Ditch the starving artist cliche and thrive.
You deserve more.
More time to write, more space in your life to be creative, more camaraderie and community. And yes, you deserve more money. A lot more.
You were told writers can’t thrive. You were told artists were starving and tortured. You were told there are only a chosen few who get to “make it” – and you were told you weren’t one of them.
You were sold a lie about what it means to be a writer.
Here’s the truth: you absolutely can build a thriving career as writer.
- There are eleven writers on the Forbes riches artists list. All of them are worth over $11 million. One is worth over a billion.
- Copywriters average $91,000 a year according to Salary.com.
- Romance author Silvia Day recently signed an eight-figure book deal.
- 5.7% of self-published authors make six-figures a year.
- I personally make six-figures a year as a writer.
Your dream of becoming a well-paid, full-time, happy and satisfied writer is possible.
A successful writing career is completely within your reach. You just have to make one simple mindset shift.
You have to start thinking of yourself as a creative entrepreneur.
Step into your unique value add.
There are a million stories out there, but no one else can tell yours for you. No one else has lived your life, no one else has your unique perspective.
Start charging what you’re worth.
Your voice is valuable. Not just theoretically, but practically. You come with experience and wisdom only you have. It’s time to start charging what that’s worth.
Set up systems for success.
In the same way a book needs a solid plot to give it structure, your writing career needs systems to help hold it up. Creating structures for your business is key to reducing stress, freeing up your time, and making more money off your content.
Model others who have succeeded in your field.
Maya Angelou didn’t invent poetry and Octavia Butler didn’t start the genre of science fiction, instead they built off of the success of others before them. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, you need to use what already exists to propel you forward.
It’s time to start taking yourself seriously as a writer.
The difference between success and failure is not luck, it’s perseverance and perspective.
Persevere through the ups and downs of your writing career through camaraderie and accountability from supportive peers.
Gain access to the perspective of mentors and coaches who have gone before you and created thriving writing carers for themselves.
Get the support you need in a community of writers dedicated to helping you thrive.
Join the Academy and get the support you need to build a thriving writing career.
The Academy is your one-stop shop for building a writing career from the ground up, with coaching, guides, courses, and full step-by-step roadmaps to success.
Plus, we’ve got a diverse, brilliant, and fun group of writers to cheer you on and help you build your career.
Stop starving. Start thriving.
The Academy is currently closed for enrollment, but you can get on the waitlist AND get a sample of our content by entering your email address here.
Yes, YOU CAN build a thriving writing career.
But you can’t do it alone.
Did you know you’re 92% more likely to achieve a goal if you have camaraderie and accountability along the way?
92%! That’s a practical guarantee.
That’s why the foundation of everything we do at School for Writers is community – because there’s power in gathering together.
Think of paradigm shifting revolutions. Think of magically powerful covens. Think of a pride of lionesses ruling the Serengeti.
Statistics show you’re a compilation of the five people you spend the most time with.
Imagine the power of spending your days surrounded by a group of writers all dedicated to changing the way we do business as artists.
The problem
We live in a society that is constantly discouraging people from pursuing careers in the arts. “That’s not a real job,” they say. “There’s no money in being a writer.”
We live in a society that is constantly silencing people from historically marginalized communities – queers, BIPOC, trans folk, differently abled folk, women, fat people, and anyone who is not a straight white man.
Because we are devalued by society, we devalue ourselves, pushing down our dreams, hustling to prove our worth, burning ourselves out to make our bosses rich.
We think writing is something we’ll do in our spare time. Maybe when we retire. But there never seems to be any spare time. And retirement is decades away, if we make it that long.
The solution
Standing in your Truth that “writer” is who you are in your soul. It’s how you communicate with the world. It’s where you go when you’re happy or sad.
Stepping up and recognizing that you have played small long enough. That you have been settling for crumbs when you deserve the whole friggin’ cake.
Understanding that it’s hard work to follow your passion, but it’s even harder constantly stifling your creative spirit just to fit into what society tells you to be.
Finding your squad, people just like you who long to make a living doing what they love, telling stories, and writing down life’s great truths.
Join the movement.
We’re on a mission to help writers thrive.
For writers, thriving looks like multiple books written, published, and out in the world – yes books, plural, because we know you have many stories in you.
It looks like an abundance of resources, support, and money to pay your bills – yes even the one for that luxurious vacation you’re longing to take.
It looks like conscious time off to be creative, have fun, and rest – yes, I said time off, because that constantly hustling lifestyle is not sustainable.
We’re here to honor your creativity, your passion, and your humanity.
How it works
The School for Writers Academy is a members-only program that supports you in building a thriving writing career by working on becoming a better writer, monetizing and publicizing your content, and taking time off to rest and be creative.
Step One: Sign up.
The first you you gotta do is enroll in a monthly or annual membership. Both get you the same access to the membership material, but annual gets you two free months a year.
Step Two: Show up.
We’ve got guides, courses, and coaching all ready for you, but only you can do the work. But the work is a helluva lot easier to do when you have camaraderie and accountability from our group.
Step Two: Level Up.
As you go through our School for Writers Success System™ – our proven blueprint to go from journaling to full-time writer – you’ll need to build and expand as a writer and an entrepreneur. Don’t worry, though, we’re here to support you through any growing pains.
Step Three: Step Up.
As you gain knowledge, insights, and success, we expect you to step up and share that with the world. Publish your book. Tell your story. And encourage others to do the same.
Is the Academy for you?
We’re a diverse group of humans from all different places, ages, and backgrounds, but we all have one thing in common: a desire to live a life of creative and financial abundance.
The Academy is excellent for you if…
- You dream of becoming a well-paid, full-time, happy and satisfied writer.
- You are ambitious, driven, and willing to do the work – and yes, the work includes taking time off to rest and be creative.
- You’re just starting out, maybe even barely calling yourself a writer. Or you have the beginnings of a writing career, but it’s not yet paying all of your bills in abundance.
- You’re excited to be a part of a writing group that honors diversity, amplifies historically silenced voices, and believes in collaboration over competition.
- You’re in this for the long-run and dedicated to staying in the program for at least a year.
- You’re willing to be an active participant in making your dreams a reality.
- You’re down to pause, rest, and reflect at least one week a month and four months a year (don’t worry, we’ve built it in to support you).
The Academy is NOT for you if…
- You’re an a$$hole, mansplainer, pride yourself in being argumentative or are constantly “playing devil’s advocate.” We’re a group of kind, supportive, and open humans and we expect you to be as well.
- You’re the kind of person who would show up to protest the Gay Pride parade wearing a MAGA hat. We’re unabashedly queer, anti-racist, pro-choice, and liberal AF around here.
- You already have a thriving career as a full-time writer. The Academy is here to help people get their career started and level-up to full-time, so if you are already established but looking to level up, check-out our masterminds and coaching programs instead.
- You’re looking for a quick fix or easy solution. The path to becoming a full-time, well-paid, thriving writer takes 2-5 years, depending on where you’re starting out. We’re in this for the long-haul with you, and we expect you to stick around and do the work for at least a year.
Sound like the right fit for you?
If you read those lists and thought “these are my kind of people” then you’re in the right place!
If you’re longing to amplify your voice, find more time for creativity, and make a crap ton more money as a writer, then the School for Writers Academy is for you!
Join the Academy today and start thriving as a writer.
The Academy is currently closed for enrollment, but you can get on the waitlist AND get a sample of our content by entering your email address here.
Meet Your Head Coach
Hi, I’m Lauren and I know what it’s like to dream of being a writer.
When I graduated from film school, everyone told me it was time to get a real job. But I followed my passion to tell stories and got an internship at magazine instead, working on my novels and screenplays on the side.
I followed the path I was told it took to become a writer – hustle hard for little pay and struggle all the way.
It soon became apparent that the “old” ways of thinking about a career in the arts weren’t going to work for me, so I started looking into what made someone successful as a writer.
I studied successful entrepreneurs, signed-up for business classes, and even got myself a law degree from a prestigious institution. And still, no one took me seriously when I told them I was a writer.
It didn’t matter how many degrees I got, books I wrote, or money I made, if I was still surrounding myself with people who told me I couldn’t be a writer.
I longed for a community of writers that cheered each other on in becoming better writers, making more money, and taking time off to enjoy our lives.
I wanted to be a part of a movement that abolished this idea of the starving tortured artist and instead embraced thriving as a creative.
I sought out a place where I could share my three decades worth of coaching and mentorship experience and the lessons I’ve learned from my fifteen years working as a writer.
I couldn’t find what I needed, so I created it myself.
I created School for Writers because business as usual didn’t work for me.
I created School for Writers because I was tired of hearing the naysayers tell me I could never make a living as a writer.
I created School for Writers because I couldn’t drive two hours to work a dead end job making someone else rich anymore.
I created School for Writers because I didn’t want to live in a world where we devalued art and artists and discouraged creative expression.
I created School for Writers because everywhere I went, people whispered to me that they too wanted to be a writer, they too had a story to tell the world.
I created School for Writers for every little girl like me who was told she had to sit down, shut up, and choose a “real” job that sucked her soul dry.
I created School for Writers to help people who longed to make art and money.
I created School for Writers for the dreamers who always had their head in the clouds.
I created School for Writers for you.
The Academy is currently closed for enrollment, but you can get on the waitlist AND get a sample of our content by entering your email address here.
My official bio, if you like that kind of thing.
Lauren Marie Fleming helps writers ditch the starving artist cliché and thrive.
A storyteller since birth, Lauren has written for prominent publications like VICE and the Huffington Post, and spoken at prestigious conferences and colleges including Yale and BlogHer.
For over two decades, Lauren has coached writers and other storytellers to make more money telling better stories, working with some of the world’s most distinguished speakers and authors, including Tony Robbins.
A graduate of both film school and law school, Lauren’s goal in life is to encourage entrepreneurs to be more creative and artists to think more like entrepreneurs.
Lauren is a nomad at heart, but currently lives in San Diego with her sister, one dog, two nieces, and countless books.
