Coaching for Writers
Possible Topics for Coaching
These are some common things that come up, but not an exhaustive list. Some people come to coaching to level up by learning/using their Strengths. Others have specific challenges they want to tackle. Often, it’s a combination of both.
Leveraging Strengths
Reclaiming Focus
Burnout/Energy Management
Refueling Creativity
Creative Blocks
Social Media/Reader Interaction
The Business of Writing
Time Management
How It Works
Coaching starts with exploration—what’s working for you right now, what’s not, what challenges you're facing, what you’d like help on, etc. Initially, we will go over your CliftonStrengths test results if you haven’t done that previously, and then we can move into more specific issues. You are in the driver’s seat when it comes to what you’d like to discuss in a session. Each session can have its own focus, or you may have a big, over-arching goal or issue that we work on through multiple sessions.
Either way, together, we will work to clarify what’s important to you, what motivates you, and how your personality strengths can be leveraged to make your writing life what you want it to be. That’s the beauty of pairing the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment with coaching. We get to ultra-customize strategies to how you’re wired.
Coaching for writers can be a short-term, let’s-tackle-a-specific-issue structure, or it can be an ongoing support (monthly) structure where you know you have a dedicated slot each month to bring whatever has come up.
Coaching Session Structure
-
This is a quick (free) intro chat to find out if coaching is the right fit for what you’re seeking. We can talk about what you’re looking to get out of coaching, ask your questions, and get a vibe check to see if I’m the right coach for you. Afterward, if you decide to move forward (you don’t have to decide during the call), I will then send you the assessments you need, a contract to sign, and the link to schedule your initial coaching session. NOTE: If you have previously done Strengths coaching or have already taken your assessment, you don’t need to do this and can contact me for a link to a first full session.
-
IF YOU ARE NEW TO STRENGTHS: In your first session, we’ll go over your CliftonStrengths and discover how they are working (or not working for you) in your writing life. Often this session is a lot of exploration and some education (especially around your assessment results). We are setting up the foundation for future sessions.
IF YOU AREN’T NEW TO STRENGTHS: We will jump right into exploration—what brought you to coaching, what is working for you right now, what’s not, etc. Then, if time allows, we’ll start the process of exploring strategies to tackle the thing that may not be working.
-
This is where the work is done. In a regular session, I will check in with you on what we talked about last time and follow up on any experiments you were going to try or any goals you’d set. We can talk about anything that has come up since. Then, we will work together to narrow down the focus for that particular session. Maybe you want to dig deeper into the same area or pivot to something else. You get to choose (or I’ll help you narrow it down if you’re struggling to decide what to focus on.)
Depending on where you’re at in your journey, you may be setting a goal/choosing an experiment by the end of the session—or you may need more exploration before you’re ready for that. Maybe you really just needed to talk some things out that day with someone who understand what a weird industry we’re in. That’s okay too! We will use the time in a way that best fits your needs.
-
This shorter option is a great choice for clients who have been seeing me for a while and want a streamlined session to work on ongoing goals/issues.
This also can be a good option for those who don’t have time in their schedule for a full session.
-
The number of sessions needed can vary from person to person, but when it’s time to wrap up the coaching, we will do a closing session where we look back on the work you’ve done and the progress you’ve made. And, of course, we celebrate the wins! We also talk about strategies to stay on course for ongoing goals and maintenance. A final session doesn’t have to mean you never come back to coaching as things come up, but it means that for now, you don’t need as much ongoing support.