Novel Coaching
Interested in coaching? Fill in this quick form to get in touch.
I work with novel writers to help them see their project through to “The End”.
Maybe:
- You’ve spent a lot of time outlining, developing characters, digging into ideas … but you’re struggling to get past Chapter 1 with the writing itself.
- You’ve stalled partway through your novel and you need help getting through the messy middle.
- You’ve got a full first draft, but now you face the daunting task of shaping and honing it into a polished manuscript.
Wherever you are right now, I’m here to help you move forward faster.
I won’t pick holes in your work or try to force you into some rigid writing process. Instead, I’m here to help you develop your own voice and process. I’ll offer supportive feedback, suggesting tweaks or improvements you might like to try … but YOU will always be the one in control.
Depending on what stage you’re at with your novel, we can dig into your ideas and outlining, take a look at how your characters are coming across, tackle any plot or pacing issues together, or go through anything else that would be helpful on the craft side of things.
I’m also here to support you with everything else that goes into completing a novel: things like setting aside enough time and having the confidence to keep writing.
How My Coaching Works
We can always adjust things to create a coaching package that works for you.
For instance, if you want to have weekly calls and detailed feedback on your writing, we can do that! But if you’d like to be in touch by email most of the time, with a call each month, that’s absolutely an option too.
My standard pricing options are:
- Weekly coaching calls, with feedback on your novel: $800/month (£600/month).
- Monthly coaching calls, with weekly in-depth email coaching for feedback: $550/month (£400/month).
- Weekly in-depth email coaching (no calls), with feedback on your novel: $400/month (£300/month).
With all of these options, you’d be able to send as much writing (or outlining, brainstorming, etc) as you wanted in advance of each weekly coaching call/email.
I’m also trialling a “mini” coaching offer, with a 25 minute call each month, plus weekly check-in emails with brief feedback on up to 1,000 words/week. This is just $200/month (£150/month) currently.
While it normally works best for your writing momentum for us to work together on a weekly basis, if you’d like less frequent coaching or one-off coaching, we can discuss that too.
How Do Coaching Calls Work?
If you’ve opted for coaching calls, you book each call at a time to suit you. If you want, you can have your weekly/monthly call at the same time each week/month.
Each standard call is scheduled for 45 minutes, and you can send as much of your novel as you want in advance.
For the call itself, we talk on Google Meet (you don’t need to install anything, just click on a link). Most people like to have their camera on so we can see one another, but if you’d prefer to have your camera off, that’s fine too. We’ll talk about how your writing is going and how you’re feeling about it, and I’ll take you through my thoughts about the piece of writing you’ve sent, as well as discussing the bigger picture of your project.
Towards the end of the call, we’ll come up with your next steps, so you can keep making great progress.
Interested? Get in Touch
I’d love to hear about your novel project and about how I might be able to help.
The first step is to fill in a short form with some details about the type of coaching you might like. Then, I’ll drop you an email and we can book a free, no-obligation 20-minute chat to talk through your project and figure out the best coaching package for you.
What to Expect (in Clients’ Own Words)
Here’s what a few clients have said about my coaching.
Emma (from Cosmos at Your Doorstep) says…
I had never completed a novel before. I’d written over 800,000 words of one over about a decade, starting from scratch 20 times over, but I had never crafted a satisfying plot arc and crossed the finish line.
Ali changed everything. She gave me feedback on each of my chapters as I wrote them, and she seemed truly engaged with my story and invested in my characters, always sharing her excitement to find out what happens next. She bolstered my confidence enough so that I could power through to the end, instead of doubting my writing so much that I would scrap my current draft and start from scratch. I once despaired that I would never complete that novel; thanks to her, I have.
For the first time in my life, I get to move on and enjoy the redrafting stage, polishing the story until it shines. And now, I’m not overwhelmed at the prospect of writing the next books in the series; I’m excited. I know that I can write a novel and my writing doesn’t suck. And I also know, thanks to Ali’s encouragement, that it’s okay for my first draft to be quite rough around the edges. Now I know how to accept that part of the process and finish future first drafts despite knowing they have flaws; I can wait until the end to redraft, because finishing the first draft is something that will actually happen.
When I publish my novel, Ali’s getting a prime spot in the acknowledgments—and I recommend her coaching 1000%!
Ann Godridge says…
I was a bit nervous about talking about my work in progress – as if it would disappear as soon as I tried to explain what I was trying to do. And there’s an underlying reluctance to admit just how seriously I am taking this – it is my life’s great ambition after all, and I am only happy admitting that when I look at it out of the corner of one eye and not head on. And I was quite intimidated by the prospect of talking to someone who knows what they are doing – someone professional.
I needn’t have worried. Ali was easy to talk to and the process of working with her was simple – and very rewarding. […]
Her detailed notes on my extracts will become a resource I can go back to again and again. She pointed out some areas where I’ve done a whole range of clumsy things with dialogue, and where I’ve again slipped into my usual habit of taking emotional scenes offstage. She’s given me a lot to think about – and was very encouraging too. […]
One thing is certain, if I get stuck again, I will have no hesitation in going back to Ali, and when I’ve finished the first draft and knocked it into a shape a little, I plan to send her the whole thing.
Ann Godridge in Should you work with a writing coach? on Birds on the Blog
Silver Huang says…
It has been amazing. With Ali’s support and patience, I’ve made more headway with [my writing] in three weeks than I had in the past three months.
She gives clear and actionable advice that can be applied immediately in my writing, is very professional and objective with her feedback and above all, is warm and shows genuine interest and concern.
I am very grateful to Ali and would be quick to recommend her to anyone who’s facing difficulties with their writing, technical, emotional or otherwise!
Karl Staib says…
I consider myself a good writer and never really thought about using a writing coach to help me get to the next level. I made the leap with Ali and I’m so glad I did. She gave me insight into how I could improve my writing that my professors and writing clubs were never able to do. If you are a solid writer, but need help to get to the next level – Ali is your best bet.
My favorite aspect of Ali’s coaching was her ability to help me find clarity in my writing voice. She helped me step back and look at my writing with fresh eyes.
Ali’s Writing Experience
I’m the author of Publishing E-Books for Dummies in Wiley’s iconic For Dummies series. I’ve also self-published three novels (the Lycopolis trilogy) and a novella, and I’ve written prize-winning short stories.
I have an M.A. in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London (2010)
I also have a B.A. (Hons) in English from Cambridge University (2006)
One of the things I love most is working with writers, supporting them, and seeing their novels go from ideas or rough notes to finished projects. As your coach, I’ll be cheering you along every step of the way. 🙂
Get Your Novel Back on Track
I’d love to help you to make this the year that you finally finish your novel.
It’s fine if you’re not sure yet whether coaching is for you. I’m very happy to have a chat and talk through your project and how we might work together. Just click the button to fill in the Coaching Interest form, or if you prefer, drop me an email at ali@aliventures.com and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.