If you’ve been following along in this space, hopefully you’ve found some tips to help with your writing project.
You may even have purchased the Revision Road Map, the self-paced mini-course to help you triage and organize your revision.
But what if you find yourself still struggling with your story? Something is not working, you just can’t figure out what?
One-on-one coaching support can be the vehicle for your story breakthrough.
A coach provides personalized support, customized exercises, and in-depth feedback to help you finish your story, elevate your writing, and enjoy the process again. Or at least that’s my goal when working with a writer.
When can a book coach serve your process best?
- Getting clarity on a new idea. Because if you’ve been here for any amount of time, you know I love a metaphor–you can go to the grocery store without a list or a plan, wander the aisles, finally decide on what you want to make for dinner then head back to produce for that key ingredient you didn’t think to grab when you first passed the vegetable bins, and end up making a decent meal. Until tomorrow comes around and you’re back in the store wandering again. Working with a coach is like planning out your weekly meal plan, organizing your list by store section, and shopping more efficiently and effectively so when you get home you’re stocked with all your favorites and the ingredients you need for a week’s worth of dinners.When you have a new idea, a coach can help you flesh it out and create a plan of attack for drafting your novel so you don’t start in the wrong place or chase a subplot down a rabbit hole for 20,000 words before realizing it dead ends. Whether you are a panster or a plotter, a coach can help you create a story foundation that will make drafting a more efficient experience.
- Writing forward. How many of you are doing Novel November as a way to stay on track? We need these kinds of accountability hacks to stay the course on self-imposed deadlines. They work for a reason.A book coach can provide accountability during the drafting process by working with you to set realistic but challenging deadlines as well as give feedback so you never have to feel alone in the process. Working with a coach as you write forward ensures you are learning along the way and applying new skills as you write resulting in an initial draft that will be stronger than it would have been without support.
- In revision. Revision can feel overwhelming once you have this giant manuscript. If we stick with our dinner prep metaphor, revision is getting those ingredients home and prepped, then using a recipe to ensure you are putting the ingredients in the pan in the right order.A coach will help you identify what is and isn’t working in a manuscript and create a plan to address the revision in an intentional way. In other words, a coach can help you develop your own revision recipe so that the meal isn’t just edible, but worthy of serving to your most discerning dinner party guests.
If you have been working on a draft or revision and hoping for a different outcome, consider adding a coach to process. Outside eyes and personalized instruction can be just the thing to get you out of your writing rut and creating the manuscript you envisioned.
Investing in a coach is investing in your own creative process.
As you ponder your 2026 writing goals, I invite you to schedule a free discovery call with me to discuss whether coaching is right for you and where you are in your writing journey.
Let’s make 2026 the year you honor your writing life.