Do You Need A Writing Coach?

Well I don’t know if you need one or not, but I’d be lost without mine! It took me four months, endless hours of research, and a few bad experiences before I found the right one – the one that worked with my personality and style. I guess I’d better back up a bit and talk a little bit about what a writing coach is . . . and isn’t.

A writing coach can take your baby (that unpolished manuscript you’re so proud of but suddenly afraid to show to anyone) and look at it with a loving and yet objective eye. My coach took my first few chapters and told me what I had right, what needed work, and why – giving me examples so that I could see what she meant. Now a writing coach is not there to correct your typos (although she did point some of those out as well). Her job is to look for areas where I used passive words rather than action, look at plot flow, make sure I had made her not only understand my characters but care about what they were doing and why, and look for glaring inconsistencies (i.e. in one chapter your lead has flaming red hair and in another it’s strawberry-blonde).

So how do you choose a writing coach? Well I imagine it’s quite a bit like looking for an agent or a publishing house (although I haven’t done either of those yet). Here are some tips:

1. Look for experience: And then make sure that experience is legit. Doing a bit of research now can save you a lot of heartache (and money) in the future.

2. Look for someone in your genre: You don’t want to hire a coach who specializes in Mystery if you’re writing a Sci-Fi story.

3. Study price carefully: There shouldn’t be any hidden fees. They should be willing to do a small sample first to see if you two mesh together. In my case my coach did my Prologue and 1st Chapter.  I agreed with what she did and said and found and really liked the way she put it together and sent it back to me. This also gives you a chance to see how long they will take.

4. Do not feel locked in to your choice: You may find a writing coach with the right price, in the right genre, but not feel comfortable with them for whatever reason (i.e. personality).

5. The final decision is up to you: Your coach may suggest making some changes that you’re not comfortable with as far as character or plot. Just remember that the final decision is yours – this is your baby, your piece of work and if it’s something that you feel strongly about then stick to your guns.

I do strongly recommend having a writing coach if you are new to the whole writing process. Having someone (that is not a friend or family member) look at your work and tell you where it’s strong and where it’s weak (although painful) gives you confidence boost I cannot even begin to describe.

PJacks