Why Coaching Calls Are a Game-Changer for Your Writing

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When I took writing classes in college, I longed for the day when my workshop group would spend time on my work. Finally, my pages would be given the attention it deserved.

However, I often left those sessions disappointed and only leaned into the feedback I received from a teaching assistant or my professor. It was their detailed notes and thoughtfulness that made me feel optimistic about my work and ready to tackle revisions.

So, when I became a book coach, I believed my clients would be just as excited about some dedicated space to just talk about their work. However, life gets in the way with schedules and overwhelm, so it can be easy to skip a call every now and then. Sometimes, if you’re not thrilled about what’s been happening on the page, you’d rather not get on a one hour call to talk about it.

It can even feel self-indulgent to discuss your writing at great length, or you believe that just an edit letter will be good enough to write forward. But much can be missed in email and in-line comments, so here are the 3 reasons why a book coaching call can completely up level your writing.

Freedom to Talk Through the Writing Blocks

It’s one thing to know something is tripping you up, but it’s another to work through it with help. If you share your frustration with a writer friend, they’ll try and solve the problem for you with a list of suggestions. 

Not me. 

I’ll ask you to tell me more about specific issues until we get to the root of your block. There are probably previous conversations I’ll reference or even things I’m seeing on the page that you’re not realizing are keeping you from moving forward. 

It’s my job as a book coach to give you the freedom and safety to talk through the vulnerable creative process, so you can address your concerns and keep going.

An Honest and Thoughtful Conversation About Your Work

Or as one of my clients says: You have the perfect rose and thorn approach to edits.

I’ve had the editors who rip your work apart to prove they “know” what good writing is. Between you and I, it really sucked. When someone shoots your work down, there is nowhere to go. You don’t need someone to hold your hand through every edit, but you do need someone who can give you kind and constructive feedback.

Not every writer or editor is equipped to handle such a responsibility, and even fewer would be able to do so on a one-on-one coaching call. However, having the opportunity to talk through your feedback with a coach can open up new story ideas and give you the motivation to continue writing. 

We get so caught up in texting and email that we forget the power of speaking to one another. Sometimes, you need to hear someone say you’ve got it, so you can sit down and make those tough revisions.

Time to Ask Questions About Your Feedback and Process

There’s only so much you can write in an email or even in in-line comments, so chatting one-on-one is a great chance to ask any questions you have about your project. Things get lost in translation, or we assume someone must know what we mean if they don’t ask us to clarify.

So, please ask questions! It’s better that I know if something doesn’t make sense, rather than assuming you’re just not taking my advice.

When a fellow book coach or editor is frustrated by a client not understanding edits or an assignment, I echo one of my firmest beliefs: If someone doesn’t understand what I’m saying, that’s good information for me to figure out how to meet them where they are.

The more information I have about what’s tripping you up, the better I’m able to serve you.

You owe it to yourself and your work to make the time for coaching calls. Whether you’re in need of a check-in on your project or you’re a monthly book coaching client, don’t cheat yourself out of the gift of one-on-one coaching. 

Want to experience the benefits of a coaching call for yourself?

Get on my coaching waitlist now, and let’s get your writing to the next level.