Finally, You’ve Found Your Community
Have you ever longed for a group of close friends who write? Who sit in the village square with you and talk wordsmithing late into the night? Who understand why writing is your biggest dream (and therefore, the scariest dream of all)?
Welcome to Ink Village, my friend.
This Isn’t About Doing More
It’s about being strategic with what you can do in the season of life you’re in right now, surrounded by others who truly get it, who get you.
It’s about finding a gentle, intentional approach that works with your real life, your real energy, and your real writing process.
With friends.
The Truth About Productive Writers
Productive writers aren’t more disciplined than you. They’re not more organized. They’re not working harder. They’ve just learned to:
- Work with their resistance instead of fighting it
- Create sustainable practices that don’t require superhuman willpower
- Navigate emotional discomfort without letting it stop them
In Ink Village, this is what we do. Together.
I’m the USA Today Bestselling author of more than two dozen books with major publishers, including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Chronicle Books. I write mainstream literary fiction, thriller (under R.H. Herron), memoir, non-fiction, and romance, and paranormal women’s fiction.
I know structure, and I love to teach it. I’ve taught writing in the extension programs at UC Berkeley and Stanford. Now I teach the same things to a select, small group.
If you haven’t been writing, I know you. I was you.
For seven solid years (after I got my MFA in writing, mind you), I struggled to write. I couldn’t find the time. When I did, I couldn’t get started. When I did manage to write, my work was crap without solid characters or a believable plot. I hated my work, and worse, I hated myself. Writing was the one thing I wanted to do. Why wasn’t I doing it?
Then I figured out how to get out of my own way and write.
In Ink Village, I help YOU do the same.
What You’ll Get in Ink Village
Step into our cozy writer’s hamlet, where every channel in our private Slack community brings another facet of village life to vibrant reality.
- The Village Square — Our sun-dappled central plaza where writers gather to share their intentions, welcome newcomers, and find their rhythm in the steady heartbeat of our community. Start your writing day here!
- The Mill — Where ideas tumble like grain through the millstones. Bring your raw concepts and watch them transform through the power of collaborative brainstorming. No idea too wild, no plot too tangled!
- The Inn — Pull up a chair by the fireplace! Share your triumphs, navigate your challenges, and find kindred spirits for your writing journey. This is where writing friends become writing family.
- The Clockmaker’s Shop — Time is a writer’s most precious resource. Here’s where we craft sustainable schedules, adjust our writing rhythms, and find the perfect rejigger to suit your creative flow.
The Village Crier — A Private Podcast Just for Us
Each week, pour out all your writing questions and I’ll answer them all in The Village Crier — a private podcast crafted exclusively for our villagers. Whether you’re wrestling with plot knots, character quirks, or the mysteries of maintaining momentum — ask away!
The real magic? Your questions spark insights for everyone. When one villager wonders about dialogue techniques, another realizes why their character conversations feel flat. When someone asks about building suspense, three other writers suddenly see their pacing in a new light. It’s like having a weekly writers’ masterclass shaped by exactly what you need to know.
(Fun fact: This Q&A is the secret sauce in my 90 Days to Done program, where writers consistently call it their favorite feature. Now it’s yours, delivered fresh weekly, for Ink Village ears only!)
Time to Write Together — Silent Writing Sessions (Introvert-Friendly!)
Writers consistently report the same thing: “I wrote more in two weeks of these sessions than I did in the past three months on my own.” The secret is beautifully simple: scheduled time, supportive silence, and the gentle momentum of writing alongside others. No critiques, no sharing — just you, showing up for your writing, surrounded by others doing the same.
Morning Hours (Fixed Schedule)
5 days a week, Monday through Friday
7am–9am PT / 10am–12pm ET
Unhosted quiet writing time in our shared Zoom room
Afternoon/Evening Hours (Flexible Schedule)
2+ sessions per week
Two-hour blocks scheduled between Mon–Fri (never on a Saturday, occasionally on a Sunday)
Varying start times announced weekly, typically between 1pm–5pm PT / 4pm–8pm ET
Hosted sessions with brief opening discussion and focused writing time
All sessions are drop-in friendly — join when you can and stay as long as you like. Morning sessions provide a consistent, quiet space for independent writing. The varying afternoon/evening schedules are shared in advance so you can carve out your ideal writing times. No pressure, no performance — just the quiet company of fellow writers creating alongside you.
Ink Village is perfect for you if…
✓ You’re seeking a guilt-free writing home
✓ You want to discover your natural writing rhythm, not someone else’s
✓ You’re ready to write in the life you have, not the life you wish for
✓ You believe joy and creativity flow better with gentle support
✓ You’re looking for sustainable progress, not burnout
Ink Village is NOT right for you if…
✗ You’re seeking a rigid, one-method-fits-all approach
✗ You believe suffering is the only path to creativity
✗ You need high pressure to produce
Village Membership Levels
Free two-week trial on all levels! Cancel anytime.
The Path — $29/month
- 14+ hours of silent writing sessions per week in the Writing Guild Sessions
- Free two-week trial! Cancel anytime.
The Garden — $59/month
- 14+ hours of silent writing sessions per week in the Writing Guild Sessions
- Our own OhWrite room for sprinting any time of day or night
- The Village Crier weekly podcast to answer your writing questions
- Vibrant Ink Village Slack channels to support you, open 24/7
- And all the community magic you need to transform your writing life!
- Free two-week trial! Cancel anytime.
The Cottage — $99/month
- 1,000 words of detailed/professional editing/comments by Rachael per month
- One live edit video per month, featuring one randomly drawn Cottage member
- 14+ hours of silent writing sessions per week
- Our own OhWrite room for sprinting any time of day or night
- The Village Crier weekly podcast to answer your writing questions
- Ink Village Slack channels to support you, open 24/7
- And all the community magic you need to transform your writing life!
- Free two-week trial! Cancel anytime.
The Workshop — $199/month
All Cottage benefits listed above, plus:
- 2,000 words of detailed, professional editing from Rachael per month
- Limited slots available to ensure individual attention
- Free two-week trial! Cancel anytime.
The Study — $499/month
All Workshop benefits listed above, plus:
- One-on-one 45-minute fireside coaching session with Rachael on Zoom monthly
- 4,000 words of detailed, professional editing per month
- Very limited slots available to maintain intimate mentoring
- Free two-week trial! Cancel anytime.
The Hearth — $799/month
The most comprehensive support package — all Study benefits plus:
- Two monthly 45-minute fireside coaching sessions with Rachael per month
- 10,000 words of detailed, professional editing per month
- Extremely limited slots to maintain intimate mentoring
- Your personal writing sanctuary with direct mentor access
- Free two-week trial! Cancel anytime.
Can I try it out first?
You bet! Please take your first two weeks free, on me, and feel free to cancel anytime during your membership. Watch how your writing life transforms. (Editing clients — this needs to be scheduled after first payment.)
Can I switch tiers later?
Absolutely. Switch tiers up or down at any time (going up a tier is dependent on there being an open slot for some of the more limited tiers, but you’ll go right to the top of the wait list if there isn’t).
What does your editing entail?
I’m so glad you asked! Due to the worth and fragility of writing, I can only edit drafts that aren’t first drafts. I will still read and comment on what I love about your early first drafts, but it’s too risky for first drafts to be actually critiqued by anyone. That comes later. But on second/later drafts, editing includes detailed line edits that strengthen your work and even better, show you how to make your specific work stronger in the future. Being edited is the fastest way to get better as a writer!
But I REALLY want you to edit my work, not just comment on it.
Great. Finish your first draft. Then I will! (How’s that for a motivator?)
When would we do the coaching?
Coaching times in The Study and The Hearth levels: I coach on Weds and Thursday evenings (US time zones). If this doesn’t work for your schedule, The Cottage or the Workshop might be a better fit at this time.
What if I can’t make any of the writing sessions?
Those are optional! They’re great, but the real strength of this community is being with friends in Slack and our private podcast. Plus, you can write with each other any time of day in OhWrite or just sprint together in the sprint channel!
Do you have a lower-priced option?
I’m serious about not turning anyone away for lack of funds, so if the Garden level ($59) or The Path ($29) is prohibitive to you, please fill out this application with what you can pay. Please don’t feel hesitant about asking for what you can afford — that’s why I offer it! (Editing levels are price locked, as I need focused time to bring my best to edits.)
JOIN US NOW!
You’re about to find your writing community. Come as you are. We’ll be right here.