New for Writers

Story Summit's first Substack column launched today

With David Kirkpatrick at our Middlewick Writers Retreat in Glastonbury UK last fall.

Some of you know me as an author. Some of you know me as a teacher of A Course in Miracles. But what you may not know is that I’m also the Executive Director of Story Summit, a world-class writing school founded five years ago by former Paramount Studios President David Kirkpatrick.

Funny how life works. When Bob and I first moved to our acreage in Madison County 23 years ago, I dreamed of holding classes and retreats—something I’ve had the joy of doing many times over the years.

But one of my earliest thoughts was to create a writer’s school. That dream came true FAR beyond what I could have imagined. I thought I’d invite a few central Iowa writers to join me in our living room (and I have, and it’s been wonderful). But now, I’m part of an incredible international organization dedicated to training emerging writers, fostering creativity, and building a vibrant, supportive community.

So today, I’m speaking to you as the Exec. Director of Story Summit, proud to announce that we’ve launched our first Story Summit Substack column.

It’s called “Writing Through the Distractions,” and it features tips from a few of our faculty members, including Sleepless in Seattle screenwriter Jeff Arch, The Henna Artist author Alka Joshi, and The House of Eve author Sadeqa Johnson.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many millions of people have been reached by those three writers’ books and movies alone. And they’re just a few of the truly remarkable writers and human beings who believe in helping educate emerging writers through Story Summit.

If you’re a writer—or if you know someone who dreams of becoming one—Story Summit is for you. Through Substack, we’ll be sharing professional wisdom, industry insights, interviews with working writers, and expert advice from our exceptional faculty. It’s a way to bring the Story Summit experience to an even wider audience, and we couldn’t be more excited.

So, if writing calls to you, I invite you to check it out, subscribe, and share it with others who might be interested. Great stories start with a single word—and we’re here to help you write yours.

📖 Read our first column here: Writing Through the Distractions

“A WORLD OF YOUR OWN” IS A READER-SUPPORTED PUBLICATION. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

A NOTE TO MY READERS: I write “A World of Your Own” as a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, which is led by Julie Gammack, of Des Moines. I’m honored to be part of this group, featuring the diverse voices of more than 70 professional writers and journalists across the state of Iowa. I encourage you to check out their columns.