Tag: writing coach
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Creating conditions for growth
True gardeners are nurturing yet ruthless. They nurture seedlings and sickly plants, but are also quick to prune branches or eradicate pests that threaten plants (see also: the bumper crop of tent caterpillars we’re having on the West Coast this year). For a long time I felt a pang every time I cut a flower…
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Close and closer
One of my coaching clients came to me because he was stuck. He’d written about 100,000 words but didn’t know what he’d written and where to go next. The problem wasn’t one of minimal output or reluctance to do homework. This client needed guardrails. So we pulled way back and returned to the purpose of…
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How should you approach your editor, and what can you expect to pay?
Hello, writers! As you’re embarking on your great resolution to FINALLY write that book (well done, you!), here are some pointers to keep in mind as you approach editors. (Post 3/3) How should you approach your editor, and what can you expect to pay? If I approached any service provider—dentist, mechanic, plumber—I’d give a sense…
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How can you find your editor?
Hello, writers! As you’re embarking on your great resolution to FINALLY write that book (well done, you!), here are some pointers to keep in mind as you approach editors. (Post 2/3) How can you find your editor? You have some say over which editor buys your book, especially if you’re a repeat author and you’ve…
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What type of editor do you need?
Hello, writers! As you’re embarking on your great resolution to FINALLY write that book (well done, you!), here are some pointers to keep in mind as you approach editors. (Post 1/3) What type of editor do you need? At this time of year, my inbox is flooded with people looking to hire an editor. I…
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For gourd-ness sake
Every Halloween, I carve my pumpkin as quickly as possible. I put on a spooky podcast, sit down with a big knife and a smaller knife, maybe a pen to draw a design. I don’t plan it out. I see what inspires me in the moment—how I’m feeling, and the shape of the pumpkin. Last…
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“Is this a book?”
It’s said that 80% of people think they have a book inside them. What’s true is 100% of people have a spooky skeleton inside them. Books take a lot of time and energy to produce, but they can be a truly effective way to share your vision with your audience. So how do you know…
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How to finish strong this year and ace your writing goals
In sailing, there’s an action called “anchor watch.” Once you reach your destination and drop anchor, you need to keep an eye on potential drift. If you notice your vessel has moved a lot in say twenty minutes, your anchor isn’t secure in the seabed. You need to haul up and try again. At this…
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The missing ingredient in your book proposal
I often see a main element missing from book proposals. A book proposal is a business plan for your book. It helps you convince the publisher to take a chance on you. In a traditional publishing arrangement, the publisher is essentially offering you a loan (called an advance) so you can finish your book, and…
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Your writing process doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s
Brian Eno couldn’t read sheet music, so he devised his own graphic symbols for phrases and loops. The symbols didn’t matter so much as the system behind them. Here are two sample tracks from his classic album Music for Airports. How do you visually shape your book? I edit to ambient music, so I found…