From Therapist to Coach for Author

As an Occupational Therapist for   and business coach, Jil’s brings a wealth of professional experience and excellence working with children and families into the world of publishing. Her experience as writer and Editor in Chief for  Asian Beat magazine in Dallas sharpened her coaching skills.  Now she channels commitment and dedication in helping first-time writers and dreamers become self-published authors

What sets Jil apart is not just her publishing expertise, but her strategic insight and intuitive guidance. With a keen eye for quality and a deep respect for every writer’s journey, she offers tailored coaching and consulting that supports authors from their first draft to final launch—and beyond.

Her proven coaching framework combines creative development, publishing logistics, and entrepreneurial mindset, helping clients not only publish their books but position themselves as experts in their field.

Overcoming writers’ block and self-doubt: The first three steps to take.

You have a compelling story to tell, but don’t know where to start.

As you sat down and stared at your laptop, you wondered, “ How should I write the opening lines to hook the reader?”

You have several lines on top of your head but don’t know which one would be the best. Minutes ticked by and you paced back and forth. Then your mind is riveted by a call. You paused and took it. By the time the call was finished, you had already lost focus. You have already lost count of the time you went through this situation.

 Your dream book seems to get farther away day by day. Then you begin to doubt your ability to write.

Sounds familiar? I went through this writer’s block several times before I broke through it and wrote my first book.

I understand that as beginner writers, we all want to write the best book that we can create. But how to start?

Here, I would like to share with you the initial steps I took and how I did it. Focus on each step , one at a time.

#1 Choosing your topic

Theres a whole lot of topics to choose from when you want to write. But usually, as writers, we already have an idea or a story that inspired and made us decide to write.  You just have to research further what topic or theme it belongs. You have to research the theme under which it will fall.

Autism as a topic is very close to my heart, having visited countless homes with children and adults with autism in my work as an occupational therapist. Autism and hope. These are the themes that resonate with the story that I am embarking on.

#2 Defining your purpose

Start with an end in mind. The end is the effect or impact that you want to create on other people. Why do you want to write the book? What compels you to tell the story? 

I want to inspire young people with this story of how an autistic girl overcame boundaries. I want to draw focus on the need to understand for parents and everyone that autism is not a disease. I want to show them that there is hope. These were my purposes for writing the book.

#3 Identifying your audience

Identifying who would be most interested in our book is a step often overlooked by aspiring writers in their eagerness to write their first book. Not taking time to identify your target readers will ensure poor book sales. Who is my intended audience for my story? What are their needs? What are their pains related to the topic? How to make my story connect to theirs?

As an occupational therapist, I saw that there are a lot of misconceptions and biases against children with autism. I’ve met and talked with parents who were devastated to learn that their son or daughter has autism. I saw pain and dread in their eyes when they realized that their beloved child would never live a full life.

I want to write a book for parents, teachers, and families to discover and appreciate the beautiful world that autistic children live. I want to show them that people with autism can still thrive.

By knowing your intended readers, it becomes easier to write your opening lines that will connect you to them. You can now choose your writing voice to be educational, funny, or hopeful.

By understanding who your target audience is, you will also be able to mount an effective book marketing and promotion. You can connect to them through workshops, interviews, and book fairs.

Now that you have taken the first three steps, it is easier to take the further steps to writing such as choosing your genre, making an outline, and choosing the opening lines.

If you have taken these initial steps to writing, I could guide you further. From writing to finishing your book and having it published. You may check my coaching course, Empowering Authors to Publish with Confidence, Clarity, and Credibility.