Writing Coach and Mentor

Fiction • Non-Fiction • Memoirs

“You learn more quickly under the guidance of teachers. You waste a lot of time going down blind alleys if you have no one to lead you.” W. Somerset Maugham

Ann works with nascent writers as well as published authors, helping them to write to the best of their abilities, encouraging while providing the nuts-and-bolts guidance necessary for them to achieve their writing goals. Whether working on mystery novels or memoirs, Ann patiently and calmly critiques the writing, making general suggestions for editing and providing specific pointers for improvement.

Often, writers wait until they have finished a first draft before seeking the help of an editor. Ann suggests seeking an editor/writing mentor early in the process, to help the author avoid going down blind alleys and wrong paths. With her background teaching fiction writing, Ann knows how to help develop a writer's voice and can give tried-and-true guidance on plot and story development, creation of believable and memorable characters, and writing with the senses, among other topics vital to a writer.

Through the numerous memoir-writing workshops she has conducted, Ann has developed the art of pulling story from life, guiding writers to see the big picture of their lives, while cultivating the details that create that picture. With her guidance, many memoir writers have successfully fashioned their life stories into compelling books.

Knowing how daunting writing can be, Ann walks beside her writer-clients every step of the way in the creative process, encouraging and guiding, never simply accepting that the writing is "as good as it will get." She challenges her clients to reach beyond what they think they can do, and to achieve their very best.