Put Me In Coach, I'm Ready to Write

Are you putting something off, spinning your wheels, doubting your ability to finish, struggling to find momentum, or needing to trust yourself again? 

It might be time to call in a writing coach. 

What Does a Writing Coach Do?

Perhaps you're looking not just for an editor to refine the words on the page, but for someone to help you stay accountable during the project, develop a manageable writing plan, bounce ideas off of, or provide strategies to overcome roadblocks. Or maybe you need a mix of both. See the diagram below for more info on the differences between copyediting, proofreading, developmental editing, and coaching. 

What Stops Us From Asking for Help?

I know because I've lived this experience of resisting help - in most aspects of life, not just writing. Maybe it's the Midwesterner in me. But I think I was caught up in the idea of what getting help would mean about me as a writer: that I wasn't good enough, that I couldn't hack it with my writing chops alone, or that I couldn't afford it - in money or time. I wish I hadn't listened to that voice. In fact, what I've come to realize is that coaching is something successful writers use, rather than something people turn to only when they're struggling. 

This is something I was trying to convey in my recent piece in Times Higher Education: were academic writing less cloistered and coveted, we would all be healthier, less prone to writing dysfunction. I even think this could be an antidote to AI-dependence; if students see faculty writing in action, they might see the slow, iterative process we try to teach them, but rarely model ourselves. 

Many accomplished scholars, authors, and nonprofit leaders seek out coaches and consultants because they value having a thinking partner who helps them maintain momentum, sharpen ideas, and finish ambitious projects.

​If this resonates, or you know someone who might benefit from this kind of support, feel free to reply to this email or share my info: abwritingconsulting@gmail.com; https://abwritingconsulting.com

Writing Tip:

Don't finish a writing session without leaving a note to yourself about where you're going next. Leave yourself a trail of breadcrumbs.

It's so simple, but game-changing. If you're like me, you return to your writing after an interruption and you re-read in order to reintegrate yourself into the material. But this can really derail your progress if you see something you want to fix or start to question what's on the page. That re-evaluation can wait, but a note about how to proceed - how to propel forward - can really save you from going backwards.