You know I love a DIY writing retreat. Whether you block out a day at home behind a closed door or you book a luxurious weekend getaway, treating yourself to a dedicated chunk of time every once in a while is a powerful way to keep yourself inspired and make real progress on your writing.

But you don’t have to be deep into a work in progress in order to benefit from a DIY writing retreat. This time can also be used to reset between projects, reinvigorate your creative energy after a dry spell, or simply renew your focus and joy in your writing practice.

Along those lines, I’ve been following Heidi Fiedler on Substack for a while, now. She’s a fellow editor and writing coach, and her laser focus on balancing writing and life — especially as a mother — has been so inspirational in my own practice. When I reached out to her around the holidays to ask if she could share any words of wisdom with YOU, my audience, on getting back in touch with your writing practice for the new year, she offered an incredible gift:

Her brand new workbook, Before You Begin, is designed to help authors fall (back) in love with writing by developing a process that feels (as Heidi puts it) “deeply, luxuriously, beautifully human.”

I’ve seen the workbook. It’s incredible. And I plan to use it heavily for my own DIY writing retreat later this month.

And Heidi has generously offered each of you a free sample of Before You Begin. (So free it’s not even behind an email wall!) This is 14 pages of GOLD, friends. It’s chock full of the inspiration, journal prompts, exercises, and permission slips you need to explore, play, and break the rules as you reconnect with your writing practice.

If you’re ready to bring a spirit of kindness, curiosity, and a touch of book magic to the writing process, download the sample, and pick up a pencil.

Happy writing!
Sarah