Having trouble bringing that shiny new story idea to life?
Or feel like your manuscript just falls flatter than a pancake run over by a steamroller?
🥞
You have a fantastic story concept, but you’re afraid readers won’t get into it.
Or that your writing isn’t good enough.
Or you haven’t done enough to make it leap off the page.
You’ve gone over it a million times or over-thought it to death. Maybe gotten some lovely feedback from readers who enjoyed it. That was the word: “enjoyed.” Not loved. Not stayed up until three because they couldn’t put it down.
They just weren’t immersed in the story.
That’s where I come in
As your writing and story coach, I call on my MFA, 10+ years working with fiction, and lifetime of role-playing games to give you everything you need to make your idea or manuscript into a fully immersive experience. I supply the tools. It’s up to you how to use them.
Whether you haven’t started drafting yet or want a final boost before you publish, I’ve got your back.
How I can help based on where you are in the writing process
The Idea Phase
In this phase, you’ve had the idea, and you know you have to do something with it. As happens with ideas, though, once they move from “shiny and new” to “something to pursue,” they suddenly feel less sparkly and more stressful. In your mind, they’re fully formed. But what if they break on their way to the page?
Writing a book can be scary, particularly if you’ve never done it before or if you’re trying a completely new genre/readership. You might feel like the idea is solid, but you’re still stalled-out, fearing you can’t or won’t make it work, either because your writing isn’t great or because the idea isn’t as good as you think it is.
Coaching is like talking to a friend, but one who knows story inside and out. As an avid reader, I want there to be as many amazing books out there as possible, yours included. I’ll help get to the heart of what’s holding you back so you can move past it and start building an immersive story experience readers will love. And if you need help figuring out how to tell an immersive story, I can do that too.
Rate: $70 USD/hour
The Manuscript Phase
You’ve written a story, or at least part of one. And while you like it, you know it can be better, but you don’t know how.
Whether you’re sitting at 20k of your rough draft wondering if you should keep going, or want final thoughts before booking the proofreader, I can offer the perfect amount of feedback to get you on the right track to a story experience readers will love.
👓 Beta Read
Reader-style feedback that shows where I got super into it, where my interest flagged, and when details or weird writing constructions pulled me out of the experience.
Rate: $2.50 USD/1000 words ($60 minimum)
🔎 Manuscript Evaluation
Editorial-style feedback about your plot, characters, setting, conflict and other big-picture elements that shows how to flesh these things out even more so they feel realer than real to readers. Bonus, I’ll line edit a portion of the text to show exactly how every word can earn its keep by keeping the experience unbroken.
Rate: $5.50 USD/1000 words ($100 minimum)
🔮 Developmental Editing
The full toolbox experience. If you feel your manuscript is underdeveloped and want help fleshing it out, plus all the tips, tricks, and sidenotes to up your writing game going forward, this is where it’s at.
Rate: $10 USD/1000 words ($300 minimum)
“Mary was a beta reader for my Middle-Grade Fantasy book, Terrence and the Magical Sword of Courage. Not only did she give a timely turnaround but the feedback she gave me was top notch! She pointed out things that other readers hadn’t commented on and that I hadn’t even thought about. Her critiques were spot on and improved my story, helping shape it into a story that every reader has enjoyed. I give Mary 5/5 and highly recommend her for your projects.”
C.R. Langille, author of Terrence and the Magical Sword of Courage
So, am I the coach for you?
The answer is yes if…
- You want to hone your writing or story craft
- You want to become a stronger storyteller
- You don’t mind tangents about story structure, genre, experience, or other related topics
- You’re okay with the occasional (or more than occasional, depending on the project) role-playing game story
- You want feedback that’s best described as “casual professional”
But the answer is probably no if…
- You’re looking for copyediting or proofreading (I don’t offer these services, but I know people who do and would be glad to help you find someone)
- You want a very hands-off approach to your story
- You write narrative non-fiction or memoir (I don’t work with these genres, but again, I can help you find someone who does)
- You write really dark horror, psychologically twisted stuff, a ton of gore/body horror, or similar content (I’m not the best fit, both because I don’t read a lot of this and because I’m a scaredy-cat)
So, ready to make your story an experience?
No matter where you are in the process, I’ll set you on the path toward immersive storytelling so readers find your books and never leave. Get in touch, and let’s start crafting.