Time, space and support to prioritise your writing practice.
Introducing a beautiful new group to bring that about...
Introducing a beautiful new group to bring that about...
The Zone | Momentum
Action for Traction
Mind Management Skills, Guidance, Accountability and Support for a Sustainable, Engaged Writing Practice
Action for Traction
Mind Management Skills, Guidance, Accountability and Support for a Sustainable, Engaged Writing Practice
This is a writing group with weekly Thursday online gatherings between July 10th and November 20th 2025
10th July - 20th November 2025
10th July - 20th November 2025
If you are:
* Wanting accountability, support and a quiet writing community
* 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
* Experiencing dread or anxiety when you have a writing day ahead
* Hoping that writing will help you to feel better about yourself
* Needing effective skills and support to manage emotional aspects of the writing life
* Low in confidence
* Awash with self-doubt
* Fearful 2025 will get away from you without you writing as much or as often as you had wanted
* Feeling isolated as a writer
* Ready to prioritise your writing practice
Then you are invited to become part of The Zone | Momentum writers’ group. This is an opportunity for you to prioritise your writing practice, rather than squeezing writing in around the everything and everyone else.
in
* Wanting accountability, support and a quiet writing community
* 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
* Experiencing dread or anxiety when you have a writing day ahead
* Hoping that writing will help you to feel better about yourself
* Needing effective skills and support to manage emotional aspects of the writing life
* Low in confidence
* Awash with self-doubt
* Fearful 2025 will get away from you without you writing as much or as often as you had wanted
* Feeling isolated as a writer
* Ready to prioritise your writing practice
Then you are invited to become part of The Zone | Momentum writers’ group. This is an opportunity for you to prioritise your writing practice, rather than squeezing writing in around the everything and everyone else.
in
The Zone | Momentum has four elements:
- * Live online Thursday Focus group sessions (including fortnightly mind management Skills Clinics, recorded for you to review later)
- * Companionable silence writing and accountability days - three x 40 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 Writing Practice Reset Planner - available upon registration
The Zone | Momentum is designed to help you reset your writing practice so you can do more writing, with less angst.
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
my mind went walking | 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
This is a writing group with weekly Thursday online gatherings between July 10th and November 20th 2025
What's Included?
* Fortnightly live Thursday Focus sessions online (July -Nov 2025). 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 enrol you'll have access to The Zone | Momentum online space, a private space for our group. Once there, you can put your live sessions for each week in your calendar, let people in your life know you have commitments each Thursday (and will not be available!!), then arrange a quiet time between now and July 10th to download your 2025 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 2025 and beyond. The Planner is a tool to help guide this process.
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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 enrol you'll have access to The Zone | Momentum online space, a private space for our group. Once there, you can put your live sessions for each week in your calendar, let people in your life know you have commitments each Thursday (and will not be available!!), then arrange a quiet time between now and July 10th to download your 2025 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 2025 and beyond. The Planner is a tool to help guide this process.
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The Zone | Momentum is 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 | Momentum 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 | Momentum 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!
What, when, how?
Dates: Each Thursday from 10th July - 20th November
Please note, there are two types of Thursday activities, each with different times.
The Thursday Focus sessions run from 12.00-1.45pm.
On Companionable Silence days we meet at 9.30am; 12.30pm & 3.00pm for 3 x 40 min live online sessions.
Each Thursday we will alternate between:
a) Live Thursday Focus sessions includes Mind Management Skills Clinic + Q&A and reflective practice + coaching
b) Companionable silence writing days + accountability check-in. This is where you get to practice your new writermind skills, with light-touch accountability and support. Alternating Thursdays from 9.30 am Sydney time til mid-afternoon, with 3 x 40 min accountability and support check-ins during the day.
Pricing for The Zone | Momentum
An upfront, one-off payment of $880 (Inc GST) or 5 x payments of $194.00 (Inc GST)
Motivation and momentum to get your writing practice how you want it!
The skills, structure, support and community to help you create and consolidate a sustainable, engaged writing practice.
Dates: Each Thursday from 10th July - 20th November
Please note, there are two types of Thursday activities, each with different times.
The Thursday Focus sessions run from 12.00-1.45pm.
On Companionable Silence days we meet at 9.30am; 12.30pm & 3.00pm for 3 x 40 min live online sessions.
Each Thursday we will alternate between:
a) Live Thursday Focus sessions includes Mind Management Skills Clinic + Q&A and reflective practice + coaching
b) Companionable silence writing days + accountability check-in. This is where you get to practice your new writermind skills, with light-touch accountability and support. Alternating Thursdays from 9.30 am Sydney time til mid-afternoon, with 3 x 40 min accountability and support check-ins during the day.
Pricing for The Zone | Momentum
An upfront, one-off payment of $880 (Inc GST) or 5 x payments of $194.00 (Inc GST)
Motivation and momentum to get your writing practice how you want it!
The skills, structure, support and community to help you create and consolidate a sustainable, engaged writing practice.
Ready to spend more time in The Zone?
More writing. Less Angst.
More writing. Less Angst.
Secure your place for The Zone | Momentum by using one of the payment options below.
A steady writing plan for the remainder of 2025 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 | Momentum, 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 in 2025 with the aim of supporting writers to be as well and happy and focused 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 in 2025 with the aim of supporting writers to be as well and happy and focused 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 | Momentum provides the purchaser with access to 10 live x 90 min online focus sessions and 10 x Companionable Silence writing and accountability days with Alison Manning, the Writer’s Psych.
In the event that Alison Manning is for whatever reason unable to meet this commitment, a refund will be provided for the portion of the program that is not able to be delivered.
The purchaser recognises that program fee is non-refundable.
Minimum (10) and maxiumum (14) group numbers apply. Refunds will be issued if the course does not proceed.
If the purchaser is unable to attend live events 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 fortnightly Mind Management clinic recordings, and the weekly reflective practice activities materials.
The purchaser recognises that whilst the facilitator of The Zone | Momentum writers’ group is a clinical psychologist, The Zone | Momentum writers’ group is an educational, coaching and support program, not a group therapy program. The Zone | Momentum 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 | Momentum. Alison Manning will honour your privacy by not mentioning any prior relationship, and by not disclosing any private information to members of The Zone | Momentum.
Recordings of the Live sessions 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 | Momentum 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 Writer's Psych 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.
In the event that Alison Manning is for whatever reason unable to meet this commitment, a refund will be provided for the portion of the program that is not able to be delivered.
The purchaser recognises that program fee is non-refundable.
Minimum (10) and maxiumum (14) group numbers apply. Refunds will be issued if the course does not proceed.
If the purchaser is unable to attend live events 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 fortnightly Mind Management clinic recordings, and the weekly reflective practice activities materials.
The purchaser recognises that whilst the facilitator of The Zone | Momentum writers’ group is a clinical psychologist, The Zone | Momentum writers’ group is an educational, coaching and support program, not a group therapy program. The Zone | Momentum 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 | Momentum. Alison Manning will honour your privacy by not mentioning any prior relationship, and by not disclosing any private information to members of The Zone | Momentum.
Recordings of the Live sessions 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 | Momentum 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 Writer's Psych 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.
