Cultivate a state of mind to help your writing flow with acclaimed writing instructor and Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist Sarah Selecky.

For over a decade, Sarah Selecky has been running an online writing school as a compassionate alternative to MFA programs for writers of all genres who want to write well. Story is a State of Mind is the logical next step: a gentle guide to help writers strengthen and tap their inner resources in service of a limitless writing practice.

For Selecky, writing is both an art and a contemplative practice, and her approach as an instructor is literary and intuitive. Writing exercises and guided meditations are interwoven with practical advice and heartfelt encouragement to help writers find a groove, and to build awareness, confidence, and technique. Story Is a State of Mind goes beyond offering solutions to individual writing problems, and helps writers settle into a mindset that allows them to see possibilities and discover new connections in their work—and beyond.

This is a book that encourages presence, urges us to slow down and get centred, and asks us to embrace a wholeminded writing practice through study, craft, and play. Pair it with Sarah Selecky’s Story Is A State of Mind Deck of 50 writing prompts for maximum inspiration!

SARAH SELECKY’s breakout debut collection, This Cake is for the Party, was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, and was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Her stories have been published in The Walrus, Elle Canada, The New Quarterly, and The Journey Prize anthology, among other publications. She is also the creator of the beloved online creative writing school (and MFA alternative) Story Is A State of Mind.

Sarah Selecky's profile page

“The Story Course by Sarah Selecky walks you through, encourages you, practically feeds you muffins, and more.”—Margaret Atwood