A writing coach can be a
good solution for someone who wants to write their own book, but finds
themselves getting lost in the process. A good writing coach will
provide:
An informed
sounding board
Information
Accountability
An
Informed Sounding Board
The best writing coaches
are great listeners. Their goal is to help you achieve your dream and a
lot of that is accomplished because they can really hear you - not just
what you say, but what's behind your words.
For example, a woman came
to me with a family story she wanted to put into a book. She'd gotten
about 50 pages written and gotten stuck. After reading her pages and
talking with her, I was:
able to reassure her
about her writing - it's good, but when she got stuck she started to
doubt her ability.
help her understand
that because many of the details of the story had been lost in time,
the book she was writing was really fiction. This freed her up
tremendously because she could imagine what happened rather than try
to figure out the reality.
suggest she write the
ending next so she'd know where the book was going.
As a result, the woman is
well on her way to getting her book completed.
Information
The successful writing
coach also knows a great deal about writing, publishing, and marketing.
Much of this comes from
their own experience which, in addition to writing and being published,
includes conferences, talking with other writers and just generally
being in the writing business.
The coach can pass this
information on to you and help you apply it to your book, saving you
perhaps years or even decades of trial and error.
Accountability
Without a writing coach,
writing a book is totally self-generated and self-paced. It can be
terribly difficult to stay focused and on track. A writing coach can
really help in this area by providing someone to report to.
Generally, the coach and
the writer work out the specific tasks that need to be accomplished.
This can range from simply opening a file, through writing x number of
pages, or almost anything needed to move the book forward.
The writer agrees to a
specific task in a specific amount of time. The coach makes sure the
goal is realistic and helps the writer understand how it might best be
completed.
At the next appointment,
the coach first asks if the task is completed. If it is, the coach
congratulates them, helps them sort out any problems that cropped up and
together they set the next goal.
If, however, the task
isn't complete, the coach will help the writer figure out why, and more
importantly, what needs to change so the goals can be reached.
Everything from resistance to schedules is fair game, always with the
idea of clearing up problems so the writer can get on with writing.
Editing
and Coaching
Coaching is different than
editing. While the coach will certainly read manuscript, the reading is
done more to help spot problems for the writer to solve than for
detailed or substantial editing. It's the writer's job to write and,
with some guidance, rewrite; it's the coaches job to provide direction.
Some coaches provide
editing and some don't. If the client wants line editing or the work
needs substantial rewriting or refocusing, that's a different service
and gets charged differently.
What the
Writer/Client Brings
If you're considering some
writing coaching you need to bring:
a general idea of what
you want to accomplish
the ability and
willingness to invest in your project
a willingness to set
and keep telephone appointments
a willingness to do
the assignments agreed on, or to discover why you're not able to do
them
an open mind and a
willingness to communicate your truth
Coaching is a partnership
that can be fun, enlightening and worthwhile for both parties.
