Ever feel like the fire in your belly to write competes with the exhaustion in your body?

You are so not alone. Chronic illness and mental health challenges can throw a wrench into even the most dedicated writer's plans. But you know what? You can still be a thriving author, even with limitations.

The Ch/ill Author is your supportive haven, a place to rewrite the narrative on writing with chronic illness. Here, we understand the unique challenges you face—the unpredictable energy levels, the days that vanish in a blur of brain fog, the frustration of wanting to write mountains but barely managing molehills.

In this course, I aim to provide you with strategies and support to help you navigate the ups and downs of managing your writing career while taking care of your health. By adjusting your expectations and learning how to work with your condition rather than against it, you can still achieve wonders.

It's essential to first acknowledge and accept the changes that come with being diagnosed with a chronic illness and/or mental illness. Your writing journey may not look the same as it did before, and that's okay. Embrace the idea that your process may need to evolve, whether that means adjusting your writing schedule, seeking support from fellow writers who understand your struggles, or being kinder to yourself on challenging days. By being compassionate and patient with yourself, you can find a new rhythm that allows you to continue pursuing your passion for writing.

This course is about:

• Adjusting expectations: Let's ditch the guilt and unrealistic timelines. We'll create a sustainable writing practice that works for you, not against you.
• Building resilience: Discover practical tools and strategies to navigate flare-ups, manage your energy, and prioritize your well-being.
• Finding your voice: We'll explore how your experiences can enrich your writing and connect with readers on a deeper level.

You can also join the Ch/ill Author Facebook group, a supportive community where you'll connect with other writers who "get it." We'll celebrate your victories, no matter how small, and offer encouragement on the tougher days.

Chronic illness doesn't have to spell the end for your story. Let's flip the script together!

Hello friend! I’m so excited you’re here. I truly believe that the strategies and information I’ll present to you during this course has the power to change your life for the better, both in your writing career and in other aspects of your life, as well.

Until 2014, I managed my own illness by pushing and forcing and belittling myself for not being the something more I felt I should be. I’d been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia years before, but I still swung between severe lows where I was incapable of almost everything, and all the rest of the time where I push-push-pushed. You can probably guess at the type of cycle I was living in—it probably resembles your own. I just couldn’t allow myself to accept less of what I’d been able to do before, which always seemed to be far more than I could do now, and the difference only continued to grow.

But in 2014, my son Xander fell ill. It took almost a year of questioning and tests, but we finally learned that he had likely been bitten by a tick while hiking, and now had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and a variety of co-morbidities like post orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and primary immune deficiency.

It was almost unbearable to see my bright, accomplished child struck so low. He was fourteen years old, was a second-degree black belt, on his way to third, was in the gifted and talented program at school, and was just an all-around amazing guy. He was one of those people who really could be anything he wanted to be. Everything he wanted to be.

But in the course of just a few weeks, he couldn't get out of bed or even think and speak coherently.

Eventually, we were able to manage his symptoms, and he resumed a semblance of normal life, but it was nothing at all like the life he had imagined for himself, or we had dreamed for him.

Over the next few years, as Xan tried to discover what he could and couldn’t do (yet tried to do anyway), he fell into a deep depression. Watching his struggle was like holding a mirror up to my own coping mechanisms and forced me to face a very significant truth:

If I wanted to help Xander find value and joy in his life, I first had to find it for myself.

However, as you’ve no doubt experienced, that is far easier said than done.

By the time I came to this realization, I’d been in publishing for five or so years. My first trilogy was quite successful, and I made a good income. I kept a newsletter, but I didn’t have to do much of anything else. I was active in online conferences, so perhaps that sustained my sales, as well. But with increased demands on my time due to Xander's illness, it had been a while since I had written and published anything new. It seemed I had to rebuild everything about myself and my life, and by the time I returned to publishing, everything was different, and I had to learn it all over again.

Despite my efforts to be a good example to Xander, I found myself completely unable to compete in publishing as I had before. Over and over, I tried—and failed—to create and stick with a writing and publishing schedule.

Between my health and Xander’s, I could never stick with any plans and without a plan, what was the point of setting goals? And without goals, how could I experience any kind of achievement? And without achievement, what good was my life?

Essentially, it came down to this: Why bother trying to be anything at all when I was clearly meant to be nothing?

That’s awfully dramatic and fatalistic, but I was at the mercy of my health and the lack of control I had was terrifying and demoralizing.

Then I took a course that taught me about myself and the way I process stress, the way I work, and the general discontent I felt with my writing. That course—Write Better Faster 1.0 by Becca Syme—unlocked the door to the next phase of my life where I continued to learn how to find joy despite pain and disappointment.

As I continued to learn, I knew I had to share it with others who also struggled to find their own purpose post-diagnosis. I became certified in coaching and neuro-linguistic programming and threw myself into learning everything I could about living well with chronic illness, all so you and I—and Xander—could have a chance at a life with purpose, success and joy.

Since my diagnosis, I’ve published 11 (and counting) more books, have taught widely at writing conferences, become a keynote and motivational speaker, become a story development coach, and won my first traditional publication deal. It’s true that I may not write as fast, or as often, as other writers. Or that I may not publish as often as I’m “supposed” to. But I am content with doing what I love and watching my son thrive as well.

My hope for you, is that this course will help you know you’re not alone; introduce a new way of thinking that might be your key to success; and teach coping and management strategies that will help you find your own path to success in publishing—and life!