When I think of coaching, I think of sports. I think of whistles and yelling and oh-so-much running. It’s awful. Novel coaching is never like that. There are no whistles, no raised voices, and the only time you’ll have to run is if you’ve got something going on after our meeting.
All coaching strives to teach specific aspects of an art and elevate the apprentice. Novel coaching is no different. It provides a unique and highly individualized approach to your particular needs as a writer. Novel coaching is designed to help you achieve your writing goals by organizing your thoughts and ideas into a coherent, logical format that will help you plan and write in a constructive and focused way.
Unlike with editing (which happens after you have written and self-edited your novel), coaching typically happens while the writing is still in progress or before it’s even begun. If you have lots of ideas, but a hard time putting them on paper, coaching may be for you.
Coaching may also be for you if you are ready to:
- Learn how to make your writing goals a reality
- Push the boundaries of your craft
- Explore different styles and techniques
- Empower your writing life
- Immerse yourself in the writing world
I have two different coaching options available: one-on-one and group coaching.
One-on-One
This type of coaching is just you, the author, with a writing project or idea, and me, the coach, helping to identify your strengths and build your skills where necessary.
One-on-one coaching is a super flexible service. It’s just about whatever you need it to be. My goal as a coach is to help you write a novel, to empower you, and to provide you with the tools you’ll need to actually get that idea on paper.
This type of coaching is not one size fits all. It’s all custom-built. Every author has a different approach to writing and one-on-one coaching strives to accommodate whatever style or approach you take.
Group Coaching
This is one of my favourite groups and one of my favourite services.
Unsurprisingly, group coaching involves a group! The meetings include myself and several authors rather than just the two of us. That may sound scary, but I promise you this group is a thing of beauty. It’s the meeting of many creative minds with a common goal: to harness the power of positive peer pressure.
This group is for people with a decent grasp of what they want their story to be but are struggling to execute their ideas. It’s less about bouncing story ideas around and more about getting you to sit down and actually write the damn thing (whatever it may be).
Unlike with one-on-one coaching, group coaching has a fairly rigid structure that involves goal setting on a bi-weekly basis.
Group coaching is a good place to start because it is cheaper than one-on-one coaching, you’ll get to crowd source different approaches to overcoming your writing hurdles, and you get to experience the joy of being part of a close knit writing community.
Novel coaching, whether you prefer a one-on-one or group setting, is a great way to make progress on your writing dreams. If you have any questions about coaching in general, drop them in the comments. If you think you’d like to try coaching, get in touch with me directly to set up your free 30-minute consult call.
Great post! Your group coaching sessions have made a tremendous difference to my writing process and my productivity. Everyone is very supportive and welcoming and we laugh a lot! I agree it’s the perfect place to start for someone who’s nervous about coaching.
Thanks, Diane! It’s so wonderful having you in the group 🙂