Tarot’s Judgment: Your Writing Coach

When tarot’s Judgment card volunteers to be your writing coach, fasten your seatbelt! It’s time to rev up a manuscript you thought had breathed its last. We’ve all been there, right? (Or is it just me?) We give up on a “failed” manuscript. Then we push it as far away from ourselves as possible, leaving it to die an ignoble death.

But is it really dead?

Tarot’s Judgment card can coach a writer’s draft to life.

Tarot's Judgment: your writing coach is shown as a phoenix rising from the flamesJudgment, in tarot, is about rebirth. In this image, we see a Phoenix rising from the ashes. From the Judgment card’s perspective, we can see that our manuscript did not actually collapse into a pile of cold ashes. It just needed time to settle.

In WRITING DOWN THE BONES, Natalie Goldberg discusses “composting” our ideas. She says that with repeated attempts to express a concept or aspect of our lives, we’ll eventually develop a sort of critical mass of attention. And “something beautiful will bloom.”

This seems to me to be similar to the way we can focus sunlight through a magnifying glass and eventually set fire to a pile of kindling. (Please don’t try this at home!)

Tarot’s Judgment writing coaching moment

It’s been my experience that our ideas, gathered like tinder in the form of a draft, may lay dormant for longer than seems reasonable. In fact, having shoved the darned thing in a drawer or file, we swear we’ll never look at it again.

And then … one day … it calls out to us. Then, it’s time to bring out the magnifying glass and stare at our draft until it bursts into fiery new life. That moment when the twigs spark, that’s a Judgment card moment! When our book draft (finally) starts to kindle, though, we must be right there to fan the flames.

You see, Judgment may make the call. But we must to be ready to answer with a full heart—and faith that this time our book will be fully born from the flames.

Ready to (re-)commit to your book? A chat with a top writing coach might give you the boost you need!

When a writer is ready to tackle either a significant revision or an entirely new approach to their book, a professional writing coach can offer a perspective that will help them get traction right from the get-go. Would you like to discuss your project? Breathe new life into your book with Jamie Morris writing coach and tarot's Judgment card Schedule your free consultation.and check out Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

Tarot’s Judgment Card as Your Writing Coach uses the image of Judgment from the ASTROMATRIX TAROT.

Tarot for Writers: 9 of Coins

When we writers consult tarot and see the 9 of Coins, it may signal a high-five from our muse! Have we graduated in some way? Had a step up in our writing life? Have we made the leap from student or apprentice to master of our writing domain?

If so, huzzah!! Here’s the 9 of Coins’s story—and some lessons we can take from it.

Tarot for writers: Introducing the 9 of coins

Let me tell you about the 9 of Coins (aka 9 of Pentacles). a tarot card shows writers a woman in a vineyard with 9 coins growing amidst the grapes This lady was born to wealth. (For a writer, that’s like being born with talent.) Her father owned a successful vineyard. He was grateful when his daughter took an interest in the business and apprenticed with him. (That’s us, acknowledging our abilities and embarking on an education to develop them.)

After years of dedication and application (us, working our butts-in-chairs off!), she took over the vineyard, allowing her father to retire. Once she was in charge, she established a winery, hosted wine-tasting weekends, and created an annual wine-and-grape competition.

Her father was concerned she was overreaching, but the 9 of Coins was ready to try new approaches. Some of her innovations succeeded and some failed. But either way, the reins were in her hands, and she was going to steer the business according to her own lights.

(That’s us! We may have spent years studying with wonderful teachers in amazing writing programs. But at some point, we’re ready to step out from under their wings—or shadows—and try it our own way. Good for us. Those we’ve trusted for guidance in the past might not approve of some of our choices. But we’ve put in our time—and now we’ve graduated and are steering our own literary ships.)

Tarot’s advice for writers from the 9 of Coins

If tarot’s 9 of Coins were your writing coach, this is what she would tell you:

You’ve studied hard and learned from many teachers. The time has come to move out of the role of student and put your hard-won knowledge to work in the fields of writing.

You have earned your opportunities. Capitalize upon them. Not all will bear fruit. But don’t let failed crops discourage you from sowing new seeds. Work hard and eventually you will harvest the riches of your own creative labor.

Although you’ve inherited a vineyard, you may decide to plant some of your fields with corn. If you studied business writing, but have a different inclination, follow your inner urging. Embark on a memoir or novel or volume of poetry, if that’s what you prefer.

Evaluate the marketplace, sure. But also listen to your intuition like you once listened to your teachers. The baton of authority has passed to you. If you find resistance from the writing elite—publishers, agents—consider self-publishing. Or even starting your own press.You are responsible, now, for your own literary well-being and for nourishing those who consume the fruits of your labor.

May your fields be fertile and your work well-received.

Let a top writing coach support you in your writing life!

When writers are gearing up for new challenges, a professional writing coach can help them make the most of the moment! Let’s chat. Maybe I can offer some support as you move ahead on your writing path! unlock-writer's-block-with-Jamie-Morris-writing-coach Schedule your free consultation.and check out Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

Tarot for Writers: 9 of Coins uses the image of the Nine of Pentacles from the LO SCARABEO TAROT, published by Lo Scarabeo.

Unlock Writer’s Block

Oh, my gosh! Yolanda needs help to unlock her writer’s block! writer's block causes figure under nine swords to have a nightmareShe’s tormented by worries of failing as a writer—yet can’t get any words on the page. While she’s allowed swords of self-recrimination to stack up over her head, it’s probably not as desperate a situation as she believes.

Like many writers, Yolanda feels that if she’s stuck with her current project—short story, essay, master’s thesis—she’s “blocked.” But if she looked more closely, she might find she’s facing a more manageable problem.

In my wide experience as a writing coach, I’ve seen writers like Yolanda free themselves from the dreaded block quite quickly. They just need the right strategies.

If writer’s block is threatening, check out these common causes and their cures. You, too, may be able to unlock writer’s block and write with ease again!

Start here: Is it really a block?

At a crossroads? Maybe you’re actually just confused about what to do next. “Confusion” is not a block! It’s a reasonable response to the many paths a writer can take at any given moment. Uncertain of which way to go?

Try this: Pick any one possibility, set a timer for ten minutes, and write as if you were committed to that direction. If it’s not right, back up and try a different option.

Empty tank? Exhausted? Pushing forward when our creative tanks are empty is a sure way to grind writing to a halt. While fatigue is not necessarily a symptom of writer’s block, it sure can feel like it.

So, take note: Too tired to write? Give it a rest. Whether you need an hour or a week to recover your mojo, take it. Your restored future self will thank you.

Says who? Okay. Here’s the truth: I hate being told what to do. Maybe I’m alone in this. Maybe not. But I have noticed that when someone is writing a memoir because other people have told them to—“You’ve had such an interesting life”—the would-be writer generally loses interest at some point. Likewise with fascinating topics about which a person is an expert. Or when someone is naturally funny or a great story teller.

If you’re struggling to fulfill someone else’s literary ambitions for you, chances are good you don’t have writer’s block. You probably just don’t want to write a book. Or, at least, not the book other folks are telling you to.

Mix it up to unlock the block!

Pushing an agenda? When we come to writing with a too-tightly circumscribed agenda, we can write ourselves into a corner. Rather than trying to beat our project into obedience, we can play a bit. Free-writing on our topic can allow fresh ideas to surface, unlocking our writing progress once again.

Traveling the straight and narrow? New writers—particularly new novelists—may think their job is to start writing at the beginning and continue all the way to the end. Makes sense, right? But more often than not, this approach leaves them in a rut, wheels spinning.

Instead, imagine which scene might be the most interesting to write today. A novel is a long haul. Making it more fun makes it more likely you’ll actually get it done.

Play hopscotch! Rather than committing your focus to a single writing project, have two or three on the go. When you feel stuck with one, move to a different piece. Hopping from a stalled project to a fresher one is sure to reinvigorate your writing process.

I hope you (and Yolanda!) try unlocking your next bout of writer’s block with some of these strategies. While a little angst can make for interesting writing, I’ve found it’s best to keep most of the drama (not to mention the swords!) on the page, not hanging over our heads and  inducing nightmares.

Would you like some more writer’s (un)blocking strategies from a top writing coach?

As a professional writing coach, I’ve boosted writers at all levels of experience out of their  writing block slump. Maybe I can help you!unlock-writer's-block-with-Jamie-Morris-writing-coach Schedule your free consultation.and check out Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

Thanks to U.S. Games Systems, Inc. for kind permission to use the image of the Nine of Swords from the RIDER-WAITE (SMITH) TAROT.

Two of Coins, Your Book Coach

When Ella called, upset that daily life was eating up her writing time, I knew just where to look for advice. Woman juggling two coins as book coach for balance“If tarot’s Two of Coins were your book coach,” I said, “she’d show you just how to keep all your priorities in play.”

The Two of Coins (aka the Two of Pentacles) has made multitasking a fine art! She juggles resources, makes time for multiple projects, and just generally finds balance amid her myriad obligations. Bottom line? There are only so many hours in the day, and it’s up to her to make the most of each.

So much to do!

As a book writer, Ella, like so many of us, struggles to make her time s-t-r-e-t-c-h. She’d like to work on her novel, sure. But she’d also like to help her daughter with her science homework, take the dog for a run, cook something nutritious for dinner, clean the bathroom—and finish the dratted report her boss tossed on her desk at the last minute!

Can she—or you, or me!—get it all done? Maybe? On a good day, perhaps. But the truth is that for many of us, a busy day shoves our writing to the curb.

Book coaching for busy folks

Out of necessity—life!!—the Two of Coins has developed five writing coaching strategies for herself. She uses them to keep her life in balance and get her novel done! These strategies can help you keep your book project alive and spinning with all the other plates you’ve got in the air.

That’s why, if you find yourself in a similar pinch as Ella, I recommend hiring the Two of Coins as your book coach!

Strategies for book writers

1) First things first: When the Two of Coins gets up each morning, the first thing she does  is grab her tablet and jam out 250 words on her novel. These are not (necessarily) good words. She might try out a bit of dialogue or describe a scene. But good or not, these words set her brain to thinking about her novel for the rest of the day!

2) Catch as catch can: My admirable client Jessica works on her novel in the pick-up line at her kids’ school. A couple of times a week, she grabs a half hour when all four kids are doing homework to add another scene or two. Be like Jessica. She makes steady progress in the spaces in-between.

3) Make a date: Find a critique partner whose life is as busy as yours. Meet monthly to exchange pages—and complain about how little time you have to write! This strategy, based on accountability and camaraderie, will give you both someone who cares that you are writing and who sympathizes with how hard you worked to get that writing done.

4) Buy or barter time: If you have kids—or an aged parent, or dogs, or a yard that needs mowing—could you hire a neighbor to help? Or exchange your skills for their time? If some neighborly support buys you even an hour or two a week for writing, you are the big winner.

5) Keep a book diary: End your day by jotting down notes about your book. Maybe you had a thought about plot or structure during your busy day. Or maybe your morning writing gave you a jumping-off place for tomorrow. Spend ten minutes before lights out noting your progress—and where you want to go next.

The Two of Coins, your book coach, gives you a high five—and says, “Keep going!”

Once you get the hang of prioritizing your book, you’ll discover your own strategies to help you get ‘er done. Keeping in mind that the best lives are full to the brim with family, friends, and good creative work, we can always rely on the Two of Coins’ book coaching to show us how to get it all done.

Would you like some insight from a top book coach?

As a professional book coach, I’ve helped many writers create a workable life/writing balance. Maybe I can help you!Jamie Morris Writing Coach Schedule your free consultation.and take a peek  at the article Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

The beautiful image of the Two of Pentacles comes from THE MODERN WITCH TAROT DECK, published by Sterling Ethos.

King of Cups, Your Writing Coach

If Tarot’s King of Cups were your writing coach, he’d teach you to calm the troubled waters of your writing life. He rules a kingdom that is entirely fluid and in motion—and he’s had to learn how to maneuver in its emotional depths. It took him some time, but the King of Cups has matured into a person who can acknowledge his feelings without being overbalanced by them. And this is his gift to you.

King of Cups, your writing coachYou see, it’s his kingdom—of water and creativity and the unconscious—from which our dreams and our writing emerge. But when we enter his world, we must be prepared. Our writing can take us far from known shores. It can bring us into waters so deep we get the bends. But, whether we are writing memoir or fiction, those depths are where we are most likely to find pearls of great worth.

Writing coaching advice from the King of Cups: “B” is for “ballast”

So how do we make the best use of the King of Cups’ advice? Take on ballast! “Ballast” is defined as something that gives stability—certainly helpful when we’re about to tug on our scuba gear and slip backwards into the wild waters of our creativity.

One way to stabilize ourselves is to take on a daily writing practice. Our writing practice might look like Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages or Natalie Goldberg’s writing practice. We might use a journaling app or keep a quiet blog. However we choose to do it, writing daily can keep our ship steady as we navigate difficult shipping lanes.

The King of Cups might also suggest we have regular conversations on dry land. We can meet with other writers, sharing advice as well as telling harrowing tales of the tsunamis we’ve survived! We might also seek out a counselor or a 12-step or other supportive group. Sharing our experiences with others can help us find balance while we’re deeply engaged creating an imagined or remembered life on the page.

From his sea-tossed throne, our writing coach the King of Cups reminds us that the more we commit to our literary work, the more likely we are to be pitched about by internal squalls. He’d like us to prepare for those squalls—by having plenty of ballast at hand.

Would you like to discuss your writing process with a top writing coach?

I’ve worked with many deep-diving writers. I’d love to hear about your work and see if I can help. Jamie Morris Writing CoachI invite you to schedule a free consultation. You might also read Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

Thanks to U.S. Games Systems, Inc. for kind permission to use the image of the King of Cups from the DREAMING WAY TAROT.

Tarot Writing Coach: Four of Coins

Tarot writing coach? What?! Why?! Although I’m a professional writing coach, I still need the occasional new insight—for myself and my clients. I’ve found tarot’s 78 intriguing images can definitely inspire us! When writers need an out-of-the-box solution, tarot can act as a writing coach and help them find fresh ideas.

Tarot writing coach to the rescue!

For instance, when my memoir writing client Jeanine wondered why she wasn’t getting more traffic on her blog—which houses lovely vignettes from her life—we consulted the cards to see if they might offer an angle we hadn’t considered.

Although Jeanine was in the early stages of her book-writing process, she knew she intended to publish her memoir. So, building a base of engaged readers was important for her. That was why she’d started her blog. But it wasn’t garnering the interest she’d hoped it would.

Looking for further ideas, we drew the Four of Coins from the Anna.K Tarot. A person sneaks a gold coin to show tarot as a writing coachThis card reframed Jeanine’s issue perfectly! Using the image as a metaphor for Jeanine’s situation, we saw that she has the literary goods (the coins), but doesn’t want to share them!

Although she is posting on her blog, she’s reluctant to publish her work on any other social media platforms. Like the figure in this card, it’s almost as if Jeanine is trying to hide the gold of her writing from others’ eyes.

A writing coach’s solution

Once we saw Jeanine’s dearth of blog visitors from tarot’s point of view, we realized the issue could be resolved by her sharing her beautiful work more widely. For advice on how Jeanine might do so, I turned to author and artist Austin Kleon. In his book SHOW YOUR WORK! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered, Kleon shares a bevy of options—beyond the blog—for an aspiring memoir writer to choose from.

(If you, like Jeanine, are ready to try some low-risk strategies for sharing your writing, I’ve written an article that discusses Kleon’s ideas and includes several of my own. Take a glance at Publish Your Writing Now: Whisper, Shout, Hit Send!”)

What else could the Four of Coins have to say?

If the Four of Coins were your writing coach, it might suggest you share your resources with other writers. For example, you could host a monthly critique group for writers who need support. Maybe you could review a friend’s manuscript and give her feedback. Or what if you read parts of your work-in-progress at a nursing home or senior center?

This card’s bottom line? Share the gold of your writing and your experience. It will benefit both you and those in your writing world.

Would you like to discuss ways to get your writing out into the world with a top writing coach?

I’d love the chance to hear about your story and offer you some support from my many years of experience helping writers become authors. If you’d like to chat with me, Jamie Morris Writing Coachschedule a free consultation. Also, check out this article: Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

 

Thanks to Llewellyn Worldwide for kind permission to share this image from the Anna.K Tarot.

Tarot and Writing: Meet the Two of Cups, Your Writing Coach

Tarot and writing seem a match made by the very best of old-school matchmakers! The 78 images that make up a tarot deck can inspire writers in many ways. As a writer myself, as well as in my role as a writing coach, I’ve found looking at the cards can spark our creative writing, suggest a solution to a specific literary problem, or even propose a way out of a writing slump.

No matter what issue we’re addressing, it can be fun to draw a tarot card and see what it has to offer about our current writing journey. In this case, I drew the Two of Cups. Here’s what this smart card had to say.

Tarot and writing: the Two of Cups on your writing process

If the Two of Cups were your writing coach, two of cups and your writing processshe’d ask you to be loving with yourself and committed to your writing project. In this card, we see a union occurring, two people are joining their intentions for a higher purpose. Often read as the card of new love (or even infatuation), we can also understand this as a contract being pledged.

What if that contract is between you and your writing? What promises are you giving? And what do you expect in return? I’ve read that a relationship isn’t really a 50-50 proposition, but a 100-100 one. If our relationship is with our writing, then it follows that we need show up fully (hello, butt in chair!), even when our writing is slow to respond.

Also, as in all partnerships, patience is a thing. Consider Corinthians 13:4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

If the Two of Cups were your writing coach, she might ask how you can apply these principles to yourself and the writing you love.

Want to talk about your writing with a top book writing coach?

I’d love to learn about your relationship to your writing project. As a professional writing coach, Jamie Morris Writing CoachI might have some helpful insights to share. Please click to schedule your free consultation. You might also take a look at the article Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

Thanks to U.S. Games Systems, Inc. for kind permission to use the image of the Two of Cups from the RIDER-WAITE (SMITH) TAROT.

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Writing a Novel Fast(er): 10 Tips!

10 Tips for Writing a Novel Fast(er)

Writing a novel is a long game, no doubt about it. But I’ve Jamie Morris Writing Coachhelped many writers get to THE END, and I know there are ways to shorten the curve. I’ve listed my favorite get-your-novel-written approaches below. From first concept to first draft, these tips will help writers get their novels onto the page.

1) Think “draft,” not “polished manuscript.” We read other authors’ published novels and see that they proceed from cleanly edited start to well-honed end. So it’s natural to imagine our book-writing process should follow suit. We decide to create a polished novel—complete with sharp prose, fully developed characters, and beautiful images—as we go.

But it’s actually much more effective—and ultimately less time-consuming—to write our novels as a series of two or three drafts. On the first pass of your story, I suggest you start rough and continue that way to the end. From this, you’ll learn a lot about what needs to be added or deleted in your second draft. Next, revise to fulfill what’s missing from your vision of the book. And save the polishing for your final version.

2) Save editing for later—after your draft is done. This tip will help you accomplish the initial rough-and-ready first draft process, mentioned above. Rather than stopping to tweak grammar or manage a particular sentence or wrangle a bit of dialogue, keep the words flowing! It’s important to get your story DOWN, and broad strokes will help you do that. You don’t want to risk losing your story-telling traction for an errant period or awkward bit of description. You can always come back and fine-tune later.

3) Make margin notes while you’re writing your novel. Rather than editing as you go, add margin notes to your document. When you revise, these will act as a sort of breadcrumb trail to remind you what you thought might improve a scene, character, or plot thread. And it’s far quicker—and less of an interruption to your creative mojo—to make a general note to consider later than it is to halt your momentum to wrangle a specific passage.

4) 1000 words a day will get you there—fast! Does 1000 words seem like a lot? Too much?! (Especially when tip #8 says limit writing time to an hour a day?!!) What if I remind you that 1000 words is actually only four lit-industry standard pages? Does that make it seem more doable?

If you’re willing to take the challenge, 1000 words a day (even with weekends off), will net you a complete draft fast! Depending on the length of your manuscript (between, say, 70K-120K words), you could be ready to revise in two to three months. Yay, for you!

5) Create a road map for your novel (aka, an outline). Know where you’re taking your characters before you pack their bags and hit the draft-writing road. Even just clarifying the major plot points you want to hit will help. However, the deeper and more detailed your outline, the more quickly and effectively you’ll be able to complete your initial draft.

Some writers fear that mapping out any sort of outline will make their story feel contrived. My work with novelists has shown otherwise. Honestly, the outlining process can be just as creative and deep as any other aspect of writing your novel.

Plotting your novel with the plot clock book

5a) “I’m a pantser,” you say? Okay! Go ahead and pants your way through your first draft. Before you revise, though, analyze the main points of your characters’ journey. If your story feels either too flat and uneventful or too busy and chaotic, outline what you have. That outline should help you see how to reorganize your next draft for better flow, or more suspense, or stronger character arcs.

My book, PLOTTING YOUR NOVEL WITH THE PLOT CLOCK, is a quick read and explains a basic approach to outlining your novel.

6) Hop around! As you write your draft(s), you don’t have to proceed from start to finish. Instead, take the advice “Pick Only Ripe Apples,” from the book LIFE, PAINT, and PASSION, by Michele Cassou and Stewart Cubley:

To keep your process flowing, to feel the enjoyment of creation, you first need to go where it is easy. Easy means ripe. Go where you are attracted, be it toward a detail or large shape. While you work on the part that is easy, other parts will mature in you, and they will be ready and waiting. You move step by step, from the easiest to the easiest. It is never tedious or tiring because there is no need to force anything. Depth resides more in surrendering to spontaneity than in hardworking struggle.

Apply this advice to writing your novel. When you sit down to your computer, consider which scene might be the most interesting to write. Follow your instincts. No need to pick up where you left off, if that’s not what’s most appealing at the moment. And if you’ve created an outline, you’ll never get lost in the dark woods of your story!

7) Limit yourself to a single point of view. Sure, there are times when one point of view (POV) won’t get the job done. But a single POV story can be quite compelling—and surprisingly complex. Many of literary mystery-writing phenom Tana French’s best-selling novels are written from a single point of view—IN THE WOODS, for example, and BROKEN HARBOUR. These are psychologically rich books which have won critical and popular acclaim.

And, notably, for the purposes of this article, a story told through a single point of view has less work to do. In contrast, it simply takes more time to both organize multiple POV characters and make sure to create an for each one. Want to fast-track your novel? Try focusing on a single POV character.

8) Keep your writing sessions to one hour. I know, I know! It can be a huge accomplishment to carve out the time to write and put your butt in the chair to get it done. And I’m suggesting you stop after just sixty measly minutes?

Yup. I am. During a painting workshop, the instructor, well-regarded artist Nicholas Wilton, suggested we limit our painting sessions to an hour. In his experience, he said, that’s when we’re most creatively effective. And after experimenting, I found this to be true. As I enter the second hour of painting or writing, I tend to get circular in my thinking and tight in my expression—neither of which is conducive to making fresh and exciting work.

While your mileage may vary, give Nick’s idea a try. At the very least, a ten-minute break every hour may revitalize you and your writing.

9) Take a walk every day. Many writers and creativity coaches swear by their daily walks. Julia Cameron, author of THE ARTIST’S WAY, makes a thirty-minute daily walk a staple for folks wanting to maximize their creativity.

Why? Walking gives us an oxygen boost. Also, if we take our walk off the treadmill and out into a park or neighborhood, we’ll see interesting sights—simply a small change of scenery can enliven our brains. Finally, oddly-but-reliably, taking a walk can help us solve a story problem. Often, I’ve set out for a stroll feeling stymied by a stuck place in my writing, only to return with the solution in hand. I have no idea how it happens. I just know that when I have a problem—literary or otherwise—walking smooths it out in almost miraculous ways.

10) Commit to writing a novel in November. Why, November? Because, NaNoWriMo! “NaNoWriMo,” short for National Novel Writing Month, is a month-long, nationwide novel-writing fest that takes place every November! Participation is free—and the buzz you’ll get from knowing you are part of a coast-to-coast cadre of novel writers can fuel your writing with more juice than anything from the menu at Starbucks. (Though, coffee. Yes.)

For more ideas, check out these two articles: “How to Write a Novel” and “Plotting Your Novel: 5 Fabulous Tips.”

Would you like to discuss your book with a top writing coach?

I’m available to be your professional writing coach. Schedule your free consultation and check out Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

How a Book Writing Coach Critiques Your Book

Jamie Morris Writing CoachWhether your book writing coach calls it a “critique,” a “review,” or an “evaluation,” they mean the same thing. Your coach will read your work and give you their professional feedback on essential elements of your manuscript.

But wait! Does that sound scary?

For many writers, the idea of a critique—no matter what term we use to describe it—can be anxiety-producing. If you’re worried about sharing your work with a professional writing coach, here’s something to keep in mind. Your coach is not assessing your work to judge you, but to help you achieve your writing goals! As part of your book-writing team, your writing coach has only one objective—to support you.

To support you effectively, when you hire a book coach, the first thing they’ll want to do is evaluate your book-in-progress. It doesn’t matter how far along your book may be. You might only have an idea for a book. If so, that’s fine! In that case, your book coach will work with you to develop an outline or a synopsis from that initial concept. Whatever you have in hand—an idea, an outline, a partial draft, or just a few chapters—your new coach will want to get a feel for where you are in your book-writing process.

This initial critique will allow them to give you feedback on what’s working and what needs further thought. And it’s a great way to get the writing-coaching ball rolling in the right direction.

What your book writing coach looks for …

Writing a novel?

Specifically, if you’re writing a novel, your novel writing coach will probably ask you for a synopsis, a character list, a rough plot outline, and a sample chapter or two. From these materials, your coach will be able to review your story for significant story elements. They will want to know, is your pacing tight and suspenseful? Do your characters’ voices support the general tone of your story? Is your main character facing enough of a challenge to create their all-important internal arc?

You and your coach will discuss these and other aspects of your novel-writing craft after their review of your materials. From there, you’ll create a road map of the path you’ll take as you complete your novel.

Writing a memoir?

While writing a memoir is surprisingly similar to writing a novel in some respects, your memoir coach will first want to consider the scope of your story and its focus.

Memoir vs. autobiography: You see, a memoir differs from an autobiography in two ways. An autobiography considers the entirety of a person’s life—from birth up to time of writing. It will be written chronologically, start to finish, and may well include quite a bit of information about the writer’s parents and other family members.

A memoir, on the other hand, considers either a limited period in a writer’s life or focuses on a single aspect of their life over a longer period of time. Because of these limits, a memoir might be effectively written in any one of a number of non-chronological ways.

Therefore, when they are assessing your memoir concept, your writing coach will want to know the timeline you’ve planned to develop: For instance, where does your story start and stop? Does it cover just your high school years? Your first ten years of sobriety? Or the six months you were in rehab after your accident?

They’ll also be interested in understanding how you are “framing” your memoir. For example, are you focusing your story on a specific event—like the summer you were a ball girl for your local AA baseball team? Or are you writing about a trait from childhood that you overcame in adulthood—like a debilitating fear of dogs?! Your memoir’s scope and focus will determine the outline, so that’s where your coach will start their critique.

Writing a nonfiction book?

If you’re writing a nonfiction book—especially an instructional book, like a self-help or how-to title—a chapter by chapter outline is the most efficient way to convey the organization of your ideas to your nonfiction book coach. This outline will guide you in your drafting process—and it can also form the basis of a nonfiction book proposal, if you choose to create one.

Add in a sample chapter or two, and your nonfiction writing coach will be able to “hear” how you’re addressing your audience. From there, you and your coach are well on your way to tweaking what needs to be tweaked and getting a good, solid draft—or book proposal—done.

Accountability partner + cheerleader!

In addition to reading and responding to your writing, your coach will act as your accountability partner, creating a regular meeting schedule and offering assignments to keep your book moving forward. Your writing coach will also cheer you up when you feel discouraged and cheer you on as you make strides towards completing the very best book you can write!

If you need support in finding a book coach, check out this article on how to find a writing coach. Also, check out Should I Hire a Writing Coachin THE WRITER magazine. If you are considering hiring a book coach, I’d love to invite you to schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Let’s see how I can help!

5 Tips to Get the Best From Your Book Coach

Jamie Morris Writing CoachA book coach can help you transform your dream of writing a book into a hardcover (or paperback) reality! As a professional writing coach, your book coach knows a lot about how to write a book, for sure. For instance, if you’re writing a novel, she can show you how to fix your plot problems. If you’re writing a nonfiction book, she can explain the best way to organize your ideas. And if you’re just getting started? Your coach can even suggest ways to carve out the time you’ll need to write your book.

But no matter how skillful your book coach might be, it’s your input that will really make your writing coaching relationship bear fruit—and by “fruit,” I mean a completed book! Here are five of my best tips to help you make the most of your book coach’s expertise.

Tip #1: Name your goals. When you first hire your book coach, let her know your goals for your book. For instance, do you want to write a memoir and self-publish it to share with family and friends? Or are you writing a nonfiction book to establish your expertise in your field? Or maybe you’re writing a novel that you hope to have published traditionally.

Depending on your book’s genre, and your ultimate goal for it, it might take anywhere from three months to three years to finish your book! For example, writing a novel or a memoir typically takes more time than a self-help book or a personal essay collection. And self-publishing is a much quicker route to seeing your book in print than querying agents and getting a traditional publishing deal.

Once you help her understand just what you want to accomplish, your coach can tell you about how long it will take to complete your book. With that time frame in mind, you and your book coach can schedule regular progress check-ins to keep your book on track.

Tip #2: Take the time you need. Sure, you want to get your book finished as quickly as you can. That’s a given. But you also want to enjoy writing your book as much as possible—and create your best work in the process! To do so, allow yourself the time you need between writing coaching sessions. Don’t rush to meet your writing coach’s expectations. Just explain your other obligations to your book coach—then organize your coaching schedule so it supports your day-to-day life as well as your writing life.

Tip #3: Ask all your questions. Before each meeting with your book coach, prepare a bullet list of your current questions and concerns. One week, you might be wondering about the big, BIG picture: “Is my book really worth writing?” Another week, you may be worried that the plot of your novel isn’t dynamic enough or that you’re taking too long to get to the important elements of your memoir. Whether you want to discuss your book’s next steps—publishing, copyediting, or getting fresh eyes on your writing—or hear what your coach thinks about your current rate of progress, ask her!

Writing can be a lonely business. And, especially for a first-time book writer, the process can seem tedious or baffling or even terrifying! With seemingly infinite choices to make at every turn, it’s natural to wonder whether you’re taking one step forward or three steps back.

Trust that your coach will be truly interested in your questions. At each meeting, she’ll want to hear exactly what’s helping you feel confident, as well as where you’re getting stuck. You’ll be surprised at the helpful strategies she’ll have up her sleeve. As a professional writing coach, she’s gotten hundreds of writers through the tough stuff and back on track. And you, my writerly friend, will benefit from all her experience. If you just remember to ask.

Tip #4: Know that resources abound. No matter the genre of your book or where you are in your book-writing process, there are heaps and heaps of golden resources available to you. From books on plot to YouTube channels dedicated to explaining how to get an agent, you can find information to complement or even enhance all that you’re learning from your book coach. But you don’t have to dig blindly through Amazon’s lists to find the good stuff. Oh, no! Your writing coach has a list of relevant resources—book titles, bloggers, classes, podcasts—at her fingertips, and she will be delighted to share them all with you. Because the more you know, the more you know. Right?

Tip #5: Be an advocate for your ideas. Your book coach is awesome—I know she is! But sometimes she may miss the mark. She may question what you feel is a foundationally important idea about your book, leaving you to feel that you have an adversary, not an advocate. If this happens, though, stand up for your idea! Explain to your writing coach why the concept is important and ask her to help you figure out how to include it in a way that enhances your book, rather than undermines it.

For instance, writer Peg Love had an unconventional approach to joining two genres: Women’s Fiction and Thriller. Before she came to me, she had worked with four developmental editors on her novel. Each one of them was concerned about the same thing: whether the two aspects of her story could combine to make a seamless whole.

I also wondered how Peg could bring her characters’ vastly different experiences together in a way that a reader would find both believable and enjoyable. Peg and I really liked working together, but I continued to feel uneasy about having two genres in one book. After much discussion—and with Peg sticking firmly to her position—we found ways to integrate the two story lines and make them work. Woo-hoo!!

In a blog post about writing coaching, Peg referred to our experience this way:

Through my many [editorial and coaching] sessions I’ve found these attributes to be what makes, for me, a great writing coach: She’s an advocate—a champion of the work and an ally to my goals. When she pushes back on an idea, but changes her opinion after being led through my thought process, I know I have an advocate. She has the breadth of a developmental editor and the depth of an investigator, willingly jumping in to help me untangle weak points and suggest strong threads to braid into the story.

My work with Peg made me a better coach. And I hope sharing her story—and all my other tips—will help you in your relationship with your coach. As I read back through what I’ve shared here, I see a common theme: While your writing coach is a professional with wide knowledge of the literary industry, she’s not the author of your book—or the authority of your experience with her. So, take a page from Peg’s (metaphorical} book. Throughout your book-writing journey, keep the reins firmly in your own hands. Own your process, ask questions, state preferences, and stand strong for the book you want to write. Your coach—and your future book—will thank you for it.

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching! And check out Should I Hire a Writing Coach” in THE WRITER magazine.

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