The Elemental Story
Expand your energetic intelligence. Write more powerful stories.
I’m committed to meaningful writing that moves the heart, stirs the soul, encourages new ways of seeing and being in the world.
I believe that writing requires not only authorship, but self-authorship. The development of the person as well as the ideas and the stories. In other words, I help writers create a bridge between who they are and the material they write. To ensure they are in-sync so that the message and its delivery reach their intended reader.
The process is elemental. It’s energetic. It’s awake and alive.
When you’re in touch with your energetic intelligence—when you know what fills you up and what depletes you—you can more easily identify your content, design your process, overcome challenges, and love your work into being.
In addition to sharing the wisdom of energetic intelligence, and supporting the author as well as the story, my editorial superpower is manuscript coaching. I take a completed manuscript, a series of blog posts, a pile of free writes—big, small, messy, precise—and help the writer illuminate the key ideas and the forms that will help them shine and reach the hearts and minds of their intended audience.
In addition to being a coach, I’ve been the editor-in-chief of two national magazines; managing editor of literary and trade journals; freelance writer; book proposal coach; manuscript consultant; judge of national literary, magazine, and journalism awards; and writing instructor at several universities.
That means I can work with about any kind of text, in any form, for most any audience and help a writer sort through and think wisely about the possibilities of their work.
From dynamic and women-centric classes (check out my events!), to brainstorming sessions, manuscript assessments, and coaching - it would be my honor to support you, your writing, and the development of your story.
Writing Coach
Navigating the ups, downs, stresses, and wild elation of the writing process can be exhausting and a bit lonely. As a writer, I deeply understand the unique emotions and feelings that come with authorship. I help writers create alignment around not only the craft of writing and getting words on paper, but also the personal work that comes with being a writer. Coaching starts with a complimentary 30-minute consult so we can make sure we’re a good fit.
Book Brainstorm
Are you seeking inspiration and want someone to help you brainstorm story ideas? Need a breakthrough on how to frame your thoughts for the media? I’ll send you a discovery package, then we’ll work together for 90-minutes via Zoom to further uncover your stories, discuss the magic that exists within your work, and discover the essence of why they’re important to tell. You’ll leave with a list of key ideas, stories to write, or several ways to tell the same story to different audiences. $250
Manuscript Assessment
I help writers find the threads, suggest forms, and examine the connections between what they’re writing and what they want to create in the world. I also help writers clarify what material and stories belong in a book or would better in other forms, such as blogs or magazine articles. It starts with a complimentary 30-minute consult so I can learn more about your manuscript and we can ensure we’re a great fit.
“Karen’s brilliant and bold creation style is SO fun to play with.”
“Along with being a superb writer, Karen is also an uncommon mentor. She has a way of guiding writers that is both practical and inspirational, gentle and firm, grounded yet lofty. She serves a higher purpose in all that she does, and students at all levels bask in that glow. Those who have benefited from her technical expertise and generous spirit are legion.”
“Working with Karen was an absolute delight! We had a draft of our book completed but knew that our story needed to be restructured and reshaped into something more readable and easily understood. Karen has an amazing ability to do just that and what’s more, she was able to do it in such a gentle, sensitive way that we always felt that we were on the same page when working with her. She taught us how to set scenes for our readers which was instrumental in bringing our story to life. We couldn’t have done it without her!”