Diane Allen wanted to do more public speaking. But she needed a book to garner more engagements. It didn’t have to be a long book. It just needed to set forth the scientific principles and positive psychology behind the practice of flow that she teaches her clients.
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Over the last few months, half a dozen of my writing coach clients have finished their books. After celebrating that accomplishment, we jumped into book cover design consults, reviewed samples of both the cover and the interior pages, asked for tweaks on both and then made selections, reviewed the digital cover and interior pages proof, reviewed any changes we asked for, and finally ordered a physical book proof.
That’s when things get real. Instead of looking at your book on a computer, you actually receive a book you can hold. It can be a moving experience.
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I’d had the best conversation with a prospect who, at the suggestion of a current writing coach client, had emailed me looking for help on a book that had been rattling around in her head, as she put it, for almost 40 years. Her protagonist, she told me, was a pro-choice advocate. I was intrigued.
I happened to be driving to a neighboring town, so I had plenty of time to chat. And with the election looming, we found plenty to talk about.
Apparently, we never got around to her novel’s plotline, which was also never mentioned in her emails. So, six weeks later when the author asked me to provide a written critique of her book, I discovered to my dismay that the book’s antagonist was a serial killer.
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It was time. Despite family pressure, I decided to clip Moke, my almost 3-year-old English Cocker Spaniel, even if his fur wouldn’t be as silky soft. The call proved to be a good one. Not only was my already super cute pupper instantly cuter but I found a handful of cheatgrass barbed seeds working their way toward the skin on his back or just starting to graze his flesh.
Of course, living in Bend, Oregon means that winter temps can drop to single digits. We also get a fair amount of snow, which given the right water content collects as snowballs on his feathers, the fur under his belly and on his legs. So, though I’m into dressing up my dogs, it was clearly time to buy Moke a coat.
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My client sat down to her novel. Having blocked out the time to write, she was determined to honor that commitment to herself and her book. But she didn’t have a clue about what she was going to write that day. “In the past, that would have freaked me out,” she admitted during our subsequent… Continue Reading
Is there such a thing as too much writing advice? Absolutely! Since I’m a writing coach, my answer may come as a surprise to some of you. On the other hand, it will likely not surprise my writing coach clients. Continue Reading
After a break, I’m back to writing restaurant reviews. I fell into that in 2008 when I was coaching a local Bend magazine staffer who was bemoaning the fact that she had to go dine out that evening and write a restaurant review. “I’d love that,” I announced. “I’ve done a ton of travel writing,… Continue Reading
Over the last month, I’ve listened to two audiobooks—Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken—which have been in my queue for months and months. For whatever reason, neither had grabbed me when I initially started them. This time around, I’ve found the stories as compelling as the prose. Indeed, the writing is… Continue Reading
Do you suffer from a lack of belief in yourself or your potential as a writer? Does that keep you from putting fingers to the keyboard or pen to paper? If yes, I’d suggest you watch your dog more closely or take yourself to a dog park. Those who follow this blog know I’m on… Continue Reading
As more and more of the writing coach clients I work with get published or opt to self-publish, I find myself increasingly talking about launching a book. So, let’s talk about launching your book. You’ve fretted and sweated to write your book. If you’ve finalized your draft, having invested in a line edit, copy edit,… Continue Reading
Literary Agent:
Ted Weinstein
Ted Weinstein Literary Management
Mechanics’ Library Building
57 Post Street, Suite 512
San Francisco, CA 94104
tw@twliterary.com
www.twliterary.com