Frequently asked questions

If you have a question that isn’t listed here, please submit it through our online contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you as promptly as possible. For questions about my Called to Write community, check this page here.

• What kind of coach are you?
  I’m a life coach, a writer, and a writing habit and motivation coach. I’m particularly good at helping creative people — especially writers — take regular action to make their creative dreams a reality. I work in a very intuitive way, always looking at the whole of your life, the whole of who you are, and who you are capable of becoming as the framework within which I do my coaching work with you.
• Do you work with non-writers?
  Yes, I work with many types of creative entrepreneurs, often those who are visionary, with leading ideas about their industries. My clients are usually complex, intuitive, insightful, sensitive, have so many ideas they don’t know where to start organizing them, and have trouble making decisions about which projects to focus on. But working with writers is my specialty. :)
• What is a writing coach? What does a writing coach do?
  My specialties as a writing coach are helping you stay motivated with your writing, get back on track with your writing and build more productive writing habits, whether you’re a published writer struggling with creative blocks or second novel syndrome, or a newer writer figuring out where, how, and when to get started. While I don’t teach or train you on the craft of writing per se, I do help you build a consistent, solid, regular habit of writing. Ultimately, it’s my opinion that the act and practice of writing regularly is where it’s at — it’s the very best way to find your voice, discover what your writing project is truly about, hone your skills as a writer, and move you to completion again and again.
• How can a writing coach can help me?
  If you’re not writing regularly, you’re stuck, you’re procrastinating, or you’re burned out, working with a writing coach can help you even out the rough patches and get going again. Usually having a compassionate ear combined with practical tools is just the thing you need to get your butt into the seat and your fingers on the keyboard.
• It looks like I can work with you in the Writer’s Circle and also as a private client, is that right?
  Yes, that’s right. Depending your preferences, learning style, budget, and needs, you can work with me in a few different ways. Often clients prefer to start with getting to know me through the Called to Write community or through a single coaching session, before committing to a longer-term package, whereas others know they’re ready to accelerate their progress through a one-on-one mentorship right away.
• What kinds of recommendations do you typically make in coaching sessions?
  The recommendations, advice, coaching, and answers I’ll give you will depend very much on your specific life circumstances, temperament and personality type, and available resources and energy. I look for solutions that you’ll actually take action on — even if they’re small — while still holding a big vision for your long-term path.
• Will you critique my work or give notes on my writing projects?
  I often work collaboratively with my VIP clients on short writing projects, though I don’t provide a standard coverage or feedback service for writers at this time. In the Writer’s Circle, we deliberately do not offer critiques, nor encourage writers to exchange work — at least not in that context — in order to preserve the integrity of the safe space that the Writer’s Circle provides (more on this below).
• How does a session work? What will we do during our time together?
  During a coaching session, we’ll start out with you giving me a picture of where you are and what you are wanting to accomplish. Then I’ll ask you a series of questions or lead you through a set of exercises designed to spark insight and help us identify where we want to focus our efforts. You’ll leave each session with a manageable set of action steps to move forward with on your own.
• Will you change my writing style?
  I won’t so much be changing your writing style as much as your writing habit. On the other hand, you will most likely find that the more you write — which I will help you do — the stronger and more developed your voice as a writer will become. So your style will develop all of its own accord.
• Why aren’t you still working with highly sensitive people?
  Oh, but I am! Although I’m not now only focusing on highly sensitive people, I weave my expertise on working with highly sensitive people into everything I do. So many writers and creatives are sensitive, after all. I specialize in working with highly sensitive writers, and particularly around issues most important to them/us, like managing our available energy, protecting ourselves from outside influences, and making the most of our highly creative nature. I find that sensitive writers particularly benefit from receiving support around handling criticism, dissonance, overwhelm, boundaries, and overstimulation.
• How can we get started working together?
  If you’d like to find out more about working with me, I’d suggest taking a look at my coaching page to get a sense of the kinds of things I offer. Then, send an email to my team at support@calledtowrite.com or use our contact form and request a consultation so I can find out more about you and what you’re looking for. Then I can make some specific suggestions I think would work best for us — including some customization if needed — and we’ll go from there. Alternatively, if you’d like to get a feel for working with me “in the trenches,” you might want to consider a single stand-alone sessions, like my Writing Reboot sessions.

  Writers may also want to explore my Called to Write community for a way of working with me in a group setting.

• I’d really like to work with you but you’re not in my area, now what?
  Because I work almost exclusively by phone, we can work together from wherever you are in the world. I’ve worked with clients in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Canada, and of course in the US. I work regular daytime hours in the Pacific Time Zone, and I’m usually able to find a way of working with your schedule.
• How can I pay you?
  I accept payment by credit card. When we commit to working together, I can invoice you or you can book a package or program directly through the website and select your payment method that way.
• Do you offer payment plans?
  Yes, I’m happy to consider customizing payment plans for you. I do so usually on a case-by-case basis. My goal is to find a way for us to work together that works well for both of us.
• If you’d like to explore more about working with me, click here to check out my coaching page and then book a free writing plan session so we can decide together about the best way to proceed.

Other questions? Please click here to submit them through our online contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you as promptly as possible.