What Does a Book Writing Coach Do?
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Curious about the question: what does a writing coach do? Then stick around because you’re in the right place.
Here’s a confession: until I became one, I didn’t know what a book writing coach does.
I had even hired one by that point. But because she didn’t refer to herself that way, I didn't know that “coaching” was what she was doing.
That was a while back, and the term “book writing coach” (or “book coach”) has become more commonly used these days. Still, I thought it would be helpful for me to share a little about what I think book coaching is, and, more specifically, the difference between coaching and teaching.
A book writing coach helps you finish your book
Coaching is all about the goals—we have concrete goals that set from the get-go.
And the primary one is to finish your book.
In other words, the work isn't done until your book is done.
When I coach people, they finish their books.
If they didn’t, it would be...weird. We would not consider that a successful relationship. It would be like going to a dentist and not getting a cleaning, or signing up to train for a marathon then never running it.
But this makes book coaching different from every writing class I’ve ever taken.
Even in the classes explicitly on novel- or memoir- writing, the goal never seemed to be to finish a draft. (It followed that no one in these classes ever seemed to finish a draft. It wasn’t expected of us; it wasn’t part of the promise.)
Coaching is different—the goal is to finish the draft.
While that is the goal, however, that's not the only goal. There are 3 other goals in coaching: to write well, to refine your process, and to improve as a writer. Before I talk about each of these, let’s nail down what coaching actually looks like.
What does book coaching look like?
What happens in a coaching relationship? Is it over the phone? Is it by email? Do you meet on a track field?
Coaching typically involves regular meetings, either one-on-one or in a small group.
Personally, I love group coaching, which is why I offer it as part of my course The 12-Week Book Draft.
I’m a fan of group coaching for several reasons.
Since we meet every week as a small group, you can learn from other writers, as well as help and support each other outside of meeting time.
Plus, you can do so without losing the intimacy of working closely with a coach (me) and asking all of the same questions that you would in a one-on-one relationship.
Third, because it’s a small group, it’s much more affordable at around 20% the cost of one-on-one work.
Now back to goals. We’ve established that the primary goal is to finish your book, but there are other goals as well.
A book writing coach helps you write a good draft
You don’t just want to write a draft—you want to write a good draft.
A good book coach is also a teacher, working on craft with you, and teaching you how to write better.
What do I mean by craft?
Here are some examples of craft questions that have come up in my group coaching calls:
→ How do we get rid of the saggy middle?
→ How do I work more tension into scenes?
→ How can this beginning be stronger?
→ How should I think about chapters?
→ How do I weave in backstory?
→ How do I balance multiple points of view?
→ How do I write an effective character description?
I just picked a handful of questions that have come up, but these are all questions I would categorize as craft questions.
They're about how to make your book better.
A book writing coach helps you find the right process
But we also address process questions.
A good coach is going to help you troubleshoot the kinds of pitfalls that cause people to abandon their drafts because they can’t find a way to fit writing into their lives.
You have to find a process that works in the life you have, not the life you want.
If you have a family and a full-time job, you may not be able to write for 2 hours a day. Sorry. But that’s okay—you can find something that works for you.
Common process pitfalls that we commonly address are things like:
→ What if I have 4 unfinished drafts in a drawer and don’t know which to pick up?
→ How do I generate ideas when I’m uninspired?
→ How do I write consistently?
→ How do I fight self-doubt and impostor syndrome?
→ What if I only have lunch breaks to write?
→ I’m having an idea for a new project—when do I know if I should ditch the one I’m working on and start that one instead?
→ How do I know when my draft is finished?
Process questions are really important to tackle because these are the ones that derail projects.
They’re also the ones not commonly addressed in most traditional writing classes.
A book coach helps you become a better writer overall
The final goal is for you to become a better writer overall—not just making craft choices that are relevant to this particular book project, but learning craft skills that you’ll carry with you into all future projects.
There are certain skills that you just have to learn once, and once you learn them, you never forget them. For example, balancing dialogue, context, and backstory. You have to learn that once from me: I draw a triangle, and then you never forget it. Or choosing a point of view intentionally and using it effectively—you learn the ropes, then you know them.
These are the kinds of skills that, once learned, you don’t forget.
In sum, to answer the question what does a writing coach do…a book writing coach helps you finish while helping you improve, which is why you want to pick one carefully. If you have any questions about my course and coaching, hit me up—I’d be happy to answer them!