Writing Coach

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Giving notes on a rough draft and helping illuminate what's necessary for a really strong rewrite.
Helping writers generate more raw material and be more productive.
Providing meaningful deadlines.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Start with a (free) intake call to discuss your goals and get a feel for working with me on the phone. Ask around for recommendations. Check my credentials.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Most drafts have too many ideas, too many characters and too many ideas competing with each other for the readers attention.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I offer very practical advice based on wide experience with writing for stage, screen, tv, print and online media. I have expertise in comedy and have worked with many idiosyncratic and talented writers, from absolute beginners to working professionals.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I appreciate results but also love the creative process. I get tremendous satisfaction from helping writers break through creative blocks and take their work to a higher level. And I'm always delighted by how much creativity people can bring to their work.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Most common question: "Is my writing any good?"
My most common answer: "It's good enough."

My most common question: "What are your goals for this project?" Most common answers: "I want to get an agent", "I want to get hired to write on a tv show", "I want to put my material onstage."

My next question: "How many drafts have you written, over how long a period?" Also, "How many others have read it, who are they and is there consensus in their feedback?" and finally, the ever-popular, "How do you feel about what you've written? What's your favorite/least favorite part?"

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. Friends who were writers began asking my advice and as a producer of Un-Cabaret I found myself helping writers to choose topics and shape their work. My partner and I were asked to teach a workshop about the personal storytelling style of comedy we pioneered and found that while there were workshops available on 'screenwriting' and 'comedy writing', there was nothing that helped people discover their authentic voice and mine their deepest funniest material. Then it turned out that a lot of people needed to work more in-depth to outline, draft and rewrite long-form writing projects, so now here we are.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. A NY Times bestselling author started generating raw material for a stage show. I read the material and advised her how to proceed, including highlighting her themes for her, notes on character development, overall structure and format for the piece. I spent an hour reading and discussing it with her and so far it's cost her $100.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. I charge $100/hr but offer package discounts (6 hours for $500, 13 hours for $1000) for larger projects. I also have flat fees for specific projects (i.e., notes on a screenplay). I understand that it can make writers nervous to proceed without a price cap, but the amount of time I spend with you depends on what you write - and every writer and project is different.