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Story coaching for fiction authors to keep readers coming back

A detailed fantasy world map on weathered antique parchment featuring hand-drawn mountains, forests, sailing ships, and an ornate compass rose.

Forget “if you build it, they will come.” Build it so they come and never leave.

Your book can have a gorgeous cover, foolproof proofreading, and flawless layout. But if readers finish it and think “meh,” they’ll move on to a story that keeps them up at night and forget all about yours.

Let’s make sure readers never think “meh.”


Hi, I’m Mary, a writing coach with an MFA, 10+ years working with stories, and a lifetime of immersing myself in role-playing games who’s here to help make your stories unforgettable.


Coaching writers to fish

No, not literally, but you know that saying “if you give a man a fish?” I don’t just hand you some feedback on one thing and say “have fun.” Whether you haven’t started writing yet or just need to know if the story works before you click publish, I’ll give you specifics for your current project, plus stock your toolbox so you’re ready to forge your next masterpiece with confidence.

For example: Dreaming up a new story but don’t know who it’s about yet?


But don’t just take my word for it

“Mary’s thorough and timely examination of my work is greatly appreciated. She gets to the heart of the manuscript and can identify strengths and weaknesses and convey them to you in a professional, respectful manner, all the while clearly showing support for your writing. You can expect clear, honest feedback as well as encouragement and an open dialogue with your work. I also appreciated the chance to ask follow-up questions on some of the weaker aspects of my manuscript, and have been given plenty of great ideas to think about in order to improve my book. I highly recommend working with Mary and found the whole process quite enjoyable.”

Kristina Elyse Butke, author of Son of the Siren

“Mary is excellent at identifying inconsistencies in the plot and providing feedback on how to address these details to improve the work. She also provides a great summary of plot structure and the overarching narrative along with the perspective of a reader who is journeying through the narrative. I would highly recommend Mary based on not only the quality of work but also her collaborative skills and timeliness.”

Brian Baleno, author of Insignificant Ones

“Mary is fantastic to work with. Her collaborative approach is just the right mix of tough love and encouragement. She helped identify areas of my plot structure that could be improved while providing techniques to keep the tension up and characters real. After her help, my 160,000-word fantasy is ready for submission.”

Ben Brockway, fantasy author

Need some side characters to go with that protagonist?

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