This summer, I chose the title Name Your Big Dream for one of my monthly Author Nurture Writing Well classes. Throughout 2025, I’ve been thinking about this phrase because my big dream has always been to start a production company and produce deep, emotionally intuitive, nurturing films and TV shows.
I took a chance that other writers would want to talk about this. And the response was so beautiful and tender. Some people knew their big dream already and felt comfortable naming it. Others found the process vulnerable and challenging, because somewhere along the line they had cut themselves off from their big dream.
I’m starting to realise that this happens for a lot of people. It’s painful to dream, because we might fail or be exposed as imposters. This is why we cannot allow our identity to be all braided up with our achievements because the stakes become too high to take risks. And dreaming is a risk. But one worth taking, for to dream is to connect to our deepest intuition and humanity. When we cut ourselves off from dreaming, we damage our spirit in a fundamental way.
I’m wondering how we reconnect to our biggest dreams? What if it didn’t matter if we failed or succeeded at the dream itself? What if the pursuit of the dream was the achievement?
One-Word Feeling Check-In
How are you feeling right now, in one word? I’m feeling inspired. I’ve been practicing asking myself what I want, and really listening for the answer. I’ve been writing my new novel, nearly every day, and experiencing the work as play and not allowing myself to ask that dreaded question, “Is this any good?” The answer to that question is not helpful in a first draft stage. I am a writer, and writers WRITE. I am my first audience, and if I feel delighted by what I’m creating, I think that’s enough. And that discovery is bringing me so much joy and creative fulfilment this summer.
How are you feeling?
Book Corner
I’m always excited about a new release from UK author Lisa Jewell, and her newest thriller Don’t Let Him In was an enjoyable hot-weather read. Not a murder mystery whodunnit like some of her other books, this plot focuses on a con artist who marries multiple women in order to steal from them. But we still get mystery, and I loved the ending.
I discovered Cal Newport while researching for a writing class on taking on a tech break. While I waited for Digital Minimalism to come in from the library, I started with Slow Productivity, and on every second or third page I found myself saying, “Yes!” or “That’s it!” as I read along. So many gems here, on cutting through the noise of our culture to focus on what really matters in our work and life.
My friend Tatiana has been talking about The Widow’s Guide to Dead Bastards by Jessica Waite for a long time, so I made my way to it on my TBR pile and it was such a delight. Waite is a Calgary-based author who is forced to reckon with her memory of her dead husband when she uncovers his entirely secret life. The writing is so beautiful in this memoir. Tense, vulnerable, gripping, moving. I’m so glad I read it.
Write Your Novel or Memoir Online Class
I’m taking registrations now for my next Write Your Novel or Memoir class beginning October 19, 2025! If you’ve always longed to write a novel or a memoir and you want to do this work in a supportive and flexible literary community online, please come and join us.
A previous student said, “This course was fundamental in giving me the courage I needed to start putting my story down. I love how it’s not just a writing course, but a life course too!” More info is on my Classes page and please email me if you have questions or would like to sign up!
Intuitive Courage Podcast
Episode 15 is called A Blueprint for the Soul. It’s a phrase I used in my Writing Well Author Nurture session when discussing why we should name our big dream. One of the writers in the class stayed after the zoom to tell me how much that phrase resonated with her. I said it as the answer to another writer’s question about how to choose between all of the various dreams he had for future writing projects. I’ve been thinking about it ever since, mulling it through in my heart and soul, and wanted to explore it further in the podcast.
Please have a listen on August 21st. How do your biggest dreams influence your life and the way you spend your time?
Nurture Starts with You Online Class + 1:1 Nurture
The next Nurture Starts with You online class begins September 2nd and I really hope you’ll join us! Info is on my website under Classes. You deserve to make yourself a higher priority in life. When we nurture ourselves first, we can give care to others out of abundance, not out of a sense of resentment and lack.
And I’m now offering 1:1 nurture for writers, teachers, and for parents! In my climate class this spring, I talked with several parents who asked me questions now that my kids are young adults. One mom said she wanted to learn more from me, so I decided to add this into the nurture work I’m already doing. It’s such a privilege to talk with people about improved rhythm and rest, prioritising their own self care higher, and answering questions to the best of my ability on a variety of subjects where I have lived experience. For more info and testimonials, please see my Nurture page.
Process Notes
I’m at the halfway point now in my new novel A Body at the Fair. I’m writing nearly every day, and the story is churning around in my thoughts almost all the time. I LOVE this part of the first draft process.
When I got back into writing at the beginning of the summer, I remembered this phase from writing Post Civ in the summer of 2022. For my first YA novel, Jamesy Harper’s Big Break, I outlined and planned the structure for the book. But for Post Civ, I tried something new: writing using my intuition. I had brief character bios and a setting, plus a clear idea of the themes and questions I wanted to explore, but no idea what was going to happen in each chapter until I started writing.
With Post Civ, I felt like I was floundering for the first fifteen thousand or so words. I had to figure out who my characters were, what they wanted, and what they were hiding. But once I had written a few chapters from each person’s point-of-view, I found the writing took off and developed a life of its own.
The exact same thing happened with A Body at the Fair. I feel grateful now that I struggled through the opening until I knew my characters and could begin to predict what they would do. And now, the writing is like flying. Exhilarating, adventurous, surprising, and fun.
TV Recs
We’re enjoying free Apple TV+ until the middle of August, so we watched Long Way Home with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. This time, they ride refurbished motorcycles through Scandinavia and the Baltics. I’ve seen all four series of their travel show, and it’s some of the cosiest and most comforting TV viewing out there.
Murder Mindfully is a German Netflix show about a lawyer for the mob who engages the services of a mindfulness coach to help manage his unpleasant work tasks. This show is clever, funny, amusing and smart. I’m excited already for the second season.
When William came home for one of his weeks off from his mining job this summer, we watched Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces. My dad died 23 years ago, but he was a huge Steve Martin fan, so I thought it would be fun to go back to the beginning and see how his stand-up career evolved. Steve! was entertaining and informative. Now we’re going to re-watch early Martin movies like The Jerk and Bowfinger.
The Best Cats on the Planet: Ted & Pip (ALBERTA EDITION!)
We went to Alberta in early July to stay at our beloved timeshare in Canmore, then to Calgary for a few days to see friends and for Jason to do some stampede work/fun events, and we finished by staying a couple nights in Revelstoke up on the mountain.
I reached out to my friend Wendy to ask about going to the Calgary Zoo (turns out we both love screamers, the refreshing zoo treat of soft serve ice cream in a slurpee, YUM) and we had a fabulous afternoon where the animals were all showing off so I thought I’d include a few photos.
We missed Pippin and Ted while we were away, but they were well looked after by our son William and a cat sitter. It’s fun to go away, but always so nice to return home. Both furry boys were happy to welcome us back, mostly so we could open the screen door to the deck and let them outside to enjoy the summer sunshine!
Libraries forever,
Julianne and Ruby Finch Books