Mind, Body, Spirit: Writing Books That Inspire
Maggie Hamilton
Saturday 29 March 2025, 10am-4pm
Full Price: $225
Member: $170
Conc Member: $145
This writing course, Mind, Body, Spirit: Writing Books That Inspire with Maggie Hamilton, will take place at Writing NSW in Sydney.
What sets popular inspirational books apart? What key skills help get you over the line when writing a motivational book? What are mind, body, spirit readers looking for right now? Join author Maggie Hamilton to deep dive into the mind, body, spirit genre. A former Allen & Unwin publisher, Maggie created and ran the Inspired Living imprint, producing over 75 mind, body, spirit books.
In this lively hands-on workshop for writers of all stages, discover how best to describe inspirational experiences and approaches, and how to build on these insights to keep busy readers focused and engaged. Learn what to leave in, and what to edit out. Find out how best to arrive at your own voice, and to weave in the voices of others.
Topics covered will include:
- Current mind, body, spirit trends
- Understanding your audience
- Common mistakes mind, body, spirit writers make
- How to draw up a solid chapter outline
- The secrets of an impactful opening
- What to do when a chapter or section feels thin
- When to consider using case studies
- The rules around interviewing
- Why layering matters
- Essential editing tips
- How to keep your readers with you to the last page
- What to look for when soliciting feedback
- Preparing your submission to publishers.
Expected learning outcomes
In this workshop, you will:
- Learn to write to your specific audience
- Learn how to fine tune your ideas and polish your manuscript
- Gain an understanding of when your manuscript is ready for submission.
Participant requirements
Pen (in two colours if possible) and paper, or a fully charged device.
Before the course, please read the following essays:
Clarissa Pinkola Estes on Story as Medicine: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1951&context=mrj
Joan Didion on the Santa Anas: misswhistle.blogspot.com/2007/10/joan-didion-on-santa-anas.html
When reading these essays consider: Where is their power – how can you work with this?
Reviews
‘Maggie provided a superbly comprehensive overview of vital elements of the writing process, and on how to prepare our work to be considered for prospective publication.’ — Participant, 2024
‘Maggie is a generous, warm, eloquent teacher who made us all feel like our contributions were valuable.’ — Participant, 2024
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