📝 THE FOUNTAIN FLOW 📝

May 16, 2025 Edition

👋 HELLO, WRITERS!

The creative journey unfolds in waves—moments of clarity followed by periods of uncertainty, breakthroughs after challenges. As our community continues to grow, we're witnessing how The Fountain's neuroscience-backed practices are helping writers navigate these natural rhythms with greater ease and confidence.

✨100 DAYS TO YOUR FULL DRAFT: SUMMER INTENSIVE ANNOUNCED

We're thrilled to announce our Summer Intensive, running June 1 - September 8! Appropriate for writers of fiction or memoir, this class is for you whether you’re already deep into a project or you haven’t written a word yet. This 100-day program is specifically designed to guide you to a completed manuscript using The Fountain's unique blend of craft, depth work, and structured support. 

What makes this intensive different? It's not just about productivity—it's about rewiring your relationship with writing itself. The program includes:

• 14 Live Zoom Coaching/Craft Sessions (Tuesdays, 4-6pm PT, all recorded)

• 14 Weekly Check-in Sessions with your Accountability Group

• 100-Day Targeted Daily Curriculum to guide your writing journey

• 14 Custom Clearings (guided audio experiences) designed specifically for this intensive

• A complete book-length PDF of all course materials for future reference

Research shows that neuroplasticity—your brain's ability to form new connections—is activated through consistent practice. Over these 100 days, you'll build new neural pathways that bypass self-doubt and access your natural creative flow.

The next 100 days will pass regardless. The question is: will you use them to finally bring your book to life?

[Only 2 Weeks Left to Register—Spaces Are Filling Quickly!]

🎙️ CONNECTED: A PODCAST FOR THE WHOLE WRITER

We're excited to announce the launch of our brand new podcast, CONNECTED! In our first episode, "Why Craft Isn't Enough: The Missing Piece for Writers," we dive deep into why traditional writing instruction often falls short and how The Fountain's approach bridges that gap. This podcast is our way of answering your questions and providing another layer of support.

We cover:

• How The Fountain helps writers rewrite limiting beliefs

• The science behind our Clearings and how they unlock the body-brain connection

• A deeper look at the Summer Intensive structure and philosophy

• How community and "vision holding" accelerate creative breakthroughs

Listen now on Apple Podcasts or from the Podcast tab in the menu on The Fountain website. Please email us at [email protected] with your questions and we will address them in our future episodes.

🧠 NEUROSCIENCE NUGGET

When we shift between different creative modes—drafting and revising, for example—we're activating distinct neural networks. Drafting engages our brain's default mode network, associated with imagination and spontaneous thought. Revision activates our executive function network, which handles analysis and critical thinking.

This explains why many writers (like our Member Spotlight below) find it challenging to move between these modes. Your brain is literally switching between different processing systems! Understanding this neurological shift can help you create transition rituals that signal to your brain which creative mode you're entering, making the process more fluid and less jarring.

🔍 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: KRISTIN OFFILER

This month, we're spotlighting writer Kristin Offiler, who's navigating the delicate balance between revising her debut novel and drafting a new project.

What are you processing right now with The Fountain?

I recently started the Surfacing module, and it has reminded me how important creative self-trust is to my writing process. My debut novel, The Housewarming, comes out this summer, and I'm currently working on revising a novel I first drafted back in 2022. Almost all of the creative work I've done over the last couple of years has been revision on my debut with publication in mind, and I've had a sidekick in all of it, whether it was my writing partner or agent or editor. Now that I've returned to a different project, which is still in its murky early phase, I've had to remember the role self-trust plays in my writing process.

Of course I had to trust my creative impulses while I was editing my debut, but I had other people who were invested in the book giving me feedback and helping me see where I could make the story stronger. I had to trust that I knew which feedback made sense for my novel, but it was still helpful having another set of eyes on the project. A novel in its second draft isn't something I'd seek feedback on since I'm still discovering the story, so it's been a bit of an adjustment stepping back into my (solo) creative self-trust as I rewrite my WIP.

The Fountain has been so helpful in this process. I've been examining and rewriting the stories I tell myself about my creativity. I've been practicing self-compassion and devotion to my work instead of being overly critical. And I've rejuvenated the self-trust that helped me draft three novels over the last decade. I'd almost forgotten how magical it feels to not know where the story is going, but to trust the images and ideas that come up while I'm writing and see where they take me. It's a completely different mental muscle than the one I needed to edit my debut novel this past fall and winter, but I'm so glad The Fountain is helping me strengthen my creative muscles in all their forms.

What are you working on?

I'm working on another novel! I drafted it while I was querying in 2022, so it's been that project that's had to live on and off the back burner for the last few years, depending on what The Housewarming needed from me. I'm so happy to be spending time in this world again.

I'm also prepping for The Housewarming's release on August 1st. If you're into preordering, you can do that at your favorite bookstore (I LOVE an indie) or wherever you like to buy your books. I started writing The Housewarming in 2018, so it's very surreal to think it'll finally be in readers' hands this summer!

I also have a new-ish Substack with my writing partner and other half, Lindsey Smith. It's called The Meaning Makers, and we write about the writing life, motherhood, millennial nostalgia, and the things that make us happy. We love to meet in a shared doc and chat about a particular topic, then post it to our Substack. Think of it as you peeking in our AIM convos. Our Substack is still new, but we're having fun with it and would love for you to join us!

What is one recent win you'd like to share?

After a long wait, I was finally able to share my book's cover on social media, and the response was so lovely! I knew it was the one as soon as I saw the first handful of cover concepts from my publisher, but I'm so happy (and relieved!) that readers seem to like it as much as I do. I know this book won't be for everyone since no book ever is, but I'm grateful that it'll soon find its readers and its place in the world after living for so long inside my head!

👩‍💼👩‍💼 FOUNDERS' CORNER

Chelsea: This month I've been exploring the relationship between creative devotion and consistency as I continue working on my novel amid a number of (what feel like) interruptions--kids getting sick, processing some deep emotions and sensations of creative burnout, Scorpio full moon (!), etc. I'm working on letting go of my all-or-nothing mentality that, yes, has catapulted me forward in the past, but now, in this season of life, is actually hindering sustainable progress. I've been relying on our Buffer Clearings more than ever as a way to drop in quickly to my project. Whenever I do this, the words pour out. (It's also been amazing to hear so many of you having this experience, too!)

As we were developing materials for our Summer Intensive, it was important for us to focus on creating systems that honor both consistent practice and the natural ebbs and flows of creative energy. When we understand how our brain forms writing habits—through repeated activation rather than willpower—we can design routines that work with our neurobiology rather than against it. More flow, less resistence. 

Kim: The new frequencies we added to the library last month have become an integral part of my creative practice—especially version two of the 285 Hz for clarity, which has been essential as I complete revisions on my latest story and as we’ve been poring over every detail of the curriculum for the Summer Intensive.

For those participating in the Digital Release challenge, I've been fascinated by how many of you report experiencing more vivid dreams and creative insights during your social media breaks (this is 100% true for me–somebody who is already a very vivid dreamer!). This aligns perfectly with neuroscience research showing how digital overload can suppress the brain's default mode network, which is essential for creative synthesis and novel connections.

📅 UPCOMING EVENTS

The Fountain Monthly Live Meetup: The Connective Query Letter—May 30th, 10 AM PT (exclusive to members) With endless information about how to query agents out there, it can be hard to narrow things down to their most essential form. This Meetup will guide you through a holistic approach that honors what your Connected Self truly desires in your publishing journey. We'll cut through the noise and help you create a plan that aligns with the deeper work you are doing in The Fountain. RSVP and find the Zoom link in the Vision Holders Community. (All Meetups are recorded, archived, and accessible to members in your Course Library under Classes).

🔑 NOTE: Our monthly Meetups are exclusively for current Fountain members. Not a member yet? Join The Fountain today to access these events, our complete library of writing resources, and an amazing community of like-minded writers, all for only $33.00 a month.

✨ FEATURED PRACTICE: MODE-SWITCHING RITUAL

Inspired by Kristin's experience transitioning between revising her debut and working on her new manuscript, try this practice to help your brain shift between different creative modes:

1. Create a clear physical distinction between drafting and revising spaces (even if it's just changing the position of your chair or lighting a special candle)

2. Before beginning a drafting session after period of revision:

• Take three deep breaths while placing your hands on your solar plexus

• Say aloud: "I release analytical thinking and welcome creative flow"

• Play music without lyrics or specific Fountain frequencies (we recommend the 396 Hz for removing self-limiting beliefs)

• Set a timer for 15 minutes of freewriting before opening your manuscript

3. Before beginning a revision session after a period of drafting:

• Stand up and physically "shake off" the drafting energy

• Take three deep breaths while placing one hand on your forehead

• Say aloud: "I welcome clarity and precision"

• Create a physical boundary (like putting on reading glasses or a specific sweater)

• Review your revision goals before opening your manuscript

This ritual helps your brain recognize and transition between different creative states, reducing the cognitive friction that often comes with switching modes. As neuroscience shows, ritual behaviors create clear neural pathways that make transitions more seamless over time.

We're so excited to see what you create in the coming weeks, whether you're joining us for the Summer Intensive or continuing your regular Fountain practice. Remember that every word you write is rewiring your brain for greater creative ease and confidence.

With flow and focus,
Chelsea and Kim