Story Coaching
You don’t have to figure your story out on your own.
When you’re in the middle of a draft, it’s easy to lose clarity. You might find yourself second-guessing decisions, circling the same chapters, or feeling like something isn’t quite working without knowing why.
Story coaching gives you a space to think things through with support, so you can move forward with more clarity and a little more confidence.
Apply for Story CoachingA Space To Think Through Your Story While You’re In It
This isn’t about stepping away from your story for a full critique. It’s about having a place to stay inside it, with support. We work through what’s coming up in your draft as it happens—structure, character motivation, pacing, emotional tension, or simply figuring out what to do next.
The goal is to help you move forward with more clarity, more confidence, and a stronger sense of direction, without feeling like you have to figure everything out on your own.
Two Ways To Work Together
Sessions
Dedicated time to go deeper into your story, together.
Each Session Includes
- A 60-minute session by voice or video call
- Flexible focus based on what you need that day
- Space to think out loud, ask questions, and work through decisions
You Can Bring
- Up to 3,000 words for context (optional, with more available as an add-on)
- A specific problem or question
- Or simply where you’re feeling stuck or unsure
Drafting Companion
Keep writing, with someone in your corner.
Some questions are too small to book a session for, but too big to ignore. Drafting Companion gives you a private space to message me as things come up while you draft, so one small doubt doesn’t turn into a stalled week.
Drafting Companion Includes
- Four weeks of written support in your own private Discord space
- Replies on weekdays, within one business day
- A weekly check-in from me to see what you’re working on
- A place to share your wins, from word counts to finished chapters to the scene that finally clicked
You Can Bring
- Quick questions as they pop up, like a beat you’re unsure of, a motivation that’s gone fuzzy, or a plot hole you’ve just spotted
- Short excerpts of up to 1,000 words at a time
- The days when you just need a nudge to keep going
If something comes up that needs proper untangling, I’ll let you know it deserves a session, so it gets the time it needs.
Across Our Work Together, You’ll Gain
- A clearer sense of what may not be working, and why
- An understanding of what’s already working in your story
- Direction on what to focus on next
- Support strengthening structure, character, or tension
- More confidence in your decisions as you continue writing
This isn’t editing or a task-based service. It’s a collaborative space to think, process, and move forward with your story in a way that still feels like yours.
“Elin is a fantastic book coach! She is courteous and professional. The wealth of knowledge and understanding she brings as a writer to her coaching clients is invaluable and has helped me grow in my writing as I prepare to publish my first book. I look forward to working with her again in the future.”
Michelle S.
Who You’re Working With
I’ve written and published five novels of my own, and since then have edited over 20 romance and romantasy manuscripts—both for my own clients and as a developmental editor for a self-publishing agency. Romance and romantasy are my specialty, and I work across fantasy more widely too, including urban fantasy.
Story Coaching Options
Drafting Companion is newly launched, with a founding rate for the first 5 writers.
Session
$125 / session
A steady, low-pressure space to check in with your story.
Includes
- One 60-minute session by voice or video call
- Up to 3,000 words of optional context
- Flexible focus based on what you need
Best for when you want a place to talk things through, get perspective, and stay connected to your story without carrying everything alone. Book one, or several at once for 10% off.
Drafting Companion
Founding rate · 5 spots
Full price $300 Founding price $175 / 4 weeks
Founding rate locked for your first 6 months of continuous membership, then $300 / 4 weeks.
$300 / 4 weeks
Ongoing, close support while you’re deep in the writing process.
Includes
- Four weeks of written support in a private Discord space
- Weekday replies within one business day
- Weekly check-ins and a place to share your wins
- Short passages welcome; longer reads via Extra Reading
Best for when you don’t want to work alone—space to think out loud, ask questions as they happen, and stay grounded in your story day to day.
Extra Reading
$20 / 1,000 words
More context for a session or your Drafting Companion, when you need it.
Includes
- Extra pages read for a session or Drafting Companion, in 1,000-word blocks
- Up to 10,000 words in total
For anything longer, Manuscript Feedback or Developmental Editing will be a better fit.
Booking more than one session at once? You’ll get 10% off. Sessions are paid at booking. Drafting Companion is paid upfront for each four-week block, and you can renew or stop at the end of any block. There’s no long-term contract, and unused time doesn’t roll over.
How It Works
1. You Reach Out
Share a little about where you are in your story and what kind of support sounds right—including whether sessions, Drafting Companion, or both feel like a fit.
2. We Confirm What Fits
Together we settle on the option that suits your process best. This can shift over time as your needs change—you’re never locked in.
3. We Get Started
Once you’ve booked, we schedule your first session, or I set up your private Drafting Companion space within two business days.
What Working Together Looks Like
What Works Best For This Space
Sessions work best when you’re open to exploring your process, not just looking for quick answers. It’s not about fixing everything in one session, but about making steady, grounded progress over time. And if quick answers as you write are exactly what you need, that’s what Drafting Companion is for.
What It’s Like To Work Together
This isn’t about being told what your story “should” be. It’s a collaborative space where we look at what your story is already doing, and work together to shape it into something more intentional and clear.
Some sessions will be practical and focused. Others might be slower, more exploratory, depending on what you need. You don’t need to show up with the right answers. You just need to show up with where you are.
How This Builds Over Time
As we work together, I get to know your story, your patterns, and how you think through decisions. That means the support becomes more focused, more intuitive, and more tailored to you over time. You’re not starting from scratch each time—we’re building on what we’ve already uncovered.
Quick FAQ
What does a Story Coaching session actually include?
Each session is a 60-minute coaching call by voice or video. You can bring a brief update, one to three specific questions or challenges, and optionally up to 3,000 words of context. We work through them together so you can clarify what’s working, untangle what isn’t, and decide what the next step in your story might be.
What’s the difference between a session and Drafting Companion?
Sessions are dedicated time to go deeper into a bigger question, like structure, a romance arc that isn’t landing, or where your story should go next. Drafting Companion is for the smaller questions that come up while you write, so you can keep your momentum between the bigger moments. Many writers use both.
How quickly will you reply in Drafting Companion?
I reply on weekdays, within one business day. Messages sent over the weekend are answered on Monday.
Can you read my full manuscript as part of Story Coaching?
No. Story coaching doesn’t include full manuscript reads. Each session includes up to 3,000 words of optional context, and you can add extra reading in 1,000-word blocks, up to 10,000 words in total. The focus of this service is supporting you as you write, not reviewing a finished manuscript. If you’re looking for big-picture feedback on a complete manuscript, Manuscript Feedback would be a better fit.
Is this editing or developmental feedback?
Story coaching is coaching rather than editing. I focus on big-picture thinking around story structure, plot, character, clarity, momentum, and decision-making. You’ll leave each session with new understanding and a clearer direction for your story rather than marked-up pages that can feel overwhelming.
Is Story Coaching right for me if I feel stuck or unsure?
Yes. Many writers come to story coaching because they feel stuck, uncertain, or overwhelmed while drafting or revising. You don’t need to have clear answers before reaching out—we simply begin with where you are and work forward from there.
You don’t have to figure this out on your own.
Apply for Story CoachingA small step, but often enough to get things moving again.
