Apply for The Verge
Courage to Create Connections
A community garden for writers who want real support, real access, and steady momentum.
Courage to Create helps writers stay connected to their work, their people, and their next step at every stage of the journey.
Most writers don’t stop because they lack talent.
They quit because the path feels unclear, lonely, and financially exhausting.
So they cobble together conferences, classes, and critiques, spending more, gaining less insight, and still feeling on the outside.
What Courage to Create Solves
Instead of starting over with every class or conference, each step builds on the last and relationships deepen over time. You don’t outgrow Courage to Create. We grow with you.
After 14 years, we’ve mapped clear pathways across all eight phases of the writing life. You’ll no longer chase advice that doesn’t fit your season.
Writers gain clarity about:
What matters most right now
What support actually moves the needle at each stage
Not a crowd. Not a public comment section. A consistent, moderated, values-aligned community that evolves as your questions evolve.
Inside Courage to Create:
Shared language replaces conflicting advice
Belonging doesn’t depend on sales, status, or speed
And publishing stops feeling like a locked door.
Courage to Create writers thrive.
Courage to Create Connections
02
- You’re revising, querying, submitting, or launching
- You want guided submission opportunities and informed industry access
- You need structure during the most emotionally demanding phases
- You want peers who are equally committed to career growth
Strategic visibility and market-facing momentum
If you’re in The Courageous Leap for Writers on the Verge, CTC Connections is included.
Everything in Community, plus:
Submitter/Reviser • On the Verge • Agented/Debut
Ideal Growth Guide Phases:
Quarterly Pitch Clinic
Live feedback on queries, comps, 3 E’s, and Why Buys
Craft Clinics + Revision Rooms
Project-specific guidance across PB–YA
Optional Add-On Credits
Discounted 1:1 consults with Bethany or select faculty
Submission Windows
Guided submission opportunities tied to guest agent/editor sessions
Forward Motion You Can See
- Market-facing confidence instead of constant doubt
- Polished materials before agents and editors see them
- A network of serious, career-minded peers
“I’m thrilled whenever I receive a referral from Bethany…”
— Rachel Orr, Agent, Prospect Agency
“Even with an agent and books under contract, there was still so much to navigate.”
— Jyoti Gopal, author
02
Courage to Create Connections
Investment
pathway o2
$890
Annually
(save two months)
$89
per month
This tier replaces scattered conferences, events, and guesswork with clarity, context, and continuity—backed by The Writing Barn’s industry reputation.
includes Community · market-facing support without pressure
“I’m thrilled whenever I receive a referral from Bethany, because I know the story will be a saleable one…”
— Rachel Orr, Agent, Prospect Agency
What Writers and Industry Pros Say
“Even though I have an agent and had several books under contract, there’s so much I don’t know and so much to navigate as I prepared to launch.”
Founder, Birch Path Literary Agency
Alyssa Eisner Henkin
“Courage to Create helps me better understand my creative process and reminds me that the anxieties I experience are part of the publishing journey—not a personal failure. Knowing I have a supportive community beside me has made all the difference during my debut year and beyond.”
Author of Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua and Abuelita’s Song
Gloria Amescua
“When I joined… the access to agents was the initial selling point, but… I realized how much more CTC had to offer. This is a community dedicated to going deeper… The core philosophies are things I’ll keep close throughout my writing career.”
Bryan Hilson
“Courage to Create helps me better understand my creative process and reminds me that the anxieties I experience are part of the publishing journey—not a personal failure. Knowing I have a supportive community beside me has made all the difference during my debut year and beyond.”
Aileen Johnson
“Bethany mentors writers not only in exquisite craft, but in understanding the real demands of the market. The professional skills writers develop under her guidance—responding thoughtfully to editorial feedback, shaping strong pitches, and positioning their work—translate directly into sales. The three-house auction for my client Jilanne Hoffmann’s nonfiction picture book speaks volumes.”
Steelworks Literary
Lori Steel,
"All the classes and programming I’ve ever been a part of are top notch."
Signed with Sara Crowe Literary
Christal Presley
"Writing and creating is an ongoing task and the journey continues after each milestone."
Longtime TWB Instructor
Rob Sanders
"The CTC community made me feel less alone by sharing wins and disappointments."
TWB SS signed with Talcott Notch Agency
Christina Paschyn
"CTC helped me connect with the publishing industry and stay accountable."
TWB SS signed with Full Circle Literary
Johanna Peyton
"CTC kept me accountable and supported me through rejection."
TWB SS
ariel vanece
"I love learning from CTC members who are experts in areas I’m not."
TWB SS signed with Steeleworks Literary
Mary Cronin
"The CTC community made me feel less alone by sharing wins and disappointments."
TWB SS signed with Steeleworks Literary
Jilanne Hoffmann
"CTC helped me connect with the publishing industry and stay accountable."
