INDIVIDUAL COACHING is ideal for people who dream of becoming a published author. Writing, or a specific writing project, is essential to your life and you want tangible results instead of helplessly watching time slip away, your creativity sidetracked by other priorities.

Whether you are completing a dissertation, writing a novel or memoir, or working up a proposal for a non-fiction book, I can guide you. I tailor every relationship to suit your schedule, skills, and budget. Cost varies with your needs, but most writing clients should plan on spending $500 to $1,200 per month or more if extensive revision is needed.

Non-fiction books

Many aspiring authors feel compelled to translate something they know—through personal experience, vocational calling, or careful research—into a public message. But, for all their passion, they lack the skills or structure to make it happen. 

I help you succinctly articulate the promise, audience, and market niche of your work, then develop the annotated book outline and a sample chapter. We pour these crucial ideas into a book proposal—your passport to the world of agents and publishers.

Graduate student coaching

I funnel decades of teaching graduate research into the specialty of helping students complete their dissertation. This includes clarifying the central question or problem, explaining the research approach and method, and defining the literature domains. Throughout, I critique the prose and offer revision suggestions to help you produce a lucid, scholarly work you can be proud of.

For students who have completed the graduate degree, I help them transform the dissertation into a published book. Working together, we

  • identify the audience that tunes your authorial voice and shapes the content;

  • convert the research question into a compelling premise;

  • alter the review of the literature to foreground your scholarly expertise;

  • rearrange the original content into a well-argued thesis that sustains the reader’s interest.

Fiction & memoir writing

If you’re an aspiring author with a great story in mind, getting expert help can make the difference between having that great idea and actually writing it. I help you flesh out fictional characters who insist on being seen and heard, render a place or event that is taking shape in your imagination in vivid, multisensory detail, or narrate a transformative moment in your own life in ways that engage others. 

I’ll teach you a seven-step analytical scheme to help you 

  • discover and express the core conflicts and themes;

  • craft satisfying scenes in lively settings that enhance mood and tone;

  • introduce distinctive characters and avoid the pitfalls of stereotype;

  • integrate dialogue, interior monologue, gesture and action to create believable relationships;

  • choose fresh imagery to enrich the felt sense of the narrative;

  • develop and refine your authorial voice.