When You’re Finally Ready to Start Your Book (Even If You’re Not Sure You Are)
A story of one writer’s transformation—and how your summer could spark your own.
Today, I want to introduce you to one of my book coaching clients, Dr. Karen Roland-Douglass. She published her book this spring. We first connected in 2023.
By the time Karen first reached out to me for book coaching, people had been asking her for years, “When will you write a book?”
She was finally ready. It was the right time.
I remember our first phone call. I was somewhere in Quebec headed towards Tadoussac for whale-watching, and I had finally found cell reception. When we connected, we talked about her book idea.
In her voice, Karen held deep conviction. She knew she had something important to say, and she wanted to write a book. But she needed confidence to actually begin. She needed to know how to write a book.
She had already taken the first step.
Karen wanted to empower readers to move beyond trauma, embrace their authentic selves, and step into a future filled with freedom, joy, and purpose. She signed up for my Clarity & Confidence book coaching package, and over the next year, we worked together to bring her book into focus. Chapter by chapter, she clarified her message, shaped her outline, and built a reader-centered plan that honoured both her voice and her goals.
“When I reached out to Dinah for book coaching, I needed guidance, support, and encouragement. I also expected to gain a better insight into how to write a book. My expectations were fulfilled.”
—Dr. Karen Roland-Douglass, author of The Purpose in the Pain
Today, Karen is holding her finished book in her hands. It’s called The Purpose in the Pain, and in it, she shares her belief that everyone can live a purpose-filled existence, but to attain it, we may need to confront past wounds and dismantle the lies that hold us back. She combines her personal experience with her professional expertise as a Clinical Psychologist, and her readers will feel her compassion come through.
I *love* this photo. You can see it in her smile—that feeling of accomplishment. Of doing the thing she’d long imagined. Of stepping into her power and sharing her voice.
This summer, that feeling could be yours.
Not because you’ve finished your book—but because you finally started. Because you made space for your ideas. Because you said yes to something that matters deeply to you.
And by fall, when the season shifts again, you’ll have more than momentum—you’ll have the proud, clear feeling that you chose to move your book forward. For real. For yourself.
That’s what my new coaching program, The Summer Spark Writing Plan, is designed for.
To move you from stuck to starting.
From “maybe one day” to this day, this season.
From carrying your idea alone to having a guide and a plan.
You’ll spend two focused days (or four mornings) talking through your idea, testing out your voice, organizing your message, and building a clear, reader-centered map forward.
You close your laptop feeling lighter. More confident.
Your book doesn’t need to be finished this summer.
But what if it could be clearer?
What if it could be doable?
What if it could start?
Some real ways writers have used their coaching time:
Clarifying a fuzzy idea. One writer came in with three ideas. We spent our coaching sessions narrowing in on the one that had real traction—and by the end, she had a working title, reader promise, and chapter sketch.
Restarting a stalled project. Another writer had five half-drafted chapters and a ton of doubt. We mapped out what was working and found a stronger structure. She now had a timeline, a revised outline, and her confidence was restored.
Drafting a book proposal. A client wanted to work on the proposal she would submit to agents and small publishers, in hopes of an eventual publishing deal. Over a few sessions, we tightened her message, clarified the audience, and drafted a marketing plan.
Making the abstract tangible. One memoir writer had a good story but no clear “why now.” Together, explored her core message—and connected it to the big questions of today.
Your summer coaching sessions can begin the momentum that takes you to a finished book, just like Karen’s did.
Remember: It’s first-come, first-served. Summer coaching spots are limited.
P.S. Curious about the book Karen wrote?
Her debut, The Purpose in the Pain: Escaping the Grip of Your Past and Embracing the Infinite Possibilities of Your Future, was released this spring. In it, Dr. Roland-Douglass—licensed clinical psychologist, professor, and healer—guides readers on a powerful journey of healing and transformation.
She combines professional expertise and personal insight to show how we can confront past wounds, release the lies that hold us back, and uncover the deeper purpose within our pain. It’s compassionate, practical, and deeply empowering.
You can find her speaking across the country, raising awareness about mental health and spirituality—and now, sharing her message through her book.
That’s what becomes possible when you choose to say yes to your idea.
A final reminder from Agatha
You probably know Agatha Christie as the Queen of Mystery. But did you know she also rolled up her sleeves as a wartime nurse and pharmacist? That’s right—during WWI, she passed her apothecary exam, worked in a hospital dispensary… and quietly fixed an error by the pharmacist by accidentally-on-purpose smashing a dangerously overmedicated batch of suppositories. (The chemist never knew. And yes, she wrote him into one of her novels.)
Christie lived fully, paid attention, and used everything she learned—about chemistry, character, and human nature—in her stories.
A little reminder: the life you’re living now? It might be the most important source material you have.
What detail from your everyday life might inspire your next page?