Take your readers on a heroine's journey

into an embodied

transformation

Hello. I'm Catriona Mitchell

I offer BOUTIQUE BOOK COACHING AND EDITING for non-fiction that brings forgotten feminine archetypes back to life.

Stories with Spine is for you if...

You wish to develop a work of non-fiction or memoir that calls the life force and creative potency of feminine archetypes back into consciousness, conversation and culture... so that we can 're-member' what we have lost, restore our whole-system intelligence, and reconnect with the body, nature and the divine forces within. 

You're looking for a guide to help you capture your deepest vision for your book and pin it to the page - whether this is a work of transformational non-fiction or memoir.

Your book will question cultural and spiritual norms, by exploring the powers of lost feminine archetypes from East to West, the sacred to the profane, the abstract to the anthropomorphic.

You long to see their forms, functions, symbols, motifs and mythologies become part of embodied, living culture. Why? Because we are so much more than we think we are.

You might be writing about Kundalini, Kali, Mother Earth, the descent of Inanna, the body as a living temple, the priestess, the witch, the womb, beauty, bliss, the life/death cycle...

YOU ARE AN EDUCATOR AND AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD. YOU AIM TO INSPIRE A PROFOUND SHIFT IN CULTURE, WITH A BOOK THAT HEALS THE SPLIT IN THE COLLECTIVE PSYCHE BETWEEN SPIRIT AND MATTER, THE BODY AND THE SACRED, HUMAN AND NATURE.

You have a fire in your belly about your book because:

WE NEED TO RESTORE OUR RELATIONAL INTELLIGENCE IF WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE TODAY'S CASCADING GLOBAL CRISES. 

Feminine archetypes are essential, not optional, organs of our collective intelligence, yet many have been culturally erased or are lying dormant in the collective psyche. Only when we bring their full spectrum back to life can we reclaim our totality and our co-creative powers.

FEMININE REVERENCE IS MISSING FROM OUR HIERARCHICAL, RATIONAL, LINEAR, LEFT-BRAIN-DOMINATED SOCIETY. 

We're distanced from the intelligence held in our bodies, and from the body of the Earth, with consequences that affect us all. You see the body as a micro Earth, a living temple, because it houses our life force and the spark of our divinity. The body knows our interconnection with all of life. 

Why work with me?

I'LL HELP YOU BIRTH YOUR DEEPEST VISION FOR YOUR BOOK, WITH A METHODOLOGY THAT IS STRUCTURED BUT NOT FORMULAIC.

My primary role is to help you define your book's point and purpose:  that is, the unique contribution you will make to a bigger cultural conversation, and the journey of transformation you will take your readers on.

 NONFICTION
MEMOIR

YOU HAVE A STRONG BODY OF WORK TO DRAW FROM. HOWEVER, YOU ARE YET TO DEFINE THE CENTRAL IDEA FOR YOUR BOOK; OR ESTABLISH HOW YOU'LL GUIDE YOUR READERS FROM INITIATION, THROUGH OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES, INTO AN EMBODIED TRANSFORMATION.

 I offer book development in 5 steps:


  • Find your STORY SPINE

  • OUTLINE your narrative

  • Write your MANUSCRIPT

  • POLISH your manuscript

  • Write a 60+ page PROPOSAL

 NONFICTION
MEMOIR

You and I might create magic together if: 


You have built your expertise on your archetypal theme over time,  through teaching, speaking, writing, a PhD, documentary film-making, consulting and/or coaching.


In the case of memoir, you have a wealth of research as well as personal experience to bring to your chosen topic.


You're actively sharing your ideas in written form already, even if you haven't published a full-length book yet. 


Your book will endure because of its richness and depth of content. It's more than a marketing exercise for your business. You wish to make a genuine contribution to a new cultural narrative.


Are we compatible?

YOUR AUTHORIAL VOICE WILL BE UNIQUE - AN EXPRESSION OF BOTH YOUR INTELLECT AND YOUR MYSTICAL SENSES. YOU SEE THESE AS RICH FIELDS OF EXPLORATION THAT COMPLEMENT RATHER THAN CONTRADICT ONE ANOTHER. 

Your archetypal theme might be:

  •   Embodiment
  •   Eros
  •   Tantra
  •   Goddess history
  •   The womb
  •   Eco-psychology
  •   Mysticism
  •   Healthy masculine

Book coaching is where the muse meets the marketplace. 

MY METHODOLOGY INCORPORATES:

  • Message development
  • Heroine's journey
  • Project management
  • Editorial feedback
  • Industry insights

This process involves a dance between right and left brain

It's my role to see that:

  • What is in your head is clearly conveyed on the page.
  • You find clarity, focus, and creative velocity.
  • Your message for the reader is fine-tuned, and your structure is intentional.
  • The connective tissue between you and your reader grows healthy and strong.

  • You are free to explore the mystery of the creative process, while being held accountable to deadlines to move you forwards.

As one of my clients described it, this is an act of "switching the lights on together."

 About BOOK COACHING

YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT BUILDING AN AUTHOR CAREER WITH A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF READERS, WHETHER YOU SIGN UP WITH A LARGE PUBLISHING HOUSE, AN INDEPENDENT OR ACADEMIC PRESS, A HYBRID PUBLISHER, OR YOU INTEND TO SELF-PUBLISH. 

Praise for my services:

I can honestly say I couldn’t have done it without her. My book is so much better for her gorgeous, subtle and sensitive touch. Thank you for making my book shine."

GINA CHICK - WE ARE THE STARS

Simon & Schuster (Australia), Oct 2024

ginachick.com

WINNER OF THE DYMOCKS TOP 101 LIST, AUSTRALIA 2025

This is the first time a non-fiction book achieved the number one position on the Dymocks Top 101 list.

WE ARE THE STARS WAS ALSO SHORTLISTED FOR:

2025 ABIA Awards Biography of the Year, The Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year and Audiobook of the Year, and the 2025 Indie Book Awards, Non-Fiction.

The thought-provoking practices and techniques Catriona offers took my book to another level, allowing me to see its deeper purpose.

LAURA AMAZZONE - author of Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power 

Hamilton Books

lauraamazzone.com

I believe that Catriona is the only coach I trust to make this the book of my dreams. She is flexible, kind, clever, generous, an incredible listener and close reader.

JANE HARDJONO

Embodiment coach

janehardjono.com

 PRAISE

YOUR BOOK IDEA IS ALIVE IN YOUR BLOOD, BREATH AND BONES. YOU KNOW IT'S YOURS TO WRITE. YOU ARE CALLED. THIS IS HOW YOU'LL MAKE YOUR UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO A NEW CULTURAL NARRATIVE AT A TIME OF UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE. 

If you run into self-doubt or resistance...

I am trained in mindset work and embodiment methods, as well as in feminine empowerment coaching to help you get back on your feet. Creative blocks are likely to arise, but we'll catch them early on and dissolve the resistance that shows up.

If you're afraid of being seen and heard...

I'll guide you back towards confidence and conviction in your project. This is big, because being an author these days requires you to be a speaker too. The subject of your book is personally edgy, if not culturally disruptive, and going public with it can feel exposing.

I only work with projects that are 100% author-written. 

AI is no substitute for this process. Here's why.

  • Your book's topic is intimately connected to your real life. You will draw from your deeply felt, personal experience as well as your research and development. AI can't compete with the creative potency that comes from the deep centre of your being.
  • In recent years you've gone through a process of profound feminine 're-membering.' Revelations have come to you through your cellular intelligence and your intuitive senses. Your words will emerge from this place too. 
  • This work brings your unique philosophy to light. It asks you to define what you want to say at the deepest level, and this sparks a growth-curve of personal and spiritual development. You're likely to find that your book works on you as you work on it; this is one of its unexpected gifts.
  • Along the way, I'll share tools and techniques that can help you become a powerful emissary for your message. Your message isn't something external to you; it is who you are. This work will prepare you for speaking about your ideas with emotional depth, in public and on social media.

YOUR NEXT STEPS:

Nonfiction

Start at the place that's right for you. Our work together is always tailored to your unique vision and needs. 


You're at the ideas development stage

We begin by defining the point and purpose of your book. This is difficult to do early on, but illuminating. Once you truly understand what your project is about and its value for the reader, you'll start your work off on a strong footing.

MINI STORY SPINE

 → It's time to structure your narrative

Here, I'll support you with defining your contents, and ordering them into an effective structure before you start writing. This way you know exactly where you're going and why, when you get into the long-form writing. This clarity brings joy and momentum.

 YOUR STORY SPINE

 → You need a proposal for agents / publishers

Once you've outlined your book, it's time to prepare a compelling and convincing 60+ page book proposal. This an art-form unto itself that requires selling instead of telling; and high-touch professional guidance can make all the difference.

YOUR BOOK PROPOSAL

 → You have a partial or full manuscript to edit

You have written a solid working draft of your book. Now you're seeking detailed, professional insights and suggestions on what's working and what isn't, from an editor who's sensitive to your archetypal theme and supports your goals and vision.

EDITING PACKAGES

YOUR NEXT STEPS:

Memoir

COMING IN JUNE 2025

If you're interested in memoir coaching, please send me a quick email at catriona@storieswithspine.com, and I will add your name to a waitlist.

How to take your readers on a

heroine's journey

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