229. Reclaiming Your Narrative & Writing With Intention ft. Charlotte Chipperfield
229. Reclaiming Your Narrative & Writing With Intention ft. Charlotte Chipperfield
When it comes to writing a book, most of us imagine a strict, grind-it-out process. But what if the secret to finishing your draft wasn’t more discipline—but more intention?
In this episode of the Embodied Writing Warrior Podcast, I sit down with Charlotte, author of Write With Intention, certified developmental editor, and founder of Her Narrative. Charlotte helps aspiring and established authors craft stories that matter—without burning out.
We explore:
Why writing every day isn’t the only path to success
How to build a sustainable writing rhythm rooted in your real life
The power of knowing your why—both for yourself and your readers
What it means to be consistent without perfectionism
How your writing journey transforms who you become in the process
Charlotte’s framework guides you from idea to messy first draft with clarity, heart, and flexibility. Her approach blends story strategy with soulful mindset work—making her the perfect guide for authors who crave impact and inner alignment.
Whether you’re writing fiction, nonfiction, or still dreaming of your first draft, this conversation is a reminder: your story deserves to be told your way.
Links Mentioned
Embodied Activation
Your Embodied Activation:
Brew your favorite cup of tea.
Grab your journal.
Ask yourself: What are my current intentions for writing?
Let the answers flow—not as a to-do list, but as a gentle check-in with your creative soul. Is it to connect? To heal? To express? To inspire?
Once you name your why, let that be the North Star guiding your next writing session.
Transcript
Hello Charlotte and welcome to the Embodied Writing Warrior Podcast.
Hi, so excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
Thank you for joining. So obviously this is the Embodied Writing Warrior podcast, and I have every manner of like thought leaders, coaches, guides. And when I get a writer that has a life that very much revolves around writing, I get like just a little extra excited.
So why don't you share about the what you do in the world.
Absolutely. Yeah, I know I am. All things writing, I feel like if there are words, I'm there. Um, I very much so consider myself a story strategist, which means I'm a certified developmental editor and a book coach, and I am a author. Um, and I. Do all of that under my company, which is called Her Narrative, which is a creative development company that really bridges creativity with story strategy to help authors and leaders craft stories that inspire and create meaningful change in the world.
I feel like we're very much so at sort of an inflection point where. We need lots of diverse voices, specifically from women to really come forward and help guide us into the future that we are looking to have. And so what that really all means is that I, you know, help authors take their ideas and provide a little bit of structure and container to their creativity.
So that they can really have that maximum impact on the readers, no matter if they're writing fiction or nonfiction, and ultimately really creating that roadmap for writing success. And there's so many pieces to the coaching and editing idea that are also evolved around, you know, starting with your why and really embodying what that outcome looks like.
Then also working with people on the mindset piece. There's so much writing advice about getting words on the page, but I think when we are going after really big things, it's really important that we are also able to kind of connect in and nurture ourselves in that process because we are gonna be growing, expanding, and hitting roadblocks and all of those things are normal.
It just, you don't always hear people talking about those aspects.
There's so many places we could go to start, but I think I actually wanna dive into that mindset piece. So your book, right, with Intention really has this beautiful gentleness for authors that you don't always see. And it's interesting 'cause I love National Novel Writing Month and those big challenges, and I think for certain personalities it's like, yes, let's go.
Or even in certain seasons. But I think for other people, some of that traditional advice can create some challenges or even shame or a lack of love with the process. So can you share a little bit about what you find in that respect in your work?
I think that's so true. I mean so many the authors I work with will come having gathered so much information about other authors, processes or research and have done challenges or feel like they need to get words on the page every single day.
And I can tell you that like sitting down to write every day is not part of my process. Like it's too much for me. And so I really work with people to tune into, like filtering all of that advice and deciding what works for you, what doesn't work for you. And sometimes you have to like try it on to see like, does that work for me?
Does it not work for me? And so there's a lot of trial and error, I think, when you're starting out and writing just to see what works for you. And so that's something I, I absolutely work with people on and I encourage that in my book Write with Intention too. It's, you know, the subtitle is taking a mindful journey to writing your book.
And so it's about being able to understand kind of why you're showing up to write, what is the purpose, both for you and also for the readers. And then really being able to like tap into what is it that you need at each stage. Because I think so often we want writing to be a very linear process of just like, okay, this is the beginning.
I just put words on the page and now I'm gonna get to the middle and I put words on the page. But in reality, it's very much so more of like a spiral mess that we're kind of like moving in that direction overall. But it doesn't necessarily feel like it. And so when we're able to also think about how we are growing and expanding as people, because we're going after hard things.
Writing a book is incredibly hard. It's very doable, but it is a hard process and it's something that we have to remain consistent at. And. There is gonna be self-doubt that comes up. There's gonna be, you know, times where we're procrastinating or questioning our motivation. And so being able to acknowledge that those are part of the process can go a long way.
And then once you understand that those are part of the process. You can then, you know, work with certain tools or work with a coach and they can help you move through those aspects. And so you mentioned seasons as well, which I think is really important. There are both like the literal seasons of the year.
Then there's also like the seasons in our life, and so I really encourage writers to create a sustainable writing practice that supports your life and is flexible so that when you hit these different seasons of like, I need more rest, or I'm just not feeling motivated to write and knowing that that doesn't mean you're like a failure.
It's just like feedback to be like, okay, well maybe writing every single day is not realistic, and I set myself up for. Failure just to begin with because I was following someone else's advice and not tapping into what feels great for me. Again, you might have to try like does writing four times a week, two times a week, like what fits into your schedule?
So it's really about how do you create a container where you can remain consistent without sort of this pressure to perform every time you show up. And I think that's what I really encourage writers. And so again, it's about creating a sustainable practice so that you can get the words on the page, but it's also allowing that space for, okay, I am doubting myself right now.
Like, what do I need? In order to like connect back to why I am writing and maybe it's going for a walk or thinking about my character development, it doesn't always mean that you have to get words on the page. So I say all that to say that there's a spiral mess here and I think the more that we can kind of acknowledge that and understand that that is part of the process is, is what's gonna keep moving us towards it.
It doesn't mean that you're doing something wrong or you shouldn't be a writer. It's definitely part of the process.
And I loved your reframe about consistency because sometimes we hear that word and we think every day like these certain like standards, but the way you're looking at it has that flexibility and it allows it to be more consistent throughout a week is what I'm hearing.
Exactly. And it could be a week or it could be a month too. It's not necessarily that. It's always gonna look the same. And it depends how quickly you wanna get to your goal too. I think the other thing, I also encourage writers with consistency, and I see this a lot and I've also experienced this myself, is I'm like, I'm gonna write 500 words a week in two different writing sessions.
And so I find, you know, the goal there would be 250 words per session. But I've noticed that like if you skip a session, then it becomes this like pressure of like, well I missed the 250 so I now I need to catch up and get to 500 in the next session. And that's where I think then it becomes a spiral of not ever showing up again.
'cause it feels like, uh, you know what you need to do is mounting and getting huge. So what I always invite people to do is like, if you miss a writing session and you had a work count. Allocate to that time. It's not about then catching up and adding more words. It's just about showing up that next time.
So each writing session, if you had a goal for 250 words, it's just about getting 250 on the page and maybe you do a little less and you do a little more. And I think that's the, the flexibility coming in there again too. So it's not about beating ourselves up and making ourselves catch up, if you will.
It's really about, okay, I missed a session. That's okay. I'm not gonna shame myself or be mean to myself. It just means I'm gonna show up for the next one. And that's where I think just developing that muscle consistency to show up regardless of what the outcome of that session is, is really the power of building that momentum.
Yes, and I think also that release of the pressure is such a valuable thing, both for the writing journey, but honestly for any journey. So I love that you bring that up as well. And I would just love to hear you have this book Write With Intention and it really takes a person from just the ideas all the way through the publishing process, so it's very comprehensive.
What inspired you to write this book?
I mean, I will say I think it's been like percolating the back of my mind for quite a while. Um, it's definitely the process I work through when I'm working one-on-one with clients. And, um, I think it just really, this book ultimately encapsulated how I work with riders and how I also bring that perspective of releasing some of that pressure.
And it's not just this like drill sergeant of a process you're going through. To publish a book, and some people don't even wanna publish a book. I think sometimes it's just like the creative process in general and like what unfolds in that journey, and also who do we get to become in that journey. I think that's a huge part of when we are learning, you know, self-doubt or how to overcome self-doubt or work with self-doubt, like we are growing and expanding as individuals and that can then translate into other places in our life.
So. Really, I wanted to encourage people to understand that when we do hard things, it's an opportunity to expand and really step into who we wanna become. And through that writing process, I also wanted to acknowledge that writing a book is really hard. Again, it is very doable. And you know, I've laid out like a roadmap that really helps people do that.
But again, it's about nurturing both the mindset and the actual writing process. And those are two areas I hadn't really seen any advice combined on. And that was also the big piece that was missing for me when I was writing too. I just didn't. See or understand that there were kinda the mindset pieces that were just as important as getting words on the page.
So I really found there was an opportunity there and. When I sat down just to think about it, the outline of the book just kind of flowed out, which was amazing. Um, obviously something's changed from that original idea, but it was really fun just to kind of see that path and I knew it was gonna be super valuable for other authors and to support them in their journey.
And that's what I was really finding was most value and what I wanted to bring forward. And just to help people really feel like they're giving permission to tell their story and to do it in a way that's really supportive for both. Where they are now and where they wanna be in the future.
Absolutely.
And what would you say that your framework is when it comes to helping all these authors you work with or authors that read your book and then come find you? How do you really help them find like the clarity, the confidence, and just the ways to eliminate that self-doubt that can be so pervasive when you're getting started.
I mean, I think that's the big part is the clarity piece. And I really do start like at the 10,000 foot view and that's where the framework starts is very much so on sort of these bigger questions around why are you writing like, and really drilling down into like what is the visual of that? Because when we can like see, taste, smell our goals and our outcomes and why something's really important to us, that is so valuable in being able to kind of be our north star, especially when things get hot.
Like challenging. So when that self-doubt is coming up, sometimes just being able to tap back into our why and that vision for what we really want can soften it and allow us just to take that next step forward. So that's really where I start, is really getting very clear on why you're doing this. And then it, we also drill into kinda why are you doing this for the reader?
So it's not always about. You know what you get out of it, but it's like your story. And I really believe stories are just like, can be so impactful. Like they are the first way that humans are really, you know, connecting millions of years ago and just sharing wisdom and lessons. And so we have such power with the word that we use.
And so it's really thinking about what do you want the reader to experience? And sometimes it might be just to be entertained. Other times it might be to be inspired. So also understanding through those two parallel tracks of both, like why are you writing, but like what is the power and message of your words and how is that gonna land with someone?
It can also be really helpful to help guide you and even make decisions about like, what do you include in your book? What do you not include into your book? And so really the framework again, starts with that clear why, and just kind of really feeling into that visual of the outcome. Um, and then it's really working on, okay, well how are we gonna get there?
And so that's really the work, if you will, is diving into what does that writing process look like for you? How are you gonna support yourself in that? How are you gonna build in some of that flexibility? And so I'm also really big on just like focusing on getting that first draft done. We're not gonna talk about how we're gonna market your book.
We're not gonna talk about what publishing path you're gonna take. We're not talking about editing strategies. It is getting that first draft done, even if it is super messy and you have a bunch of comments to yourself to come back and fill in description here, or remember that one character's name here.
It's getting that draft. 'cause that I think is the biggest hurdle because it's so easy to stop along the way and like question, I don't know, this didn't come out the way I wanted it to, or I just wanna go back and edit what I wrote yesterday. And it's really just like, how do you stay focused on keep moving forward?
So getting that first draft done. 'cause once you've got words on the page, then you've ultimately got something to work with and that's when you can then be like, okay. This is my draft now, where do I need to go through the editing process to get this to where I want it to be? And then as you're doing that, you can then start to think about like, okay, how am I gonna publish this?
What is that gonna look like? So. I, I find a lot of authors when they first start out, they're just already thinking about publishing before they even have a first draft. So I really encourage people to focus on getting that first draft done and then you've got something to work with and can start putting those other plans in place.
So really the framework I've created, you know, helps authors not only get clear on their writing goals, but it will also nurture them through that writing process, both in body and spirit and mindset. And so it's really, again, you're taking on this massive thing that's very hard to do, and it's being able to know that while yes, there are linear steps in the process, it doesn't always mean it unfolds that way.
So again, being able to just kind of simply allow for the feedback in our process and know that we're not failing along the way, that all of those mindset pieces or, you know, lack of motivation, like those are all things that we can work with in that journey to get towards that final goal. You've established.
And what I really love about that is just how you stress the one thing at a time. 'cause I've also worked with an author too, and they're like, well what about publishing? And, and we're still outlining. And it's, I think when you have this like big endeavor, like writing a book or doing some big project, a lot of that overwhelm and then even the excess pressure can creep in when you're thinking about all the steps at once.
Instead of having that like. Present and mindfulness in the phase you're in, which is what's really beautiful about the work you do with people.
Yeah. Thank you. I know. I feel like we live in such a world that's so outcome focused all the time, and it's like. What are you doing? What are you getting? What are you doing?
And I think that's one of the things that like to peel back on the curtain of writing a book is like, it doesn't happen overnight and it, you can't just sit down on a Sunday and be like, I'm gonna write the perfect book. And I wish it worked that way, but it doesn't. And so there is a journey here, and it's okay to have an idea of like what you wanna do for publishing, but getting stuck on the details of that is not gonna help you get that first draft done.
It's just, I think, gonna add more to that pressure we were talking about earlier, rather than. Allowing it to unfold how it needs to unfold.
Yes, 100%. So you write books, you work with clients obviously have a few different things on the go. What are you most excited about that you're working on right now?
I mean, I continue to love to work with, you know, authors in the coaching capacity or developmental editing. Um, I also have a collective writing collective that's growing and expanding, which is so fun. We meet every week to write together and give feedback and have different workshops, and so I love the teaching aspect of that.
I'm also working on, I have three novels in the works, but I'm really trying to focus just on one right now too, which I'm also really excited about. And then also continuing to expand to work even further with authors, especially in the nonfiction space that are offering kind of new waves of leadership for the world, especially from the female perspective and kind of how do.
You know, build that future and step into that future that we really need, that kind of brings everyone along and invites more empathy and also working a little bit more with companies and kind of what is their story they're telling? How are they navigating, you know, changes within, you know, AI and big change management within companies.
Because again, that story, when we are bought into that story and have that shared vision for the future. Is really what's gonna help people stay connected and build community and be behind that vision, and that's just as important. So yes, anywhere again that words are showing up, I feel like I'm there helping them become meaningful and really inspire change.
Amazing. And if you're okay sharing, what's your one main novel that you're working on right now about.
Yes. Uh, well, I write in women's fiction, which is usually a really strong female lead. Um, I love writing about women who maybe kind of lost their way a little bit, which may or may not be based on my real life.
Um, and then ultimately kind of coming back and connecting to who they are, what they want, and then going for what they want. So. This, um, character is loosely based off of me in my life. Um, but a lot of things start to unravel, like her career, a relationship. Um, and she kind of has to go on this journey of figuring out what it is that she really wants and like what's gonna make her happy in this next stage as ultimately yeah, losing her job, um, and reconnecting with family who live on the other side of the world.
And so it's ultimately a journey of her kind of like falling in love with herself again and really deciding what's next.
Amazing. I'm excited to hear how the rest of the writing process goes. Yeah, so thank you, Charlotte. This has been such a powerful conversation and when my listeners want to connect with you further, what are the best places where they can go and do so?
I mean, her narrative.com is my website, which is kind of the hub of all of all of the things. Um, I've got lots of free resources. I've got writing classes. You can also check out the writing collective there. And then I spent a lot of time on YouTube under her narrative and TikTok and Instagram as well.
Excellent, and I'll include links to all of that in the description. Oh, I almost forgot. I always get my guests to give the listeners some kind of an embodied challenge. So it can be a journal prompt, it can be your favorite writing exercise, something they can go and do after this exercise. After this episode,
yes.
Oh, gosh. I love that. I'm all about like journal entries, things like that. Um, I would invite writers, yeah, sit down, I don't know, make a cup of tea, get a journal out, um, and really think about like what are your intentions for writing? Like what is feeling most compelling for you as you are setting out, uh, to ne write your next book or next blog post or short story and just kind of get in touch with like, what is the intention behind your writing.
Hmm. Amazing. Thank you again. It has been so great to talk to you.
Yeah. Thank you again for having me.
