Holly Lynn Payne, MFA, MIM, is an award-winning author of four novels and a sought-after private writing coach. Her debut book, “The Virgin’s Knot,” received critical acclaim and was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. With a master’s degree from USC and a journalism background from the University of Richmond, she has taught at esteemed institutions like Stanford and the California College of the Arts. She is also the host and producer of the Page One Podcast, which interviews the world’s master storytellers on the critical first page of their books. With a multifaceted background as an author, endurance athlete, and certified intuitive healer in Energy Medicine®, Holly Lynn Payne brings a distinctive approach to the creative process. She seamlessly integrates her healing expertise with coaching, fostering an optimal flow state for clients as they write, resulting in transformative and empowering book-writing journeys for many. MysticMag has the opportunity to find out more.
Your background includes a diverse range of experiences, from being an award-winning author to a private writing coach, entrepreneur, and even an athlete. How do these varied roles and skills influence your approach to coaching and helping others unleash their writing potential?
I think all these pursuits helped develop tolerance, endurance mindset, and curiosity, which I believe are critical to the creative process. So what if it didn’t work the first time? Revise. Rewrite. You’ll get there. Humbly. Page by page. Having this kind of beginner mindset is essential for writers. Every time I want to write a new book, I must start again. Learn again. Discover. Take huge risks. What if it doesn’t work? What if I can’t pull all these threads together? I’m facing that now working on a new book, but I am loving the mystery of the story development phase. All my prior experiences have enabled me to take huge risks. If I fail, who cares? I’d rather allow the process to keep me humble and develop deep respect for the craft and even greater compassion for those brave enough to attempt it. Whether it’s coaching, launching a startup, learning a new sport, or starting a fresh book right from page one, we all stand equally before that very first page.
I approach all this with a naive curiosity. Curiosity propels me more than the dream of publishing. I often ask myself, “What am I interested in learning about?” or “What have I done that I need to understand more by writing about it?” We write to know, not always because we know already. This question surfaced years ago after publishing my first novel, when a scientist questioned how I could write about 1950’s Turkey without being Turkish or living in that era. It made me realize two things. A scientist writes having known. But a novelist writes to know and uses research to delve deeper into what is not understood. That’s why curiosity becomes the driver, guiding me through uncertainties and fueling the quest for discovery, especially when entering unknown territories. The thrill of finding something unexpected on the page, a character surprising me, keeps me engaged. This curiosity leads to humility, acknowledging that there’s always more to learn. I help my coaching clients see that the creative process is an experiment until it takes a definite form. I want them to find joy and ease—and even freedom, in the process too. It can be so fun when you finally find the flow.
You’ve mentioned that you believe in the power of words and that we write to ‘right.’ Can you share a bit more about this philosophy and how it guides your work as a writer and coach?
I found solace in storytelling following a near-death experience after being struck by a drunk driver. The aftermath left me unable to walk for nearly a year. Storytelling became my escape—a way to transport myself to different realms where I could control the outcomes. I believe subconsciously this act of creating narratives was a way to cope with PTSD that lingered for years. Crafting stories allowed me to navigate a world where I had agency, unlike the lack of control I felt in the external world. Through storytelling, I managed to bring my internal world into alignment while dealing with the imbalance of the external one. As a coach, I’ve never actively advertised my practice for 17 years, yet individuals often find their way to me while traversing their personal journeys. Writing, I’ve discovered, serves as a therapeutic journey for many, allowing them to realign elements that were once out of sync. Witnessing their transformation as they navigate this path is truly extraordinary. Through this approach to writing, individuals often shed internal burdens and find a healthier perspective on their experiences.
Your novel Rose Girl: A tale of Resilience and Rumi weaves together elements of history, spirituality, and the creative process. Can you tell us what inspired you to write this book, and how it connects with your broader mission of helping others write their own stories?
When I was doing research for my debut novel, The Virgin’s Knot, I traveled to Turkey to learn about the rug weaving industry and stumbled upon both rose distillation and Rumi. I am embarrassed to say that I had no idea who he was at first, until I lived with a rug merchant and his family in Konya and was brought to Rumi’s tomb at the tekke, the Dervish monastery, that dates back to the 13th century. All of this planted the seeds for Rose Girl but would take me a decade and four more books to write before I was ready. I try to help my clients understand where they are in their process, especially if they are struggling with a story. Sometimes they need to pause, do more research, learn more. If they are grinding, it’s an indication they are forcing something that isn’t ready to be born yet. I try to help people adjust to the humble season of waiting, of allowing for what is meant to be on the page to show up. I also try to remind people that creativity is a messy process. It is not linear. It is born of divine feminine energy, which is unsettling to many people who need to have everything perfectly organized. I’ve had the great honor of interviewing some of the world’s best writers and they almost always fall into the category of not overplotting, having very sparse outlines and almost categorically ‘flowing’ when they are present on the page. It’s not like they don’t do their research. They do tons of it. But when they are ready to write, they allow it all to integrate. There is ease in their process. Sure, they face the same anxieties as any other person trying to create anything, but they have a grace to their process—which to me is tied to faith. It’s not really about us, the writer, it’s about being in service to the story that wants to be born through us. We simply become the servant when we show up to the page. When you take that approach, the ego falls away quickly, and it is so much more fun to write.
As an intuitive healer with a master certification in Energy Medicine®, you bring a unique perspective to your coaching. Could you elaborate on how your healing background enhances the creative writing process and benefits your clients?
Before my accident, I experienced premonitions and sensitivities, but with no framework to understand or discuss them. Post-accident, these sensitivities intensified, leading to instances of clairaudience and clairvoyance. I had an intuitive forewarning about the accident, which later proved true. The schooling I underwent helped manage these abilities, allowing me to navigate the world with heightened sensitivities. This journey continues, evolving with life experiences and enabling me to connect deeply with my clients, sharing profound moments of communication marked by simultaneous chills, which I love! It’s a process rooted in trust and integrity, allowing us to explore together. The primary goal of my work is to help people find the soul of their story. Writing itself is a soul-reclaiming process and it never fails to help others light up and transform.
“Messages are channeled” – What are your views?
Others have told me two of my books have been channeled, both The Virgin’s Knot and now Rose Girl. I’d never heard of this until a woman approached me years ago at a book event and convinced it me was true. I wasn’t convinced, but I was curious. I’m not sure messages are channeled, but I do believe they are received. If you’re open and in a healthy, grounded state, allowing receptivity without actively seeking, you can trust the message or messages coming to you. As a novelist and storyteller, I believe these messages are received through my work, as a transmission within the story. Rose Girl is an illustration of this—the protagonist, a mysterious orphan, is mistaken as a saint for performing miracles with rose oil. She wants nothing to do with this healing gift but longs to find her mother. She never sought the ‘message’ of the roses. She received a transmission and had no choice to but act upon it. This is the writing process. Often the stories just land on us or erupt from our hearts. We have to listen to them and then be in service to them. It is a vulnerable position—to stay open to listening and receiving what wants to be heard and expressed. This is the mystery of the creative process—receiving what is unknown, at first, until it becomes a part of us. Great writing does not start in the head.
If anyone’s interested in grabbing a free copy of Rose Girl, they can head over to Book Funnel. It’s a third-party platform where my e-book is available in multiple formats. It can easily be downloaded from here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/k1zgooi0gf
If you would like to find out more about Holly Payne, please visit https://www.hollylynnpayne.com/
