Book Coaching
Book Coaching covers what working with a coach actually looks like — what a book coach does differently from an editor or a writing group, how coaching is priced, and what to expect at each stage of a novel, from finishing a first draft to deciding it’s actually done. These posts also dig into the writer-identity side of the process: burnout, motivation, and the mindset shifts that come with treating your novel as a serious, ongoing project. Drawing on fifteen-plus years of coaching novelists to complete manuscripts, this is the place to start if you’re deciding whether coaching is the right kind of support for you.
Why Is Writing Fiction So Hard?
If you’ve been working on your novel for a while—and I mean really working, not just thinking about it—you’ve probably had this feeling at least once:
I know how to write. Why is this so hard?
Maybe you were an English student who always did well. Maybe you wrote papers in college that got praised. Maybe you[…]
Make Readers See Your Scenes
The Best Books Make Readers See Their Scenes.
Yours Can, Too.
There’s a reason certain books get finished and certain books get put down.
It’s not the premise. It’s not the genre. It’s not even the writing, exactly — not[…]
Write the Book You Most Want to Read
There’s a piece of advice I keep coming back to, and I gave it to a client recently when she worried that her novel—ambitious, sprawling, decades in the character’s lives—might be too much. Too historical. Too personal. Too big.
I told her: write the book you most want to read. If it doesn’t exist yet, go[…]
Writing Craft Advice from Denis Johnson
Press play to listen to a craft lecture by Denis Johnson.
In 1999 I had the good fortune to study with one of my heroes, the novelist and short story writer Denis Johnson (Train Dreams, Jesus’ Son, The Name of the World, Tree[…]
Writing Group vs Book Coach: What Each Can (and Can’t) Do for Your Novel
A conversation I hear more often than you might think starts like this:
“I’m in a writing group I really love. They’re supportive, they understand me, they’re invested in my work… so why do I still feel stuck?”
If you’ve ever had that thought, you’re not alone.
In fact, many of the writers I work with already belong[…]
Writing Coach Pricing FAQ: What You’re Really Paying For
After I published Why I Charge What I Charge, I started getting a familiar set of follow-up questions.
They’re good questions. Honest questions. Necessary questions.
So instead of answering them one by one, here they are — publicly, transparently, and without marketing fluff.
Q: Is hiring a writing coach really “worth it”?
The honest answer:
It depends on[…]
When Do You Know Your First Draft Is Done?
The most honest answer might surprise you.
“How do you know when you’re writing the words ‘the end’?” a writer recently asked me. She’d been hitting her daily word count target religiously—exactly 345 words per day, aiming for a 64,600-word first draft by a specific November date. But as she approached the end of her novel,[…]
Check Your Writer’s Battery: The Two Questions That Tell You Everything
I was coaching a client recently—let’s call him Joseph—who’s been working on a complex historical novel for several years. He’d just sent me some new pages, and we were settling into our session when I asked him what might seem like an odd question:
“How’s your battery?”
He paused. “What do you mean?”
“Your energy meter. Your drive[…]
Stop Optimizing for Sales: Why I’m Done Chasing Amazon Metrics
I was talking with a writer recently who’d just published her first novel. She’d done everything “right”—set up Amazon ads, joined KDP Select, read all the marketing gurus, tracked her data obsessively. She was spending hours every day tweaking keywords and analyzing click-through rates.
“I’m losing 20 cents on every dollar I spend,” she told me.[…]
How Chronology Shapes Scene Clarity
Why clear sequencing is the foundation of confident storytelling
Earlier this month, we talked about Simultaneity Syndrome—the tendency to cram multiple actions into single sentences. But avoiding simultaneity is just the first step toward something more fundamental: mastering what I call The Chronology Principle.
This principle is simple: when you establish clear chronology in your writing, readers[…]
From Talking Heads to Living Scenes: The Action-to-Dialogue Ratio
Why your characters need bodies, not just voices
“I like the second part better than the first,” I told a writer as we reviewed his restaurant scene. “And I like the third part better than the second.”
He looked puzzled. “What’s the difference?”
The difference was in what I call the action-to-dialogue ratio—how much physical movement, gesture, and[…]
What Comes After Your First Draft Is Done
From archaeologist to architect: The essential shift every novelist must make.
You did it. You wrote “The End” and it felt right. After months of daily word counts, character discoveries, and plot revelations, you have a complete first draft sitting on your desk (or in your computer).
But now what?
If you’ve been following the advice to[…]
Simultaneity Syndrome: Why Your Characters Can’t Do Everything at Once
How multi-tasking in fiction creates confusion instead of efficiency
“Gil stretched his lips into a tight smile, lifting his right shoulder in a subtle shrug.”
I paused on this sentence during a coaching session recently. “What’s the order of how these two verbs happen?” I asked the writer.
“Oh, he’s doing them at the same time,” came the[…]
New Year, New Plan: Do I Need a Writing Coach?
(How to know if this is the year you stop circling and start finishing)
The New Year Question Writers Don’t Ask Out Loud
At the start of a new year, writers make the same promises they’ve made before:
- This is the year I finish my novel.
- This is the year I take my writing seriously.
- This[…]
Opening and Closing Switches: A Revision Tool That Creates Reader Satisfaction Without Killing Suspense
I was running a workshop recently when one of my writers brought up a problem that sounds familiar to anyone who’s ever written a mystery, thriller, or any story with multiple plot threads:
“I feel like I’m drowning in open questions,” she said. “I keep introducing new mysteries and complications, but I’m afraid if I answer[…]
Happy Holidays! Here’s My Gift to You
As the year winds down, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you—for reading, for writing, and for staying connected to your creative work in a year that asked a lot from all of us.
This season can be full and busy, but it can also be a good time[…]
Build Real Momentum in Your Novel in 2026 (Without Going It Alone)
If you care deeply about your writing but still feel unsure about your pages, you’re not alone.
Maybe you’re writing regularly or maybe you’re stuck in fits and starts. Either way, the real frustration is the same: you don’t know whether what you’re putting on the page is working. You’re left wondering[…]
Why I Charge What I Charge as a Writing Coach
Every once in a while, someone hesitates when we start talking about working together.
Not because they don’t want support.
Not because they don’t care about their writing.
But because they see the number and feel a little jolt.
And that’s fair.
We[…]
Love Your Characters (Even the Bad Guys)
A lesson from the coaching chair
I was in the middle of a session with a client, working through a chapter where two antagonists—street-level killers named Anthony and Buzz—had cornered his protagonist in a hotel room. The scene had tension, it had stakes, but something felt off about the dialogue.
“Can I be really honest with you?”[…]
Raising Rates for 2026. Book now!
Hey Writer —
Every year around this time I hear some version of:
“I just need to get through the holidays — then I’ll finally dive into this novel.”
If that’s you, good.
That means the fire hasn’t gone out.
And since you’re reading this, I’ll make it simple:
On January 1st my coaching rates will increase by ~10%.
(Private coaching spots[…]
The Workshop That Will Change Your Writing in 2026
If you’re craving a writing community that’s small, supportive, and focused, and you’d love honest, manuscript-specific feedback from a published author who’s also a seasoned coach, you’re in the right place.
This isn’t about vague advice or trying to “fix” your entire novel overnight. This is about showing up consistently, getting targeted insight on your pages,[…]
How to Actually Read Your Own Draft (Without Getting Stuck)
You’ve finished your draft. Or at least, you’ve got enough pages that it’s time to step back and see what you have.
Now comes the hard part: actually reading the thing.
I know this sounds simple. You’re a writer. You read. Just open the file and start at the beginning, right?
But here’s what actually happens: You open[…]
Coaching vs. Editing: What’s the Difference (And Which Do You Need)?
I was talking with a client recently who asked a question I hear all the time:
“What’s the difference between coaching and editing?”
It’s a great question. And understanding the answer can save you thousands of dollars and months of frustration.
Let me break it down.
What an Editor Actually Does
When most writers think about hiring an editor, they[…]
Happy Halloween! Last chance to grab your bundle
Happy Halloween!
Today’s your last chance to grab the Boo to Burnout Bundle: Reclaim Your Time & Joy before it disappears at midnight.
This is your final reminder to scoop up 20+ free resources to help you:
- Beat burnout
- Manage your time better
- Create calm and balance in your days
Once the clock strikes twelve, this bundle vanishes[…]
Make the Fast Stuff Slow: The Counterintuitive Art of Action Pacing
Why your biggest moments deserve your slowest writing
“She emptied her magazine into him.”
I paused on this sentence during a recent coaching session. Here was the climactic moment of an intense action scene—a police officer in a shootout, firing seventeen bullets to save her life—and it got less than half[…]
