Press Kit

Meet Cheryl McNeil Fisher

Hello and welcome. I believe every person carries a story worth telling — and a spark just waiting to catch.

Whether speaking on a stage, deep in a manuscript, or cheering on a writer who just found their voice, my mission is always the same: helping you find that inimitable spark, the one that belongs only to you and your story. I often say that writing dialogue feels like hosting a party with my characters. The best stories happen when we stop micromanaging and let the characters take the wheel. Once, while enjoying a perfectly good day of sunshine and writing, a character named Lo-Retta decided to toss a snake into the scene completely unannounced. It is that kind of glorious unpredictability that makes storytelling magic, and I love teaching others how to embrace those happy accidents. For the record, I had recently told my husband I would never put a snake in my stories. Ha. Little did I know.

A Community Built on the Craft

Alongside my co-host Dr. Kathy King, I had the privilege of creating Writing Works Wonders, an award-winning podcast with 131 episodes of conversation, craft, and community for writers at every stage. In 2022, we were humbled to accept the Vernon C. Henley Media Award for that work. In 2024, Amazon featured Writing Works Wonders as a pivotal resource for authors during Women’s History Month, a testament to the incredible community of writers we built together. All 131 episodes are available for you to explore whenever you are ready.

From cozy mysteries and children’s books to transformative workshops and memoirs, I provide the tools and the impetus to help you forge narratives that stick with readers. I am here to advocate for your voice and cheer you on as you navigate your own creative adventures.

How I Write

I am legally blind, and my writing process is powered by screen-reading technology and the constant, extraordinary support of my guide dogs. These partnerships are not background details. They are the heartbeat of both my fiction and my nonfiction, the direct inspiration for the Adventures of a Guide Dog Team series, and the catalyst for my Memoir Unleashed course.

Before my current guide, Helix, a big and fabulous black Lab with a personality to match, there was a whole cast of partners who shaped me as a writer and as a person. Pearl, a petite black Lab and a total lady, was my first guide and the picture of patient grace. Strider, a 70-pound yellow Lab, was fast, focused, and occasionally a little too enthusiastic about indoor speeds. Gregg, an 80-pound black Lab and a certified dude, was known for his moans, his groans, and his very vocal “yayaya” commentary on life. Sanka, a golden retriever, carried himself with the dignity of royalty and the prance of a show horse. Then there was Raven, my designer diva shepherd, who had opinions about everything and expressed them clearly, including by nibbling perfect scalloped edges into my good towels.

You can meet Helix, including his absolutely adorable puppy days, at Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

And Then There Was Scout

Scout, a Labradoodle, burst into our lives at eleven weeks old and immediately made me want to scream and laugh hysterically, sometimes in the same moment. His love and his eagerness to learn won me over completely before I ever had a chance to resist. He has earned his own Scout’s Corner column in Vision Access, the quarterly publication I write for, because he always has something to say and, frankly, his suggestions are usually pretty good. He has also made his way into several of my books, because Scout does not wait for an invitation. He simply shows up.

He filled my heart in ways I never anticipated, and as you get to know me, you will get to know Scout too. His adventures, his wisdom, and whatever he is up to now are woven right through everything I do. Consider yourself warned, in the best possible way.