Meet the Speakers
Parul Bavishi
London Writer’s Hour
Parul Bavishi is the co-founder of the London Writers' Salon, a creator of the webby-nominated Writers' Hour daily writing sessions, and host of the London Writers' Salon podcast.
Bonus! Two Weeks of Writers’ Hour
Get two weeks of Writers’ Hour and enjoy daily writing sprints held 4x every Monday through Friday.
Sue Campbell
Author Mindset Coaching
Sue has helped hundreds of writers, from newbies to bestsellers, transform their inhibitive mindset around marketing and realize their full potential as authors. Her clients have exponentially increased their email lists and book sales, landed articles in prestigious publications such as The New York Times, done guest spots on popular podcasts and more.
Bridgett M. Davis
Advocacy in Memoir
Bridgett M. Davis is the author of the memoirs Love, Rita (published by Harper Books in Spring 2025) and The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother’s Life in the Detroit Numbers (a New York Times Editors’ Choice, named a Best Book of 2019 by Kirkus Reviews, and featured as a clue on Jeopardy!). She is also the author of two novels, Into the Go-Slow, and Shifting Through Neutral. Davis is the writer/director of the 1996 award-winning film Naked Acts, newly restored and released to critical acclaim, and now available on select streaming services, DVD and Blu-Ray. Davis is Professor Emerita at Baruch College (CUNY) and the Graduate Center, where she taught creative, narrative and film writing. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, the LA Times and The Washington Post, among other publications. A graduate of Spelman College and Columbia Journalism School, she lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Laura Davis
Contributor
Laura Davis is the author of The Courage to Heal, The Burning Light of Two Stars, and five other groundbreaking books. In addition to writing books that inspire, the work of Laura’s heart is to teach. For more than 25 years, she’s helped people find their voices, tell their stories, and hone their craft.
Laura has been published in Publisher's Weekly, Writer's Digest, CrimeReads, Brevity, and The New York Times, featured in Los Angeles Review of Books, and on QWERTY, Write-Minded, The Only One in the Room, and dozens of other podcasts. She's been a featured speaker for The National Association of Memoir Writers and an acclaimed teacher at The San Miguel Writer's Conference and at Esalen in Big Sur.
She teaches workshops in the US, like Flourishing While We Age: A Writing Workshop for Women, and international writing adventures, including a Cultural Journey to Cuba, and a Creative Pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago.
Bonus! Burning Light Extras
Laura is offering two bonuses to everyone who attends the Write Anyway Summit:
a copy of the letter she wrote to her family to inform them about the publication of The Burning Light of Two Stars
the opportunity to read the first five chapters of her memoir for free so you can how she chose to portray her family members. (People say it’s a page turner, so it should be easy to read!)
Claire L. Fishback
Plan for Anything: Simple Tools to Eliminate Distractions that Steal Your Writing Time
From first spark to final page, Claire L. Fishback coaches novelists and aspiring novelists to ditch the pressure, fall back in love with their story, and finally finish their damn (good) book. A certified book coach through Author Accelerator, Claire helps writers find joyful, sustainable writing practices rooted in mindset, creative connection, and a deep trust in their own process. When she’s not coaching or writing her own novels, Claire can be found hiking Colorado trails with her husband and their beloved pittie mix, Kira, or baking delicious cakes. She believes every writer has a message for the world, and believes in them and their story. Especially when they don't believe in themselves.
Bonus! Plan for Anything
Life happens. Chaos happens. But your story? It deserves to keep going. Stop waiting for perfect conditions (spoiler: they don’t exist). Inside this guide, you’ll find nine playful, mix-and-match tools designed to help you keep writing through busy days, energy slumps, and “life just happened” moments. With more joy, less pressure, and zero guilt, you’ll learn how to stay connected to your story no matter what gets in the way.
Joey Garcia
Overcoming Ageism in the Writing World
Joey Garcia is an editor and author coach who helps writers build platforms while she edits their manuscript. Joey's clients can be found in The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian magazine, Ms. magazine, CNN, PBS, and The Tamron Hall Show, among others. A former relationship advice columnist, Joey has been quoted in HuffPost, USA Today, Deutsche Welle, PBS, and featured on Slate’s Dear Prudence podcast. Her poetry, essays, and short stories have been anthologized, performed, and published. In 2024, Joey received the Queen Mary Wasafiri Life Writing prize selected by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cristina Rivera Garza.
CONNECT: INSTAGRAM
Bonus! Make Your Age an Asset!
You’re never too old to succeed as an author. Download Joey’s ebook with fun quizzes and actionable steps to support your success.
Emily Golden & Rachel May
Cultivating Confidence and Resilience as a Writer
Emily Golden and Rachel May are the founders of Golden May. Their joint love of amazing stories and mutual fascination with writing craft evolved into a book coaching business devoted to helping tenacious writers develop the unique writing craft, process, and mindset that works for them—because every writer is different.
CONNECT: INSTAGRAM
Bonus! Craft Complex Characters Masterclass
Knowing who your character is at their core empowers you to live within their skin so you can ensure their actions and choices on the page feel human and inevitable. In this 90-minute masterclass, we’ll give you our 6-step method for crafting a character so real, flawed, lovable, and human that they practically bleed off the page.
Tim Grahl
How to Write a Novel You’re Proud to Publish — in 2 Years, Not 20
Tim Grahl, the CEO and publisher at Story Grid, has been in publishing in various roles for 15 years. As a book marketing consultant, he has put dozens of books on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and other bestseller lists. Tim is the author of six books, including the perennial sellers Running Down a Dream and Your First 1000 Copies. His new novel, The Shithead, is now out.
Bonus! The Story Grid
Get a free copy of Shawn Coyne’s The Story Grid and learn how to write stories readers will love. This deep dive into what makes a story work will teach you the five commandments of storytelling, plus how to evaluate and fix your own writing.
Anne Hawley
Scene Workshop
Anne Hawley is a third-generation native Oregonian, a graduate of Portland State University. When she's not editing stories, she's writing them, reading them, researching them, or analyzing them on The Editor Roundtable Podcast. She specializes in helping writers discover the heart of the story they’re trying to tell so that they can tell it more beautifully. She can often be seen riding her Dutch bike Eleanor around Portland. She's the author of Restraint, a love story set in 19th Century London.
Leslie “XPLovecat” Horn
Write Through Perfectionism: Make Messy Drafts, Create Magic Stories
Leslie “XPLovecat” Horn is an Author Accelerator certified book coach who helps nerdy fantasy, horror, and sci-fi writers build strong novel foundations while keeping the creative process fun. She combines analytical feedback with supportive coaching, drawing on years of storytelling experience shaped by roleplaying games. Leslie works closely with writers in the beginning stages of writing a novel, whether they’re developing an idea or revising an early draft. She also has a YouTube channel focusing on fiction writing craft.
CONNECT: YOUTUBE
Bonus! How to Make Sure Your Novel Works Using the Mini Blueprint Workshop
This short, powerful workshop introduces the Mini Blueprint, a proven tool designed to help you stop spinning your wheels and start writing with clarity. If you're tired of chasing "perfect" and ready to move forward with confidence, this workshop is a great first step!
Anne Janzer
Contributor
Anne Janzer is a nonfiction book coach and the author of multiple award-winning books on writing, including The Writer’s Process, Writing to Be Understood, and The Writer’s Voice. Her books have been translated into multiple languages and adapted for college writing courses. She is always experimenting with ways of better serving her readers.
Bill Kenower
Embracing Your True Writing Passion
William Kenower is the author of Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt, Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence, and Write Within Yourself: An Author’s Companion, and is the editor-in-chief of Author magazine. In addition to his books, he’s been published in The New York Times, Writer’s Digest, Edible Seattle, and Parent Map, and has been a featured blogger for the Huffington Post. He also hosts the popular podcasts Author2Author and Fearless Writing With Bill Kenower.
L.L. Kirchner
Overcoming Hurdles on the Way to Writing Success
L.L. Kirchner is an award-winning screenwriter and author of two memoirs, the historical thriller series, The Queenpin Chronicles, and is currently at work on her next book, a mystery novel set in 1996 Pittsburgh. If you’ve read her work it won’t surprise you to learn she was once simultaneously the bridal editor for a society rag, dating columnist for an alt-newsweekly, and religion editor for an LGBTQ+ paper. She currently lives in Florida with her favorite husband and their best boy Hartley.
Bonus! Queenpin Chronicles Prequel
If you want an author career, you need a reader magnet, a sustainable giveaway that will draw readers to your books. Here’s mine, a prequel to my Queenpin Chronicles series called, The Debutante: The Making of a Queenpin. The end has a call to action for the rest of my series and includes other books. Check it out!
Jennifer Larkin
Why Writers Struggle with Imposter Syndrome (and What to Do When It Hits)
Jennifer Larkin is an Author Accelerator-certified fiction book coach who helps romance and fantasy writers turn ideas into stories, and drafts into novels. She works 1:1 with multi-published authors, as well as those just starting out. Jennifer is also an author herself, with two romance novellas out under a pen name.
CONNECT: INSTAGRAM
Bonus! Kick Imposter Syndrome to the Curb
Be prepared next time imposter syndrome strikes. Use the archetype-specific affirmations in this eBook to reframe competence and banish those imposter feelings.
Carson Long
Using Technology in Writing
Carson Long is a writer, educator, and video host for ProWritingAid’s Story Lab, where he helps new writers build confidence and master storytelling fundamentals. He is the creator of the YouTube channel Writing Theory, known for its combining education, energy, and chaotic fun with writing content. He is the author of Starlight Farm’s Kennel for Talking Dogs, a cozy fantasy novella praised for its character and voice. With a background in fiction, filmmaking, and digital content, he focuses on making writing approachable and actionable. Carson is passionate about helping writers finish their work and discover the unique stories only they can tell.
Matt Madden
Thinking Inside the Box: How to Use Constraints as a Source of Creativity and Innovation
Matt Madden is an internationally renowned cartoonist dubbed by The New York Times as “the stuntman-philosopher of American comics.” He is the author of the graphic novel Ex Libris and 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style, which takes a single-page comic and spins out 99 inventive and surprising variations, a project that has inspired artists and readers around the world. In 2013, he was named Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for his public engagement with French culture as an artist, teacher, and translator. Madden is also a comics coach, helping cartoonists focus and refine their art and storytelling into their best work possible.
CONNECT: SUBSTACK
Laura Munson
The Craft of Compelling Writing
Laura Munson is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of the novel Willa’s Grove and the memoir This Is Not The Story You Think It Is. Her next book, The Wild Why: Stories and Teachings to Uncover Your Wonder, is coming out in April 2025.
She has been published in nine countries and has been featured in Vanity Fair, Elle, Redbook, Time, Newsweek, Washington Post, Publisher’s Weekly and published in the New York Times ‘Modern Love’ Column, the New York Times Magazine ‘Lives’ Column, O. Magazine, and many others.
Laura is the founder of the acclaimed Haven Writing Retreats, speaks at women’s conferences and literary events, and has appeared on Good Morning America, The Early Show, NPR, and media outlets across the globe. She lives in Montana.
Bonus! Journal Practice
Laura’s So Now What journal writing practice will help you use writing to shed old, unhelpful ways of thinking, so that you can move forward in your writing and your life. All it takes is 27 minutes...to finally say what you really need to say.
Daria White Osah
Protecting Creative Time Without Guilt
Daria White is a multi-genre author with features in Writer's Craft, DIYMFA, and Kindlepreneur. She has over 400 podcast episodes and is a frequent speaker on expert panels and summits. As a time strategist, Daria has helped over 300 authors through her No Time Writer mentorship program, a simple method that helps writers stay accountable, write with clarity, and finish books while juggling full lives.
CONNECT: FACEBOOK
Bonus! Write Beyond Yourself: The Power of Consistency
What if you could fit writing into your busy life with ease? It’s possible. And it starts with simple, proven strategies for writing consistently. Download your free guide and take the first step toward finishing your book. Your story is waiting—and the time to act is now.
Gabriela Pereira
The Power of Language in Transforming Your Mindset
Gabriela Pereira is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur who wants to challenge the status quo of higher education. As the founder and instigator of DIYMFA.com, her mission is to empower writers, artists and other creatives to take an entrepreneurial approach to their education and professional growth. Gabriela earned her MFA in writing from The New School and has spoken at college campuses, national conferences, and a plethora of online events. She is also the host of DIY MFA Radio, a popular podcast where she has interviewed bestselling authors and book industry professionals, and author of the book DIY MFA: Write with Focus, Read with Purpose, Build Your Community.
Bonus! DIY MFA Starter Kit
This two-week mini-course delivered via email will help you DIY your MFA and get the "knowledge without the college."
Rachelle Ramirez
Scene Workshop
Rachelle is a developmental editor, master's level counselor, certified ADHD coach, one of the world’s foremost experts on Story Types, and co-host of The Happily Ever Author Club and the Write Anyway Summit. She co-wrote The Pages and Platforms Guide to Story and numerous online masterclasses for writers with fellow developmental editor, Anne Hawley. Rachelle's forthcoming book is The ADHD Writer: From Frustrated to Focused to Finished.
Jamie Rose
Facing Madame X: Tools for Women to Overcome Self-Sabotage
Jamie Rose is a protégé of Dr. Phil Stutz and collaborates with him on workshops and webinars, as well as maintaining a thriving private coaching practice based on his work. Her essays and articles have been published in magazines such as Coast, Actors Ink, and HuffPost, and she is the author of Shut Up and Dance! The Joy of Letting Go of the Lead (Tarcher/Penguin, 2011), a "dance of life" memoir/self-help book exploring the relationship of masculine and feminine archetypes as embodied in the Argentine tango. She’s currently working on a new book, Facing Madame X: How to Vanquish Negativity, Activate your Feminine Power, and Become Unstoppable, that will be released by Arcade Publishing in March 2026.
Ruth Shilling
How to Move the Needle: Smart Strategies for Balancing Writing and Life with Chronic Health Conditions
Ruth Shilling, fiction book coach, copyeditor, and writer was certified for coaching through Author Accelerator in 2024. She wrote her first terrible manuscript in 2009 after graduating with her English degree and has been copyediting for authors and studying the craft of writing ever since.
Ruth was diagnosed with sero-negative RA in 2018. Understanding the varying energy levels and chronic pain, she helps writers manage the overwhelm that can come with writing and revising—in the midst of the good, the bad, and the ugly of life—so they feel confident about their novels. Ruth loves hiking, playing cards and boardgames, but spends most of her free time reading or watching movies or shows.
Bonus! Set Yourself Up for Success Workbook
Get mindset questions, strategies, and goal setting steps, and other helpful bonuses to help balance writing and life with chronic health conditions.
Marion Roach Smith
Empowering Writers as a Force for Good
Marion Roach Smith is the author of four books including The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life. A former staffer at The New York Times, she has been a commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered and a talk show host on Sirius Satellite Radio. She currently runs a writing lab called The Memoir Project and teaches memoir worldwide.
CONNECT: INSTAGRAM
Bonus! The Memoir Writing Formula
The Memoir Formula is a free ebook from author and former New York Times staff member Marion Roach Smith that will teach you the foundational secret of good memoir writing. Come discover how to start writing a book you can be truly proud of.
Matt Trinetti
London Writer’s Hour
Matt Trinetti is the co-founder of the London Writers' Salon, a creator of the webby-nominated Writers' Hour daily writing sessions, and host of the London Writers' Salon podcast.
Bonus! Two Weeks of Writers’ Hour
Get two weeks of Writers’ Hour and enjoy daily writing sprints held 4x every Monday through Friday.