Do you need a writing coach?

Writing can be a lonely and stressful task, even when it's something you want to do with all your heart. Most writers need some form of guidance and support—whether it's a teacher or an ally in the war against our own fears and insecurity. A writer rarely succeeds alone.

I love helping writers, and I'm so excited to now offer one-on-one writing-coach services. If you're ready to get serious about your writing, I'm here to help.

Maybe you:

• Need direction and encouragement to get that novel finished (or begun)
• Are hip-deep in a novel that doesn't make sense anymore
• Have a folder full of short stories and no idea if they're any good or what to do with them
• Are contemplating a story you're dying to get out of you, but have no idea where to start
• Think you're a good writer, so why can't you get anything published?
• Have plenty of creative energy, but need help with grammar and sentence structure
• Are sure you could be a successful writer, if you weren't such a procrastinator
• Have plenty of discipline—what you need is honest, constructive feedback

As a writing coach, I do a lot more than edit my students' work. I clarify what their strengths are, and in what areas they should focus their attention.  I work with them to define their writing voice. I answer their questions and assuage their anxieties. We talk about where they're headed in their work, what they need to do to get there, and what might be holding them back.

My services include:

-Line editing and detailed feedback on your manuscript
-Action steps for your next draft
-One 45-minute phone/Skype conversation (or we can instant-message, if the phone's not your thing)
-Ideas and support to help you move forward with confidence
-Recommendations for further reading

What I charge:

I work on a per-session basis. Each session takes place over the course of about one week. In addition to our phone session and written feedback, you will have access to me via email whenever you need it.

A single session costs $300. Four sessions are $1100.

If you have a larger project, I can also work on an hourly rate. Contact me and we'll discuss!

If you're interested or would like to know more, email me.

About me:

I've been an editor and writer for over twenty years, and a blogger since 2004. I received my B.A. in English Literature from Wellesley College, where I received the Johanna Mankiewicz Davis Prize for Prose Fiction. I have an M.F.A. from The New School, with a concentration in fiction. I've had fiction and nonfiction published in numerous magazines, journals, and anthologies, including The Best Creative Nonfiction, Fence Magazine, Berkeley Fiction Review, and The Sun. In 2009 I was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in nonfiction. I'm also the co-author of Let's Panic About Babies, which Kirkus Reviews called "outrageously humorous." I've written and spoken extensively on the topics of writing and creativity, and I teach a course called The Practice of Writing.