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.

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