I’m Shannon O’Brien—writer, educator, and storytelling strategist. I’ve spent over 15 years living and working across five continents, building a life shaped by movement, change, and constant reinvention.

Living this way has given me a particular interest in how people and businesses make sense of change—how we build identity through experience, and how we translate that into story, whether for ourselves, for a book, or for the work we put into the world.

That thread runs through everything I do. Alongside my work in international education, I write essays and memoir-based work exploring identity, adaptation, and the emotional reality of change. I’m also the author of Stray: Breaking Free, Falling Hard and Growing Stronger, a bestselling memoir about starting over and rebuilding meaning through movement.

How My Work Evolved

My writing began as a way to process life in constant transition—new countries, new jobs, new versions of myself. Over time, it became less about travel itself and more about what change does to people: how we adapt, how we lose certainty, and how we rebuild identity when nothing stays still for long.

That same thread now runs through everything I do.

Today, I work not only as a writer, but also with writers, creators, and businesses who want to turn ideas into clear, engaging storytelling—whether that’s books, platforms, or ongoing content like newsletters and audience-building communication.

What I Do Now

I help people and businesses shape and share their stories in ways that feel authentic, intentional, and strategically effective.

That includes:

• Writing coaching and editorial support for writers and authors

• Ghostwriting and storytelling development

• Book formatting (EPUB and print-ready files) for self-publishing

• Weekly newsletter writing and content strategy designed to grow and retain audiences

• Content systems that help creators and businesses communicate consistently with their audience

I also share practical resources for independent writers navigating the publishing process and building their own platforms.

Writing & Recognition

My work has been featured in Electric Literature and the Washington Independent Review of Books, among other publications, and I continue to write essays and memoir-style work exploring identity, change, and creative life.

Let’s Connect

If you’re working on a book, building a platform, or trying to tell your story more clearly, you can reach me here: