A FOUR-MONTH WRITING STUDIO FOR ADHD BRAINS · SPRING 2027The ADHD Author Atelier is a small-group coaching studio for writers with high-horsepower, fifty-tab brains.
Seven writers.
Sixteen weeks.
Group coaching, private sessions, weekly body doubling, and feedback on your pages, all designed to work with your brain instead of against it.
Finish the book only you can write
Right now, writing your book feels something like this
You have a fire hose of ideas and another fire hose of logistics. By the time you sit down to write, it feels like doing quadratic equations while parallel parking.
A shiny new idea shows up the moment the current book gets hard. You have three projects open in three tabs and can't decide which one matters most.
You write in super-human bursts, then lose weeks. Advice about daily word counts and 5 a.m. alarms makes you feel broken.
You joined a writing group for company, but everyone focuses on commas and what's wrong, and you leave feeling worse than when you arrived.
On vacation, you're never fully off. A voice keeps whispering, "I could be using this time to write.”
You know you're smart, talented, and hardworking enough to finish. That's exactly what makes it so maddening.
You need structure, not shame
You've been trying to bully a creative, interest-driven brain into behaving like a spreadsheet. That doesn't work for anyone, and it especially doesn't work for ADHD brains, which come alive with interest, novelty, challenge, and connection.
The Atelier builds those into the structure, so finishing your book stops depending on willpower. (You really don't get extra points for doing things the hard way.)
With the right structure and support, you can take a quantum leap forward in your novel.
Introducing
The ADHD Author Atelier
Finish the book only you can write with the perfect structure for your ADHD novelist brain
7 writers per cohort
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16 weeks, with spring break off
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4 private sessions
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2 manuscript reviews
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7 writers per cohort ● 16 weeks, with spring break off ● 4 private sessions ● 2 manuscript reviews ●
“Zahie's coaching was exactly what I needed.
It gave me a fresh perspective on the project, offered me the artistic distance I needed to create my best work while keeping me emotionally engaged with the material, and transformed my feelings of heaviness around my book into a spirit of play, curiosity and fun.
The result: I've fallen back in love with my creative process, I'm deeply immersed in the creation of my book, and while there's plenty of work ahead this is exactly the energy I need to make it to the finish line.”
— Lara Day, author of Abakada, to be published in March 2027
An atelier is a working studio: a small room of serious artists, a mentor who knows the craft, and the steady practice that turns ideas into finished work.
The ADHD Author Atelier is built for writers with brains like yours: ones that thrive with structure, connection, and non-linear problem solving.
It isn't
A workshop where everyone hunts for what's wrong with your pages
A class that hands you deadlines and treats every missed one as a failure
One-size-fits-all productivity advice
It is
A studio of seven writers who truly get it
Structure designed around how your brain actually works
Group and Private coaching plus a community that celebrates progress every week
Deadlines we set together, where a missed one is useful data for building a structure that works better
You don’t need an ADHD diagnosis to still belong here
Think of ramps and closed captions: designed for some people, useful for almost everyone. If your brain is carrying too much, this studio is designed for you.
Here’s what it actually takes to finish your book in 2027
We'll work together for 16 weeks, across three acts
ACT I · WEEKS 1–4
Foundations
Write your brain's instruction manual. Learn when and how you write best, choose the one project that gets your energy, and park the shiny new ideas somewhere safe.
ACT II · WEEKS 5–12
Momentum
Writing sprints with targets you set. We troubleshoot in real time: stalled scenes, avoidance, perfectionism, and the week everything falls apart.
ACT III · WEEKS 13–16
Finish line
Reach the milestone you chose, celebrate it properly, and leave with a writing system you can keep using long after the Atelier ends.
Woven through all sixteen weeks
Rewire criticism into celebration, so sitting down to write feels like something you look forward to.
Build a feedback process that improves your work without measuring your worth.
Mine the multiverse for more time, energy, and creative possibility than you thought you had.
SPRING 2027 SCHEDULEJanuary 11 to May 5
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Mondays, 1:00–2:30 p.m. Central
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Wednesdays, 1:00–2:00 p.m. Central
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Once a month, at a time that suits your schedule
The ADHD Author Atelier gives you the support of a private coach and the company of a writing studio
1. Weekly group coaching
Ninety minutes of coaching, craft, and support. Bring what's stuck and leave with a clear next step.
2. Weekly writing studio
Think of this as a one-hour body-doubling session. Name your goal, write together, and check in at the end. Your camera can be on or off, whichever you prefer. I write alongside you.
3. Monthly private coaching
Four one-hour private sessions with me to tailor your goals, your system, and personalized writing assignments to your brain and your book.
4. Manuscript feedback
Two reviews of up to 25 pages each, in months two and four, with a written feedback letter that we discuss in your private session. Submissions are staggered across three small groups.
Every week
Group session and writing studio
Every month
One private session with me
Months 2 and 4
Feedback on up to 25 pages
Enroll by Friday, November 20, 5 P.M. Central, and choose your early-enrollment bonus
Some writers value more one-on-one time. Others want more eyes on their pages. Pick the bonus that fits your brain and your book.
OPTION ONE: More private coaching
Two additional one-hour private sessions, to use whenever you need them most: launch week, a stubborn chapter, or the final push.
OPTION TWO: More manuscript feedback
A third manuscript review of up to 25 pages, with a written feedback letter, timed for whenever it will help you most.
Not sure which to pick? We can decide together on your consult call.
Hi, I’m Zahie
(Za-hee-yah)
(she/her/hers)
I left a career as a corporate and litigation attorney to get an MFA in fiction.
Then I spent years trying to force myself to finish a novel.
I hired dozens of editors, therapists, and teachers, and kept giving away my creative vision to please them.
Coaching changed that. And once I started coaching other writers, nearly every new client told me the same thing: "I hired you because of my ADHD."
When I started reading about ADHD, I recognized myself on every page: piles of paper, brilliance at what interests me, agony over what doesn't, and a brain that can hold the structure of an entire novel while losing track of my kid’s field trip permission trip.
Now I build my days around my brain instead of fighting it, and I help writers do the same. My ADHD is my superpower. I'll help you make yours one too.
● J.D., Cornell Law School ● MFA in Fiction, The New School ● Former law professor and writing lecturer ● Certified coach: Martha Beck Institute, Designing Your Life, Ethical Coaching Collective ● Currently studying ADDCA's advanced ADHD coach training ●“Working with Zahie has transformed my creative life for the better. She’s helped me put my art at the center of my life, both practically and spiritually.”
- Shannon P.
In case you’re wondering whether the ADHD Author Atelier is the right fit for you…
It’s probably not the right fit if…
You want line edits on a full manuscript (an editor is a better match)
You’re averse to working with your mindset and subconscious in order to make easier progress with your book (these tools are at the heart of my coaching)
You'd prefer a self-paced course you can do on your own
On the other hand, the Atelier designed with you in mind if…
You're writing a novel, memoir, or nonfiction book and keep losing momentum
You have ADHD, suspect you might, or simply have an overloaded brain
You want structure and companionship without a culture of criticism
You can show up for most weekly sessions over sixteen weeks
Make 2027 the year you you work with your unique brain finish your book
SPRING 2027 COHORT · JANUARY 11 TO MAY 5
Claim one of six seats
16 weekly group coaching sessions
16 weekly writing studio sessions
4 private coaching sessions
2 manuscript reviews with written feedback
Your choice of early-enrollment bonus when you enroll by Friday, November 20
The ADHD Author Atelier
$3600
or 4 x monthly payments of $950
Enrollment closes Friday, January 8, at 5 p.m. Central, or when all six paid seats are filled.
Every cohort includes a seventh, fully funded seat for a writer who couldn't otherwise join. The scholarship writer receives the full program.
Scholarship applications are due Friday, December 4, and the recipient will be announced December 14.
“Zahie helped me see where I was still holding myself back from being fully honest about my true vision.
By asking the right questions and mirroring things back to me, she brought me to the essence of why I’m writing the book. It was empowering and motivating, and made me be more direct and raw in my writing.”
- Sara L.
The first step to joining the ADHD Author Atelier is booking your free 45-minute consult
This is where we meet to discuss the book you’re writing, what you’ve found difficult about finishing it so far, and whether the Atelier would be a good fit for you.
This isn't a sales pitch. It's a clean space to decide whether now is the right time to invest your time, focus, and money in finishing your book.
"When I started working with Zahie, I hadn't written more than a few sentences a week for over a year. I missed several deadlines with my agent… After one session I was ready and excited to get back to work, and now I'm almost over the finish line with my novel."
- Chaitali
Make 2027 the year you work with your brain finish the book only you can write
Claim one of the six spots inside
The ADHD Author Atelier
$3600
or 4 x monthly payments of $950
“I have been waiting a long time, I think, for someone to give me permission to really pursue my career as a writer, and by listening, empathizing, and guiding me with questions and other tools, Zahie helped me give that permission to myself.
Our work together felt, and continues to feel, life-changing.”
– Melanie B.
Wondering one of these of these?
Do I need an ADHD diagnosis?
No, that’s not a requirement. The Atelier is designed for ADHD brains, and it works for anyone whose brain is juggling too much.
Do I have to share my writing?
The choice is entirely yours! Manuscript feedback is there when it helps. If you'd rather keep your pages private, we'll use that time for big-picture story and process coaching instead. Either way, you stay in command of your creative vision.
What happens if I miss a session?
Life happens, and ADHD brains know it better than anyone. If you miss a session, I'll send you the session recording on request.
What kinds of books is this for?
Novels, memoir, narrative nonfiction, and books by coaches and thought leaders who want to get their genius on paper. The work is the same whatever you're writing.
How is this different from your private coaching?
The Atelier pairs private sessions with a small group and a weekly writing studio. If you want fully private, in-depth support, ask me about Mindset to Finish Your Book on your consult call.
Is there a scholarship?
Yes. Each cohort includes one fully funded scholarship seat, in addition to the six paid seats, so no one's seat is taken away to make room for it. Applications are due Friday, December 4, and the recipient will be announced December 14. To apply, please email me at zahie.el.kouri@gmail.com with the subject ‘scholarship’ and we’ll take it from there.
When does the group meet?
Group coaching meets Mondays, 1:00–2:30 p.m. Central, and the writing studio meets Wednesdays, 1:00–2:00 p.m. Central. Sixteen weeks, from January 11 to May 5, 2027, with spring break off the week of March 15. Private sessions are scheduled with you once a month.
I have another question that isn’t answered here.
I’d love to help you get it answered. You’re welcome to email me at zahie.el.kouri@gmail.com or simply book a free 45-minute consult and we can talk it through in real time.
Questions answered and ready to claim your spot?
Book your free consultation today
The ADHD Author Atelier