This book has been twenty-five years in the making, growing from my first writing circles in my living room to the amazing global community we have in my school today. Story Is a State of Mind brings together everything I've learned about creativity, presence, and the art of whole-minded writing.
Creative writing asks us to think and feel at the same time, and to write with our intellect and our intuition. That's why so many writers get stuck: they tend to write using just one or the other.
This book shows you how to write from your whole mind, integrating meditation, craft, and mindset so your words can flow.
Whether you're starting your first story or working on your tenth book, these pages hold practices and wisdom to help you write with more joy, skill, and creative energy.
I am truly excited to share this work with you and your writing communities. Let’s create something magical together.
Story Is a State of Mind Sessions explore the practices in my book. Our gatherings focus on creative discussion, meditation, and writing practice. These sessions help you access creative flow reliably and naturally. Sessions are at 11:30am ET on the first Wednesday of every month through December 2025.
Your Centered membership begins as soon as you sign up. You’ll get all the extra benefits that are in Centered, too!
Come to learn or come to practice.
Find the state of mind that makes your resistance melt away.
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Do you dream of writing but don’t know where to start? This is your path to becoming a good writer. Learn craft, style, and technique, and make your writing more meaningful. The Story Course is my foundational program, and helps you write in a new and better way, using emotion, description, self-care, and courage. This is a self-paced program that teaches you how to become a writer without a degree. Recommended for all writers.
Start writing now. Registration always open.
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Is this the year you fully step into your identity as a writer? My classic five-month program brings the fundamentals of whole-minded writing practice into a serious curriculum, with the mentorship, deadlines, and accountability you need to succeed. Work intimately with a mentor and small writing group to transform your relationship to yourself as a writer. You’ll understand the tools of writing craft in an embodied way that you can never unlearn, write confidently in any genre, and bring more joy into your creative work.
Step into your writing life.
Aug 25, 2025 to Jan 9, 2026.
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Transform your writing group, conference, or classroom with Sarah’s unique blend of craft and consciousness. Drawing from Story Is a State of Mind, Sarah offers dynamic workshops and talks that help writers access their creative power with more ease, awareness, and joy.
Session options include:
Sarah brings over twenty years of teaching experience to each event, creating meaningful experiences that inspire lasting change in writers’ practices.
Contact support@sarahselecky.com to learn more.
S tory Is a State of Mind offers a fresh approach to teaching creative writing, combining craft instruction with mindset techniques that help students access their creative power. The book’s practices and tutorials make it ideal for college and university courses.
For course materials, contact Assembly Press (info@assemblypress.ca):
To book Sarah for a guest lecture or workshop in your classroom, contact support@sarahselecky.com.
“Sarah’s calm presence and unique methodology create meaningful breakthroughs for writers at all levels, and I enthusiastically recommend both her book and workshops to anyone serious about developing writers—whether in literature studies, creative writing programs, or courses that combine both approaches.”
As a professor teaching The Art of the Novel at Toronto Metropolitan University, I’ve integrated Sarah Selecky’s Story is a State of Mind into my curriculum with remarkable results. Our course uniquely combines elements of traditional English literature survey with creative writing instruction, and Sarah’s book bridges these approaches beautifully. When Sarah visited our class to lead a workshop, the transformation was palpable. Students arrived anxious and stressed—typical of end-of-semester energy—but within minutes of Sarah’s guidance, the entire atmosphere shifted.
What makes Sarah’s approach so valuable is how fundamentally different it is from conventional academic writing instruction. Her creative practices connect students to their innate curiosity and embodied knowledge in ways they hadn’t experienced before in their university education. The room fell into a focused hush as Sarah shared wisdom from her decades of teaching creative writing.
My students have continued to apply her methods throughout the semester, finding that these practices not only improve their writing but also foster a healthier relationship with their creativity. Story is a State of Mind offers exactly what emerging writers need: practical techniques for accessing creative flow while developing craft skills that translate to stronger, more authentic work.
I’ve witnessed first-hand how Sarah’s calm presence and unique methodology create meaningful breakthroughs for writers at all levels, and I enthusiastically recommend both her book and workshops to anyone serious about developing writers—whether in literature studies, creative writing programs, or courses that combine both approaches.
Professor Sarah Henstra, PhD
Department of English
Toronto Metropolitan University
Books ordered directly from Assembly Press will be personally signed by Sarah. For multiple copies, either adjust the quantity in your shopping cart or contact Assembly Press directly at info@assemblypress.ca.
