Using Mindfulness to Master the Blueprint

A guest post from Candace Coakley, one of our Blueprint Winter Challenge book coach hosts. Details on joining us for the Blueprint are below.

This is one in a series of posts about the #amwriting Winter Blueprint Challenge. If you missed the previous posts, they are here:

1. What the Blueprint is and why Jennie made it

2. Introducing the winter book coach hosts

3. Overcoming Pantsing Pitfalls: How the Blueprint Method Can Save Your Story

4. The Blueprint is the Solution for Time-Strapped Writers

5. How to Use a Blueprint for Revision

6. Befriending the Blueprint

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Hello, #amwriting friends,

I’m honored to be a part of this smart, supportive community. I’ve learned so much on the journey KJ, Jess, Sarina, and Jennie are taking us on to become better writers. On that note, I’d like to share two simple reasons the Blueprint Winter Challenge will take your writing to the next level. Cue the snappy #amwriting tune…

1.    Butt in the chair. In a rocker with a cozy throw blanket, by the fireplace, or in your favorite nook. You can make progress on the Blueprint from any chair. I’d advise against slopeside on a chairlift, but sitting in the ski lodge (pre-Apres ski) could work.

2.    Mind in the game. This one’s a bit more challenging, especially if you’re struggling to stay focused these days. If you embark on this Challenge with us, you’ll learn ways to up your mind game. During my Write-Ins and Ask Me Anything (AMAs), I’ll share proven strategies to enhance your writing practice through mindfulness. I love helping writers learn how to settle our minds and sharpen our stories.

If the word mindfulness turns you off, I get it. I understand you’re tired of hearing about the benefits of meditation—less stress, better sleep, more energy. We’re writers, we thrive on the struggle.

But if you’re open to clearing the clutter, giving your brain spaciousness to process big-picture ideas, and letting your authentic story emerge, I have some tips to keep your mind in the game and deepen the discovery process at every phase of the Blueprint.

Tip 1: Just Breathe

In. Out. Repeat. Don’t overcomplicate it. Writers often spiral and say, “I just can’t meditate. My mind won’t quiet down.” Let me reassure you, that is normal. That’s what minds do. Minds are intense and vivid and wild, and that’s what makes our books better. Settling your mind will enhance your focus and productivity. There’s no need to be so hard on yourself or your dear mind. Let it rest!

Commit to starting your writing practice a few minutes earlier, not so you can think about your book during this serene time, but simply to settle your monkey mind to make space for new ideas. If you’re daunted by sitting solo for twenty minutes, hop on one of the meditation apps and search for a guided meditation. Find your favorite instructor and embrace the stillness. Keep a notebook handy so you don’t lose any wisdom from your subconscious. Later, when you get your butt in that chair, let the ideas flow as they will. Let yourself be blown away by your creative genius.

Tip 2: Train Your Brain

When I taught mindfulness to children in elementary schools, they adored the “Mind Jars” we created. I’ve never seen such glee. We’d shake up the jar and chill together as the sparkly glitter settled to the bottom. The chaos of their lives subsided, and they’d emerge refreshed and ready.

Cultivating stillness amid chaos works for children of all ages, especially writers like us. We can train our brains to be sharper, better, and more intuitive, which leads us to improve our work. Mindfulness is a proven way to use the full potential of our brains.

Tip 3: Keep Your Sense of Humor

Writing can be excruciating. It’s a fact of life that we understand all too well. I encourage you to be mindful in the best way for you. My favorite meditation gurus bring flexibility into their practice. No need to take ourselves too seriously. Mindfulness opens up spaciousness to see the insanity in our situation and make it universal. Let’s take ourselves lightly and write passionately.

Trust your intuition as you navigate the path to your most creative self. After you’ve experienced the Zen of quieting your mind, your chair of choice won’t matter.

I can’t wait to share ideas and best practices with you. I hope you’ll ask tough questions in my AMAs so I can go down endless rabbit holes to try to answer the unknowable. In my “Write-ins,” I’ll start with a brief guided meditation to get you centered before the writing session. If that’s not your thing, you can press mute and jump right into the zone. Together, we’ll benefit from the force field of mindfully writing among other writers.

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Please join us for the Blueprint Winter Challenge. Let’s support each other through it all!  

Starting January 5, we’ll be walking you through the 14 steps of the Blueprint over 10 weeks. Some of the steps are very short and we combined them into one episode.

Every episode speaks to fiction writers, memoir writers, and nonfiction writers. There are workbooks, and you will get a link to the digital download of the Blueprint book of your choice.

We’ll also be hosting weekly AMAs (ask me anything), write-alongs, and Zoom meet-ups with coaches—and KJ will be writing her own Blueprint, and Jennie will be coaching her through it in weekly episodes.

If you finish your Blueprint during the Challenge, you will be eligible to win a review from either Jennie or KJ. (If you missed the #AmWriting Success Story about the writer who won the Blueprint Sprint grand prize in 2022, give it a listen. It’s very inspiring! It’s right HERE.)

It’s going to be such a good time and we’d love to have you join us! Plus, we have a sale on annual memberships until December 31, 2024 only—save 25% if you decide you’re in now.

If you’re already a paid subscriber and you know you’re in, you can set yourself up now and rest easy knowing that the January Blueprint will roll right into your inbox and podplayer—just follow the instructions HERE.

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Candace is a book coach, developmental editor, and mindfulness mentor who is passionate about helping others embrace the creative process and share their wisdom through writing. With more than twenty-five years of writing and teaching experience, she founded Candace Coakley Editorial Solutions to help writers clarify their ideas and bring their stories to life. As an Author Accelerator-certified book coach in fiction, nonfiction, and memoir, Candace uses Blueprint for a Book to help writers get to the heart of their stories. She loves helping writers craft authentic, empowered manuscripts and achieve their writing and publishing goals. Her range of services includes all steps of the process, from idea generation to publication and beyond. Her clients have published through a range of traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing routes.  

Her lifelong meditation practice is the secret to her sanity and a skill she loves to share with others. She is a graduate of the Mindfulness Mentor Training and has studied with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. She is certified in Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). She is not afraid of helping writers go to dark places and is certified in trauma-sensitive mindfulness. She is also a Reiki practitioner and uses the power of energy healing in all areas of her life. In her spare time, she creates art in her makeshift basement art studio.

Candace taught nonprofit communications and event management at Boston University and Emerson College and holds an undergraduate degree in Communications from Boston College and an M.A. in Business Organization from Emerson College. She specializes in coaching memoir, and leads retreats and workshops about building a mindful writing practice. She lives north of Boston, MA, with her hubby, three (grown) kids, and emotional support rescue dog, Hope.

• Website: candacecoakley.com

• Substack:

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