Put Me in, Coach! What's the Point of a Writing Coach?



Writing is the kind of activity that sometimes requires outside motivation. Writers need a partner, but this can be hard to find. You've got to have somebody in your corner who 
1. understands writing
2. understands the writing brain

Some writers have successfully filled this gap by hiring a writing coach. 

The job of being a writing coach doesn't have a specific definition. There are lots of different ways of coaching writers. The project and the person determine the needs. To further complicate the situation, some people will do some kinds of coaching and not others. 

So what can you expect from a writing coach? 

Motivation
This is in the form of contacts through texts, emails, or phone calls where the coach asks how it's going and reminds you to write. It's something like an accountability partner in exercise. Your coach is the person who is going to ask you how many words you wrote today, and you want to be able to report that you wrote a lot. I suppose you could hire somebody to come over and spank you if you haven't met your goals, but it's probably not a commonly offered part of the gig. 

Consultation
This is where you want your coach to understand writing. You want to be able to chat with this person about the project you are completing and get some help brainstorming new ideas. Ideally, this person will read your work and provide you with feedback. This is where the waters get murky between a writing coach and a developmental editor.

Editing (Possibly)
Many coaches will provide complete developmental editing or help in a specific area. I primarily help people with dialogue, theme, and characterization. But I've done developmental editing on all kinds of fiction in a coaching role. 

Advice
Writing coaches are usually writers themselves and have had some experience in the publishing world. Your writing coach can provide you with answers about what to do next. A writing coach can make suggestions to help you get an agent or publish your work. 

Do you need a writing coach? You definitely don't need one. But is it useful? Again, the answer is definitely. Having a coach gives you some direction, encouragement, and feedback that you just can't get from family and friends. 


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