Overwhelming emotions
Avoidance, excuses, or unconsciously recruiting people to interrupt you
Nonstop free-writing
Nonstop outlining
Constantly changing your mind
Boredom
Intense self-criticism
An excruciatingly over-engineered first chapter and absolutely no inspiration to tackle the middle
Trying to write a book, but thwarted by creative block?
“I felt like shit,” says author Laurie McGinley about their two years of writer’s block. “I felt embarrassed, I felt incapable. I really, really wanted a book, and I had tried a whole bunch of times by myself and failed to figure it out, but I could not let go of the idea of having a book.”
And now?
“Having a book has helped me focus my work in a way that I was frankly incapable of before we worked together."
Point in case: the week their book came out, Laurie was able to take advantage of a last-minute opportunity to give an interactive workshop at SXSW — by improvising from a foundation of clarity, specificity, and assuredness.
Creative block boils down to a missing sense of direction.
Writing a book can be the way to develop one.
Skimmable overview…
2 individualized coaching sessions at the beginning and end. (Zoom or live)
4 customizable writing assignments. (1 per week, delivered on Mondays on Zoom/email)
Optional reflection and discussion each Friday. (Zoom)
Access to the facilitator on Slack.
You get: a clear action plan for your even-clearer book concept.
$600 / General Admission
(discounts and add-ons available)
Join a small cohort of future authors as you each develop a sense of clarity, direction, and renewed inspiration for your nonfiction book concepts. This virtual program provides focused individual attention, totally doable weekly assignments, and a supportive community to help you find your way.
Welcome to The Author’s Compass - September 15 - October 10, 2025
…and a more detailed one
We’ll begin with a quick vibe check to make sure that this journey will be right for you and worth your time.
If so, we’ll schedule a focused 1:1 coaching session, where I’ll learn about your goals, opportunities, and challenges.
From September 15 - October 10:
Each Monday (3pm), receive a broad, thought-provoking prompt tailored to spark creative exploration and get you away from the blinking cursor. You might be visiting a bookstore, conducting a key conversation, or exploring your idea non-verbally. Expect 2 asynchronous hours/week of homework, or my thinly-veiled judgment and annoyance if you don’t do it.
Message me anytime on Slack for personalized support as you customize your approach, no matter how unique your project.
Join an optional weekly Friday group session (10am) to share your discoveries and experiences with fellow writers.
We’ll conclude with one more 1:1 coaching session, where I’ll share some reflections and recommendations. If we’ve done it right, we’ll have identified a radically new approach that feels authentic, grounded, specific, energizing, and totally doable.
Interested in participating?
Testimonials
-
"MJ has a unique way to help you get unstuck and see the possibilities. After working with him, I could envision how I wanted my piece to turn out."
Dipti Patel
Coaching Corner member -
“I love a good MJ voice note on Slack, they’re just so fun, they break up the monotony of corporate America. More people deserve the benefit of his brain and his humor.”
Brie Abramowicz
Product strategist + author -
"Author's Compass, both as a space and a workbook, gave me something to come back to when I felt stuck. It helped me keep going when I fell off of my writing habit and re-find joy in writing when I felt uninspired. The workbook is a grounding tool to help move from idea to writing and MJ's gentle guidance is, as always, incredible. "
Kathryn Latham
Business coach
The facilitator
I’m MJ Halberstadt (he/him), a ghostwriter, book coach, creative writer, and the creator of Find the Words.
I have the privilege of working with founders, thought leaders, and coaches as they develop their key messages — especially when they’re writing nonfiction self-help books.
It works out pretty well because I’m shamelessly nosy, cut through conversational bullshit, and can’t help making unexpected connections. Oh and my face is apparently very disarming; people have always felt comfortable spilling their guts out to me. (It’s intense, TBH.)
My history as a creative person includes writing and producing many stage plays, teaching undergrad + grad screenwriting and playwriting for 5 years, an unpublished erotic gay thriller novel called Boner Killer, over 8 years of writing coaching, a BA in Theatre Education, and an MFA in Playwriting.
I live in a queer co-op in SE Portland, OR with my books.
Who is this for?
The Author’s Compass “journey” is designed with founders, thought leaders, and coaches in mind, but may work quite well so long as you have…
…some kind of working concept for a nonfiction book…
…at any stage of development in which…
…you are genuinely able to radically transform the idea (and open to doing so).
I believe I can provide meaningful value to you if you have some of the following concerns:
You have an elaborate concept in mind but don’t know how to begin.
You have a ton of raw material but have no idea what to do with it.
You started writing it years ago, lost steam, and can’t get back into it.
It’s difficult to commit to a concept.
You know what you’re going for, but your ADD traits are presenting challenges.
This is NOT the right place to work on fiction, poetry, or social media content. I also don’t feel confident that I can help you if your challenges include:
You are looking for an idea to write a book about.
Your primary motive is to make money or debut #1 on Amazon.
Thinking about your book is causing excessive psychological distress.
Not sure if The Author’s Compass might be right for you? Schedule a 25-minute vibe check call and let’s explore.
Pricing
$600 / General admission
$400 / Solopreneur seats (limit 4)
$1000 / Angel seats (gift a seat)
$1500 / Front row seat (6 total individual coaching sessions)
We will resist relying on LLMs to generate content, however I will recommend using a transcript-generating AI (Otter) to capture and organize thinking.
I have many reasons for this, which I’m working on articulating.
