The question I’m always asking is: What’s your ideal story?

Helping queer romance, crime, historical fiction, and memoir authors move towards a version of their ideal story is what I love to do.

We start out with what the author is trying to accomplish and what’s causing blocks to getting there. Sometimes the author knows, and sometimes we have to dig a little deeper.

Coaching can help from initial ideas through to draft completion and beyond!

Revision coaching is live-action coaching, working through the story problems as they unfold.

Oftentimes, plot threads, subplots, and character goals and motivations can shift and change as the novel develops. This becomes even more complex over a series of multiple books.

For example, a character who undergoes a big change, such as moving from the protagonist’s friend to their mortal enemy and future antagonist, takes a lot of work to ensure the shift is seamless, grounded in logical causation, and also tracks as a satisfying character arc in its own right.

There’s nothing more unsatisfying in queer crime fiction (and romance and historical!) than something just happening. We need to know the why.

Why at that moment, and why in that way? It is perfectly acceptable for the character to be confused, but we don’t want the reader to be confused as to why. This might mean playing around with backstory and motivations that stem from previous events, childhood trauma, or other pivotal life moments and working through how this chain of cause-and-effect moments led to the decision on the page.

Plotting fiction and working through character arcs is not simple stuff, but getting them right is what will make your book memorable, satisfying, and keep readers coming back for more.

If your ideal story is one of complex Plot A and Plot B elements (such as a criminal family, mafia bosses, underworld elements, thugs, corrupt cops, dark elements) or a romance plot (men loving men, women loving women, and all other genders or identities welcome!) then I’d love to work with your story.

You don’t have to work through these struggles alone because I love unpicking plots. A big part of revision is looking at different angles, brainstorming, and making suggestions if that’s what you will find helpful.

During a free Discovery call, we get to know each other, see if we’re a good fit, and map out where you’re heading next! It’s different for every author, so let’s talk and see where your story can go.