’s always the consummate partner in the creative process. Her skill, talent, wit, and wisdom have shown me the way to begin writing again, which is a restorative healing process. Caryn has taught me to reach deep within and unabashedly, without apology or shame, to tell my own story. She also helped me complete, then publish my first collection of poetry.” ~ Julie Flora, artist and writer
“To my delight, I consult with Caryn on larger life issues and decision-making as she is a perceptive sounding-board and brings her years of experience to bear. Caryn is a great communicator and a straight shooter. She is organized, empathetic, and energetic. Caryn’s creativity and entrepreneurial spirit are a source of inspiration and encouragement.” ~ Erin McGrane, writer, musician, and entrepreneur
“Caryn is unfailingly fully present with her clients, gently offering wisdom or direction or knowledge or her trademark humor. When you meet Caryn, you realize you’ve encountered a truly unique human being, someone you’d fully trust learning from or being mentored by. I can’t recommend another person in my own line of work more highly than Caryn.” ~ Joy Roulier Sawyer, poet, educator, facilitator
“When I first started running writing workshops, Caryn gave me tremendous wisdom and guidance. I don’t know how I got so lucky! She was a powerful mentor and teacher at a moment when I was soaking up everything I could possibly learn. I have enormous trust in, and gratitude for, this powerhouse woman.” ~ Chris Fraser, owner and writing coach at Firefly Writing
“I’ve witnessed first hand the positive results of her one-on-one coaching and the creative, compassionate way she brings out the best in others. Working with Caryn is one of the joys of my life.” ~ Kelley Hunt, singer-songwriter and international touring artist
“I brought to Caryn a 30-year project, not sure whether I had a book, or series of articles, or both, or neither. Her questions and suggestions take root and live within me. Coaching with Caryn is fun, mind-blowing, and compassionate.” ~ Nomi Redding, retired clinical social worker and active researcher
“To work with Caryn is to open your mind to the creative power within, and to show and better appreciate the creative power of others.” — Tracy Million Simmons, publisher, Meadowlark Press
