Author and Editor - Cathy Borders

Book Midwife and Story Therapist

I help people write books.

Let’s Work Together

Let’s finish your book.

Services

Read my work.

Books and Papers

Use the Tarot to write your novel.

The Tarot For Writing Project

I’ve been a developmental editor for over twenty years.

Over the years, I’ve honed my practice and developed a set of powerful techniques to help you move from the idea that’s been living in your head to a book you can finally hold in your hands.

I guarantee that working together will strengthen your writing.

I will listen and work hard to understand your vision. One size does not fit all.

Together we will find the heART of your story.

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Robin Williams Is My Uncle, and other stories we possess

Robin Williams is not my uncle, no more than he is yours. But like Robin’s humor, this text bounces from one reference to the next. Bound by its own rhythms and joy, the story unravels as it aims to protect itself.

It’s a bricolage study on inherited trauma and the stories we keep inside our bodies.

An autotheory about alienation, the uncanny, and epigenetics told through the lens of Robin Williams’s children’s movies, fairy tales, feminism, and the death of her beloved cat, Rufus.

Buy the Book

Become a better writer using the Tarot.

The Tarot for Writing Project is a free online tool that teaches both writing and the Tarot’s symbolic language through analogy using fairy tales, myths, classic literature, philosophy, film, and cartoons.

Go to the Tarot for Writing Project

Learn more about the Tarot for Writing Project

Do you have a project in mind but are just getting started?

If you’re looking for intensive one on one attention and are interested in getting your ducks in a row before you’ve finished your first draft. Great! I highly recommend booking a story therapy session with me. In these sessions we’ll talk about everything you want to accomplish with your writing, we’ll set actionable goals and set you on a path to achieving them. Together, we’ll find what makes your writing your writing. We’ll find your voice, your themes, your symbols and metaphors, and we’ll showcase what you do best. We’ll also focus on where the piece is weak or may need some work. But most importantly, this is a space for you to talk with an expert about your writing. That alone can shape the course of a project’s life. Let’s champion and love on your work together.

Learn More About Story Therapy

Already have a project?

How’s it going?

Did it start off amazing but now you’re stuck?

Is it a word salad?

Is it done but not quite right?

Does the piece need line edits or more comprehensive structural edits?

Is it having trouble finding a home?

All this and more could mean you need an editor.

If you’re having trouble finishing, then maybe you need a midwife.

This process is for writers who wish to delve deep into the art of their writing. At the end, you will have a story that is yours and ready to be read.

Call the Midwife

Want to become a writer but don’t know where to start?

Classes are great if you’re just starting out, or the nerd in you enjoys getting technical and taking the time to contemplate your craft. You can explore styles as you learn about all the elements that go into good writing.

Workshops are for when you’re ready to share your work with some other writers and are open to their feedback. There you can explore different voices, techniques, and styles, and help others as they do the same. Whether you’ve got a large project in mind or you’re just tinkering around, a good workshop will help you sharpen your writing skills.

I offer a variety of workshops and classes for kids and adults, both irl and online.

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Here’s What Clients Have to Say:

“I am a better writer because of Cathy.”
Kailyne Waters

“Cathy is awesome and brilliant and not afraid to be honest with me which is why she is my editor.”
Heather Lynn

“I can very genuinely say that I would not have come this far, or indeed, gone anywhere at all as a writer, without her help. Sometimes I think I should list her as co-author.”
Lily Robert-Foley

“I especially appreciate the one-on-one time she spent with me.”
Michael Bauch

“Cathy Borders is more than an editor because she understands the direction I’m heading. Her suggestions are spot on and help build a stronger story. I highly recommend her and I’m glad she’s on board with my writing endeavors. Five stars from me!!”
Leo Zarko

“Cathy Borders skillfully and patiently birthed my book while managing to maintain my point of view despite having no previous background in Chinese medicine, aromatherapy, or Daoist philosophy.”
Evelyn Robert

“With immense knowledge and experience in the writing world, Cathy was able to help me start realize the potential of my own. Drawing on Greek myths to vaporware, she is familiar with almost any kind of narrative there can be, and will be able to guide your project to the best it can possibly be.”
Liam

“I’ve listened to a number of writer friends complain about their books being edited but frankly, I have no complaints. In fact, it was joyful and inspiring. She made my book better and helped me think about the way I write. Anyone who has the opportunity to work with her will be lucky.”
Michael Foley

“Cathy Borders is a godsend to any writer! Whether you are a seasoned pro or a new and inexperienced writer (that’s me!) Cathy is your go to. Not only is she a talented, gifted writer and editor, but also a fantastic coach. Cathy is there for you to bounce ideas off of and ignite your imagination! I am so thankful I found her and encourage any writer who needs a second set of eyes and viewpoint to reach out to her- you will not be disappointed.”
Liz

“Cathy is an absolute joy to work with. She is a thoughtful reader who is able to offer valuable insight and guidance. I’m grateful to have found her.”
Patricia Motto

“I started writing a novel a year ago, and after writing 27,000 words, and getting a few (discouraging) comments from other authors, who had not read my work, I got completely stuck. They told me my methodology was all wrong.. I couldn’t even reread what I had written. Cathy read the whole thing and answered my question “Is this worth continuing?” She was very encouraging, and after an hour’s discussion with her, and her magic therapy, I am now back on track. With her help, I WILL finish my story, and am feeling fantastic about it!”
Joanne Telser-Frere

“Cathy is a gift to writers and readers alike! Her approach is equal parts professional and nurturing. She is a champion, friend, and kind critic for your project. Her attention to detail, as well as her ability to excavate meaning from your fragments, sets her apart. I recommend Cathy without hesitation. I am truly honored that she has chosen to help me bring my stories to life.”
KR W

Once upon a time…

When you began to write you may have found the words pouring out of you. The experience was transcendent, a magic moment of divine inspiration. Maybe that passed, what goes up must, alas, come down. So now you have some pages – pure gold! – stacked in front of you, but something nags. Do the sentences feel pretty enough? Clever enough? Too clever? Is the plot interesting enough? Are the characters engaging enough? How does your reader feel as they fall into your story? *Gasp* You think, nearly faint, Is this worth reading?

…

Writing is words that stay. So a book is a complex system of thought made concrete. How wonderful and special! To make it worth writing, you have to make it worth reading.