Hi All, My name is Ashley and I am new to this forum. I just started writing book and someone had mentioned a writing coach. I think it would be good for me because then it would give me deadlines and whatnot. Has anyone had experience with a writing coach? Do you have any recommendations? I greatly appreciate any advice!!! Thanks, Ashley
i can't see it being worth the fees they charge... or being at all needed... you should be learning how to write and perfecting your skills, setting deadlines, etc. on your own, for free, the way all successful writers have done... and most of those so-called coaches are scam artists, anyway... if you want a mentor, drop me a line... fyi, mentoring costs you nothing... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
Agreed. I've see nothing wrong with workshops. Or hiring editors/translators etc for specific reasons for a project. But hiring someone to, essentially, manage your writing output? Sounds like an English Major picking low-hanging fruit for top-dollar. -Frank
I can recomend a very good beginning/intermediete authors course if novels are your intention. I am not sure if I am allowed to mention it on these forums but if your interested I can pm you the link. I graduated the course close to a year ago now and still active with that community as well.
I have this idea for a story: There's a person who from the moment they get out of bed has various coaches, and the general contractor of coaches is the Life Coach. Of course all these people work for the "Client" who is paramount. But in the end the client who hired all these people becomes nothing more than a vacant human being when what they really wanted was help rising to all manner of greatness. I have no advice on the writing coach, per se, but I do want to thank you for the story idea. I think I agree with Mammamia, you should go it alone--that's the only sure way to become a great writer. P.S. I'm in no way insinuating you're vacant, by the way. It's just your post gave me that idea for a story.
I'd be interested in hearing the course, so if you'd like message me it, or post it here please. I am new to the forum, but from what I saw, that would appear to be allowed. Thank You.
I agree with Mammamia, you should go it alone--that's the only sure way to become a great writer. Nobody learns to be a great writer on their own. From being taught the alphabet, through to having a work proof read prior to publication, we learn from the tuition and advice of others. What is the purpose of the critique sections on this forum if not to learn how to be a better writer via the input of others? A writing coach can be poor value for money and a scam. They can also be excellent value for money and legitimate. Shop around, and submit one piece at a time.. If you get something of value out of the coaching related to that piece, continue with the service. That way you are not paying a big lump sum for a useless service.
There are plenty of writing coaches out there who have written books on the subject. You can get a lot of good advice just for the price of a book.
i never recommend reading how-to's to learn how to write, other than for scripts [and in some cases, song lyrics], where a good one is a necessity, since formatting and writing style is so different from writing prose... instead of wasting time and money on how-to's, spend it on reading the works of the best writers of the kinds of things you want to write...
Writing has to be learnt, and in the process of learning, mentors, coaches, websites such as this, and books can all be useful…little is to be gained from being blind to any recourse. I found, Stein on Writing, to be a very informative book…
