I was at a social gathering the other night and was asked what it was that I did for a living. Having spent the day wrestling with revisions to my latest novel and not wanting to talk about my writing at the moment, I said that I was a writing/creativity coach. (Which is true, I am, it’s just not my primary means of income.) To my surprise, several of the people involved in the conversation wanted to know just what a writing coach could do for a writer. After all, writing is a pretty solitary profession, isn’t it?
I gave a few quick answers, which seemed to satisfy them, but thinking about it later made me realize that I should have had a stronger answer prepared. After all, it shouldn’t have been a totally unexpected question for someone who claims to do this for a living.
In his book, The Success Principles, Jack Canfield says that hiring a “personal coach is one of the best kept secrets of the successful” and in my view it’s no different for writers than it is for entrepreneurs. A good coach can make all the difference in getting you to your goals quick and efficiently. With that in mind, here are my top ten reasons for working with a writing coach…
Vision – A writing coach can help you clarify the vision you have for your writing, setting a clear path to success. A coach will also then be able to help you craft a set of actionable steps to see you through to the end.
Momentum – How often have you started a writing project only to run into roadblocks and lose momentum. Just like a personal trainer who keeps your focused and moving forward on your physical fitness program, a writing coach can help you continue to gain ground on your writing goals week after week.
Knowledge - The publishing industry is a confusing business and newcomers usually have far more questions than answers. An experienced writing coach, particularly one who is a writer in their own right, can act as a mentor and guide you through the process of creation, submission, publication, and promotion.
Organization – Writing a novel or non-fiction book is a large and complicated task. There is a lot to keep track of and far too much conflicting information out there about how to go about doing so. A writing coach can help you design an organizational program custom tailored just for you and your writing style, eliminating a lot of the typical roadblocks that plague newer writers.
Getting Unstuck – How often have you started a writing project only to hit a wall somewhere in the middle? A good coach can help you work through the barriers that are impeding your success and get you back on the road to completion.
Objectivity – Sometimes you are just too close to your own writing to evaluate it properly. An experienced writing coach has the necessary objectivity to review the work you’ve done to date and make suggestions on how to improve it. A coach can also act as a sounding board to help you work through various issues before you’ve gone too far in one direction or another.
Accountability – Writing a book takes time and sometimes life just wants to get in the way. A writing coach can provide the accountability you need to stay focused and on track week after week after week. When you decide you want to get going and accomplish something a coach will hold you to your word and will not accept your excuses for why it wasn’t done. Making a public declaration of your intent will also provide you with the needed incentive to keep your commitments.
Motivation – Sometimes we need to be reminded of why were are striving for something and a writing coach can help you remember just why you are working so hard to accomplish those goals. When you get down or get distracted, a coach can pick you back up again.
Support – A good coach can provide support for the difficult moments in your writing career, without condemnation or judgment. Sometimes just having a third party who understands and knows how hard you’ve worked is enough to put you back on your feet and moving forward again.
Focus – When the distractions of every day life get in the way and keep you from completing what you set out to do, a writing coach can refocus your attention on what’s important and get you back on the path to success.
