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The Writing Seasons Framework That Changed How I Publish Online — and On Substack

A Publishing Lab Replay: Discover how honoring creative rhythm (not content pressure) helped me grow from 12 readers to a bestselling newsletter

What if your creative writing rhythms weren’t a problem to fix — but a wisdom to follow?

When I started my newsletter on Substack in 2022, I had 12 readers, no audience and zero momentum — except a quiet internal rhythm I couldn’t ignore. As an autistic, newly diagnosed first-time mom, I’d spent years advising other creators and applying all the “right” strategies… but none of them worked until I started listening to something deeper.

That’s what Writing Seasons grew out of.

This live session is a return to that original rhythm — where I walk through the full Writing Seasons framework, share how it shaped my own Substack journey, and reflect on the creative autonomy so many of us are trying to reclaim.

We opened with a poem that set the tone for what followed.

Read “Reasons to Live” by Ruth Awad


What We Explored:

  • The four Writing Seasons — Musing, Craft, Tending and Rest — and how they interweave across your creative life

  • Why seasons aren’t linear — and how they move through you, not the other way around

  • How to work with your creative rhythm (even when the world rewards output)

  • The unexpected gifts that come from honoring a season of rest

  • How season-based publishing can support sustainability, not just productivity


What Others Shared:

  • reflected on the tension of being “forced” into rest through injury — and what it revealed about her worth and creative pace

  • spoke about the joy of pruning her newsletter and letting a poem-inspired idea guide her next direction (We workshopped this idea a bit, too!)

  • Others resonated with the invitation to trust what their ideas want to become, rather than forcing them into familiar forms


📋 Did something click? Tell me about it.

If this piece helped name something you’ve been sensing — or opened up a new kind of clarity — you’re welcome to reach out.

Fill out A Publishing Starting Point: a short form for thoughtful publishers looking for rhythm, resonance or a strategic mirror.

If it feels like a good fit, I’ll follow up with either a 20-minute call or a resource that can point you in the right direction.

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