You want to write a memoir, a goal that’s been nagging at you for weeks, months, maybe longer. You keep starting. Then stopping. Then starting again.

You think you know the subject, but you have so many questions. How much of your story should you tell? Should you include stories from other people? Is research necessary? What is the best structure? Who is the audience? And how long will this thing take anyway?

If any of this sounds familiar, I invite you to take a deep breath. Yes, writing a book—especially one based on your own knowledge and life experiences—can be intimidating. But it will also be one of the most energizing, life-changing, life-affirming, spiritually charged and personally rewarding things you ever do.

I promise.

If you’re ready to stop procrastinating and start writing, I’d love to be your thought partner, cheerleader and personal mentor. I want to teach you how to start writing a book and help you write (and publish!) the book only you can write.

How Coaching Works

I’ve been coaching writers for more than 18 years and have coached more than 500 writers one on one. Over the years, I’ve learned that coaching works best when both coach and client are jointly committed to a project.

I show my commitment to you by taking on only a limited number of clients. This gives me the time and focus necessary to fully concentrate on your project.

You, in turn, demonstrate your commitment to your writing by agreeing to work with me for a minimum of six months. This commitment virtually ensures you will make significant progress—in fact, it’s not uncommon for clients to power through a complete first draft within six months.

Exactly how we work together will depend on where you are in your writing journey. Here are four options:

1. Brainstorming and Strategy Intensives for Clarity and Momentum—You want to write a book but you’re not sure of the focus, the audience, the structure, or how to make people care about your work. What you DO know is that you’re confused and desperate to get started. Sound familiar? If so, I offer brainstorming and strategy intensives wherein you and I can roll up our sleeves, brainstorm your project, find answers to your questions, and create a roadmap for your writing. Most clients come away from intensives with a preliminary table of contents, a list of content areas/research/stories to include, and a strategy for getting the writing done. If you’d like to learn more, shoot me an email describing your project and let’s schedule a time to talk. I’m now offering intensives online through Zoom calls. The typical intensive takes place over two half days.

2. Ongoing Coaching for Feedback and Accountability—You’re ready to start writing in earnest (perhaps you’ve even started) and you’d like a thought partner—someone to hold your hand, hold you accountable, give you feedback, teach you about craft, and with whom you can discuss big ideas and deeper themes. If this sounds like you, shoot me an email describing your book and writing background and let’s schedule a time to talk.I offer six- and nine-month coaching packages of various levels depending on how often you’d like to meet and how many pages you anticipate producing. True fact: More than 75 percent of clients who sign up for coaching with the goal of producing a complete first draft or a polished book proposal achieve their goal!

3. Free and Low-Cost Classes.  I regularly offer a variety of free and low-cost Zoom classes on a wide range of topics related to writing, memoir, and self-discovery. Popular classes include Jumpstart Your Memoir, Making Friends with Fear, and the free Ask-Me-Anything memoir Q&A. To learn about current classes, check out my schedule here. To be put on the email list for upcoming free classes, send me an email. Here is what one participant had to about a recent Zoom class: “Shari is organized and purposeful in way that made every part of the session interesting and valuable. The hands-on work and the sharing were so helpful for everyone. The way she facilitates means that everyone is heard but that the session continues to move forward. Superb!”

• Publishing options
• Privacy issues
• Finding agents and publishers
• Research
• Marketing essays and articles
• Structural issues
• Voice and Style
• Identifying Your Audience
• And anything else you might be stuck on related to your book

To learn more about current pricing and schedule an exploratory call, send me an email and let’s get something on the calendar!