Spark Your Story
For the wonderfully creative young person who can't stop imagining stories, and wants to know what it will take to turn them into a real book!
It's a fun, low-pressure introduction to shaping stories and understanding the foundations of self-publishing on Amazon...
FOR YOUTH WRITERS ONLY!
OPEN TO CURIOUS, CREATIVE TWEENS + TEENS
Is This Your
Young Writer?
They fill notebooks with story ideas, invent characters in the shower, and disappear into imaginary worlds on long car rides.
Some won't let you read a single page… others will spend 45 minutes explaining the politics of a kingdom that doesn't exist in the real world!
Sound familiar?!
Your young person is already creative...
They just need someone in their corner who sees the potential in all their amazing ideas, and knows how to guide them toward their book-making dreams!
Spark your Story for Youth is six engaging video workshops chockers with exciting missions that transform your young writer from "I have a great story idea" into "I know what it's actually going to take to turn my ideas into a real book"...
giving them the confidence, motivation, foundation skills, and the next steps to get started.
What Our Parents Are Seeing
They've got the ideas.
What they're missing is somewhere to take them.
And so the notebook fills up yet is not replaced, the story gets stuck, and they don’t try to fix it, school gets busy, homeschool days get full…
and life moves on.
Little by little they stop mentioning it, stop asking for a new notebook from Officeworks, stop telling you about the new character they designed to fill a plot hole.
It's just that the idea has been sitting there for so long it's starting to feel out of reach… that's the exact moment I built Spark Your Story to interrupt, because I don't think they should have to give up on their dreams over circumstances that could be remedied!
I want to give creative kids a pathway and a space where other people take their ideas as seriously as they do. But a pathway alone isn't enough... Teaching a young person the mechanics of writing a book is one thing. Helping them believe they're capable of finishing one? That's the bit I care about the most. We don't just champion the idea they arrived with… We champion the author underneath it.
Meet the ceo + founder
Hey, I'm Kristy
“Knowing the steps to publish a book as a teenager doesn't just change what your young person does...
It changes who they believe they are, and expands what they think they're capable of”
Kristy Lee Rackham
CEO, Soul Scribe Group
I created Spark Your Story because I personally know what it's like to lose the parts of yourself that made you, you. I was a writer and a cellist as a teen. Then life got ‘sensible’, and I packed both away. I didn't pick either back up until long after my own kids were born.
Having kids changed something fundamental in me. I'd watch them sleeping soundly at night, dreaming of lands and possibilities, and I'd wonder who they were growing into, what dreams were already forming in them, what sparks were already lit … and I knew it was my job to tend those little lights, not let them dim. I never wanted them to feel they had to shrink who they were to fit in, the way I once had.
These days, its too easy for our kids lose that light too early, mostly because nobody around them realised what was slipping away. I couldn't bear the thought of another young person waiting as long as I did to get their spark back.
That's why Spark Your Story exists. To protect something far bigger than a book… a young person's belief in who they are.
I'm a multi-bestselling author and publisher, holistic counsellor, former nurse, and mother of two brilliantly creative AuDHD teenagers who I homeschooled all the way through to age 16 and I've spent more than three decades helping people of all ages find their voice, step into and strengthen their authentic selves, and tell their stories.
Somewhere along the way I realised that the young people were the ones nobody was taking seriously enough, yet are SO READY to go for more...
So I decided to do something about that😀
Spiral Brains Are NOT Broken Brains
Most creative kids don't think in a straight line... A, then B, then C.
They think in spirals!
Big, bold pictures before detail.
Characters before plot.
Ten ideas arrive before the first one's finished,
and often that's treated like a flaw.
I call it ‘spiral writing’.
If your ‘Sparky’ writes 50 pages about a world they invented, but can't finish a three-paragraph essay for school, that's not an inconsistency, that's a spiral brain doing exactly what it's built to do… just not in the shape traditional school knows how to grade.
Spark Your Story gives their spiral thinking a place to land, and lets them know it's more than okay to be that way.
What Spark Actually Is... and Isn't
Not a classroom, or a grammar program.
Not another set of videos your 'Sparky' watches once and forgets.
It's a pathway...
One carefully paced step at a time, layered learning that takes them from "I've got this awesome idea for a story" to
"I actually know what to do with it next," delivered through fun, gamified missions instead of traditional (boring!) lessons.
Think: quests, challenges, and levels.
No grades or homework.
If your 'Sparky' goes off on a side quest into three other story ideas halfway through a mission… that’s okay! The pathway is there when they’re ready to come back.
The Six Weeks At A Glance...
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The program that sparks your creative kid into a published author in progress... and ignites confidence and real-world skills that will take them way beyond the page.
💥Six self-paced 'creative missions' are delivered in fun, bite-sized video lessons. Your Sparky controls their learning pace.
💥Fortnightly 'Mission Control'
Live online video hangouts are fortnightly. They're a safe place to check-in with me on their mission status, have questions answered, and connect with their fellow Sparkies in real time.
💥Youth-only moderated community chat channel, our safe, off-social-media space to connect and share their writing between sessions.
💥Online learning portal where all of the above is available with one handly link to access videos, chat threads, checklists, graphics, cheat sheets, and writing exercise worksheets.
Anxious or Shy?
There’s no pressure to join the live sessions. Each mission video works completely as self-paced.
And when they're ready to meet other young writers who ‘get it’, the live ‘Mission Control’ youth video hangouts are right there waiting.
Creative Mission One: The Self-Publishing Pathway Picture
Understand the journey from sparking ideas to publishing a book, laid out from the start. Three personal writing goals set and ready to go. Fun writing games to ignite creativity.
Creative Mission Two: Your Story Finds Its Shape
Every story that works has a structure underneath it, even the gloriously messy ones. This week it gets mapped out in a simple way that makes sense to them, and can be repeated for every idea that comes after.
Creative Mission Three: Show, Don't Tell
The skill that separates good writing from writing that makes a reader forget to breathe. Characters come to life through action, detail, and dialogue. A writing sprint where a real scene gets written.
Creative Mission Four: Self-Editing Without Losing Your Voice
Five editing lenses applied to real work in progress. Plus practical, honest guidance on using AI ethically as a tool, without losing what makes their writing theirs.
Creative Mission Five: What Happens After Writing
The technical roadmap and the tools that turn a haphazard document into a published book: Atticus, Canva, Amazon KDP and more. Book cover design concepts, and a clear picture of exactly where their story sits on the pathway to published.
Creative Mission Six: You Did That! Wins + Next Steps
Progress is celebrated, wins are shared, and every student leaves with their Personal Publishing Plan: five questions, one custom document, one crystal-clear next step toward their story goals.
What Parents Are Loving
Who is Spark For?
✍️ The ‘confident one’ who already knows what they're doing and just needs the last piece, asking: how do I actually get this published?
✍️ The ‘quiet one’ who barely says a word out loud, but writes paragraph after paragraph the moment they're given the space to.
✍️ The ‘bouncy one’who jumps between 10 different story ideas in a week and has been told that's a problem. (It isn't… It's just their brilliant spiral mind at work)
✍️ The ‘obsessed one’ who's already written 50 pages but doesn't know if any of it's good, or what to do with it next.
✍️ The ‘It’s-all-in-my-head one’ who's never written a single word, just carries the idea around, waiting for someone to take it seriously and show them how to get it out onto a page.
✍️ ALL the ones who are neurodiverse, neurotypical, homeschooling, in mainstream school, painfully shy, chatty and everywhere in between… and really love stories.
ALL WELCOME HERE!
💥💥💥
"I had no idea how transformative a writing program could be. It's built his confidence so much, and now he even calls himself a 'Published Author' and is organising a book tour! I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it."
~ Mother of 23 year old writer, B. Law, Canberra, Australia ~
Who is Spark Isn't For?
⚔️ It's not for a young person who's being pushed into this by a parent. If they watch the video above and say "Nup, no way," please trust that. Don't force it. It won't work, and it's not fair to them.
⚔️It's not for kids looking for grammar tutoring or a ‘perfect spelling’ kind of program; though we do look at editing, our approach to ‘getting things right’ is not traditional.
⚔️ If your young person is highly competitive and looking to get ahead of everyone else no matter the cost, this probably isn't the room for them. This is a caring, supportive and collaborative environment, not a race to the top.
Cool, But Who's Actually Teaching My Kid!?
I'm the CEO and creative director of Soul Scribe Publishing, a multi-bestselling author/publisher, holistic counsellor, and former nurse, with an extensive background in communications, publishing, copywriting, and editing spanning 35 years.
I've spent more than three decades helping people of all ages find their voice, step into their authentic selves, and tell their stories… from teenagers writing their very first chapter, to adults finally putting their own life's story into print. Somewhere along the way, I realised young people were the ones nobody was taking seriously enough, yet they're SO READY to go for more. So Spark Your Story for Youth became one of the ways I decided to do something about that.
I know what it's like to work with a brain that doesn't think in straight lines, and I've spent years learning to work with that wiring instead of against it. Through lived experience, and years working with young people through every stage of development in my private counselling practice, I know how to help others do the same, whatever age they're at. That's shown up in different ways across my work, including The Wisdom Keepers, a multi-author anthology Amazon best-selling series that's helped more than 25 first-time authors see their stories in print. Now, with Spark, I get to start that process even earlier, showing young people what's possible so they don't waste years trying to work it out like I did!
My programs are as much about building a young person's capacity, self-belief and confidence as they are about the more tangible skills. Soul Scribe programs are all human designed and human led from actual lived, real-world experience and professional expertise.
Registered nurse and holistic counsellor with 15 years in integrative health: because great teaching understands the whole person, not just the work
Me Map™ mentor for fellow practitioners in building their own soul-aligned, sustainable businesses
Amazon bestselling author who has actually done what I'm teaching your young person to do
Blue Card holder, mental health nursing background, trauma-informed safe and moderated environments
35+ years experience writing, editing, and self-publishing in variety of industries and applications
Passionate advocate for neurodivergent and creative kids who don't fit the school system mould
Mother of homeschooled AuDHD teens who gets it from the inside out
So, what does it look like when it actually works?
A mum reached out to me a while back. Her son had been writing since he was seven - chapter books, complete invented worlds, the kind of kid who never went anywhere without a notebook. By the time he was 16 years old, he'd gotten stuck on a final crucial part of his story, and there was nobody around him who could show him what to do next.
So he stopped opening the documents and carrying his notebook everywhere, and started telling his mum maybe writing wasn't for him after all, maybe he needed to think of something else to do with his life.
She saw my program somewhere and messaged me... not really expecting anything, just hoping. She's told me since that she was watching her son quietly give up on something he'd wanted since he was seven, and she didn't know how to help him hold onto it. She didn't know the first thing about publishing or where to start looking.
I am very excited to tell you that he's finishing his final draft edit right now. His writer-voice is distinctive, his cover is designed (OMG you should see it, it’s amazing!), and he's finalising his author biography for when it's time to promote his very first 'real' book. He'll be published by the end of this year.
That's what I'm protecting when I run this program… a 16 year old's belief that he still gets to call himself a writer and have his dreams actually become real... He got his spark back and we fanned it into a roaring fire! That's what makes everything we do in Spark so worthwhile.
What Your Sparky Gets
A fun creative-writing and publishing pathway (with plenty of room for side quests), plus real-world publishing know-how and a supportive community that 'gets' them.
The Writing Stuff ✍️
The skills to take an idea out of their head and actually get it onto the page, plus a story structure that can hold all those wonderfully messy, spiral ideas together whilst allowing for ‘side quests’.
The ‘I-Could-Actually-Publish-This?!’ Stuff 📚
A real understanding of how real publishing works, from writing and editing through to the practical steps of self-publishing, plus their own Personal Publishing Plan so they know exactly what comes next.
The Peer Connection Stuff 💥
Fortnightly ‘Mission Control’ live video (or audio/chat if they aren’t ready for camera) hangouts with other young writers who ‘get it’, plus access to our private, moderated young writers' chat channel between sessions.
The Very Cool Extra Stuff 😎
💥Printable resources for their Spark wall
💥Student Activity companion worksheets to guide each mission
💥The opportunity to be featured in our quarterly ‘SPARK’ eZine and community radio segments
💥A Certificate of Completion for their portfolio or homeschool report
💥Plus lifetime access to every lesson so they never have to wonder what to do next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ready to start writing?
What Parents Get
💥 A downloadable Australian Curriculum Reference Guide, so you can see exactly what your Sparky is building, mapped to the curriculum… useful whether they're in school or you're homeschooling.
💥 A short parent update document for each mission, so you're never wondering what they've been working on (if they’re the type who isn’t sharing much yet😉)
💥 Direct access to me via emails, text or Facebook messenger. Real questions get real answers from a real human!
Want to see it all in full?
If you want to see how everything works in much more detail than the quick video above - the portal, the missions, the live hangouts, and hear more about my approach - I have put together a full walkthrough video called 'A Parent's Guide to Spark Your Story' for you 👇 It runs about 37 mins at normal speed, so grab a cuppa and settle in for a bit... or bump me up to 'chipmunk speed' (x1.5) if you're tight on time!
Affordable Investment Options
Select the easy instalment plan that best fits your needs.
Save $60 when you pay upfront.
Weekly
Installments
$60/week
Fortnightly
Installments
$120/fortnight
Pay Upfront
And Save
$300 one off
Sibling and ‘Homeschool NSW’ member discounts are available.
Spark may be fundable through NDIS where it aligns with your young person's plan and goals.
If you're unsure, feel free to click the CHAT ICON in the corner (it goes to me personally) and we'll work through it together😊
What Your Young Writer
Leaves With...
By the end of six weeks your young person will shift from
"I want to publish my book one day" 👉 "I know the way to do it."
A clear map of the full publishing journey so nothing surprises them later
Connections with a community of other young writers who get it
A draft 'story skeleton' so they know where it's going
A cover concept and a genuine sense of what book production involves
A vivid character scene written completely in their own voice
Ongoing access to online learning portal for session replays, checklists, + resources
Self-editing skills + a real understanding of how to use AI ethically in their writing
A Personal Publishing Plan with one crystal-clear next step
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the program held?
Inside our safe and moderated dedicated learning portal and community. It's off-socials and everything is accessible from a single 'club link'. Our live 'Mission control' hangouts are also accessible from the chat channel and events tab inside the portal.
Is every session recorded?
Every mission (session) is pre-recorded and accessible in the learning portal. Our live sessions are also recorded so if life gets in the way your young person never misses a thing. The recordings are only accessible in the Youth only private chat channel. Upon enrolment you'll be asked to sign consent to record the session and a media waiver. The media waiver is optional, the recording of the sessions is not. We suggest if your young person is sensitive to being recorded that they have their video switched off during the live hangouts.
Does my young person have to be good at English, or writing, or have prior writing experience?
No... but they do need to love creating their own stories! There is no particular skill level, prior writing experience, or commitment to publishing required... It's an introduction to the craft and process of storytelling and how to spark ideas into tangible form, and foundational understanding of self-publishing. The program gives young writers practical skills, real confidence, and a clear picture of the pathway to published should they choose to walk that way.
My young person is so busy! What is the additional commitment over and above the sessions?
You can go at your own pace for the missions. Our live 'Mission Control' hangouts are fortnightly. They are interactive. There is no homework (because even that word can spark avoidance!) There is no pressure to share work publicly (I get it, I'm an introvert too). Students are encouraged to participate at their own level, and the program is structured to meet each young writer where they are: from the student who has a notebook full of chapters to the one who has only has stories. The 'Mission Control' live hangouts and writing community chat board are optional.
Who is running the program?
Spark Your Story is designed and taught by Kristy Lee Rackham, a multi-bestselling author and publisher, holistic counsellor and former nurse, and mother of formerly homeschooled AuDHD children. Kristy brings a trauma-informed approach, and works with writers of all ages. She has a special interest in supporting highly sensitive humans and their families (being AuDHD herself), to help them bring their ideas to life and achieve their publishing dreams. However, the program is open to all neurotypes and we are sensitive to and welcoming of difference.
Is this program safe for my young person online?
Yes! Our entire learning portal and peer community is off social media, supervised Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm AEST. Our dedicated Youth Writer chat channel is accessible only to enrolled students. Kristy holds a current Blue Card and has a background in mental health nursing and holistic counselling and has worked with teens for many years. Please note that while we do our very best to maintain a tight ship, we have students from around the world and are not able to be everywhere at once! You are always 100% responsible for your child's safety online.
What age is this really suited to? My child is not a teen yet. Will they keep up with the older kids?
The program was designed to meet your young person no matter what level of writing they're at and we've had students aged from and young as 9 (with parent support) through to 18 years old! The content, pace, and community reflect that age group. We understand there are big differences between these ages! Our program is designed to meet every young writer exactly where they are. Sessions are structured so that a 11 year old with fragments of a story or a 15 year old with a full draft are both challenged and supported. There is no "keeping up", everyone is working on their own story at their own pace and to their own level.
Please note that this is a group learning environment and Kristy's focus is on facilitating the session for all participants. We recommend no younger that 9 years old, and we recommend that any young people under 12 are supported by a parent or carer so that they can stay focused to get the most out of their experience. If your young person is anxious or shy and needs a little extra support to engage comfortably during live sessions, one parent, caregiver, or support worker is very welcome to sit alongside them, no matter their age. We simply ask that adults stay in the background and let your young person find their own voice in the group.Obviously the self-paced learning in the 'missions' happens in their own way at their own time.
What if my young person younger than the recommended age?
The program is best suited for ages 11 to 18 and the content, pace, and community reflect that age group. However, we know so many of your young people are advanced learners and excited about their writing already, so younger kids may be suitable depending on personality, maturity and intellect. If you feel they are ready (a confident reader, an enthusiastic writer, and comfortable in an online group setting) please reach out before enrolling and we can have a conversation to ensure a good fit. That said, we are not accepting children younger than 9 years old.
What if my young person has accessibility needs?
We are committed to making Spark Your Story as accessible as possible for every young person, and we will always do our best. We want to be honest with you though: we don't know everything about every disability or accessibility need, and we can't foresee every challenge that might come up. Some aspects of the program may not be fully accessible for every participant, and we won't always get it right. What we can promise is that we are open, will listen, will try, and will work with your family to find practical solutions wherever we can. If your young person has a disability, accessibility need, or requires specific accommodations to participate comfortably, please reach out before enrolling and share what would help.
Please note that the program is delivered and hosted on our existing online learning platform. We are unable to modify third-party tools, the course platform, or the website itself to meet individual technical requirements. What we can do is work with you directly within the program as it is designed.
No young person should feel excluded because of a barrier we might be able to help with. Just ask.
What is the refund policy?
We know life happens, so every session is recorded so your young person can catch up at any time via the online portal. Because of this, we do not offer refunds for missed sessions or non-completion of the program. The course is non-refundable and secures your young person's place in the cohort. If something significant comes up, please reach out via email and we will always do our best to find a solution.
What if we have a technical issue and can't connect to a session?
Technical difficulties on the participant's end are outside our control, but every session is pre-recorded and available in the portal so you can try again at any time to access. We recommend jumping into live sessions and waiting for the connection to open a few minutes before the session starts. Kristy is not able to pause or repeat live sessions for late arrivals or connection issues and courses will not be refunded for technical difficulties. If you lose your login or are having issues with the platform, please reach out via email, or the chat icon on this page and we will do our best to direct your issue to the tech team for speedy resolution.
What if my young person decides the program isn't for them after starting?
We encourage every young person to give the program at least two missions before making that call. That said, enrolment is a commitment to the full program and fees are non-refundable once your young person has enrolled. Remember that the portal is available if they're struggling with the social aspect or need more time and support to complete exercises. Your young person is also welcome to come back to the course again at anytime, and has forever access.
What is the expected behaviour in sessions?
This is a respectful, creative community. We ask that all participants engage with kindness and respect, keep feedback constructive, and honour the privacy of other young writers in the group. Any behaviour, bullying or language that disrupts the learning environment or makes other participants feel unsafe may result in removal from the program without refund. All young people acknowledge our 'Cyber Bullying' student promise post in the Youth Writer chat channel upon commencing.
Who owns the writing created during the program?
Your young person owns their work entirely. Soul Scribe Publishing will never reproduce, share, or use student writing without explicit written permission from the student and their parent or guardian.
Your young writer could be an author in the making!
So why wait until they're an adult to know how to turn a story into a book?
Maybe you've always known there was something different about the way your young person sees the world. The notebooks and characters… the kingdoms that don't exist yet, but somehow are so completely real to them.
They have an abundance of creativity. Spark gives that creativity somewhere to grow.
One day they might become a published author. Or they might not, and that's okay too. But long before either of those things happens, they'll discover something that matters way more… that their ideas are worth pursuing, that they can finish what they start, and that their voice deserves to be heard.
I'd be honoured to help them discover that and fan their Spark into a vibrant flame!
Ready to Join the Writing Quest?
They don’t need to be ready to publish.
They don’t need a finished draft.
They just need to show up with their ideas.
Most importantly, they leave understanding that their ideas aren’t just writing exercises… They are the beginning of stories that could become real books.
None of this needs to be figured out alone. If you've got a question about what fits your family, please do message me directly… I answer every single one myself.
‘Mission Control’ stays small on purpose, I like to know every Sparky by name, so each intake only has so many spots.
THE LOGISTICS
What to Expect
Six writing missions (lessons)
Fortnightly live 'Mission Control' youth hangouts
Ages 11-18 (under 12s will need parent support)
$300 upfront (save $60)
OR $120 per fortnight
OR $60 per week
Sibling and ‘Homeschool NSW’ member discounts are available.
Spark may be fundable through NDIS where it aligns with your young person's plan and goals.
If you're unsure, feel free to click the CHAT ICON in the corner (it goes to me personally) and we'll work through it together😊
Every session is recorded video, plus companion worksheets and graphics to download the print out, all accessible from our ‘off socials’ learning portal and private community... so your young person can learn in their own time.
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