That means doing whatever feels right and good for you in this season! Some of you already might now have access to the Self Care Life Rhythm Scheduler, and I hope you can use it to your advantage. Stay tuned to this channel because coming up I’m going to share some great ways to use it soon. If not…

In the meantime if you still want some great freebies and maybe even some premium items, find your way over to the Back to Biz bundle and get them! You can still get the Self Care Rhythm Scheduler for FREE, and the bonus Premium items is this: Solopreneur Bundle (Pick 4) Bundle.

Both of my items serve completely different purposes. Both have different approaches. Both might even serve completely different people, but not sorry, that’s how we roll around here. We don’t stifle, gate-keep, or pigeonhole!

That’s what I like about the Back To Business event.

It’s bringing together 80+ contributors and a HUGE mix of resources designed to help you get back into your business after the long holiday period and decide what you want to focus on next. You might be starting from scratch. You might need a way to figure out how to get started.

Of course you don’t need EVERYTHING inside of it. But that’s the point.

You can simply have a look through, find the resources that match your energy, and where you are right now and use them to your advantage. Grab hold!

The event is free to access from September 1st - 15th, so it’s worth signing up and having a browse.

There VIP option to get my bundle (worth $97) is only $9 with premium resources and an audio summit (where you can get an awesome sneak peek on how to use the scheduler) if you want to upgrade, but there’s plenty to explore with your free ticket.

Sign up here today: Back To Business Bundle🎁

By day, Amelia K. Grimm works in a hospital, where she assists brand-new humans with their very first bureaucratic side quest: the birth certificate. By night, she writes whimsical, spooky, and romantic stories full of ghosts, demons, fae, and women who have absolutely had enough.

Get Amelia’s Book today:

Note: This is post one of two, so stay tuned for more info on Amelia!

Psst… Find out more about The September Declutter Challenge HERE

(This is ANOTHER temporary challenge, exclusive to my Substack subscribers. It can be for writers/authors like me, or it can be for anyone who wants to a physical & actual decluttering of their surroundings.

In the September Declutter Challenge, we create space for ourselves that feels aligned with how we want to feel inside.

In the challenge we will be:

• Getting a clear idea on what our ideal living/creative/workspace looks like.

• What essential items need to be “ready at hand,” at all times.

• What is it time to part with?

• Get clear on similarities between our space and our minds.

As I said, I will hitting the ground running with this challenge. I will be dropping voice notes as I am getting down to work and visually documenting my progress, sharing tips as I go.

I can’t wait! JOIN HERE

xoxox,

Amy

Molly: I am Molly Singer, and there’s nobody in the world better than me.

Corrina Washington: Chin up, up! You’re too young to have two!

Have you ever seen this criminally underrated movie:

It’s a wild cast: Whoopi Goldberg, Ray Liota, Tina Majorina (Molly Singer). It’s set in the fifties about an interracial couple trying to survive other people’s prejudices about them, but it’s so much more than that. Like, so so so so much more.

Anyway, if you haven’t seen it and you want a comfort watch you should. Honestly, this movie gave me great advice as a child, but you know how you do when you compartmentalize stuff and go about your day and you continue to not use the advice to your advantage?

I forgot that there is no one better than me, in a world of people insisting they are. You know what I mean. The world of people around us who are saying, “Look at all the amazing things I’m doing and you haven’t even scratched the surface yet!” Those people. It’s taken a lot of growth on my part to not be really mad at them.

But hey, we live and learn. I learned very recently that this is actually a deep childhood wound.

I suffered much like the little girl in this movie, wishing I had someone to guide me, mentor me, and just remind me of how I’m fucking special and no one can take that away from me. The closest I’ve gotten was remembering these words, and literally this past year of deciding to cast the comparison trap aside and just do my own thing. You’d be surprised how much I had to suffer to get there.

But I think I might have finally found my limit. I talk a bit more about this in a reel I recorded for IG last night.

I don’t want to spoil the movie, but sometimes telling someone else how special we are doesn’t quite do the trick. A lot of people don’t want to be told that, and some just aren’t listening. They need their own specialness.

That’s the thing, we want an advantage, but don’t think we have one. Isn’t the entire point that an advantage is something we have that no one else does? And in business, it seems to be all about everyone competing with each other for who has the best idea and who is most visible.

What I don’t like is it becomes less about a person striving to be the best they can be, but doing their best to hold others down so they can continue being the best.

Remove yourself from that and focus on yourself. Just be you, whatever that means. You will find that the more you do that the more you move towards being the best version of yourself.

Do you want to take that leap forward with me? Do you want to know how you can also find your own Unfair Advantage?

The Unfair Advantage is a month-long challenge starting September 1st.

The focus of this 30-day sprint is to get WILDLY clear on the edge that makes you iconic.

There are two tiers available:

• The Main Challenge: 2x live trainings per week plus a private Telegram group to encourage implementation (investment: £27).

• The VIP Upgrade: A weekly mentorship call, asynchronous workshopping, bonus Telegram trainings, messaging prompts to get you selling throughout the month (investment: £97). The upgrade is presented as an order bump on the main checkout. It will also be offered to participants as an add-on if they don’t sign up in the first instance.

Replays will be made available right away, and participants will retain lifetime access to the content. I’ll be there, so you will be right along side me, as I try to finally figure out what my unfair advantage is. Join me

The question in the subtitle is one that has been running around in my head lately after my conversation with Danielle. We talked a bit about self trust and that concept is loaded for me. So is much of what we chatted about. We had a great time talking and Danielle is really fun to talk to, but her knowledge goes so deep and that’s probably why it stuck with me.

ICYMI check out our conversation HERE

But Danielle and I didn’t just talk about neurodivergence, we talked about friendship. We talked about parenting a neurodivergent child. We talked about getting outside your comfort zone and trusting yourself to make “unsafe” decisions that might not be unsafe at second glance.

For my autistic side as an AuDHD’r, sometimes those unsafe decisions are simply deviating from my schedule slightly, and “embracing the ADHD,” as I called it. And what does that mean? Well, for me it means listening to that pull in another direction. A pull into the unknown despite the unknown being something at the top of my “what freaks me out the most in life” list.

I’ve talked about this push and pull before, in fact I wrote an entire article about it, as well as a forthcoming article about what it’s like to parent an autistic child in the wake of their (and my diagnosis) Spoiler: it’s wild.

So that’s likely why I talked to her about some of that stuff. Word is out that Danielle is a parent coach, which in my experience as a parent of a neurodivergent child is such a rare thing to find. She also wrote a book that I will show down below about just that, a rare helpful guide for teens with ADHD brains.

We talked about the stark reality of neurodivergent life, and the world, and how so many people just don’t understand neurodivergence at all. Some people are cruel. They take advantage of a neurodivergent person’s vulnerabilities. But sometimes a conversation like this one is the first step to better connecting with others. It can also lead to more understanding, which is something I believe all of us desperately need.

More about Danielle:

This the lovely book Danielle wrote that I mentioned

BE ON THE PODCAST:

Needless to say I had a lot of fun, and I am happy to say I have more conversations already in the works! But if you want to chat with me and tell me your story, feel free to sign up HERE. Also The Neurodivergent Writer’s Playbook is now on Spotify!

You’ve been inundated with links so be a good citizen and act accordingly.

xoxoxo,

Amy

My 1:1 Book Coaching

First, something that is going on right now! Lizzy’s Summer Party!

Lizzy's Summer Party is a FREE bundle of 75+ digital products that help you build visibility, boost sales, and bring in fresh leads - without going back to full hustle mode as you head into September.

You are definitely going to find something exciting in this HUGE bundle of freebies, so join the party!

Only available until Wednesday, 26th August.

With access to sign up for products until Sunday, 30th August.

Also going on right now so hurry:

Danielle Sullivan’s Launch Party Bundle! You may remember Danielle from my podcast. She’s written this amazing book called Embracing Your ADHD Brain. I hear if you preorder the book you get a special surprise! All of the resources you get unlocks more freebies and they are all for people of all ages with neurodivergent brains!

Remember, the list closes August 28th, so don’t wait too long to grab what you want.

And coming soon in September:

The Unfair Advantage is a month-long challenge starting September 1st.

The focus of this 30-day sprint is to get WILDLY clear on the edge that makes you iconic, and bring that forward in every facet of your business. This is not a generic branding exercise that will leave you with a cool or clever new Instagram bio. This is about weaving your strengths into your content, your offer suite, your client delivery system, and your sales process.

There are two tiers available:

• The Main Challenge: 2x live trainings per week plus a private Telegram group to encourage implementation (investment: £27).

• The VIP Upgrade: A weekly mentorship call, asynchronous workshopping, bonus Telegram trainings, messaging prompts to get you selling throughout the month (investment: £97). The upgrade is presented as an order bump on the main checkout. It will also be offered to participants as an add-on if they don’t sign up in the first instance.

Replays will be made available right away, and participants will retain lifetime access to the content.

I am involved or participating in all of these so I can vouch they are great!

Have fun xoxox,

Amy

P.S. Don’t forget to join my community for more fun:

It seems the world is separated largely into two categories:

People who consume, and people who create. But I think that’s too black and white. No shade on the people who want to purely consume, we need those people to consume our content, I suppose, but the definition of consumerism is this:

Consumerism

Consumerism is a socio‑cultural and economic phenomenon where individuals acquire goods and services beyond basic needs, often for status, identity, or external validation Wikipedia. It is driven by advertising, capitalism, and the desire for constant acquisition.

vs

Creation

Creation refers to the mindset of generating, building, and contributing rather than merely acquiring. It emphasizes:

• Meaningful creation — engaging in creative work that brings personal satisfaction and innovation

• Authentic living — aligning actions with core values and purpose, rather than chasing trends or material goods

• Sustainability and self‑expression — valuing experiences, relationships, and self‑defined goals over possessions

• BALANCE — recognizing that consumption is part of life (e.g., enjoying others’ creations), but prioritizing creation to foster growth and legacy

But what does this mean in a real, human context:

“…16 months ago I was not in balance. I was drinking too much, buying unconsciously…I wasn’t living the fantastic, inspiring life I had dreamt of. I was longing to write, to draw, to make something I could be proud of but never found the time or inspiration to make it happen. I usually ended up on the sofa with a glass of wine and a remote, consuming other people’s talents and squandering my own.”
Jemma Jorrel.

Someone like this is my ideal client. But I think we rarely get this introspective. We tend to look at things on the surface:

I want to write a book but it’s too hard.
I am writing a book but I can’t seem to finish it.
I have a great idea for a book, but I think it’s too weird.
I know how to write a book, but I don’t know how to get published.

I am, I want, I have, I know….to no end. This is how most of us live our lives. In perpetual loop of desire vs. self-censorship & defeatism.

But then some of us look a bit deeper and then come to this conclusion:

I have seen what it looks like out there and I have lost all motivation to participate.

What’s with all the rage-bait and authors being so angry all the time?

Why does it all just feel less about the writing and now it’s all about the marketing?

I just feel like I’m not allowed to write what I want to write.

That last person, oof. I know what you mean. I have walked that tightrope for years.

Even in the industry when people were embracing AI at first, (yes they were), saying it was “inevitable,” and “not going away,” there is this confusion about whether or not writers can write the way they want to write or whether they are turning to AI and saying, “write me something that will sell,” and that being a smart business move.

But because they’ve received SO MUCH backlash from the community they are backpedaling—hard, and now pretending they never said that at all!

Nah, I have receipts.

Yeah, the writing/publishing industry has seen a bad-weird transition lately. I think I have figured out why. We are deeply entrenched in a social-media-saturated-literacy epidemic. The industry has known this for years. But instead of attacking the problem head-on they made it worse. They let it get out of hand because they pretended it wasn’t there but that many other problems were. They pretended to herald the very people they gatekept. They gave accolades to people they pretended to shun.

We are sold this image that only“smart, wealthy” people still read, so what’s the issue? We’ll just market our books to them. But now we realize that we have homogenized reading to become something other than reading. It’s consuming books for the sake of consuming them, and reading them as quickly as possible. So now, the desperation to get people to keep reading is to turn book production into fast food.

We need to do what “makes money.” And fast food makes money.

So what if books were more like fast food then?

Quick, delicious (sometimes), overhyped, and sensationalized, but stuck in your brain from the constant marketing of what to like and not because the book was devilishly weird and uniquely written. You didn’t pick it up because the cover was the kind of cover you’ve never seen before. You picked it up because the cover looks like a cover of a book of your genre. The only genre you want to read.

So we have to write our books as quickly as these readers read them, and it feels like a race of who is fastest. And so readers get to make rage-baity content about authors, sit back and watch disgruntled authors fight with, laugh at, and size each other up. Who is worthy of attention? Who is worthy of community? Who is small potatoes because they don’t have a million views?

So now we have turned the creative process into rage-bait. And nothing we do as creatives is ever interesting enough unless those with money and power deem it is worthy of visibility.

Gee, thanks.

And so many of us give up, or live in this perpetual loop of almost giving up but somehow gaining the motivation to keep going.

But like why and for who? Imaginary readers we actually never get to meet?

I for one think it’s all gross. Not because I don’t think more people should read, and not because I want all writing to be “too smart” for people to engage in, or even that I want less books, (seriously why are there only two sides to this stupid argument?), but I want CREATIVES back in the driver’s seat of our own creativity.

Is that really so much to ask?

Also can we let creative people be creative again? Can we let them be okay with fucking up once and awhile or being boring? Everything we write won’t be an instant bestseller because of some bullshit algorithm, but that’s like okay, because it reached the right people and it felt good to write? Can that be a thing again? Like just because cheeseburgers are ready and sitting under a heat lamp in a pile, yeah I’m hungry but maybe I want to try something else, today?

What kind of book coach am I? Just someone to complain to?

Maybe. Maybe I’m more of a book “therapist” that way, because I understand there is so much more to it than what’s on the page and that there is something making you feel like you are a shitty writer with a shitty draft who needs a magical wand to get better so people will take you more seriously.

No, you need to get deep down into the reality of YOU first, before you can even expect to figure any of that out. And if you are hiding behind your writing, or worse hiding your writing, of course you will not make it far.

You will never finish.

Who is the perfect client for me:

You’re tired of all the noise but you are so not done. You have a fire in your gut to do things in a new and different way. What you’re tired of is forcing yourself to act excited about doing things the same old way. You’re tired of showing up real and vulnerable and not getting anything real back: conversations, feedback, motivation, excitement, or even just that overall itch of inspiration. Your looking for a partner and and you are tired of just finding people out for themselves. You find most writing advice bland and uninspiring. You just want something different than what you’ve seen over and over again.

Who isn’t perfect:

Just the opposite, I suppose. You’re looking for more of what you’ve heard before. More bland, generic advice around your sacred, unique process that you aren’t treating as sacred and unique. You want more guilt and shame about your writing imperfections and uniqueness. You are hiding how YOU want to do things and are still looking for more “how-tos” that just show you how everyone else is doing it. You enjoy talking to people who have no interest in what you are writing and what you are truly writing about and are only interested in the fact that you want to take their writing course. And you are fine with writing courses that just teach you generic buzzphrases you already learned in school, like “POV,” “dialog tags,” and “show don’ tell,” but ironically, never really shows you how to do anything “correctly”. You’re left never writing anything true and interesting, because you’re too busy following rules and forget ever finishing anything and you’re fine with that.

But if that sounds not at all your vibe, then you are in the right place! So, book a Creative Chat with me so we discover what’s truly going on with your creative process.

P.S. If this spoke to you and you don’t want a coach, but you want a partner, keep following as I talk more about the Revolutionary Retreat for serious writers sick of the path laid out and they want something new.

Danielle and I go way back to my WWPL Summit where I accidentally stumbled on her expertise which you will find is valuable in more than one way. I just really enjoy talking to Danielle and if you cross her path, I think you will do. She’s a thoughtful person and very sweet and her brain is just brimming with knowledge about neurodivergent folks (which is likely why I ping her with so many questions outside of will you be my friend? 🙃)

Danielle Sullivan is a neurodivergent coach, educator, and community builder who supports ADHD, autistic, and other neurodivergent individuals in creating more sustainable, compassionate, and connected lives.

How to get in touch with Danielle:

Website: https://www.neurodiverging.com/

(Psst…Don’t forget to preorder her book: Embracing Your ADHD Brain)

Note: This is post one of two, so stay tuned for more on my conversation with Danielle!

Find out more at the Offbeat Ink HQ Shop!

Don’t take another Writing 101 course, I beg you.

Although you want to be a SERIOUS writer, so you might want to take one. Just to make sure you still write well. Just to make sure what you are writing is okay with everyone else. Validation. It’s what is familiar, and it’s what is available to you. It’s what feels safe.

So let’s say you take that generic course. You’ve used the worksheets from their 101 course and you had a bit of fun and scratched the itch in your brain that likes busywork.

But you still get this nagging pull that something is missing. That you’ve gone backwards.

And part of you now even resents having to do that 101 work AGAIN. You feel like you could have done most at the library yourself without paying for the course/guidance. Hell, you could likely teach the class yourself.

And the busywork wasn’t what you were truly looking for. The busywork wasn’t what their ad promised you. The busywork might be billed as a prerequisite for the thing you really want and you’re made to feel like a bit of an upstart for wanting more right away.

Well maybe you aren’t an upstart. You’re just a little precocious. Maybe you are a rebel.

If this is you, you are the right person to work with me. I want to work with brilliant people who say enough is enough and are seeking something new, something they might not have ever seen before. But they are just lost.

Still, they are people who aren’t afraid to ask for help and actually receive it. They are willing to do the work, but they want a new way of doing it. A new FUN way, a way that feels life-changing and full of color. Not more bland homework that makes them feel dumb for taking the course and like they have to start all over from scratch.

Because often when we ask for help we are already at our wit’s end after trying everything else we could think of. But everywhere we turn we never find the answers we are seeking.

This used to happen to me. I used to call it (before the obnoxious advent of AI doing literally all of our thinking for us) Googling myself to death. Did I have mentors that helped me? Yes, somewhat. Did it feel more like bread-crumbing and not like a partnership with a person who was invested in my success? Most certainly.

Let me break that down for you. I didn’t want to learn how to write my book. I already knew how to write my book. I wanted parameters with which to write it in. I wanted to share my writing with other people and be given insights into how the industry worked. I wanted to learn NEW ways of doing these things (since the old ways stopped working.)

And I didn’t know this, but I was also looking for friendship, self-care, fun, and something that felt like it gave my life meaning.

But I was convinced that all I needed was information.

But still, I was kept in the dark, while others seemed to continue to have an unfair advantage over me. They got answers to questions they didn’t even seem to ask, and when they got those answers, they kept them close to their vest.

I know what you ultimately need is not to be told what to write, but to be given the freedom to write it and finish it regardless of how much time and energy and money you have at your disposal. Because that freedom should be priceless. Many programs will charge you thousands of dollars to help you move towards that freedom that was already in front of you. Others will slash that in half and make you feel like you are getting a bargain, or simply investing in a hobby.

But what do I do? I help you reclaim what you want. I help you go after it today, with no waiting or proving yourself.

Do you want to take that leap forward with me? Do you want to know how you can also find your own Unfair Advantage?

The Unfair Advantage is a month-long challenge starting September 1st.

The focus of this 30-day sprint is to get WILDLY clear on the edge that makes you iconic.

There are two tiers available:

• The Main Challenge: 2x live trainings per week plus a private Telegram group to encourage implementation (investment: £27).

• The VIP Upgrade: A weekly mentorship call, asynchronous workshopping, bonus Telegram trainings, messaging prompts to get you selling throughout the month (investment: £97). The upgrade is presented as an order bump on the main checkout. It will also be offered to participants as an add-on if they don’t sign up in the first instance.

Replays will be made available right away, and participants will retain lifetime access to the content. I’ll be there, so you will be right along side me, as I try to finally figure out what my unfair advantage is. Join me

If a client came to me with this question “What’s the point of finishing this if I don’t know what I’m going to do with it?” I would be really excited. Why? Because I know the exact answer I would give.

This entire scenario is actually so meaty for me for a few reasons:

1. The client is framing the question as if they are asking for help instead of doing everything in their power to avoid help and stay stuck in inaction.

2. The client is right on the edge of a defeatist mindset and is literally begging me to pull them back.

3. The client is acknowledging how rough it is out there already, meaning they aren’t naive about what it takes, and how literally nothing is handed to creatives.

4. They have stumbled onto one of the three hardest parts of finishing a book.

Wait, is that a good thing? Yes! And I will tell you why. But first…

The three hardest things about finishing a book:

1. Not knowing when you are “finished” writing.

2. Not knowing if what you wrote is good enough for others to read.

3. Not knowing your next steps.

The good news is I can help my clients with all three of these things. Now, quick caveat about number 2 (heh), which I will tell you is actually the least important thing on the list, (though many might say it’s the most important, or they will make you think it is, or you’ve made yourself think it is,) but, I promise you, it isn’t.

I know, you don’t believe me, and because of this, it is likely the steepest hurdle of these we will have to leap over.

You might think this is the order they will be addressed in our sessions But, in reality, these items are actually out of order. But I know that idea makes your brain glitch.

You’re not ready to hop on the scooter and yell “Let’s go!”

You’re not ready for the offbeat way.

So, imagine the book is finished and it’s perfect. What are your next steps? Do you know what they are yet? Do you need some guidance as to what they could be? The thing that scares most people about this process is finding out that good or bad, finished or unfinished they need to start thinking about next steps for their book and start talking about what they are writing with other people.

Before they are finished? Yes. Long before. And on some level they need to start laying the ground work for those elusive next steps by telling people what their plans are, even if they haven’t fully fleshed out their plans.

This is how we get to 1 and 2, by first attacking number 3 head-on, and building that sense of urgency and accountability. Many people refuse to do this, because doing so lets them off the hook, and their writing can then remain perpetually unfinished and away from prying eyes.

I speak from experience.

But do you see now how exactly we get caught in the loop of never finishing things?

Another caveat of number 3 is that you can always change your mind. You kind of have to in this publishing landscape. What your initial plan was might not work out and you have to pivot. So it’s best to have lots of options, think on your feet, and to learn all the places you can go, to butcher that Dr. Seuss title.

So, I would challenge my clients to take everything they think they know about the writing and publishing process and throw it in the trash, because that’s what I’ve had to do, many times over. Go in blind? Well, no, but be wise enough to know you need to stay discerning and adaptable.

Imagine turning everything on its head and going in with a new perspective, that anything is possible. That you no longer have to limit yourself to what everyone else says is the one way of doing things and instead, going after what you really want. And I will challenge my clients to find out exactly what that is and to keep going after it until they get it.

Take the offbeat approach and check out my coaching offers

Dr. Bailey wants us to recapture our literary magic. The magic we already have.

ICYMI check out our conversation HERE

One of the biggest takeaways from our talk was when Bailey said the quiet part out loud, that all creativity is intuitive and it is within all of us. I’d like my audience to sit with that idea. How many of us have a stubborn black and white idea about what creativity even is? How many of us feel the same way about magic? Is seeing things in a magical way inextricably linked with all things childish? Is that kind of the point?
And isn’t that a boring way to live?

What if we embraced the wonders of our magical creativity with less cynicism? What might come of that? I know I mentioned recently that I am leaning more into Tarot card pulling recently. I think ten years back I might have scoffed at the notion, maybe a few years after that I would be curious but maybe a little afraid.

But then of course, because I am me, I threw caution to the wind and tried it. And I kind of love it now. Imagine if I had started sooner?

Ironically, as I age, I find the more I want just do things that are fun. I want to do things that feel good rather than overthinking whether or not they are what I am supposed to be doing, or what someone boring might consider a little outlandish or silly. Who cares? It’s what I want to do so I’m making it happen. I want to make my own magic happen!

What’s wrong with the idea of making magic? And once we see our creativity that way, or writing that way, it’s so much less burdensome. I think that’s something Dr. Bailey and I touched on in this conversation that we are really channeling something greater than ourselves instead of acting like we know exactly how it got here. But then we try to recreate it and we just can’t. It’s a struggle. It’s less fun. It’s work.

Bailey is one of those amazingly cool people out there already ahead of the curve, already making magic, and already helping people reclaim theirs. And I’m happy that I know them.

More about Bailey:

There is something Bailey does that is so cool called The Potion Bottle. You should probably check it out! And if you know you are a little witchy, you should also join
the Coven.

Also the cyclical planning workshop is on August 15th at 11AM EDT. Don’t miss out!

BE ON THE PODCAST:

Needless to say I had a lot of fun, and I am happy to say I have more conversations already in the works! But if you want to chat with me and tell me your story, feel free to sign up HERE. Also The Neurodivergent Writer’s Playbook is now on Spotify!

You’ve been inundated with links so be a good citizen and act accordingly.

xoxoxo,

Amy

My 1:1 Book Coaching

People want to know, when they are presented with my coaching offers,
what makes me “the best f/cking option”? Well, I’m ready to tell you, and the things I say might surprise you or ruffle your feathers. You might feel a full-bodied shout of happiness. Really, it could go either way. So sit tight with this spicy cup of tea and buckle up:

1. I have been hip-deep in this industry since before the pandemic. So that’s what seven years? I had my toe in it before that, but let me tell you that doesn’t even matter because it’s as if the time & experience that came before is now deeply irrelevant. And by hip-deep I mean living that industry’s expectations day in and day out but also I have seen how quickly expectations shift and how the goal posts move and what I’ve had to do to adapt has been an emotional rollercoaster and wildly unexpected in both good and bad ways.

2. Because pivoting can be exhausting, and pricey (to be totally transparent), some of it felt like a good investment and other things I’ve shied away from because they seemed like scams. And they were. Sometimes I learned that the hard way. And in an effort to remain hip-deep and not up to my neck, I’ve also learned a thing or two about what to avoid and not just what to run full speed at.

3. But still, seven years deep, I know ALL the industry jargon and ALL the rules. I have intentionally zigged and zagged around a few of them because as I said, some of them are really gross imho. And they aren’t sustainable. They force people into boxes, roles, and this weird phony posturing that goes beyond what they even initially wanted to participate in. Maybe none of this is making sense to you. Maybe all of it is.

4. I do things differently and here is how:

I am leaning hard now into tarot, astrology, and intuition. I dabbled in AI, dabbled. If you knew how often it was forced on me you would be shocked. But I am taking back my decision-making around it. I don’t need its ideas or “quick-thinking” anymore. Friends, I found a tarot card does the same thing.

Will there be more typos?

Probably, but I am stepping away. It’s dumb and I hate it.

5. But…I also won’t do things the same old dusty way. Listen, one of the reasons why I have used AI in the past is because I am typically surrounded by tech people. I’m actually married to one. Ironically, these logical-tech people now know more about the publishing industry than they ever have, thanks to me, and even they are shocked. YES EVEN THEM. Because I’ve seen first-hand the blatant hypocrisy of the publishing industry (self, hybrid, and traditional) of denouncing authors for using generative AI to write their book (which I agree is BAD) but then constantly encouraging it in things like outlining, branding, marketing, putting together talks, creating lead magnets, controlling their calendars, setting up their meetings, automating email responses, taking notes in meetings and podcasts, and yes even editing said books, all under the guise of efficiency and ease. And, so, sadly as a neurodivergent person I did see the appeal in something that made my life easier, especially as I became more tired and burnt out and even encouraged to replace my efforts as my creative skills regressed, and what I could do myself was seen as inefficient because it wasn’t a carbon-fucking-copy of what everyone else was doing.

6. But after some soul-seeking, therapy, coaching, and getting my druthers back, in fact, gaining some confidence around my writing, my art, my parenting, and even my looks (yeah even that went too,) I am saying no fucking more to that shiz. Because AI would never say fucking and then say shiz. And that’s something you would miss out on. The real me. And that makes me sad.

7. Hell, you may find out that I’m just more real than you expected, and more fun. I found some others to be sad sacks, to be downright boring, and really to just not care whether or not your interaction is a vibe because they just assume they automatically vibe with everyone, so why wouldn’t you be on board?

8. Also, I don’t have some bullshit image I’m trying to uphold because I write weird books and I want YOU to write really weird books and so I will never gate-keep an idea.

9. I’ll also never draw you in by telling you something terrible that happened in my life and then try to use that to get you to think I will care about you and the terrible things that happened to you but then later on treat you like a number that’s furthering my bottomline and ignore your problems or pretend they aren’t there. But that’s just me.

10. I’m not about the bare minimum anymore: when it comes to interactions, creativity, ideas, and showing my true self. And in this world of LOOK AT ME, that isn’t going away it seems. I suppose I need to be my own version of unhinged and flashy. (I don’t want to be sad and boring after-all)

But I look at it as flash + substance and one not cancelling out the other.

By no means am I anti-intellectual. ANYONE who has read my book series should know that about me. Am I a fan of gatekeeping, bureaucracy, and stuff that feels less intellectual and more scammy? No, are you? I hope not. But that’s the weird tightrope some of us have to walk right now. I am looking forward to a new way and I suppose I have to help blaze that trail.

I would LOVE if you came along with me. If you want to learn more about Offbeat INK go HERE and follow me on Instagram.

Get in HERE

So I talked a bit about this on a live recently, but I retell the story for this solo podcast on a break in between conversations with neurospicy authors, coaches, creatives, and just all around cool people.

On the podcast, I chat a bit about neurospicy friendship that comes from meeting cool people BUT ALSO my journey as a self-published author. I go through the writing and evolution of the Luccee Winterscott Series: where I got the idea for the book series, how long it took to write from first draft to final publication and how I felt when it was all done. Like the series, the journey is a “wild ride” all in itself, so follow along for the adventure!

(This is a temporary challenge, exclusive to my Substack subcribers. It can be for writers/authors like me, or it can be for anyone who wants to “declutter” their mind and make more progress in the coming months.)

I’ve learned in my coaching that too often we separate life and writing. Then we wonder why we never get any writing done. Here’s the reason: we have removed it from our lives and replaced it with clutter. We prioritize mess over clarity and then can’t figure out why both our writing and life feel so disorganized. I speak from experience too. This is a neurospicy thing to do, but there are ways to help regulate.

In the August Brain Dump Challenge, we end the summer with plans, ideas, and a new sense of clarity of where the coming months will take us. This isn’t any ordinary challenge though, because it requires a level of self-honesty that most people are shying away from. It requires us to also take a long, hard look at the things that are no longer serving us (whether writing-related and otherwise) and figure how to declutter our lives, or dump them from our lives once and for all. We might just get closer to the thing we call writer’s block, but is really THE THING in our way.

Now this bit might not speak to you, because you might not have book/writing ideas. But you have a life. You might have other ideas. You might need a change.

Yes, I’m a writer, I’m an author, but I am also a Mom, I’m a business owner, I’m a person with hobbies, and even motivations for things that have nothing to do with writing. And as I said, as these thing pile up, the writing suffers, certainly. So I will be doing this challenge alongside of you. We’re getting a late start on the month, but we can jump in at anytime and get the work done.

In the challenge we will be:

• Getting a clear idea on what excites us, motivates us, and what simply needs doing.

• Getting all of our book ideas, future plans for our books, and next writing steps organized.

• Start making lists of what needs fixing or removing and “decluttering” action steps.

• Get clear on the separation between our writing and our life and ways we can prioritize both and still be successful.

As I said, I will hitting the ground running with this challenge. I will be dropping voice notes as I am getting down to work and documenting my progress, sharing tips as I go. I will be sharing worksheets that I think will help but if you just want to use a journal, a planner, and a pencil that will likely be enough.

I can’t wait! JOIN HERE

xoxox,

Amy

As a writer, I have learned that my writing means nothing if I’m not enjoying the process of writing and enjoying the life I have around it. I think all of us could take out a piece of paper and on one side list all of the terrible things going on in our lives right now.

I used to think this wasn’t true of other people, but as I’ve grown and matured, I know now that’s not the case. But these people could on the other side of that piece of paper list all of the things in their lives that make them happy and enrich every day, making life more palatable and those terrible things that can’t be helped a little easier to swallow.

Why can’t we do that with writing? That’s what I’m all about as a coach. I no longer subscribe to the idea that writing is all hard work. It’s my fun little life side-quest that lights up my brain and makes expressing myself possible. It doesn’t matter WHAT I write, as long as I keep writing. If you don’t feel that way, do you want to?

I’m fully embracing this mindset now and forever in the upcoming event that starts tomorrow. So hurry and get your spot!

What to expect:

Each month, mid month, you will receive 2 full days of voice notes on the Topic of a Writer’s Life (10 total), and 1 day of Q&A with me. I’m an author and a book coach and I am ready for whatever questions you have. Seriously, the more honest and unhinged the better, so don’t hold back.

July’s topics which are still live you can get access to are:

Day 1 -- Why we stopped

Day 2-- Why we should keep going

But each month the topics are going to be slightly different. I get brutally, no, let’s say colorfully honest about the writer’s life (the writer who is also a coach). If you want insight into that, it’s likely in your best interest to follow along. You might get pep talks like we did in July, but you might get a bit more. You might get insights into what to do next, or what to specifically do when your creative well has run dry. Or even what it even means to be a writer in this fucked up world of ours.

The next round of BoAWL is August 10th-12th!

Bones of A Writer's Life

xoxox,

Amy

It’s been slow and steady, but I must admit exceptional for such a short amount of time. But I’ve learned that a lot can happen in six months.

(You can see the glow-up happen in real time LOL)
But change is good. Evolution is good. Sure longevity is good too, but sometimes it can get you stuck in a rut. But I think it’s a misnomer to assume that people don’t change and that things can’t be hugely transformative in just six months. When you put your mind to things, you can get a lot done in that time. But you have to want to change. That’s really the only roadblock, I’ve found.

Reaching out to people has also been key, but also saying yes, (or a combo of the two) because this weird thing happens where I reach out and then people later reach back (which feels good, so hint hint). It has been a game-changer. And it had me reevaluating, like seriously picking apart and tracking how often I overthink and talk myself out of shit.

So yeah now I’m speaking at summits, and writing articles, and engaging in voiceover artist events, and going to writing retreats, and hell, swimming in the pool, which you would think isn’t an important aspect of this, but it totally fucking is. So is saying the f-word more. Because fuck it.

Now you might be thinking well, shit “Amy, we’re neurodivergent, we all overthink.” Okay, yes, but also no. See…how do I put this…my overthinking was deeply layered. And I got so good at it, I had made a room in my brain just for it. A comfortable room full of pillows and blankets and a list of excuses. YES even me, the-there’s-no-excuse-for-not-getting-your-writing-done-queen. But friends. I wasn’t just overthinking my friendships, or relationship troubles, or the big life stuff.

I was now overthinking my coffee order.

I was overthinking what shoes to wear.

I was overthinking whether or not to have my keys on a lanyard or not.

It was time for a change.

The first thing I decided not to overthink was to dye my hair. Again it’s not the easiest thing to do on a whim. But I tapped into this person who lives inside of me who can do things when she really wants to and I made it fucking happen. I dyed my hair blue. Actually I dyed it a mix of auburn, blonde, and blue and I fucking adore it.

I also had my eye on these leopard print sneakers for awhile and man they weren’t that expensive, but in my head I was always thinking: What the hell goes with leopard print sneakers, are ya nuts? And part of me was like well…

Let’s look at the facts:

1. You just dyed your hair three different colors

2. You’ve been in therapy for a year because, well, your daughter’s autism diagnosis happened to coincide with the highest level of work burnout you have ever had AND you finally got up the courage to put in your notice because OH MY GOD, and you’ve been in various support groups for late-diagnosed neurodivergent women where you finally decided you had something to say (outside of some passive comments in a discord) about that experience and maybe, just MAYBE, you might be able to help and not just be helped? All the while dealing with some health issues and medical gaslighting, AND you have completely shifted gears as far as what book you are focusing on writing/marketing because you still love that story so much you want no need it to be something even if the whole world hates it, but revisiting it was this whole emotional journey that caused you to rediscover why you want to help weird writers write weird things even if just as an act of protest in this current bullshit climate so you completely revamped your book coaching business and made it live again…

3. So, you know, leopard print shoes didn’t seem that crazy in comparison. Plus they are cute.
   

   

Also, you know what doesn’t go with leopard print shoes? Blue camo yoga pants, but I’ll find the person inside my brain who cares at this point and have them report to you. But I wore this into a coffee shop. A public place with real people, and I ordered my signature coffee without even looking at the menu because it was what I wanted.

And it was fucking delicious.

Embracing decision, color, water, and freaking breathing once and awhile has been THE THING, to be honest. It’s tough as a writer, in that writer box. And it’s tough when I had a way of doing things for a long time which was entirely online. But if you had the life I had the past uh…6-8? years you’d be doing life that way too.

But like I said, I think I’m ready to move along — a headfirst dive into that water.

It helps that my daughter likes it too.

HIGHLIGHT REEL ROUNDUP:

Articles I’ve written:

Another article I wrote about RSD in the workplace

Communities I’ve started:

Recent offers I’ve created:

A glimpse at my coaching offers:

xoxox,

Amy

P.S. As always, feel free to reach out with comments or questions. Send me a DM, or reply to this email.

My third conversation did not disappoint! Maybe, selfishly, I couldn’t wait to talk to another book coach (especially a witchy one) and really chat creative philosophy, what lights us up about the writing process and something Bailey said that is really insightful…how we all innately have creativity in us. Yes, all of us. Even you. I think that is likely going to be the main topic of the deep dive post coming next.

Dr. Bailey Lang (they/them) is the Literary Witch—a book coach who helps authors build sustainable, magical writing practices that take their books from draft to done. With a focus on mindset, practice, and craft, Bailey combines research with intuitive, client-led wisdom to guide writers as they step into their creative power.

How to get in touch with Bailey:

Website: https://literary-witch.com/

Newsletter: https://literary-witch.kit.com/profile

And in this episode we talked about Bailey’s writing group The Coven and the cyclical planning workshop, she has coming up. Don’t miss these!

Note: This is post one of two, so stay tuned for more info on Bailey!

Find out more at the Offbeat Ink HQ Shop!

Why I’m Showing Up Every Day on Instagram as the Loudest, Truest Version of Myself — and Why That’s Actually Radical

What Gatekeeping Actually Looks Like From the Inside

I covered many topics related to gate-keeping. I even talked more about that even last night. But then I talked about SO MUCH MORE. But today at 12:30 PM EST I went live for the 30th time in a row. I did it!

Celebrate with me tomorrow when I come back at 6:30 PM EST HERE and chat more about all of the things…

I’ll do a recap of things I talked about

I’ll answer ANY questions you have for me

I will talk to you about the emotional shift that occured

and I will share with you all of these amazing offers I have lined up for you.

I have so much to tell you!

Amy Ayres is the founder of Offbeat Ink, a coaching and resources brand for neurodivergent and queer writers and solopreneurs. Find her every day on Instagram Live at @amyayreswrites.