Unlocked by Comparison
Nonfiction Training Sessions That Get You Writing
Writing can put us in perpetual imposter syndrome.
Especially when we look directly at people who are doing it better / faster/ more successfully than we are.
Unfortunately, those folks have a lot to teach us. Womp-wah.
Comparison itself shows us who's better/faster/more successful than we are, but as long as we leave competition off the table, that comparison can teach us a lot. Who's better at narratives than me and what can I learn from them? Who rocks word counts, and if I share that same drive, what tricks can I pick up?
I think we can bypass the imposter syndrome that comes from stretching into new spaces simply by realizing it's not the space that's the issue, but the way we think about it. The imposter feelings creep up when we're trying to be anything other than ourselves, growing and learning in new ways every day. Because if we're showing up authentically, it's impossible to be a fake.
We bypass imposter syndrome when we stop competing and start collaborating. We get unlocked by comparison when we embrace it as a useful part of our brain function and direct it toward constant learning instead of self-deprecation.
That's the theory behind these single-event, pre-set classes.
That, and the fact that I'm a huge proponent of minimum viable support. The biggest hangups can be overcome by surprisingly small efforts. In this case, you can pick up one of the topics I teach over and again, at a discounted rate, for yourself, your writing partners, or a group.
No further obligations. No prep work for you. No expectations. Just a space where we can explore what's worked for other creators and how that might help us unlock our own work.
Book a Group Training
Unlock Your AUTHORity with Morpheus Mode
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Why an author persona is just as important as a reader persona
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How to step into your confidence as an author—your AUTHORity (get it?)
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When and how to drop big truths without losing your reader
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How tapping into your content on a gut level helps you get all of that
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All within an analysis of a scene from The Matrix
Live training sessions are 90 minute Zoom calls. Recordings and any handouts will be available to anyone who can't make it live.
What's Morpheus Mode? Only the coolest breakthrough I've had on nonfiction in...maybe ever.
I picked up this scene for a client who was using The Matrix as a "masterwork" or reference point, and literally had to Google "Morpheus explains something to Neo" to find what I was looking for.
It wound up being one of the most iconic moments in the movie, and loaded with impeccable nonfiction scene structure.
There are probably five different angles I could teach from one 2.5 minute clip, but right now I want to see you writing with confidence and flow. So this inaugural live training will follow "the red dress scene,"with the goal of unblocking your AUTHORity and subsequently unlocking your nonfiction content—books, blogs, and presentations alike.
Further event dates and topics will be added here as they become available. They will be recorded, so no worries if you can't make it live. Each one will follow the energy of the group dynamic, so different events may chase different threads. You're welcome to grab more than one—but if you want more like this, I recommend ongoing group training/coaching instead.
Book Your Session
Here's How It Works
Training sessions are 90-minutes long to make room for questions. Attendees have access to the recording, though attendance is recommended.
Each training will focus on ways to unlock your nonfiction content via comparison against a specific case study.
The current session (Morpheus Mode) focuses on:
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Author persona
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Writing with confidence
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Holding a reader connection
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The freaking Matrix
Recordings and PDF sent within 24 hours.
The Invitation
Who
Anyone (working on nonfiction content) who has felt stuck or a bit imposter-y.
Book a session for yourself or split the cost with writing partners and groups.
*All are welcome, but you'll get the most benefit from this space if you've got something you're working on.
If you don't want to admit you're writing a book yet, but you keep saying some variation of "I really should..." this is probably the space for you.
What
A live training session on a specific topic.
Currently available: Morpheus Mode AUTHORity
(and how not being in that authority might have you feeling stuck
or disconnected from your reader).
When
Book one for yourself or your writer's group at your own convenience.
Where
All sessions happen over Zoom,
with recordings and homework or handouts emailed afterward.
Why
Because we're better together.
And because I can step into this content in my sleep,
I get to offer this at a discounted rate compared to other sessions.
How
Book your time and pay up front—then invite whoever you want!
Please use your best contact email when signing up or reaching out.
Read on for more Q&A, and when in doubt, send me a chat. We'll manage the rest together.
Don't want to wait? Check out Wonder Woman to see how rich nonfiction training can be waiting right under the surface of our favorite fiction content.
Q&A
Do multiple people have to show up?
Nope, but to be clear, there won't be refunds for those who don't.
There is added benefit to coming live, but the training is the training and you're welcome to work through it
behind the scenes. Recordings will be sent out to honor both time zone differences and personal preferences.
If you do come, you won't be on the recording, you won't come off mute, and you won't be put on the spot.
Can group calls ever dig deep enough to really help me unlock my book?
Yes, and.
Can we dig deep enough in a group setting to move you forward? Yes.
Can we dig deep enough to help you understand new concepts? Yep.
Can we dig deep enough to guarantee a book in X amount of time?
No, but I don't even promise that 1:1.
What I do promise is:
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to dig deep into the content no matter how few or many people show up,
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to draw on what I know has worked for others,
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to be as present as I can be to what the room might need, and
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to show up fully for anyone who shows up at all.
But book writing is not like baking. The ingredients don't always turn out. Sometimes we get surprised.
Sometimes we like the surprise. Sometimes we have to smash it up and turn it into something else.
The best we can do is get into the kitchen together and be open to making messes.
(Bakers, don't come for me. And if you do, bring cookies.)
What does a fiction scene have to do with nonfiction content?
Well, that's the training, isn't it?
If you want a taste, be sure to check out Wonder Woman's No Man's Land.
Bottom line is that our brains are finicky and sometimes need a break.
Stepping outside of the normal "do this, avoid that" teaching gives us a new angle.
It's a sneaky way to get around resistance and avoidance to let the hard truths come through.
The Matrix is a great example because of how obvious the metaphor and message is.
I've recorded a version of this for the client vault and have used it with several clients and groups this summer.
There's a LOT here. It's a ton of fun. And it's a great way to dip your toes into nonfic geek realms with me.