Welcome to The Writing Oracle

NO.1 Starting Something New… A Letter to My Future Self

Hi, my name is Dania Dorat. I’m an aspiring writer for readers who crave self-discovery, adventure, found family, and cliffhangers that keep you up at night. Welcome to The Writing Oracle, my cozy corner of the internet where I’ll be sharing open diary entries as I restart my creative journey.

I want to build a space for writers, dreamers, fantasy lovers, and anyone navigating the highs and lows of the creative process.

Why this, why now

I’ve been writing stories since I was a child. I’ve always loved losing myself in characters and the “what ifs” of every tale I read or watched. That curiosity led me down many creative rabbit holes. But for over a year and a half, I struggled with serious writer’s block.

I’ve been working on a series for about three years, stuck in a frustrating loop of editing and rewriting. No matter how many times I revised it, nothing felt quite right. On top of that, I had at least seven other shiny new ideas demanding attention. I’d spend a few months outlining one, get distracted by a new concept, draft another 5-10k words, and repeat.

One of my biggest missteps was enrolling in a creative writing class during my senior year of university. When I wasn’t mentally in a place to be creative. I loved the class and adored the professor, but turning creativity into a weekly grade added pressure I wasn’t ready for. It became something I had to do rather than something I wanted to do.

That year wasn’t kind to me. I was burnt out and creatively numb, finishing drafts just to check a box—not because I was passionate about them.

I don’t remember the exact Friday, but I was introduced to the Writer MBA Conference through Sarra Cannon, one of my all-time favorite authors. She was hosting her first in-person event, HeartieCon, on March 19th in New Orleans at the Hilton Riverside.

That was it. My spark.

A chance to do something for me to meet fellow writers and connect with someone whose work deeply inspired me. Around that time, a new idea struck me, something fresh and exciting. So, I saved up my birthday and Christmas money for the conference ticket, hotel, and train. It would be my second time traveling solo for something I loved.

The Writer MBA Conference was a breath of fresh air. I left my worries behind, met incredible people, and reignited my creative joy. The workshops helped me reimagine my writing life. It was there that I first heard about Substack.

I missed the Substack workshop hosted by Claire Venus (got the time wrong—oops!), but I got notes from writing friends and read How to Build a World-Class Substack by Russell Nohelty ( The Author Stack )and Claire Venus ( Sparkle On Substack) . After months of exploring the platform, I felt ready.

What I’m Creating

Through The Writing Oracle, I want to:

• Reconnect with my creative identity

• Dive into story ideas—including serialized and fantasy works

• Map out long-term writing goals

• Create a community: a little fandom of readers and creatives who resonate with what I’m building

This is the next chapter in my journey.

Rediscovering joy in creativity is one of the best feelings a creator can have—and I can’t wait to see where this takes me.

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