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Writing Case Study: The Path to Cure by Allyson McQuinn
Allyson McQuinn is a doctor of homeopathic medicine who helps patients
address the root cause of their acute or chronic ills. She and her
homeopathic doctor husband, Jeff Korentayer, have a clinic in downtown
Ottawa, Canada, where they help people from all walks of life.
Challenge
Allyson's son had been very ill when he was younger and she
wanted to offer a testimonial to how she and her family got themselves
out of that. She wanted to offer a piece of what she had learned
to other people who were in similar circumstances. She wanted to
weave the story through the system of medicine that
had saved their lives -- homeopathy.
She wanted to maintain the control, but she did not know the publishing
industry and was not an English major. She was looking for someone
to keep his or her hand in the small of her back to keep her guided,
motivated and directed throughout the process.
Solution
Meeting every other week at the beginning, Dr. Serena worked with
Allyson to help her develop an outline for the book that met her
objective of telling her story while incorporating elements of the
how and why of homeopathic medicine.
She also challenged Allyson to rework her flowery language and
make it more succinct and punchy.
Results
A fabulous cover was designed, incorporating the various elements
that moved Allyson and defined her book: her son’s smile,
a monarch butterfly reminiscent of her late mother, and yellow healing
light. Allyson’s book is for sale at her clinic, in bookstores
and on various web sites, and she writes articles for publication
all over the world.
I loved how Serena was connected to all the pieces that
I needed: the graphic designer, the editor and the printer. And
the book launch-- that was one of the highlights of my life, to
stand on the stage and be able to deliver. Serena is really like
the midwife of the publishing industry.
I no longer hide behind my language anymore. I have a little
Serena microchip in the back of my head. Somebody was asking me
the other day what I liked about working with Serena. True mentors
will challenge your core beliefs. In the end we had a product
that was a win-win for both of us. She forced me to look at how
I had been hiding behind language most of my life. She made me
fight for what I wanted. Through Serena’s process I learned
my true writing style.
Allyson McQuinn
Arcanum Wholistic Clinic
Ottawa, Canada
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