Writing from the Deeper Self

A soulful, process-based approach to writing a book,

leading to a published book you can be proud of that resonates deeply with your readers.

NAOMI ROSE, Book Developer & Creative Midwife

Because it’s not just how many pages you write, It’s how much of you gets to come onto the page.

Why Writing from the Deeper Self

Writing from the Deeper Self is the underlay of all my work with clients. It applies to “Book Development,” “Book Writing for Therapists & Other Healers,” and even “Creative Midwifery” (though this service can be applied to non-writing creating). This page gives a sense of what it is and how it works.

When you write from the Deeper Self, you invite what wants to be known through you to surface — like seeds buried in the earth making their way and sprouting into words, rather than flowers. So this healing approach to writing begins before the words even show up.

This is the opposite of forcing or striving. It’s more like watching the latent image on a photographic negative emerge. Featureless at first, protected by the darkness of the room, the negative is simply opaque. There is no discernible image. Then, slowly, swaths of light begin to appear on the negative. You can’t quite make out what they are, at this point, but you can tell that something is making its way into visibility. Gradually, the image shows itself, a bit at a time. “Oh, it’s a tree branch. . . . , Why, that’s a person standing near it. . . . I think I might know that face.” And finally, “Why, it’s my cousin, the tall, sweet-tempered one, whom I haven’t seen since I was a child!”

Writing a book from the Deeper Self is a lot like this. You listen deeply to yourself, you are present to yourself, and gradually what wants to be known reveals itself to you.

This is an organic way to write a book. It’s not an externally imposed assignment. It’s not something that you “produce,” but rather something that you listen forth out of your own being. This being receptive and welcoming to what wants to be known by and through you lets you discover more of your true self in the process of discovering your book.

“I'm happy to acknowledge Naomi Rose's important influence on my writing life as I have others in the past: Julia Cameron, Natalie Goldberg, and Eric Maisel, to name a few. I've since come to regard (and treasure) her as a writing mentor.”— Chris Dunmire, Creative Director & Publisher, Creativity Portal (“Writers Digest 101 best sites”)

Beyond Just “The Right Words”

When we think about writing, we usually think about — and strain for — “What are the right words?” And sometimes we find them — hooray!

But often, we don’t.

And when we don’t, our “inner critic” sees that as an invitation to “help” us out in the form of hope-clobbering remarks: “What’s wrong with you? This — stuff — isn’t good, not good at all. You’re just kidding yourself to even think you can do this.” And so on, ad nauseam.

Such an unhappy scenario, to be so at odds with your own self because the “right words” aren’t coming easily.

But what if this situation has little-to-nothing to do with being a “good writer”? What if your search for the “right words” isn’t working because it’s not time for the words, yet? Instead of thinking in terms of the “right words,” you might instead look into feeling out some “alive words,” “resonant words.” And often, they are the result of your inner explorations, not so much the start of them.

So the words don’t always come first. Maybe your deeper Self has something wonderful to impart, but words are not its initial, native medium.

What if you need to make contact with your deeper Self in a more subtle, inviting, listening way, for it to bring its waves of inspiration to the shores of your receptive mind and heart?

“From the moment I read Naomi’s newsletter, I knew she would understand what I was feeling but couldn’t quite articulate — namely that my writing felt like it was coming too much from the ‘intellect’ and not enough from the deeper Self.

“Her description of the distilling process resonated with my feeling that a lot of the heavier head-stuff needed to fall to the bottom, so the words of the heart could rise to the top.

“Naomi provided me with a sense of being understood, helped me clarify what I wanted to convey, and organized the material so that it began to have more structural integrity. Her comments and suggestions reflected my intentions, and her questions inspired me to go deeper.

"She shared with me a feeling of deep appreciation of my work, both the content and those passages where her ‘breath was taken away.’ That some of my writing touched her so deeply gave me sense of confidence to trust my heart to speak its truth."

— Shelle Goldstein, LCSW, PA. Author, Blossoming Beyond the Desert

We Listen Forth Your Book Together

When you and I work together on a writing project of your choice, we listen to you together to find out what your heart is called to. We also listen for the particular ways in which your creativity comes naturally, and you get to follow that rather than trying to match somebody else’s idea of creativity. For me, this is an honor and a privilege, as well as a profession.

Have you ever felt not listened to — unheard? Then you know how that feels, and how that blocks your trust and even your ability to more deeply mine and bring forth what’s in you.

Conversely, when someone was able to listen to you — really and fully — something essential in you most likely relaxed, and then opened up to give you more and more and more.

Listening is central to the Writing from the Deeper Self process. I listen to you, bringing not only my well-developed listening skills but also my decades as a professional in the publications field. Then you listen to yourself more easily. It’s a listening collaboration that we do together. When you feel heard, inspirations have room to come to the forefront of your attention. Then you can trust your process, and the writing proceeds from there.

When all of you is engaged in bringing forth the words that match your inner experience — an experience that comes to light in the very act of writing — something more than your usual consciousness is upon you. And all you can say — to yourself, not just to me — when you are done and your breathing is oxygenated by the inspiration you have opened to, is: “Thank you!”

“This whole experience of working with you, and rejuvenating creativity within myself, I feel has brought me back to life. When I’m writing, being in that flow and having the words come out of me is an experience like no other. Because you’re giving birth, and you don’t have to wait nine months, and it’s not painful. It’s a gratification.” — Catherine Greene

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“Naomi is gifted with the ability to create time and space for us to feel our experiences welling up from our roots, their own unique tides coursing through our bodies, and to meld them with the words that name them. Together, we can swim in the language like fish, as naturally as we were always meant to. Naomi will cherish you and your work.” — Carolyn Francis

Ready to have a conversation?

Whether you have a specific project in mind or just want to explore what’s possible for you, I invite you to contact me to explore the writing waiting inside your heart, whether it’s as lengthy as a book or as brief as a series of blogs. Whatever you decide to do afterwards, you’ll likely emerge with a sense of encouragement and at least the start of a trusted direction. And perhaps we’ll get to have the great, pleasing gift of working together on your project.

NOTE: “Book Developer & Creative Midwife” is my own terminology. I am a Book Coach in terms of guiding you knowledgeably through the book-writing process — but with the nuanced addition of a soulful, collaborative receptivity to your discovering, through our work together, how who you actually are wants to write. (The term, “development,” here, refers to how a photographic negative in a darkened room will evolve from pure blank opacity into a clear and detailed visibility.) There are no templates, no “shoulds” in my way of guiding you — just listening to you really well so you recognize your path from within in writing your book, and have the support, trust, and confidence to take it.

As a thank-you, I’ll send you a free copy of my book, 10 Essential Qualities That Help You Write a Book. As these qualities become known to you and surface, they will support you abundantly to write the book of your heart and live more authentically.

TO ENHANCE YOUR HEALING EXPERIENCE OF WRITING

You Can Work with My Books on Writing

You may wish to work with my books on the Creative Process. These are:

• Starting Your Book: A Guide to Navigating the Blank Page by Attending to What’s Inside You.

• An Organic Approach to Structuring Your Book: An Alternative to Outlines (Workbook Included)

• 10 Essential Qualities That Help You Write a Book: Watering the Seeds of the Qualities You Need.

You can get a sense of all three books by going to the Naomi Rose Books page of this website.

Or you can get more detailed information, as well as the opportunity to purchase the books directly on the Rose Press site.

Healing Enhancements

In addition to all the services featured on this website, I’ve also curated several special “Healing Enhancements” to complement and support your writing journey. These include:

1. Flower Essence Remedies, custom-designed to serve those who are drawn to the Writing from the Deeper Self approach. Click here for details.

2. Specialized hypnosis audios created by therapists to address almost any issue that arises concerning writing a book (and much more). Click here for details.