Coaching

Sometimes, the best option is to go 100% individualized with the instruction. Hire me as a writing coach, and I’ll look at your work and then we’ll have a dialogue about what you need to do to whip your process and craft into shape.

Step 1

The first step to any coaching relationship is to have a conversation about your goals and obstacles with your writing. So we'll begin with some pre-coaching communication via email, phone, or video chat.

Step 2

Depending on what you're after with your writing, you'll send me an outline, scene, list, or some pages of your work-in-progress for me to read, assess, and edit prior to our coaching session.

Step 3

Finally, we'll get together via phone call or video chat to discuss your process and craft and set some goals for making your work live up to its potential.

Why Coaching?

You’ve heard of that 10,000-hour thing, right? It’s the popular advice that you need 10,000 hours of practice in order to master a particular skill. It turns out that it’s not enough just to tally the hours, though. As Maria Popova reports, “The secret to continued improvement isn’t the amount of time invested but the quality of that time . . . . The factor Ericsson and other psychologists have identified as the main predictor of success is deliberate practice—persistent training to which you give your full concentration rather than just your time, often guided by a skilled expert, coach, or mentor.”

What Does Coaching Look Like?

Story Development

Want to get some feedback on your whole story?

The concept: I look at an outline, a scene list, a synopsis, and/or a logline and discuss the big picture with you.

The objective: I look for the whole story’s essential elements and structure and discuss opportunities to strengthen the whole.

The rationale: This is a very efficient way to get feedback on your whole story without the full manuscript edit. It’s also wonderful for testing out nascent ideas.

As-You-Go Guidance

Want some regular meetings to talk through your ideas?

The concept: You send some ideas or pages to me and we meet to discuss.

The objective: You get individualized and dedicated attention to your challenges and questions with this specific work-in-progress.

The rationale: These meetings supply some accountability and some “personal training.” Having the eyes of a seasoned editor/writer in your corner can speed up the process.

Craft Development

Want to strengthen your overall writing craft?

The concept: We diagnose some strengths and weaknesses in your craft and work toward improvement.

The objective: Improve your story sense, character development, story momentum, emotional resonance, or line-level writing.

The rationale: When I see your particular needs, I can individualize my instruction to you.

Build-Your-Own MFA

Want to be create your own program for improvement?

The concept: We figure out how you can be deliberate in your effort to be a published writer.

The objective: Build a program of individualized study and schedule deadlines and checkpoints similar to a low-res MFA.

The rationale: An MFA program can be mimicked in the world outside of official programs.

Get in Touch

As you can see, coaching is pretty flexible and is based around your needs and goals. If you’re interested, we can start with a free phone call or video chat to discuss what you’re looking for and whether I might be a good fit for you. Click below and fill out the form to get the ball rolling.

What students are saying

"Tim has fantastic content--both the free content on his blog and the paid course content. He makes writing material accessible and even fun to learn. If you want to hone your craft, Tim's courses are a phenomenal resource."

“Having spent the last 7 years of my life inside college writing courses and continued studies programs, I can confidently say Tim Storm is one of the most memorable and informative teachers I have come across. He teaches the art of storytelling from a unique perspective that is intuitive and engaging. If you ever have the chance to take a class taught by Tim Storm, take it.”

“Tim Storm is an exceptional writing instructor. He took complex concepts and distilled them down to simple, easy to understand steps and ideas that motivated the class and improved my writing immensely.”

“Tim’s editing has guided me through publication, contest wins, and (most importantly) stories crafted at a higher level than I was capable before. Best, though, are the conversations we have about my writing over Zoom. I don't know that I could create a fictional character who is such a joy to discuss writing with. Tim has patience as I struggle through my ideas, offering gentle nudges, without trying to take the steering wheel. He's relentlessly positive, even when I'm doubting myself. I believe I probably would have given up my attempts at publication had it not been for his encouragement.”

“A writing professor told me years ago that writers who work with coaches will speed their development by a factor of ten. I've found this to be true and have experienced it firsthand working with Tim. I spent nearly eight years working (and suffering through) writing my memoir on my own, and I'll never make that mistake again. I worked with Tim for more than two years on my last novel and, not only did I finish much faster, but I enjoyed the journey. Tim helps with every aspect of writing: brainstorming, story development, armchair psychology, craft, technique, language. He shares his extremely intelligent perspective and knowledge without imposing unwanted edits. If you're serious about writing, get Tim's help. You won't regret it.”