Word Alchemy & Story Shaping
Writing tools, structural support, and creative guidance for people lost, stuck, and ready to re-write their lives – and their stories.
From narrative mentoring to travel writing, storytelling sits at the heart of everything I do. With nearly 20 years of experience as a professional writer and writing mentor, I’ve learned that the most powerful words aren’t just about content – they can be a bridge between your self, your story, your business, and the world (or anyone you may want to share your stories with!)
While my background spans writing for global publications and content strategy for international brands, my current focus is more around voice development, story-shaping, and supporting anyone who feels the call to write – even if it’s just as a therapeutic tool – to bring their own stories and words into the world. I love working with those who have a message to share but are struggling to find the confidence or the right words, platform, or container for it. Whether you’re looking to re-write your own story, piece together a book proposal, refine your brand’s narrative, or find the confidence to own your voice, I’m here to help you find the golden thread that ties it all together.
Previously seen in:
The Support Path
Mapping the ecosystem
One of my favourite ways to support writers, freelancers, founders, and people wanting to write their stories is to start re-visioning and mapping out the ecosystem and exploring the spaces in which you want your words to exist. Using narrative practices and mentoring questions, we’ll explore the big-picture world for your words, and then come up with a plan to bring them into existence, covering everything from themes to audience, positioning, and publication, depending on where you want to go with it.
Honing your voice
Writing is about so much more than just our stories. It’s about how we share them – like how, when we speak a story aloud, we do so in our own way. Even if two people read the same story, they’d never sound the same. It’s the same with writing. We all have our own unique way of weaving words together and putting our personal stamp on them. While this will change depending on the audience, chances are, if you’re here, you still want your words to sound like you – especially in this age of AI.
Using techniques informed by narrative practice, personal experience, and everything I’ve learned working with more than a hundred people as a creative business mentor, I work with people to identify their voice, shape their stories to work for them, and get confident, clear, and comfortable about what they want to share, what they don’t, and how to put their own spin on everything they write.
Shaping storylines and content-stellations
Rather than doing-it-for-you, I love to work with people to shape storylines and plan content-stellations – like identifying the through-lines that weave everything together, exploring intentions, and choosing which stories to write and potentially share when – including in the chapters of a book or memoir, newsletters, blogs, or even article pitches and proposals.
Developmental edits & story audits
I love getting down to the bones of a project and a story, no matter where in the process of writing it you may be. From purposefully mapping out the stages of a book dream from the ground up to doing a top-down developmental edit on an article for a dream publication, I call upon my years of writing, editing, and mentoring experience, as well as my practical narrative therapy skills, to talk about your vision, your ideas, and your application. Whether you want help turning a book dream into something tangible, or shaping the storylines of an already existing project, I’m here to help deepen your voice, explore all the things that are working, and find ways to make your story land right where it’s meant to.
Proposals, pitching, and publication
The journey between idea, pitch, proposal, and publication can be a long and winding road, whatever your project may look like. Whether you want to bring a book into the world, pitch a story to a dream publication, or work on a project proposal, I offer personalised support to help you shape, structure, and polish it until it shines – and can even help you shortlist who to send it to and what to say in your cover letter.
Therapeutic writing & narrative storytelling
Along with tangible outcome-based writing work, I also have a deep passion for the therapeutic benefits of writing, shaping and sharing our own stories, and using narrative enquiry to help us let go of outgrown practices and re-author our lives. Along with studying narrative therapy, I’m also a member of Lapidus International and have a fascination with neuroplasticity, storytelling, and using our narratives to help us tune into our own inner compasses and become our own best guides. This work is one of my favourite things in the world to do, and I love supporting people to re-author their lives, whether through spoken, drawn, or written stories.
Why Work With Me?
I’ve spent my whole life obsessed with the architecture of good stories. Over the past two decades, I’ve written everything from reports and magazine essays to content for tourism boards, artists, fashion designers, and collaborated on copy for major brands like Durex, Adobe, and TripAdvisor, along with supporting people to write book proposals, business plans, and brand statements.
But, after going through a few of my own big life changes these past few years, I realised that writing, to me, is far more about the order our words go in, and more about all the ways it can help us shape our own stories and change how we see the world and everyone in it.
Because I very much believe that we have to live in ways true to our own values, I’ve taken a step back from copywriting and SEO projects, and pivoted to support others to shape their own stories and strategies. While I love supporting writers, creatives, freelancers, and founders, these days, my focus is more on strategic mentoring – helping people find their own professional voice, clarify their brand narrative, and design sustainable content ecosystems that feel and sound like them, rather than writing or doing them for them. I genuinely believe no one can share our stories like us – but I also know it can be really tough, sometimes, which is where I come in.
Given that I spend much of my life supporting others to share their stories, I also think it’s important for me to share mine, too. Every few weeks, I share personal essays on my Substack, Making Lemonade. These include stories from my creative life, work, travel history, and my journey navigating my mum’s descent into young-onset Alzheimer’s. I also run writing workshops and storytelling circles through my membership, The Lemonade Factory, and offer 1:1 narrative mentoring calls, too.
Ready to Shape Your Story?
Keen to explore your own story sparks and story lines, and see which words want to come to life? Whether you feel drawn to an ecosystem-mapping call or want to dive all in with a full package, I’m here to support you.
Whether you want to re-write your life story, map out your next chapter, envision your ecosystem, explore your voice, or design a first draft, my investment and support system for writing work and narrative practice remains the same – especially since I find there is a lot of crossover between the two. Many of the stories that hold us back from writing are the same ones that hold us back in life, and we’ll use narrative practice to explore them, along with discovering the tools and tried-and-tested techniques that will help you shape your stories in a way that works best for you.
Ways to work with me:
The Quick Creative Catalyst
The One-Off Ink & Insight Call
For writers and story-seekers who are stuck at the start, overwhelmed by options, or want a sounding board to help find their way forward
These calls are designed to be a circuit-breaker and compass-calibrator for those moments when you feel like you’re torn between ideas, confused about where you’re going, what you’re doing, and whether it’s even worth trying (believe me, I’ve been there!) A great way to untangle the threads, talk about ways you can use (and discover) your voice, or soundboard and explore different options, this call is designed to be a quick-fix to work through creative blocks, build your confidence, and get your pen moving.
Includes:
- Pre-session narrative questionnaire
- 1 hour one-off call
Investment: $220 AUD
Get Back to your Book
The Two-Week Project Sprint
A helping hand for when you’re feeling lost, blocked, or like you’re just going round the page in circles and can’t figure out where you’ve gone wrong.
Our “Get Back to Your Book” journey begins with a narrative-informed questionnaire to explore your creative vision and see if we can identify where the words are getting stuck. We’ll then spend two hours diving deep into your voice, your storyline, or the bones of your current draft to help unravel the threads and map out the best path forwards for your project. Following the call, you’ll get two weeks of text and voice note support to keep you accountable, overcome obstacles, and help you find your way forwards.
Includes:
- Pre-session deep dive creative questionnaire
- 2-hour deep-dive call (recording optional)
- Post-session trail map with reflections, insights, and resources
- Two weeks of follow-up support, customised mentorship, and accountability
Investment: $350 AUD
The Wayfinding Journey
The 3-Month Manuscript Mover & Shaker
Designed for people who are carrying a big book dream, creative vision, or a story that desperately wants to be told, and are ready to step into living – and writing – their next chapter.
A re-orienting expedition especially designed to meet you in those moments when you’re lost in the messy middle of a big creative project, struggling to find the confidence to own your authentic voice and trust your vision, or are holding a pile of scattered stories without being able to see how they can fit together.
Over 90 days, we’ll walk side-by-side through a structured three-phase journey designed to help you untangle the blocks holding back your words and bring your story out into the world:
Phase One: Planning, Packing, and Story Preparation
This stage is all about mapping the ecosystem for your words. We’ll explore the landscape of your life or project, discovering the core messages that want to come alive. We will identify your unique voice and uncover the wisdom already inside your story, while gently letting go of the self-doubt and “tall tales” that tell you your voice doesn’t matter.
Phase Two: Calibrating your Creative Compass
Who do you wish you could be on the page if no one was watching, judging, or expecting anything of you? This phase is about getting down to the bones of your story-shaping. We will find your true narrative bearings, explore themes, and map out your content-stellations, ensuring your words sound authentically like you.
Phase Three: The Pathways to Publication
We’ll take your refined voice and structured storylines and use them to carve out a concrete path forward. Whether we are conducting a developmental story audit, polishing an essay draft, or structuring a compelling book proposal, this phase moves you from standing frozen at a creative crossroads to standing on solid ground with a clear, beautiful, and executable path to sharing your work.
Includes:
- Pre-session deep-dive questionnaire
- Fortnightly 1-2 hour deep-dive 1:1 calls
- Follow-up notes and next step guidance after every call
- Dedicated between-session support via text/voice notes for gut checks, paragraph edits, and mindset resets
- Personalised resources, prompts, and custom maps tailored to support you and your project
Investment: from $1800 AUD
Payment plans available
The Choose-Your-Own-Adventure
A tailor-made approach for rebels, renegades, and those who prefer to do things their own way.
This is for those times when the out-of-the-box things just don’t feel like they’d be a good fit – and for those people who know what they want and aren’t afraid to ask for it. It’s for folks who see the value in what I can do, but want to tailor it to suit them and their needs – like skipping the calls and going straight to the email and voice note support.
Includes:
- A 12-week “dream-to-book-proposal” container with weekly calls, editing, feedback, and pitching support.
- A month-long zine co-creation with editing and email & voice note support and soundboarding.
- A full business 360 pivot with fortnightly deep dive calls, writing support, and copyediting.
Investment: Custom Pricing
FAQs
Do you offer get-to-know-each-other calls?
Yes, I offer free discovery calls. To book one, simply fill out this form and I’ll be in touch. You can also reach out directly if you have any questions first, too.
Do you work with international clients?
Yes, I work with clients all over the world. While the time zones can make things a bit tricky, we always find a way to make calls work. I also find the time difference can work to our advantage with things like follow-up support, editing, and feedback, as it can mean we can get 24 hours out of a day together, rather than you having to wait 2-3 business days for a response!
Where possible, I will also offer the option to invoice in your local currency using Wise Business to save on international transaction and exchange rate fees.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes, for the longer 3-month journeys, flexible payment plans are available. We can chat about what works best during our discovery call.
I’m a freelancer, sole trader, or business owner. Can I claim our work as a business expense or tax deduction?
While the exact specifics of whether our sessions count as a business expense or tax deduction depend on you, your industry, jurisdiction, and accountant, I’m happy to provide a detailed invoice for tax purposes if required.
I’m just starting out and don’t really have a “proper” book idea yet. Is this still for me?
Absolutely. In fact, the very beginning of a journey is one of the best times to look at the stories you’re carrying and all the skills, wisdom, and experience you’ve already amassed. Whether your book is currently just an amalgamation of hastily-written notes in your phone (we’ve all been there!), a plot scribbled on a piece of paper, or a creative vision you desperately want to find the courage to start, we’ll work with exactly where you are to make a map that helps you move forward and helps you feel good about everything, too.
What’s the difference between this and traditional writing coaching?
A lot of traditional writing coaching weaves together writing theory with practical plot points and strategy, underpinned with a hefty focus on consistency, routines, and “getting your butt in the chair”. Just like my narrative mentoring, my writing support turns all this upside-down and starts with you, rather than everything on the outside.
Over all my years in the industry (and the tens of thousands of dollars I’ve sunk into writing coaching, courses, memberships, masterminds, and trainings), I’ve learned that the best writing support comes from the inside out. It’s hard to stretch yourself into another story when you haven’t properly finished writing the one you’re currently living. My work is all about looking inwards, working with your stories to figure out what’s going on, what you already have, what you might be missing, and what your options are. While we can absolutely soundboard practicalities, plot points, style guides, and book proposals, my onus is on supporting you to find your own way to that back page, whatever that might look or feel like to you.
My book and writing life and dreams all feel incredibly messy right now. Do I need to untangle things a bit before we call?
Absolutely not! In fact, I’d encourage you not to wait until you have it all figured out to reach out. Having spent way too long sitting in the weeds myself, unsure of where to look for help or where to even go next, my favourite place to meet people is right in the thick of it. Our work together is always going to be perfectly imperfect, where your humanness is actively encouraged, and seen as your superpower, rather than something to be suppressed. You don’t need to “fix” anything, be anything, or do anything before our session. Together, we’ll find a way through it that works for you – a problem shared is a problem solved, after all.
Prefer a Community Connection?
The Lemonade Factory Community
TLF is my cosy online basecamp for the curious and the creative, where each month, we connect and come together and find different ways to turn whatever lemons we’re facing into lemonade. A great way to share stories and tap into our inner tales, we meet for writing circles, group mentoring calls, co-working, and coffee chats. Like a proverbial campfire lighting up the darkness, we also offer replays and a WhatsApp chat group, so none of us feel like we have to navigate the wilderness alone.
Writing & Journalling Wordshops
Online and in-person experiences focused on (re)discovering your voice, (re)writing your stories, and (re)connecting with your creativity. From beginner-friendly journalling classes to deeper therapeutic writing experiences, these small, supportive spaces are designed to help us explore the power of our own voices, own our stories, and share our words.
