Heather Conn

One of the writers I coached, Micheal Oswald, gives a public reading in November 2012 of his first book I Am a Man Who Cries.

How do I differ from other writing coaches?

I inspire students to write from their deepest self, not just to arrange and rearrange words. Besides sharing skills and training in creative nonfiction, I offer expertise in diverse fields and genres — not just one specialty area.

I helped Vancouver stuntwoman Lani Gelera get started on her autobiography.

What does a writing coach do anyway?

In addition to my group classes, I offer more intensive, tailored coaching to individual writers. This one-on-one work can include any or all of the following services:

• helping a writer get unstuck
• providing questions and suggestions that give a writer new clarity and focus on a writing project
• designing writing assignments that respond to the specific needs of a particular writer
• offering valuable feedback that shapes or redirects a manuscript or story
• editing existing content
• brainstorming and identifying key ideas, themes, etc
• recommending specific readings and/or providing a bibliography
• giving much-needed inspiration, emotional suppport, and encouragement
• sharing general writing tips and do’s and dont’s.

Micheal Oswald  won a 2010 Writers Award and trophy from the Special Olympics on the Sunshine Coast. For more details, see my archived blog post.

Who are my writing clients?

I have helped beginner and experienced writers in fiction, nonfiction, academia, theatre, and screenwriting. As a few examples, thanks to my involvement, clients have

• successfully rewritten, redirected, and expanded a short story to make it publishable
• found the direction, premise and key points of a chapter written for an academic anthology, after considerable frustration and sense of being overwhelmed by too much content
• condensed a humorous personal essay to make it more readable and entertaining
• found new structures for making a personal essay more compelling and truer to the writer’s intentions

With book-writing client Glo McArter

At what stage of the writing process does a person need a writing coach?

I have become involved at every stage of a writing project:

• Beginning: Someone has an idea for a book or story or blog but isn’t sure how to proceed
• Middle: Someone has written a lot of content but feels bogged down, wants to shift focus, doesn’t know how to add new material to what’s there
• End: A book manuscript is complete, but needs review and editing. The writer wants feedback about content, how to get it published or republished, adapt it to the web etc.

How does the writing coaching process work?

After an initial consultation and discussion, I lay out a suggested approach. I adapt to whatever works best for each client; we can have as much contact as the client desires. I generally communicate by phone and email, and if desired, a personal meeting is arranged.

FREE 15-MINUTE CONSULTATION AVAILABLE BY PHONE OR EMAIL