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Scott Carbonara 10/15/26 Scott Carbonara 10/15/26

Facts Get Forgotten, But Stories Get Stuck: The Importance of Storytelling

When I worked as an internal HR consultant for a multi-billion-dollar company, I uncovered a $10 million/year turnover problem in one of our largest departments. I talked to the people who’d quit, and I used SAS (Statistical Analysis System) to track the reasons they gave me for quitting—which meant I had both the numbers and the stories.

Without going into detail, “Jon,” the senior vice president of the division that had been hemorrhaging employees quicker than we could replace them, needed to know the data I’d uncovered immediately.

For the next hour, I told him specific stories from some hundreds of former employees I’d spoken with. Data got Jon’s attention; stories kept Jon’s attention.

Later, I would preach a simple leadership lesson to others: facts get forgotten, but stories get stuck.

Jocelyn Carbonara 10/1/26 Jocelyn Carbonara 10/1/26

How to Win Your Fight with Writer’s Block (and Other Obstacles)

“How can I motivate myself to actually write?”

“When will my book actually be done?”

“I’ve been busy lately and haven’t made progress. Should I just give up?”

These are common questions in my author coaching and developmental editing. I’ve noticed they usually appear around the same time: when an author is somewhere in the middle of their first draft, and they feel like they’re sailing alone in the open sea at 2 a.m. (which I’ve actually done, except for the alone part).

So how do you actually keep your sail inflated when the wind feels weak?

I can’t wrestle the breeze to fix this, but several methods will get you there. I’ll share a few.

Jocelyn Carbonara 4/10/25 Jocelyn Carbonara 4/10/25

Author Dr. Brian Klausner on Writing: “Enjoy the Process—Don’t Be Intimidated by It.”

We periodically feature guest input from impactful authors we’ve worked with. Please enjoy this Q&A about the writing process with health policy and medical biography author Brian Klausner, M.D. As a medical doctor, he brings a unique perspective to the topic of homelessness in America.

SPIRITUS BOOKS: Tell us a little about your book, In the Gaps: Better Understanding the Expensive Human Suffering of Chronic Homelessness, and why you wrote it. How has it helped you personally or professionally?

Scott Carbonara 4/3/25 Scott Carbonara 4/3/25

What Does It Take to Be a Full-Time Writer?

Last month, an upcoming college freshman interviewed me about how to become a full-time writer. While I can’t speak for every writer, I shared the following tips with him, which I believe have contributed to my ability to work for so many years in a profession I love.

Scott Carbonara 3/27/25 Scott Carbonara 3/27/25

Have You “Scottified” Your Manuscript?

I’m currently ghostwriting and incorporating my client’s themes into his book. He’s an academic heavyweight with years of business experience, something I point out to explain that he’s not lacking in IQ points or business acumen. However, he reached out to us, because he knows that writing is not something he claims as his strong suit.

Early in our work together, I’d send him a draft of a chapter, and then he’d expound on his concepts where I didn’t have enough depth. (Note: When ghostwriting for a subject-matter expert, the expert will always know more than the writer.) In a recent chapter, knowing that he’d written his notes in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, he added a final comment:

“Please Scottify.”ary-goes-here

Jocelyn Carbonara 3/21/25 Jocelyn Carbonara 3/21/25

Put the Pen Down: When to Get Away

A professor in college once told my Soviet studies class, “Sometimes you have to go away to get close.” I can’t remember the reference, but the meaning behind the quote stuck to me permanently.

Writing can provide great therapy. It’s often an effective negotiation tool. It’s a means of making a living for many. For others, it’s a way to build a legacy or document a story. But there are times when putting the pen down for a while is the healthiest—and even most productive—choice. Here are a few of those times.