As an editor and writing coach, I’ve spoken at length about how I can help you. But there are things I won’t do, too. Let’s dig into them:
1: Force you to follow ‘the rules’ of writing a novel. I know the rules (after all, I studied them for eight years in higher education) and know that great things can happen when you break them. I will tell you the rule, give you the reasoning behind it, and let you know what I think is the right way forward, but ultimately, I will support whatever decision you make from there on out. The Promise, by Damon Galgut, breaks a heck of a lot of rules. It went on to win the Booker Prize in 2021. Writing is art, and sometimes art breaks the rules.
2: Use my experience to guide your journey. A coach is trained to facilitate growth in a niche area, and in my case, this is writing. Coaching is 80% client and 20% coach, meaning that a trained coach will pull a solution to a problem from your mind instead of their own. Why does this matter? Everyone has different backgrounds, levels of responsibility and pressure, working hours, etc. My writing journey has nothing to do with yours, and while I will share my experience if you ask, I will never expect you to do as I have done. There is a difference between a coach and a mentor. A mentor is someone who will share a personal experience and journey to help guide you in a similar one. A coach is someone who is trained to facilitate your own journey, using their knowledge to assist but not drive. A mentor does not need a qualification, but a coach does. Coaching is often believed to be an unregulated field. However, this is not the case. Coaching is regulated worldwide by the International Coaching Federation, so when looking for a coach, ensure the ICF accredits their course to confirm they know how to work in their field. I have trained as a coach in an ICF-accredited role and by doing an ILM Level 2 (equivalent to a GCSE, although now I’m showing my age!).
3: Put pressure on you to finish your work within a specific timeframe. Ask any of my clients, and you’ll find I am flexible when working together. There’s a reason for that. Writing, art, creation, and growth are not linear. We cannot expect someone to write a novel within twelve weeks just because that’s a package that has been purchased. If that’s what you want to do, I will work hard alongside you to help you achieve your goal, but if you decide that you need support over an extended period of time, that you need a break, that you would rather meet monthly than weekly, that’s what we will do. Magic happens when people are given space to discover their journey.
4: Change your unique writing voice and style. I edit while ensuring that your voice remains your own, and while I offer constructive feedback on clarity, how to create the best flow, and areas where a rewrite would strengthen the story, your voice is yours, and that’s something no one can copy or change. That means that I’ll also tell you when you’re writing something that doesn’t quite match your usual tone, too, so that we can provide a consistent reading experience across novels.
5: Force you into a ‘one size fits all’ framework. In editing and coaching, I work to ensure that I’m helping the reader in a way that they understand, can collaborate with, and engage with. There is no ‘one way’ to write a novel, and I don’t subscribe to the idea that all stories must fit within a specific structure (see point one!). Writing is a personal process, so whatever your process is, I will adapt to ensure you’re getting the most out of our time together. If you don’t know your process yet, we can explore that.
So, there are five things I will not do as an editor and coach! I’m almost booked for the entire year but have a few spaces left from June onwards. If you want to learn more, book a Discovery Call with me here.
