Writer Coaching

Ongoing, one-on-one support for fiction writers.
Coaching offers personalized writer support and one-on-one instruction. We can focus on aspects of the drafting or revision process, creative practice and goals, craft issues, or all of those at different times. This is a space we shape together, where you can access the accountability, tools, strategies, information, new perspectives, deep listening, and/or challenges that you and your work need to keep going and keep growing.
This coaching experience made me actually want to write again and showed me how to move forward. Eliot is understanding and compassionate, and though I'm a disorganised mess with a schedule made of chaos, they never made me feel like I couldn't do this. Their coaching made me feel a lot more patience and kindness towards myself and brought joy and excitement back into the process.
--Lawrie Groening, Writer and Editor

areas of support

I offer coaching focused on these (often overlapping) needs:
Goals and Progress
The Accountability Buddy
How can you make progress with your writing in a way that works for you? This approach is for people working on a novel or other specific project. We can dive into your current writing practice and beliefs about writing, experiment with new options, figure out what kinds of goals or routines help you maintain a sustainable and joyful creative practice, celebrate your accomplishments (yes, even the little ones!), and think through what's next on a granular level.
Writing Support for the Overwhelmed and Overextended
Keep the Flame Alive
What might it be like to have a reliable, safe, interpersonal space where your creative, writing self is the main event? This approach is for parents, caregivers, people dealing with chronic health issues, people whose lives feel eaten up by gender transition or other queer-in-a-hostile-world experiences, people navigating through grief, teachers, and anybody else who needs to reconnect with their voice or creative spark—to write with support but without pressure. You’re still in there, friend!
Craft Skills
Guitar Lessons but It’s Writing
Would you like to write more and explore your creativity? Or maybe you feel stuck and want to level up your skills and knowledge—or you're working on a novel or other specific project and want targeted guidance. In any of those cases, let's work on writing craft and practice together! If you’re an absolute beginner wanting to try out fiction-writing the way I might take a ceramics class or voice lessons, we’ll have fun with the nuts and bolts of storytelling: I've got loads to share. If you’re an experienced writer interested in craft deep dives—or in trying your hand at romance—we’ll start right where you are and go from there!
Planning and Early Drafting
Let’s Get This Party Started
Looking for help getting started writing your novel? This approach is for people at the idea-generation, planning, or staring-at-a-blank-page stages, or who are stalled out or going verrry slooowly in early drafting.
Revision Process
The Revision Strategist—and Cheerleader, Too
Do you want support with revision planning and forward motion during the revision process? This approach is for people who've completed a manuscript and are struggling to revise, who are overwhelmed or confused by feedback, or who are otherwise in need of a knowledgeable and encouraging guide for this next part of the journey.

quick links

policies and what to expect

  • Getting to know each other: Unless we already know each other, we’ll start with a free 20-minute exploratory call to figure out whether I’m the right support person for you. If not, I can direct you toward ways to find somebody else (or possibly even refer you to one of my amazing colleagues)! This will happen via Zoom unless we agree to some alternative.
  • Putting it in writing: If we both feel good about this, we’ll sign a contract. I’ll also ask you for a bunch of information about your writing life and coaching needs/dreams.
  • Our first session together will focus on goal-setting. The idea is to work out where you are, what you’re trying to do, and what will help you do it! Every session will end with some version of goal-setting or vision of concrete next steps.
  • Minimum initial payment: When we start working together, your first payment will be $300 (or more, if the first 4 weeks of services exceed that amount). That amount applies to coaching services we contract for in the coming month(s) until it is used up. You don’t have to decide exactly what those services will be ahead of time.
    • After that, current clients (people who’ve have had coaching or editorial services with me within the past 3 months) can simply pay for the 4 weeks to come.
    • Please note that, although clients are welcome to take time off coaching for independent work applying what we’ve discussed and/or to reduce cost over time, the $300 initial payment must be used within 6 months. The payment will not be refunded, except in the unlikely event that I cannot continue providing coaching services (in which case I will refund the unused amount).
    • If you want to work together and can commit to an ongoing coaching process, but you cannot pay $300 in one go due to financial constraints, let’s talk about it. (I have certainly been there!)
  • Services do not “roll over” from month to month. These coaching services are arranged in 4-week packages; use all the components during those 4 weeks. If life explodes on you, be in touch. (The $300 initial payment does roll over until used up. Further explanation, including an example of how this works, can be found in the Coaching PDF.)
  • Email communication: Clients are always welcome to email me (as an accountability measure for you or to let me know what’s up), but we’ll generally discuss any issues beyond scheduling concerns during our coaching sessions.
  • Cancellation: If you need to cancel a scheduled session, please let me know via email at least 48 hours in advance—longer if at all possible—so that we can reschedule. If an emergency happens, tell me as soon as possible and we’ll work together to figure something out.
  • Missed sessions: If for whatever reason you do not show up at a scheduled session, I will spend that time working on an email to you based on your pre-session form (if available) and everything else I know about you and your work. The session will not be rescheduled or refunded.
  • Internet failure: If our session is interrupted by tech issues, and we are able to reconnect within 5 minutes, we’ll extend the session to make up for the hiccup. If we can’t reconnect in that time, we can either reschedule the remaining session time or finish up via email.