Time, space and support to prioritise your writing practice.
Beautiful, quiet online groups to bring that about...
Beautiful, quiet online groups to bring that about...
Two live versions of The Zone to choose from now:
The Zone | Intensive (10 week program)
&
The Zone | Spacious 2026 (year-long program)
Both programs offer ten core Mind Management modules featured in The Zone original program.
Topics at a glance:
* The steady writermind | What is it and how do I get one?
*Then my mind went walking | Psychological factors that make it hard to focus
* Stories of me | How self-narratives shape writing engagement
* Writermind essentials | Mind management basics for every writer’s toolkit
* Beyond stimulus-response | Managing, reactivity, overwhelm and inertia
* Don’t go there! | When fear, shame, guilt and other unpleasant emotions lead to avoidance
* Eyes on the prize | When focus on publication, prizes or praise gets in the way of writing engagement
* Metaphor, mood and motivation | From mind prison to mind palace
* I had a dream | Managaing disappointment in the writing, productivity or publication
* Bringing it all together | Writing practice equilibrium for the future
* The steady writermind | What is it and how do I get one?
*Then my mind went walking | Psychological factors that make it hard to focus
* Stories of me | How self-narratives shape writing engagement
* Writermind essentials | Mind management basics for every writer’s toolkit
* Beyond stimulus-response | Managing, reactivity, overwhelm and inertia
* Don’t go there! | When fear, shame, guilt and other unpleasant emotions lead to avoidance
* Eyes on the prize | When focus on publication, prizes or praise gets in the way of writing engagement
* Metaphor, mood and motivation | From mind prison to mind palace
* I had a dream | Managaing disappointment in the writing, productivity or publication
* Bringing it all together | Writing practice equilibrium for the future
Which program will you choose?
See the features of each group below.
See the features of each group below.
The Zone | Intensive
A ten week program (plus Welcome & Orientation gathering)
Tuesdays 9.30-11.00am
3rd March - 12th May
We'll start with a separate welcome and orientation session on Tuesday 3rd March, then meet for the ten x weekly gatherings between 9.30-11.00am each Tuesday until 12th May
A ten week program (plus Welcome & Orientation gathering)
Tuesdays 9.30-11.00am
3rd March - 12th May
We'll start with a separate welcome and orientation session on Tuesday 3rd March, then meet for the ten x weekly gatherings between 9.30-11.00am each Tuesday until 12th May
Core Program:
* Welcome and Orientation session
* 10 x weekly live online Focus sessions: weekly x 90 minute mind management Skills Clinics (recorded for you to
review later) + Q&A + implementation coaching + interactive group discussion
* Welcome and Orientation session
* 10 x weekly live online Focus sessions: weekly x 90 minute mind management Skills Clinics (recorded for you to
review later) + Q&A + implementation coaching + interactive group discussion
- * Weekly reflective practice activities relating to each Skills Clinic,, designed to promote implementation of the mind management skills
- * Private forum
- * Light-touch, optional support resources (meditation, mindfulness activities)
- **Plus - a bonus guide to help you reset your writing practice, The 2026 Writing Practice Reset Planner - available upon registration
- * Fees at 2025 prices for this round of The Zone Intensive for writers on the waitlist from2025. This is my way of thanking you for your interest and patience!
The Zone |Intensive fee - at 2025 prices for writers on the waitling list :
$AUD660 (Inc GST) one-off, upfront payment
or
3 x monthly payments of $AUD233 (Inc GST)
$AUD660 (Inc GST) one-off, upfront payment
or
3 x monthly payments of $AUD233 (Inc GST)
If the Zone Intensive sounds right for you, please register below with a one-off, discounted payment of $AUD660, or the payment plan option of three x monthly payments of $AUD233
Register below for The Zone | Intensive
The Zone | Spacious 2026
A year-long program
Every second Thursday
26th February until 10th December
A year-long program
Every second Thursday
26th February until 10th December
- * Welcome and orientation session
- * Two fortnighly gatherings each month on Thursdays, alternating between:
- * Live, online Focus sessions (including Mind Management Skills Clinics, recorded for you to review later) + Q&A + implementation coaching + interactive group discussions
- * Companionable silence writing and accountability days - three x 30 min check in, accountability and coaching group sessions each of these days
- * Weekly reflective practice activities
- * Private forum
- * Light-touch, optional support resources (meditation, mindfulness activities)
- **Plus - a bonus guide to help you reset your writing practice, The 2026 Writing Practice Reset Planner - available upon registration
- * Registration fees at 2025 prices - this is my way of showing my appreciation for your interest when The Zone was first launched, and for your patience in waiting til it came around again.
The Zone | Spacious 2026 fee - the 2025 price for writers on the waiting list:
$880 (GST inc) one-off, upfront payment
or
5 x monthly payments of $194 (GST inc)
$880 (GST inc) one-off, upfront payment
or
5 x monthly payments of $194 (GST inc)
Register below for The Zone | Spacious 2026
The Zone programs are designed to help you reset your writing practice so you can do more writing, with less angst.
If you are:
* Craving the type of writing practice you never quite manage to achieve
* Needing the skills and confidence to recover quickly from setbacks
* Prone to distraction, procrastination, overwhelm, angst, self-criticism, “not-good-enough” beliefs, “what-if” paralysis,
people pleasing or inertia
* Wanting the perspective that allows you to stay focused and engaged, even when you’re experiencing difficulties
* Finding it difficult to get or stay focused on your writing
* Fearful 2026 will get away from you without you writing as much or as often as you had wanted
* Wanting connection as a writer
* Ready to prioritise your writing practice
...then you are invited to become part of one of The Zone programs.
An opportunity for you to prioritise your writing practice, rather than squeezing writing in around the everything and everyone else.
* Craving the type of writing practice you never quite manage to achieve
* Needing the skills and confidence to recover quickly from setbacks
* Prone to distraction, procrastination, overwhelm, angst, self-criticism, “not-good-enough” beliefs, “what-if” paralysis,
people pleasing or inertia
* Wanting the perspective that allows you to stay focused and engaged, even when you’re experiencing difficulties
* Finding it difficult to get or stay focused on your writing
* Fearful 2026 will get away from you without you writing as much or as often as you had wanted
* Wanting connection as a writer
* Ready to prioritise your writing practice
...then you are invited to become part of one of The Zone programs.
An opportunity for you to prioritise your writing practice, rather than squeezing writing in around the everything and everyone else.
What's Included?
|
The Zone | Intensive
* Weekly live Tuesday meetings online Each session we’ll start with a mind management skills clinic focused on one of the ten topics. Then, we’ll spend time identifying how you can practise and implement writermind skills. These sessions include live Q & A to problem-solve issues that get in the way of your writing, coaching and reflective practice activities, and, connection with other writers in the group.
The clinics will help you to understand what leads to the difficulties you experience in your writing practice. Learn and hone practical skills that help foster a steadier, more focused mind. * Weekly Reflective Practice activities - delivered to your inbox and designed to helo you to implement and integrate the skills you've learnt. These activities will help you shift old patterns, implement changes, and identify specific activities to keep you aligned with your writing plan. * Low-key mental health & emotional wellbeing resources – for those who would value writer-related mindfulness practices, meditations and the like I will provide optional, on-demand resources as part of your group membership. Plus I will share others’ resources that I think you may find helpful and interesting – podcasts, books, programs. All this will take place in a private, secure area within The Writermind Project online studio. Note: Whilst material from the clinics will be recorded, the live interactions in the group will not be recorded. As soon as you register you'll have access to The Zone online space, a private space for your group. Once there, you can put your live Tuesday sessions for each week in your calendar, let people in your life know you have commitments those days (and will not be available!!), then arrange a quiet time between now and when we start to download your 2026 Writing Practice Reset Planner and spend some quiet time thinking deeply about the writing practice you are going to build for yourself throughout the remainder of 2026 and beyond. The Planner is a tool to help guide this process.
|
The Zone | Spacious 2026
* Fortnightly live Thursday Focus sessions online (Feb - Dec, 2026). Each session we’ll start with a mind management skills clinic focused on one of the ten topics. Then, we’ll spend time identifying how you can practise and implement writermind skills. These sessions include live Q & A to problem-solve issues that get in the way of your writing, coaching and reflective practice activities, and, connection with other writers in the group.
The clinics will help you to understand what leads to the difficulties you experience in your writing practice. Learn and hone practical skills that help foster a steadier, more focused mind. * Fortnightly Companionable silence writing and accountability days. Light-touch writing days for group members who find it helpful to know there are other writers at work, each in their own space, each likely managing similar challenges. These days will include light-touch accountability and support checkins between 9.30am Sydney time, til mid-afternoon on alternatingThursdays. * Weekly personal reflective practice activities (optional, to do in your own time if you wish). These activities will help you shift old patterns, implement changes, and identify specific activities to keep you aligned with your writing plan * Low-key mental health & emotional wellbeing resources – for those who would value writer-related mindfulness practices, meditations and the like I will provide optional, on-demand resources as part of your group membership. Plus I will share others’ resources that I think you may find helpful and interesting – podcasts, books, programs. All this will take place in a private, secure area within The Writermind Project online studio. Note: Whilst material from the clinics will be recorded, the live interactions in the group will not be recorded. As soon as you register you'll have access to The Zone online space, a private space for your group. Once there, you can put your live sessions for each week in your calendar, let people in your life know you have commitments those days (and will not be available!!), then arrange a quiet time between now and when we start to download your 2026 Writing Practice Reset Planner and spend some quiet time thinking deeply about the writing practice you are going to build for yourself throughout the remainder of 2026 and beyond. The Planner is a tool to help guide this process. \ |
The Zone programs are for you if you:
* Say that writing is one of the most important aspects of your life, yet you can’t seem to make it a priority
* Experience self-doubt, low confidence, self-criticism
* Seem to go straight to worst-case scenario and get caught there
* Experience anxiety or dread at the thought of getting negative feedback about your writing
* Engage in avoidance (procrastination, substances, excessive social media use, food, zoning out) to help you handle your
fears and doubts
* Tend to say “yes” when you’d rather say “no”
* Believe that “I’ll write when things settle down”, but know realistically that they won’t
The Zone programs may not be for you if you:
* Are looking for support related to the craft and technical aspects of writing.
* Are experiencing acute mental health difficulties and are looking for therapy – this group will involve coaching and
guidance, and may feel therapeutic for participants, however it is not a therapy group
* Realistically, don’t think you could likely make at least about 80 percent of the live sessions. Please note - whilst the Skills Clinics will be recorded no other aspects of our group sessions will be available for replay.
* Are completely confident, have no self-doubt, and have nailed the emotional/psychological aspects of the writing
life.e writing life!
* Experience self-doubt, low confidence, self-criticism
* Seem to go straight to worst-case scenario and get caught there
* Experience anxiety or dread at the thought of getting negative feedback about your writing
* Engage in avoidance (procrastination, substances, excessive social media use, food, zoning out) to help you handle your
fears and doubts
* Tend to say “yes” when you’d rather say “no”
* Believe that “I’ll write when things settle down”, but know realistically that they won’t
The Zone programs may not be for you if you:
* Are looking for support related to the craft and technical aspects of writing.
* Are experiencing acute mental health difficulties and are looking for therapy – this group will involve coaching and
guidance, and may feel therapeutic for participants, however it is not a therapy group
* Realistically, don’t think you could likely make at least about 80 percent of the live sessions. Please note - whilst the Skills Clinics will be recorded no other aspects of our group sessions will be available for replay.
* Are completely confident, have no self-doubt, and have nailed the emotional/psychological aspects of the writing
life.e writing life!
Ready to spend more time in The Zone?
More writing. Less Angst.
More writing. Less Angst.
|
The Zone | Intensive
Secure your place for The Zone Intensive by using one of the payment options below. |
The Zone | Spacious 2026
Secure your place for The Zone Spacious 2026 by using one of th epayment options below. |
A steady writing plan for the remainder of 2026 and beyond
Fresh Perspectives | New Capacities | Renewed Enthusiasm
The skills, structure and support for a sustainable, engaged writing practice.
Fresh Perspectives | New Capacities | Renewed Enthusiasm
The skills, structure and support for a sustainable, engaged writing practice.
Meet the host of The Zone, Alison Manning
Alison Manning, the Writer's Psychologist, specialises in writers'mental health and psychological wellbeing. Alison has worked with writers since 2013. She holds a Masters of Clinical Psychology, and has conducted research about links between writers' emotion regulation and their writing engagement. Alongside her Writer Psych practice, Alison has a regular psychology practice, Alison Manning Psychology, where she helps people build good lives after trauma, as well as helping people to understand and manage depression, anxiety and other mental health difficulties.
Alison founded The Writermind Project with the aim of supporting writers to be as well, happy, focused, engaged and self-compassionate as possible given the significant stresses and uncertainty involved in being a writer.
Alison was formerly a broadcast journalist and mediator, both of which set the scene for what Alison loves most as a psychologist, getting to the heart of the matter.
Alison Manning, the Writer's Psychologist, specialises in writers'mental health and psychological wellbeing. Alison has worked with writers since 2013. She holds a Masters of Clinical Psychology, and has conducted research about links between writers' emotion regulation and their writing engagement. Alongside her Writer Psych practice, Alison has a regular psychology practice, Alison Manning Psychology, where she helps people build good lives after trauma, as well as helping people to understand and manage depression, anxiety and other mental health difficulties.
Alison founded The Writermind Project with the aim of supporting writers to be as well, happy, focused, engaged and self-compassionate as possible given the significant stresses and uncertainty involved in being a writer.
Alison was formerly a broadcast journalist and mediator, both of which set the scene for what Alison loves most as a psychologist, getting to the heart of the matter.
Terms and conditions
The purchase of The Zone provides the purchaser with access to the program
The purchaser recognises that there will not be a refund for missed live events.If live events are missed the purchaser will still receive the Skils Clinic mind management recordings, and the weekly reflective practice activities materials.
The purchaser recognises that whilst the facilitator of The Zone writers’ groups is a clinical psychologist, The Zone writers’ groups are educational, coaching and support programs, not group therapy programs. The Zone is not designed to take the place of individual or group therapy.
Current and former clients of Alison Manning, whether as individuals or parts of a group are welcome to join The Zone programs. Alison Manning will honour your privacy by not mentioning any prior relationship, and by not disclosing any private information to members of The Zone. Current and former clients are advised to contact Alison Manning to discuss any potential concerns.
Recordings of the live sessions (beyond the Skills Clinics) will not be made available as these recordings may include group members' personal information. Only the Skills Clinics recordings will be made available.
o
The purchaser recognises that The Zone material may at times, for some people, prove unsettling. Purchasers who feel that they may be susceptible to emotional distress are advised to identify sources of external support in the event that they need extra support. Group members can also contact the facilitator, Alison Manning, recognising that Alison may have limited scope to respond promptly.
The Writermind Project individual and group programs are not designed to address acute mental health crises.
In committing to join The Zone Writers’ Group, the purchaser recognises and accepts the above conditions.
rmation of the other participants
The purchaser recognises that there will not be a refund for missed live events.If live events are missed the purchaser will still receive the Skils Clinic mind management recordings, and the weekly reflective practice activities materials.
The purchaser recognises that whilst the facilitator of The Zone writers’ groups is a clinical psychologist, The Zone writers’ groups are educational, coaching and support programs, not group therapy programs. The Zone is not designed to take the place of individual or group therapy.
Current and former clients of Alison Manning, whether as individuals or parts of a group are welcome to join The Zone programs. Alison Manning will honour your privacy by not mentioning any prior relationship, and by not disclosing any private information to members of The Zone. Current and former clients are advised to contact Alison Manning to discuss any potential concerns.
Recordings of the live sessions (beyond the Skills Clinics) will not be made available as these recordings may include group members' personal information. Only the Skills Clinics recordings will be made available.
o
The purchaser recognises that The Zone material may at times, for some people, prove unsettling. Purchasers who feel that they may be susceptible to emotional distress are advised to identify sources of external support in the event that they need extra support. Group members can also contact the facilitator, Alison Manning, recognising that Alison may have limited scope to respond promptly.
The Writermind Project individual and group programs are not designed to address acute mental health crises.
In committing to join The Zone Writers’ Group, the purchaser recognises and accepts the above conditions.
rmation of the other participants
