What happens on a discovery call?

A discovery call is a thirty minute chat about what you need help with. It’s very informal, and is like having coffee with a friend.

What will we discuss on a coaching call?

We will talk about anything you like to do with your writing. I use my experience as a creative writing tutor to both offer possible solutions to issues, as well as coaching you to understand why you are experiencing the issue and how we can move forward. I also set tasks outside of our time together so that you can work toward your goals. All our conversations are confidential.

Can we meet in person?

During Covid I am happy to work with your time zone and meet you on Zoom.

Tag: character development

Coaching

How to Work with Me When I’m Fully Booked

Post author By Rachel Grosvenor
Post date April 4, 2025

If you’ve come here looking for editing and coaching help and can see that the banner above says I’m fully booked, don’t panic! I book up very quickly, between 10 months to a year in advance, but 1:1 is not the only way to work with me. Check out the following:

The Novel Writing Masterclass

This course includes 40 bite-size classes that fit into your busy life, designed to take you from idea to publication.

It’s been created with you in mind:

The person who wants to write but can’t find the time.
The person who wants to create a novel but doesn’t know where to start.
The person who isn’t sure what comes next when writing their novel.

Imagine:

Finding the time in your week to write.
Sitting down and knowing what you should be doing.
Having a programme that keeps you accountable to the written word.

No more writing woes because you know when to write, what to write, and where to go next.

The Fiction Fellowship

Are you a writer looking for your community?

The Fiction Fellowship focuses on fiction writers who are looking to connect with other creatives and hone their storytelling skills. Learning with others and having writing friends can make such a difference to your productivity and motivation, so we aim to provide an environment where you can make those connections and feel inspired to write.

With twice-weekly writing sprints, monthly community calls, and more, we’ll be with you every step of the way to help you develop your writing skills, expand your craft knowledge, and make progress in your writing.

What’s included:

Community Sessions
Writing Workbooks
Q&As
Complete post archive
Video Lessons
Private Community
Twice Weekly Live Writing Sprints
Accountability and Goal Setting
General Support

Run by myself and Isobelle of Inspired Creative Co, and we know that finding your writing community can lead to great things. So far, our writers have written over a million words!

If that’s what you’re looking for, then this is your space!

Connect with us on Instagram:

@rachelgrosvenorauthor

@inspiredcreativeco_

Writing Workbooks

Are you feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of writing? Are you struggling to find the time to write, unsure about creating a writing routine, and undecided about your writing goals?

If this sounds like you, it’s time to invest in yourself.

I have workbooks available if you are ready to:

Find time to write
Create a writing routine that fits with YOUR schedule
Identify writing areas you would like more information on
Set and achieve writing goals
Reach your targets and see a way forward
Take action and plan your writing year in full

Otherwise, make sure you’re on my email list here, and when I have space again, you’ll be among the first to know.

Coaching

Five Things I Won’t Do as Your Editor and Coach

Post author By Rachel Grosvenor
Post date March 22, 2025

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.

Craft

Plot-Driven Novels vs Character-Driven Novels: Which Is Right For You?

Post author By Rachel Grosvenor
Post date February 19, 2025

Do you want to write a plot-driven or a character-driven novel? First of all, it’s time to define those terms (and I’ll add helpful examples because I am a helpful sort of person). An easy way to remember the difference between the two is to ask yourself what is driving the narrative forward.

Plot-Driven

A plot-driven novel means that events are happening to a character, regardless of their actions. A great example of a plot-driven novel is The Lord of the Rings. The one ring needs to get to Mount Doom, and ultimately, it doesn’t matter who takes it; it just has to get there. Therefore, the plot’s focus is getting that ring to Mount Doom. The characters, relationships, journey, and, essentially, subplots are what make the story beautiful, but ultimately, what is driving the narrative forward is that main plot point.

Character-Driven

A character-driven novel means that a character’s actions are driving the plot. How they behave and what they do impacts the story’s direction. A great example of a character-driven novel is The Finery, by me! This is a character-driven novel because the plot depends on the actions of the main character, Wendowleen, and the actions of her peers.

What do you want to write?

If you’re unsure whether you want to write a character or plot-driven novel, look at your favourite books. You might find that some authors do both very well, like Terry Pratchett. The Discworld novels are a mix, and Pratchett is a master of keeping the plot moving while developing characters in an interesting way. What you love reading is usually what you will love writing, so pick up one of your favourite reads and ask yourself: What is driving the narrative in this story?

Remember, a well-rounded story often incorporates elements of both plot and character development. For example, if your character is facing a natural disaster, that’s a plot point they cannot control, but it depends on their behaviour and skillset to survive. If character development interests you, you might want to write a character-driven story instead so that you can dig deep into the growth of your MC.

Do you have any questions about this? Feel free to send me an email today!

Do you want to read something similar? Check these out:

Which Is the Best Plotting Method for You?

How to Write Subplots in Your Novel

Craft

How to Use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Your Character Development

Post author By Rachel Grosvenor
Post date January 13, 2022
No Comments on How to Use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Your Character Development

Are you ready to develop your characters in a new way? Why not try using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This pyramid (as seen below) is something that I use all the time. I use it in my coaching, in my personal life, and in my writing. Why? Because it helps me prioritise my workload and personal life, teach how to prioritise, and understand my character’s needs as well.

So, how can Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs teach us about and help us develop our characters? It’s all about their motivation. Motivation is the thing that drives your character and story forward.

As you can see from the pyramid, we begin at the bottom with physiological needs. So, what physiological needs could be driving your character forward?

In my novel The Birth of Ida, my main character finds herself in an inhospitable land that she has never before dealt with. That means that a lot of her development takes place at the bottom rung on this pyramid. She is cold, hungry, and a little desperate. Therefore, she learns to hunt, build fires on snow, and become an all-round badass outdoorswoman. This is a part of her character development.

The next level is safety needs. Let’s look at Ida again. If I consider her motivation in this section, she is driven to protect herself and reclaim her property. That is another level of her motivation. Remember that characters, like people, are complex. They won’t just have one level of motivation because all of us have these levels. Usually, we need to satiate hunger before we can move up a level, for example.

The next level is love and belonging. Ida is a bit of a lone wolf in this category, but she does have her horse, who fulfils her need for belonging. It might be that you are writing a romance, and so your character’s motivation in this section is more substantial than Ida’s. That’s down to each character and person.

Now we’re onto esteem. This level is about respect and freedom. Ida’s motivation at this level is strong – she is striving to be respected as a woman in a patriarchal world, and after being locked up for many years, she values freedom above all else. That goes some way to explaining why her belongingness category is not so important to her – her values are different.

The highest level is self-actualisation. This level is all about achieving your highest potential – it’s the highest goal. Of course, this is most likely your main characters most easily spotted motivation – because the big goal is what we usually consider. But, remember that a character or person cannot reach this level unless the other levels have been considered. After all, one needs a full belly, some support, and at least a little respect to slay a dragon.

A well-rounded character will include all of these things, so try this with your main character today and see how they develop according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Any questions about this? Get in touch and ask; I would be happy to answer!

If you need a hand with your writing craft, I can help. As a lecturer in Creative Writing for over six years, and with a PhD, MA and BA in the subject, I am well poised to answer any issues you have been facing.