Why Writers Need Teachers Too: The Value of Book Coaching

I’ve had excellent teachers my whole life, from grade school through adulthood. My mom was my first teacher; she inspired in me a love of reading. She modeled daily reading, laying the foundation for my continued love of reading today.

It’s important to note she didn’t just tell me to read because she knew I should. She read alongside me, made herself available to answer questions, and provided favorite books from her childhood (Nancy Drew and Little House on the Prairie will forever hold a special place in my heart). She didn’t say, “Go read,” and then send me off to figure it out for myself. She provided guidance along the way.

Looking back, I realize she wasn't just teaching me to read. She was teaching me how people learn. We rarely master something simply because someone tells us what to do. We learn because someone guides us through the process.

I’ve been a teacher for over twenty years now. I spent the first fifteen years in a traditional high school classroom, and I’ve spent the last eight teaching both teenagers and adults in a virtual setting. What I’ve discovered, time and again, is that it’s not enough to teach something once. Students, children and adults alike, need time to absorb the information, practice with it, and be provided the opportunity to ask questions along the way. 

The same is true when we're learning the craft of writing a novel.

Go write a novel…but how?

Recently, I saw this principle play out with one of my book coaching clients. She came to me with a draft she’d revised multiple times, and she felt stuck on how to fix it. She’d paid a professional editor to provide feedback, but that’s where the relationship ended.

She had all this feedback, but she had no idea how to implement it. As a result, the most recent draft sat unfinished in her drawer for months. She wasn't lacking information. She was lacking guidance.

Feedback isn’t the same as guidance

This reminds me of a teacher stereotype. You know the one. The teacher who pulls out his laminated lesson plans, lectures the entire hour, and then expects the students to magically know how to take that information and use it in a practical context.

A good teacher knows you can’t just lecture at the front of a classroom and expect the students to get it. A teacher has to check a student’s understanding by both asking and answering questions. Simply marking a paper with red ink doesn’t infuse the student with the ability to improve their writing. They need guidance on how to revise and the opportunity to revise multiple times to receive further guidance. I firmly believe this guidance needs to come in the form of both written and verbal feedback. I called them writing conferences in my classroom; I call them coaching calls in my fiction book coaching business. It’s the same concept. Writers need the opportunity to ask questions about the feedback they’re given.

Here’s the thing: some of the feedback my client received was good, but good feedback is useless if you don’t know how to implement it. Since working with me, my client has restructured her novel and now understands what scenes need to be removed, which need to be revised, and which need to be drafted. She has confidence in her ability to do this because she knows she has a trusted coach (aka teacher) she can turn to if she gets stuck, or simply needs encouragement to keep going. 

Why Writers Need Teachers Too

Her experience highlights something I think many writers misunderstand about learning the craft. That's why I don't think reading craft books, watching webinars, and attending one-off workshops is enough on their own. Don’t get me wrong; I use craft books, I watch webinars, and I attend one-off workshops. These resources have absolutely helped me build my skills, but the true game-changer for me was working with a book coach. My coach helped me see my story with fresh eyes, and she helped me understand where I needed to fix it, why I needed to fix it, and how to fix it. Nothing beats the transformation that comes from working with a gifted teacher. 

If you really want to learn the craft of writing a novel, you need someone who can guide you through the process. You need someone who can help you understand not just what needs work, but why it needs work and how to improve it. You need a sounding board, a trusted teacher, and an experienced guide who can help you keep moving forward when you feel stuck.

If you’re writing a novel or want to start writing a novel, I can help! Learn about my coaching services here.

Wanna get your feet wet first? Join my weekly co-writing sessions on Mondays and Fridays. 

Little me from the 80s, wearing my mom’s reading glasses, pretending to read her book (most likely a Stephen King novel)