Case Study:
What made Julie want to work with Seth?
Julie took a writing course with me, and after that she started working on a mystery novel. She was looking for writing feedback from someone with experience in both teaching and writing mysteries / crime fiction.
“I knew I had some skills, but I hadn’t done a whole lot of creative writing, and I knew there was a lot more to the craft end of the process since I took [Seth’s] class.”
Since she had enjoyed my writing class and knew that I also offered 1:1 coaching, Julie reached out to me to discuss working together.
At first, Julie was concerned about whether she had what it takes to write a whole novel:
“I thought, OK, well I can listen to all [of Seth’s] advice, but am I really going to be able to implement it? Actually take what [Seth] teaches and [his] comments and…use it to make my writing better?”
But after having a call to discuss Julie’s writing goals and my coaching process, we decided to move forward and work together.
The Result: Two finished novels
After working together for over two years, Julie now has one finished manuscript and a second novel draft that is well on the way to finished.
But Julie also says that one of the main results is learning to trust herself more.
“I’ve been able to take [Seth’s] advice and… coaching and put that into the next level of my work…. I take advantage of everything that [Seth has] taught me and use it to make myself a better writer.”
Because of the coaching process, Julie also has more confidence in herself:
“I have a lot more confidence in my ability to come up with this story and actually continue it until it’s completed.”
Why get writing coaching?
For Julie, the coaching process was like working with a friend who also has useful advice and experience with writing.
“[Seth has] this kind of approach that’s firm, but it’s not judgmental. [He] would come up with very concrete things that [he] would want me to do, and even if I didn’t do them, I was inspired by them to do something.”
Getting coaching has also helped Julie to recognize that she really is a writer.
“I never thought that I could be a writer — that that would be, you know, something I could define myself as — and now I feel like I can. I also feel that as I keep writing, I’ll only keep getting better.”
As a retiree, Julie also feels that coaching has made a difference in her life as a whole.
“Not only [has Seth] helped me as a writer, but [he has] also helped me find some purpose in this second stage of my life, you know, post retirement.”
Who would benefit from working with Seth?
If you are considering getting coaching for your own writing, Julie suggests that the best time is when you are ready to learn and to put in the work to improve your writing:
“To work with Seth, I think you have to be a person not who wants somebody to teach you how to write. I think you have to be the person who wants somebody to teach you how to teach yourself to write. You have to be the one who wants to learn about writing and learn how to take what Seth has to offer and apply it in your own way. And I think Seth is a really good coach for you, because that’s his approach and he really is effective.”
If you’ve been wondering if coaching is the next step in your writing process, book a strategy session with me to discuss your goals and my best recommendations for your writing journey.
