How a Horse Memoir Became a 4-Part Workbook Series

Today on More to the Story Podcast: A Conversation with Lasell Bartlett — Horses, Healing, and Becoming the Designated Calm PersonToday I’m talking with my client Lasell Jaretzki Bartlett, author of Getting Along with Rusty: Horses Healing and Therapeutic Riding, Mostly a Memoir and three accompanying workbooks: Becoming the Designated Calm Person, and Sensing Our Groundedness.Lasell integrates decades of experience in body–mind awareness, somatic experiencing, clinical social work, and therapeutic riding into a body of work that helps people understand themselves, their nervous systems, and the power of grounded presence. In this episode, she shares the evolution of her writing process, how her memoir emerged from what she originally thought would be a how-to book, and how she built trust in her voice as an author.We also talk about her writing rhythm, her accountability structure, her relationship with divine inspiration vs. discipline, and what it means to “stand on the horizon” of authorship after years of self-doubt.If you are writing memoir, working on a self-guided workbook, or navigating the emotional terrain of becoming an author, this conversation will feel grounding, warm, and deeply encouraging.About LasellLasell Jaretzki Bartlett, MSW (she/her/hers), integrates many decades of experience in the fields of body-mind awareness and meditation, with professional expertise as a Clinical Social Worker and Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, and as a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Education.In private practice, she facilitated trauma resolution from early childhood trauma, falls, medical trauma, and meditation dissociations, helping people develop a sense of safety that can support the best relationships imaginable.In addition to assisting regional, national, and international Somatic Experiencing® and Equusoma® trainings, she has presented on trauma healing at conferences for mental health and therapeutic horsemanship professionals, and in workshops for the general public.Her first book, Getting Along with Rusty: Horses, Healing, and Therapeutic Riding (Mostly a Memoir) was published in August 2023, followed by Becoming the Designated Calm Person™ Workbook: Learning to Settle Ourselves and Others (2024) and Sensing Our Groundedness Workbook (2025). She’s been published in numerous magazines and anthologies.Bartlett lives on the uncharted lands of the Monacan Indian Nation in rural Virginia with two horses, four sheep, eleven guineas, two cats, an unstable internet connection, and her bestest ever human friend.In today’s episode* Lasell’s decades-long journey in therapeutic riding, somatic work, and trauma healing — and how it shaped her writing path* How her first manuscript began as a how-to book and became a memoir about her horse Rusty and her healing journey* The moment she learned that “the book has its own life,” and how she listened when it wanted to become something different* Why the original exercises in her memoir became the foundation for a four-book workbook series* How deadlines, coaching, and accountability helped her finish her first manuscript after 15+ years of stops and starts* Her writing process: 20-minute sessions, creative bursts in the barn, voice-to-text notes, and “mini retreats” for focused work* The biggest internal shift: stepping out of self-doubt and into the identity of a published author — standing “on the horizon” instead of beneath it* What it’s like to receive positive feedback from readers and editors and truly believe her stories matter* How she knows now that she doesn’t have to wait for inspiration — she can reconnect to her writing anytime, under any circumstancesLinks mentioned in this episode* Lasell’s memoir: Getting Along with Rusty: Horses Healing and Therapeutic Riding (Mostly a Memoir) on Bookshop.org* Workbooks:* Becoming the Designated Calm Person: Learning to Settle Ourselves and Others* Sensing Our Groundedness* (And more coming soon!)* Learn more about Lasell & her books → lasellbartlett.com* Follow Lasell on Substack → lasellbartlett.substack.comOther links:* Under the Gum Tree → underthegumtree.com* Schedule a free 15-minute Book Diagnosis Call → moretothestory.co/bookdiagnosis* Download my Book Outline Formula Worksheet → moretothestory.co/bookoutline* Get 10% off your first order at Café Santoro → cafesantoro.com/jannaFollow & Connect * find all show notes at moretothestory.substack.com* Follow me on Instagram: @jannamarlies* Follow Under the Gum Tree: @undergumtreeQuestion for YouWhere have you seen your own confidence as a writer grow — even in small ways?Tell me in the comments; I’d love to hear. (AI Disclaimer: These show notes were generated by AI using the transcript of this episode.) Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe