Small moments carry whole worlds.
Discover how to write a powerful story from just one moment.
This free audio series will get you started.
author of three books of tiny true stories.
I help writers and would-be writers use small moments from their own lives to craft meaningful personal narratives: a single piece, a steady practice, or a short book. Whether you're here to read, to write, seek editing support—or to slow down and name what's moving inside you, you're in the right place.
ようこそ。
Hi, I’m Rumi Tsuchihashi,
What you’ll find here.
I find unbelievable beauty in the mundane: silence in the waiting rooms, lost mittens, and conversations overheard at the grocery store checkout line. No one at work or school tells you to notice such things, even though this kind of attention begets transformation.
* * *
Gems of a true story that anchor a speech, essay, a whole nonfiction book, or stand alone as a stirring, mini-masterpiece. That kind of concise, truth-revealing writing is my jam. I love how it brings clarity. It illuminates what matters. It’s fun and good for you!
If you’ve ever thought, I can’t write like that; I’m not a real writer, or I love telling other people’s stories, but feel uneasy about telling my own, you’re warmly welcome here.
And if English isn’t your first language, or if you rarely read stories reflecting your identity or point of view, OMG, please come closer.
You have a voice already. You have what it takes to author your life story.
Small Moments, True Stories is a free audio series designed to help you notice more, trust yourself, and write from your lived experience with ease.
Five short, gentle invitations guide you to see what’s story-worthy in a single moment and express the depth and truth that's already there.
FEATURED MICRO-MEMOIR
a recent piece from my own small-moment writing practice.
99% Off Course
To my surprise, I discovered that autopilots are off-course 99% of the time, by design. They're responsive to their immediate environments and adjust to minimize resistance. All the while, they keep track of the destination. Even though they behave like they're going the wrong way, they aren't.
—From the micro-memoir “And Yet, And Yet,” a finalist for the 2026 Tucson Festival of Books Literary Award
Classes & Courses
a One-Hour Small-Moment Writing Workshop
Small moments carry whole worlds. In this intimate and generative live, online class, I’ll guide you in writing the story tucked inside one real moment from your life. You’ll leave with a finished piece, a repeatable practice, and renewed confidence in your voice.
A Yearlong Practice of Presence and Creative Resilience
This yearlong email correspondence course fills your creative well by guiding you to notice ordinary joys, 1% more each day. Over time, fear and doubt are replaced with calm and resilience that fuels and nourishes you—and your writing.
From Notes to a Manuscript in Thirteen Weeks
This course guides you in shaping small-moment prose or poetry into a concise, emotionally resonant book you’ll be elated to hold. Together in community, we find the golden thread that’s already there.
FEATURED COURSE
Tiny Shifts to Joy
A Yearlong Practice of Presence and Creative Resilience
Begins on the Lunar New Year, February 2026
You don’t need more discipline to write well.
You need a deeper creative well.
Tiny Shifts to Joy is a yearlong correspondence course that helps redirect your attention from distractions and worry to sparks of joy, just 1% more each day.
This gentle practice has a remarkable compound effect over time. It restores your creative spark, emotional steadiness, and a sense of aliveness that sustains your writing.
This course is for you if:
Fear, doubt, or perfectionism keep you circling the work.
You’re weary of urgency and quick-fix promises—you believe in playing the long game.
A slower, kinder rhythm sounds nourishing for your life and your art.
You’ll receive 52 weekly reflections and prompts, with the option of personal email coaching to help you overcome resistance along the way.
You don’t need to identify as a writer or creative to join.
Creativity isn’t a talent or a performance; it’s a life force reopened through attention.
Every writer deserves a compassionate witness, and every story deserves to be shaped with care.
I work one-on-one with memoirists, essayists, poets, and narrative nonfiction writers who want an attentive, patient, and discerning writing and editorial partner.
I support:
developmental editing
book structure and revision
co-writing and deep collaboration
My role is not to overwrite your voice, but to help it emerge with clarity and resonance.
Together, we listen for the emotional thread, illuminate the small moments that carry weight, and shape a piece that feels true.
Whether we work together briefly or over time, our work centers on emergence, refinement, trust, and care.
1:1 Coaching & Developmental Editing
What People Are Saying
“Working with Rumi led to the beginning of my new identity and life based on slowing down, authenticity, and what brings me joy.”
“This book is full of tiny tender moments. The ones that are ephemeral as soap bubbles and will disappear on the breeze if you don’t capture them in written form. Exquisite, thought-provoking and fun. And a perfect thing to gift to a friend with a personal note inside telling them just what it is you love about them most.
Buy it.
Absorb yourself in it.
And then pay it forward.”
— Cat Preston, review of "I Want To Remember This: The Tiny Moments That Make Up a Life"“Rumi is a gem. She has a calm and deeply thoughtful presence that helps you ease into telling your story authentically. She’s a master at bringing you out of your shell and beautifully packaging your strengths.”
— Marci Tonnemacher, HR Director, mathematician, and artist“I loved how the small stories carried so much quiet wisdom and opportunities for reflection. Her insights and aha's closely resemble ones I have had, but only with different details.
It is refreshing to get so much out of a book, all without being preached to, but simply by way of witnessing the small moments within someone else's life. So good! 🙌🏾
I'm currently reading the much-celebrated House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, and I can feel a sisterhood in the way the stories are shared. I hope more people pick up this book!”
— Enrika Greathouse, review of "I Want This For You: Mothering What Matters Most”"I Want This For Us" by Rumi Tsuchihashi is a beautifully crafted exploration of the tiny moments that can bring us into our own through a soulful, loving partnership. What I love most about this book is how the author trusts her audience to dive deep right from the start. She knows we have the capacity to engage with her heart and heartfelt stories as she invites us to reflect on our own relationships.
This book invites us to cherish the small gestures that can make a significant difference in our lives. Tsuchihashi's warmth and heart shine through on every page, making it a comforting read for singles and couples at any stage of their life.”
— April Bell, review of "I Want This For Us: The Tiny Moments That Give Marriage a Chance"“The prompts, the steps, the worksheets, the community, you created such a beautiful container to hold the vision. I can’t thank you enough for the safe space to show up as I am, and make publishing this book possible!”
— Renee Pedigo, author of "Cracks You Open: Poetry & Musings"“This woman is a magical book sherpa, and her fingerprints are all over my book. This book wouldn’t have happened without her. Rumi—thank you for finding my voice with me.”
— Joanna Bloor, Amazon best-selling author of "Tales of Potential: The Cinderella Story You Haven’t Heard"