Amanda Saint

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Hi, I’m Amanda and I founded The Mindful Writer in 2023 after I had lost my way with my writing in the previous decade and found my back to writing for the joy of it by bringing mindfulness to my craft.

I'd lost my way as I’d forgotten that my writing was enough, because I didn’t get the recognition and validation I craved from the mainstream publishing industry. It felt like that was the only thing that would ever let me know that what I was creating was worthy. Remembering that my writing is a gift for me to treasure for what it can bring to me, and to whoever else it may reach, in what ever way it reaches them, is what showed me that whatever I write is enough. And that's what I am here to share with you — a path to falling back in love with writing for it's own sake and to go deeper — not just into your craft, but into your relationship with writing, with truth, and with yourself.

I'm the author of two novels — As If I Were A River (2016) and Remember Tomorrow (2019) — and a novella-in-flash, Pressure Drop (2024). My short stories, flash, and micro fictions have been widely published in journals and anthologies, with accolades in international prizes including the Mslexia Flash Fiction Prize and the Fish Flash Fiction Prize. I've been nominated for Best Small Fictions 2023 and had four stories selected for Top in Fiction in 2024. My Substack is where I share insights and inspiration with thousands of engaged readers who want to live and write more mindfully.

In 2012, I founded Retreat West, working with hundreds of writers through workshops, retreats, and courses I designed, and building a publishing house that released 24 books and was named Most Innovative Publisher at the 2020 Saboteur Awards. In 2022, I launched WestWord literary journal, where I publish and memoir short fiction  from writers worldwide, and in 2025 I brought these two ventures together under the WestWord name.

A Certified Mindfulness Mentor, Meditation Teacher, Journal Therapist and Yoga Nidra guide, my life is rooted in the transformative wisdoms of Yoga, Qigong, the Tao Te Ching and Usui Holy Fire Reiki. These ancient traditions have shaped not only my writing and life but the way I teach too and I have moved away from craft instruction toward something deeper: writing as a path to self-discovery, healing, and authentic connection. With the ultimate aim of bringing more peace, love and compassion to people’s lives and our world.