Floundering to First Draft
A 30-week, one-on-one coaching program to help you finally write the book you’ve been dreaming about.
Get past the blank page, build your story the right way, and finally reach “The End” with one-on-one support the whole way through.
I find my clients fall into two camps:
Stuck at the Start
Slogging through the Middle
Slogging through the Middle
- You can’t let go of this great story idea, you talk about it all the time, you dream about it, it’s imprinted on your heart, but when you sit down to write, you just stare at that dang cursor. Like the book is stuck inside you.
- Or you’ve written the same opening scene over and over and over and you just can’t get it right.
- You’ve been to conferences and workshops and read a bunch of craft books, but you just can’t seem to get your book on paper. Nobody’s methods seem to work.
Slogging through the Middle
Slogging through the Middle
Slogging through the Middle
- You’ve written a chunk of your book, but it’s not good (lie) and the idea of starting from scratch again is beyond depressing.
- You want to prove to yourself that you can write that book, but it’s totally overwhelming and feels more unachievable every. Single. Day.
- You feel like you don’t have the time or energy to finish your book, but you just can’t get it off your mind.
Humor me for a second and tap into that brilliant imagination of yours.
Put yourself seven months in the future.
Imagine sitting at your favorite writing spot: listen to the sounds around you, feel the air, take in the scents, feel the keys of your computer under your fingertips.
Feel yourself smiling as you take a deep breath and type THE END.
Feels pretty amazing, right?
The first step to getting there is clicking on this apply button. Yep, that one right down there.
Hi, I'm Stephanie.
I know you’re worried about sharing your writing with a stranger, so let me introduce myself. My name is Stephanie and I’m an editor and writing coach.
I believe we ALL have a book inside of us, and I'm passionate about helping writers not only finish their books, but write books people actually want to read.
Phase One: Build a Rock-Solid Foundation
Phase Two: Build the Framing & Put Up Some Walls
Phase Two: Build the Framing & Put Up Some Walls
Like building a house, you need a firm foundation to build your story on.
First things first, we are going to design a plan for you to actually get this book written instead of just dreaming about it.
Next we are going to get crystal clear on why you’re writing this book, what you want your book to say to the world, and who you really want to read your book.
After we’ve uncovered the why, what, and who, we will get a big-picture view of your story.
FIRST MILESTONE
It's a foundation pouring party! After you’ve received written feedback on all the phase one work, you get your first milestone call. (If you hate Zoom, we will schedule a time to chat via WhatsApp.)
Think of this as a collaboration call; we will talk about the work you did during phase one and make sure you’re feeling confident about your story before moving on to phase two.
Phase Two: Build the Framing & Put Up Some Walls
Phase Two: Build the Framing & Put Up Some Walls
Phase Two: Build the Framing & Put Up Some Walls
In the beginning of this phase, we’re going to define the essentials of your story:
- Your protagonist
- Your story structure
- Your major plot elements
- Your narrator
- Your supporting characters
Next, we are going to focus on the container of your story. We will hash out your starting point, your ending point, and major turning points in between. You will create a fluid blueprint that will carry you through the rest of the writing process.
SECOND MILESTONE
It looks like a house! ...or a book. Time for another milestone call (or chat). You will have received a lot of feedback by this point, so we want to make sure you’re ready for the fun that starts in phase three!
Phase Three: Plumbing, Electrical, Drywall…
Phase Two: Build the Framing & Put Up Some Walls
Phase Three: Plumbing, Electrical, Drywall…
I’m losing my metaphor here, but you get the idea!
Time to write! As you meet your deadlines, we will produce a solid first draft that won’t require years of editing when you finish.
FOUR MORE MILESTONES
You will have four milestone calls (or chats) during the writing phase, one every 60 pages.
This will ensure your draft hasn’t gone completely off the rails! (Stubborn characters sometimes take your book crazy places, it happens all the time.)
All the foundational work you did during phases one and two will come into play here as you build more and more confidence in your writing and finally finish this book!
Is the Floundering to First Draft program right for you?
The Floundering to First Draft program is perfect for you if:
- You’ve had a book on your heart and mind for years and you want to see it come to life on the page.
- You’ve read craft books, maybe you’ve gone to some conferences and joined some writing groups, but you just can’t seem to get the words out.
- You want to write a fun and exciting story while still having substance (and bonus points for a good happily ever after).
- You want people to read and enjoy your book, but you understand the publishing world is constantly changing and unpredictable. You will be thrilled with finishing your book regardless of whether it would be considered “commercially viable” by agents and publishers.
- You are open to new ideas and new methods to help you write the best book you can.
- You are not afraid to scrap some pages and ideas for the greater good of your book.
- You are excited to challenge yourself and commit to finally getting your book done!
