Balancing your brain, your business, and your book stack
This issue’s all about harmonizing roles, reviewing wisely, and escaping into story
This month, I’ve been toggling between deep analysis and deep reading, and realizing how both can teach us to see differently.
In this week's Shining Beacon, I'm guiding you through the storms of
balancing your three roles (for authors)
reviewing your data to grow your business (for editors)
and recommending a good book!
As always, I welcome questions, so comment below or email me.
Check out my latest blog.
For Editors. Analyze Your Editorial Business with Confidence
Snippet from blog:
You don’t have to guess whether you’re using your time and money wisely, whether your business is aligning with your values, whether you’re getting the kind of clientele you want, etc. You can track it. Review it. Reflect on it. And make better decisions next year.
»»»»»Keep reading at Analyze Your Editorial Business with Confidence
Nonfiction Help. The Nonfiction Trio: Writer/Narrator/Editor
In "The Nonfiction Trio: Writer/Narrator/Editor," Olga Katsovskiy explores how one person often juggles three key roles in creative nonfiction, and how shifting between them influences your storytelling. It’s a thoughtful look at when you’re being the creator, when you’re the voice, and when you step back as an editor, tightening and clarifying. If you've ever struggled to separate writing impulses from editorial instincts, this post offers insight on harmonizing all three personas.
✨ Try this:
Work through a short piece of your own creative nonfiction (or a flash nonfiction excerpt) with this three-step approach:
Writer: Let the words flow freely. Tell your truth without self-censorship.
Narrator: Read it aloud, focusing on voice, pacing, and emotional resonance. What feels authentic? What feels flat?
Editor: Return with fresh eyes. Cut redundancies, tighten language, clarify unclear phrasing, and check tone consistency.
After each step, jot down how your piece changed and what felt most impactful. Did one role transform the work more than the others? Which helped it most? Share your results in the comments.
Share your thoughts, and let’s brainstorm together.
Use cues if it helps
If it helps you, you can change the environment for each role.
Writer mode happens at your desk with your favorite playlist on.
Narrator mode is on a walk or while reading the draft out loud in another room.
Editor mode is reserved for a specific chair, a printed copy, or even a different font or color scheme.
Book: Mistborn: The Final Empire
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.
This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?
My opinion:
Can you believe this is my first Sanderson read? My husband’s favorite author, and I’ve never touched one of his books till now. I was honestly nervous it might be too dense or science-heavy for my taste. I adore fantasy, but I haven’t read much adult high fantasy.
I’m 68% through Mistborn, and I’m really enjoying it.
The magic system is innovative and baked right into the plot. I don’t understand all the mechanics (science and I are not close friends), but it still works for me. The worldbuilding is so epic it practically feels like a main character. The plot has satisfying twists and real stakes, and I love Vin’s growth and emotional depth.
That said, Sanderson does like to repeat character insights—to the point where I’ve literally said aloud, “YES, I get it!” He also has quite a few info dumps that drag things down for me. I’m in a stage of life where I just don’t have the bandwidth for pages of exposition (mom of littles + business owner = mental fatigue is real).
But the characters, plot, and world keep pulling me back in. Overall, I’m glad I finally gave it a shot.
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