Pivotal choices with writing coach Nikki Vallance

Pivotal choices with writing coach Nikki Vallance

by

Pivotal choices with writing coach Nikki Vallance

by Emma Dhesi | Turning Readers Into Writers

https://www.buzzsprout.com/971221/9698909

Pivotal choices with writing coach Nikki Vallance

Emma Dhesi: 

Nikki, thank you so, so much for joining me today. It’s lovely to have you on the show.

Nikki Vallance: 

Thank you. It’s lovely to be here.

Emma Dhesi: 

And now always start off the show by asking my guests tell us about your journey to writing. How did you get to where you are today?

Nikki Vallance: 

Yeah. I’ll give you the potted short history because it’s, as you can imagine, with most of your guesses, it’s a little bit torturous. But basically, I’ve always been a writer. And I, I didn’t actually realize how early I’d started writing until my dad showed me something, he kept sorting out some stuff. And there’s a little story I’d written with some pictures, it was about kangaroo. I don’t even remember writing it. You know, I think it was probably about six at the time. And I wrote loads and loads of poetry. When I was in junior school, I wrote a teenage diary, which lots of people do may or may not be something that people would share. But it was a habit that I was writing every day. And then it all sort of got put to one side. And you know, life took over and work and everything else. And I guess I’ve always been writing because I used to write sort of marketing material. And I was in recruitment for a long time. So I was writing CVS in Habibi write CVS. But I basically had a coach at one point. And it I was pursuing three goals. One of which I said to her, if I don’t want to be structured, my whole life is structured, I’m in sales. I’ve got a sensible health goal, a sensible business goal, that actually is what’s something really exciting and new and fresh. And so I settled on having a creative goal. But I said, well, let’s just leave it free and see what happens. And so within a week, I came back to it, and actually, I think I’ve decided what it is I want to write a book. And within a second week, I said, No, I know what the books gonna be about. It’s going to be a novel, I’m going to publish it. And so it went from being unstructured to being completely structured. And then, and that was sort of, it took me from that point nine years to write my first book. And I’ll chat about that a little bit more. But once I decided I was going to write a novel, effectively, I was sort of prepared to sort of commit to it and admit that I was doing it. But really, it was all quite sort of secretive, really. And then there was a bit of a shift later on, when I went, No, this is gonna finish it. And then I finished it. And then and then we go from there.

Emma Dhesi: 

That’s so interesting that you even though you’d made the commitment to yourself, and you’ve made that decision, which I think is kind of that’s you halfway there, once you make that decision, you’re a big portion of the way there. But what do you think it was that made you be sort of reluctant to share that with other people and sort of say, I’m going to do this,

Nikki Vallance: 

it’s really interesting, because I think it’s something that a lot of people suffer with, when they first start, if you haven’t gone and studied something formally, but you know, deep down, it’s something you are really passionate about. Sometimes it’s very hard to sort of believe that you can do it unless somebody else validates it. And so lots of my clients now we’ll talk about this later, perhaps lots of my clients now say to me, but I don’t want to share my work. Because what if somebody doesn’t like it? And, and I’ve now realized, obviously, because I’m many years in that the best bit about sharing work is the feedback you get from people. And I say to look, please tell me exactly what you think. Because actually, that’s what helps me get better at what I do. And so I’m quite, I guess, thick skinned now and I say to people, look, not everyone is gonna like every book that’s that’s it’s subjective. The whole thing about art and and writing novels is that they’re not going to appeal to everybody. And so, but actually, if you can be constructive about what you’re saying to people, then that will help them to sort of understand is it something fundamentally that’s causing issue for everybody? Or is it just a dislike because somebody who doesn’t like that particular way of writing or that particular genre, so I’ve gone from being someone who was very reluctant to share, to being someone who’s happy, really happy to do it. And I think it’s actually that turning point is when you realize, if you don’t share, you’ll never, ever get your book in front of people. No one’s ever going to see it. So you have to kind of get over yourself and say, Okay, I’m gonna share my work.

Emma Dhesi: 

Take that risk, kind of risking that it will be successful. Yeah. So talking of which your debut novel pivotal was published in 2019. Yeah, I’d love for you to tell us a little bit about it. And the inspiration behind it because it’s a fantastic premise.

Nikki Vallance: 

Yeah. So um, it is a story that starts out With four seemingly unconnected lives of four women in their 40s. And they’re basically all thrown by a mysterious request that comes from nowhere. And so it actually does really disrupt their lives to the point where they can’t really cope with making the decision because they’re put under some time pressure. And there are also some strings attached, shall we say, so that it’s not just as simple as saying who you are, here’s some money. So they go to a hypnotherapist to make that decision. And actually, throughout the story, you’re wondering, are they connected? If they’re connected? How are they connected? But also, what are they going to do? And they’re going to say yes, or they’re going to say no, and that’s what pulls you through the story. But actually, the the premise behind it is, is all about what makes us who we are. And each of those individuals has had things happen to them in their lives that have been turning points have been pivotal. And how does that shape us? And it’s those questions about, you know, what, if they’ve done this, or what if they’ve done that? Where would they be now? How would they be responding to this dilemma that they’ve been facing? Yeah. And so that was the premise where it came from Good. Goodness knows, I literally, as I said, earlier, when I had that goal, I thought for quite fancy writing a book, and then I was going to sleep. And often that’s the time when your brain is quite creative, because it’s apparently because I’ve done like colored research with the circus, there’s a stage between what awake and sleep where your brain is in what they call FISA waves, which are below the surface of conscious thinking. And often, that’s where your inspiration can come from. And so I literally had this idea of, okay, if if this event occurred, how would that how would those parts of those those people be affected? And, yeah, so that’s where it came from. So the whole story arc, and those four characters literally landed in my brain, in, you know, in a second, as I was going to say, look, okay, that’s it, then I’ve got the idea. Of course, then you have to build the whole story around that. And that, that takes time. But yeah, but the initial premise came very quickly.

Emma Dhesi: 

I can really relate to that, because I’m of a certain age now. And I’ve certainly kind of got to that halfway point, and been looking back on my own life and looking at the decisions that I’ve made, and some I have regretted some I’ve not, would I make the same again, it’s such a interesting period of life, I mean, know, to be able to look back with a bit of distance as well. Think about my kind of youngest now. So I’m sure a lot of your readers must be able to kind of relate to that.

Nikki Vallance: 

I think, um, I do think that that is something it’s to do with a certain point when you do start looking back at but also, I think that lots of people are sort of channeled through this sort of standard way points in their life. So they think they have to do things in a certain order. And I’ve never been someone who’s felt that way. And so for example, with careers, I’ve changed direction, four times. And I do it at every point, it’s when I get to a bit more, I think, well, this isn’t actually satisfying me something’s missing or something, I want to explore something else. And I’ve always been interested in lots of things. And we spend so much time working that you have an absolutely passionate about this, you have to be spending time doing something that you love. Writing is an interesting thing, because you don’t actually have to give up a job to be a writer. In fact, probably I wouldn’t recommend that you do. Because it’s not that easy to make money from I mean, obviously, some people are very successful and do but the majority of writers, even some of the best sellers have another job as well. And so actually, the great thing about that is you don’t have to decide between two things. You could do both. But yeah, so I think it is those those sort of waypoints where you think, Okay, what am I going to do now, I’ve always believed from from quite a young age that actually you have to make sure that you are happy to doing what you’re doing. And if you’re not ready to go, you can take control of that, and you can change that direction. But you’re right about the midway point. And I guess I didn’t necessarily deliberately intend to write pivotal for people who are midway, but now I’ve been, I’m starting my second novel, and actually, that is the people I’m writing for. And it’s, it’s basically the kind of book I would want to read. And that’s why that’s why I wrote what I wrote. But there’s also definitely not enough books, written with characters, strong character, strong female characters who are at that stage of life. And I’m kind of trying to redress the balance a little bit and put more of that work out there. Because I’m sure there are lots of People who would like to see themselves reflected in the books they read, and there aren’t enough of them. So yeah, yeah. So that’s what

Emma Dhesi: 

I yeah, I’ve read it. And I really enjoyed it. And I love being able to see elements of myself in all of the characters. So I really enjoyed that. Good. But So as you’ve mentioned, you know, you’re you don’t only write you also help other writers as well. And you, and one of the ways you do that is with your Facebook group. Yeah. And the Forgotten Books of lockdown, which I think is a lovely title. And I love what you’re doing here, because you’re matching authors with readers who may not have found each other because of lockdown. A lot of things were cancelled, weren’t they? Yeah. And is that what inspired putting the series on? And can you tell us a bit more about the series?

Nikki Vallance: 

Yeah, so Okay, so the groups called the last books, lockdown. It’s a private group, but anyone can join, there’s just a few questions you need to answer to sort of show why why you think it would be suitable for you. And it’s absolutely for that reason to, there are lots and lots of events that didn’t happen, lots of festivals that didn’t happen. And also lots of people published books that don’t have massive marketing budgets, or displays in more stones. And those books are just as good sometimes, if not better than the books that you would obviously find through all that promotional activity. And so I just felt, okay, I can’t be the only one who feels they had a book out that hasn’t really reached enough people yet. What if I just said screw up and see what happens. And quite quickly, it kind of took off. And, and it is a mixture of people who are just pure readers who love finding new authors, people who are who are authors, often also readers, because that’s quite common. And also a few people who offer services to, you know, to the authors, to help them with their marketing, or social media or editing, or whatever it is, I’m trying to bring in those experts as well to help solve some of the problems that the writers have. And also some people who are readers, but I would call an expert readers. So for example, I interviewed Ann Williams, who’s a blogger, she’s got over 10,000 followers. And she is an avid reader. And she reviews for people and she is part of blog tours. And so she is someone who has, you know, she’s She doesn’t do it for money. She does it for the love of books, but she’s someone who the readers might be inspired by the watching. I might fancy doing that. So it’s really meant to be because there’s lots of groups writers, there’s lots of groups readers is really meant to be both

Emma Dhesi: 

for both. Yeah, no, I caught that one with Ann Williams. And it was really good, because it just taught me a bit a little bit more about the blogging world, and from a writer’s perspective, more than a reader’s Yes. How influential it is, is quite amazing.

Nikki Vallance: 

Yes, absolutely. And I think, you know, what I like about the group is, it’s sort of, it’s not for me, it’s for everybody. And everyone seems to be respecting what the group is for. And it seems to be attracting those kind of people who actually really respect the the effort that somebody like am puts into her passion. She doesn’t get paid for. And I mean, there are lots of people who can be a little bit snarky in the world, particularly in social media. And it seems to be that most people who are there aren’t that they’re actually really genuinely wanting to connect with people and and help each other. So that’s really great. So I do to say at the moment, there’s very few features is quite new. Still, there are two features. One is a weekly interview with an author. And the other one is a monthly interview with an expert. And there are more features coming in the new year.

Emma Dhesi: 

Are you able to share at give us a teaser? Or you want to

Nikki Vallance: 

know No, hopefully, hopefully, what’s happening is I’ve just literally in the group put a questionnaire together for people to answer so they can actually stay what which features they get when, and also the ideas I’ve had, they may not be the only ideas, some people might have some brilliant ideas of things that we could be doing. So I’ve asked people to make suggestions or to agree with the ones that I’ve come up with to see which ones we do first. And I think probably the first one is going to be a directory so that people can actually search for what they’re looking for. So if they’re looking for help with their book, they can look for that with the business experts or if they’re looking for a particular genre because they’ve got I don’t know, a 12 year old niece and they’re looking for a book for girls about adventures or fantasy or whatever, then they can look for that. Or if they’re authors, they can even if the readers are prepared to share what they’re interested in, find the readers who are looking for their genre, so hopefully it helps people too, because sometimes a feed in a group does have become a little bit outdated quite quickly, it’s hard to follow. This is sort of one way of getting to the action as quickly as possible. So I’m thinking it’s, I’m hoping it’s coming very soon, but I’m not quite sure exactly when it be ready. So

Emma Dhesi: 

that’s exciting. And what a great idea. Yeah, I love it. Yeah, um, so you have their Facebook group, but you also kind of on a more personal one to one basis, you have your coaching programs that you offer. And there are fabulously titles. So would you take us through each of those?

Nikki Vallance: 

Well, I’d like people to go to the website to look at them. Because it was just a little bit of fun. But basically, there are three different coaching packages which you can take up if you’re wanting to work with me one to one. And I know that not everybody would want to do that. But if you decide to do that, basically, you’ve got people who have no idea what they want to, they just know they want to write a book. So there’s a packaging there for them, they’ve got no idea about anything, and they need lots of structure and support. And I would help coach them through that. And then you’ve got people who have actually had quite a clear, clear idea about what they want, but they really know they’re not very great at staying accountable. So they just want someone to keep them accountable. And there’s one for that. And then really, it’s just if you want to think about the the ideas that you have, and the the kind of mapping that out. So you’ve got quite a strong idea about everything, but you just don’t do it on your own, because it’s quite a lonely thing, then I can help you do that. And yeah, so everybody’s different. But to be honest, what happens is often people start on the program, and then we go wherever, wherever it takes them. So pretty much everybody who works with B, it’s kind of a bespoke kind of variance.

Emma Dhesi: 

Yeah, another by one to one coaching is that you do get that tailored approach. So you might start off with the system at the start of the program, you need one level of support. And then by the end, you need a different type of support. And when it’s you’ve got that relationship with your coach, then we can work together and move together through that very fluid. Now, you mentioned at the top of the show there that you’ve also worked with coaches before? And what do you what’s been the benefit, and some of the coaches, you’ve worked with how they helped you?

Nikki Vallance: 

And okay, so I would say I’ve probably three or four times I’ve had a coach sometimes, well, nearly always for different reasons. But I would say the most important thing that I have found having a coach does for me is it gets me where I want to go more efficiently more quickly. And the reason for that is that a coach will give you will have a clarity of distance, they can see stuff that you can’t see, you might be saying it, and they can read the energy in what you’re saying. And they can hear the words you’re saying and reflect the back to you. And then you get insight and you go, Okay, well, I understand now why I’m stuck. And it helps move you forward. So you can absolutely write a book on your own. I did, there’s absolutely no reason to go and seek support. However, if you know where you want to go, and you want to get there more quickly, more efficiently, then just having somebody alongside you to make that step change is I think the best thing, so whenever I’ve done it, as I said to Jim, for different reasons, my life has looked completely different at the end of a three month period than it did at the beginning. Yeah, and so many things that I was stopping myself from doing have been lifted, those barriers have been lifted, and I’ve moved forward and it kind of takes on a bit of a momentum. I think you have to be careful to you have to be appreciate that when you start it will be challenging. But it will take on a bit of a life of its own because all those things you’ve told us if you can’t do it will actually show you that you can Yeah.

Emma Dhesi: 

Oh so beautifully said I couldn’t have put it better myself. Yeah. Exactly that that transformation that you didn’t even know it’s possible for you being and do you coach across all different disciplines. Do you fiction, nonfiction poetry, or do you have a preference?

Nikki Vallance: 

I tend to I think I could I think it’s a bit like teaching if you have a skill to do something you can you can coach anybody but I prefer to coach people who are writing novels. Mainly because there’s quite a lot services out there. So really good coaches you focus on like for example, business books or nonfiction passion projects. And it is actually probably a more structured process because those books tend to be very similar to each other. You know, there’s an expectation of what will be in them in the structure they We’ll have, and I think we’ve we’ve novels, I think it’s harder for people to know what they should be doing. It’s hard for them to be confident in themselves. It’s harder to have the right mindset. I think if you’ve got a business, you’re writing a book for it, you’ve already got a business, you know that this is part of your business model. Whereas when it’s when it’s something you’re doing from your heart, and it’s nurturing your soul, I think it’s, it’s harder for people. So in a way, although I could help anybody, those are the people I really feel would benefit best from my from my support. Yes, absolutely.

Interview with Nikki Vallance

Emma Dhesi: 

Oh, my goodness. Now, as if that was not enough, as if you are not busy enough, I also host a writing community as well, called the writers poured. So how did how does that community work?

Nikki Vallance: 

Okay, so it’s a very small group. And it refreshes every so often at the moment when we’re not running a program with it within the group. But basically, it’s, it’s what I would what I would describe as a writer’s group. And I set it up, because there’s lots of people who can’t go out well, at the moment, nobody can, but can’t go out regularly to a venue to meet up with fellow writers and the support that you get from being with a group of writers. So I thought, well, if it can’t go out, why don’t we have an online group and, and it’s an on top of that, because I’m a coach, why don’t I coach people, so when they don’t necessarily need or want one to one coaching, they can come to the writers pod. And they get a regular touch point, not particularly detailed coaching, because it’s very difficult to do that with a group. But certainly the structure and the accountability, and different challenges. And they can do different features where if they’ve got issues, they can actually discuss those issues with each other as much as with me. And that is the beauty of I mean, you’ll, you’ll know this, but if you’re in a group, with like minded people, who all have a similar goal, but they’re all individuals, and you feel supported and you feel it’s safe, then you can do that thing where you start sharing, because you may not have ever done that before. And this is a place where you can practice that sharing as work. And it doesn’t have to be part of your novel, it could be any piece of work that you’re working on. And often we would have like a writing theme. And I just get people to do a little flash fiction or something. And, and then it comes back. And then they get feedback, direct feedback straightaway. And, and so it helps to them to grow their confidence in themselves. And the main reason why I did it is because I felt that people more often than not, the thing that’s going to cause them an issue is their mindset isn’t really the ability to write or their creativity or anything else. It’s about their mindset and their self belief. And this this little group, which normally only has sort of an attend to 30 people in at any one time, really did give that to the people who were who are in it when it’s when it’s active, but at the moment is not active. And is one of the things that might get resurrected next year.

Emma Dhesi: 

Well, it sounds fantastic. It sounds really perfect free, as you see for those people who are still nervous about sharing, don’t have that confidence, a really safe space for people to sort of spread their wings or put out some tentacles. Yes, you do. Yeah. One of the things that that was part of that, which I was really interested in was your the creators clinic. Yeah, where people could come and ask you questions. And so did you notice there? Were there any kind of themes around the questions? Was there questions that were more common than others? What did you notice? Yeah,

Nikki Vallance: 

yeah. So very early on the things that people struggle with most when they say they’ve made the decision to write a book, but they haven’t got any knowledge about how to go about it. So the things that come up time and time again, are concerned about copyright. People worry that, for example, if they send their book off to an agent, what if someone’s going to steal it? And it’s quite a legitimate concern, because you’d have no idea how this thing works. But so yeah, that would come up. And the answer to that is, once it’s written, it’s if it’s in your name, then that’s it. It’s yours. policing, it is another thing. But um, but yeah, so and, and at the end of the day, you’re not going to write the same thing. Even if they stole the idea. It’s going to be written by somebody else. It’s not going to be the same book because that’s not written by you. So yeah, it’s one thing that early concern that ends up not being a problem. The most common the most common thing is, well, there’s two things one, where do I start? People have no idea where to start when they when they think about starting, they just haven’t got a clue. What should they do? Should they plot should they make characters should they? I don’t know. Think about which method they want to publish through. And so basically, there’s, there’s a few key things that they can do to get started. And the main thing is actually to get on with it, is to just start writing. And if that’s a struggle, putting in place some kind of process, so a particular time of day or a certain number of words, just something that structures it. So that isn’t an ad hoc thing. And those are the two things that I recommend to people straight away before they do anything else. And then the other thing, apart from the where do I start? Question is, how do I make myself believe this is possible? You know, how, where do I find the confidence to make this happen? Because I, once they’ve admitted they’ve been over a few weeks, I don’t think I can do this. Something in my head is telling me I can’t. And we just work on that mindset thing. We just work on that and say, Well, you know, actually perception is, I think it’s actually even in my book, I use this phrase perception is nine tenths reality. So if you believe something is possible, it will happen. And if you believe it can’t, it probably won’t. And what you have to do is get in the head of the person who has already written the book, project forward, and imagine it’s happened. And then think about how that affects the way you think and feel and write. And believe you are a writer, I don’t know what happened to me. But when I first had a form to fill in, I think it was about six months after I started writing had to fill in a form for medical appointment or something. And it said, you know, what is your profession, and the first time I put a writer down was like, Oh, I just, I’m a writer, and then put slash recruiter slash. Yeah, so get into that turning point is actually allowing yourself to claim it is is a big step. Yeah. And I think that’s something that people worry about, how can I say that I’m a writer, when I haven’t even got a book to show people what you start writing you are?

Emma Dhesi: 

Yeah, it’s one of the things I sort of encourage my students to do as well. There’s just that mantra of I am a writer, I am a writer and just kind of keep seeing it, even if it’s just to yourself, but initially, it’s just a way of sort of building that, that belief in yourself. And until it feels less alien, yeah, and actually becomes a part of you. And when you believe that you’re a writer, you can step into being it and you step up for yourself and start prioritizing your writing and believing that you can do it.

Nikki Vallance: 

I did. I did a little survey, it wasn’t a scientific one. I did a little survey in a big writers group on Facebook a few years ago. And once I’d kind of analyze the results. There were three answers that kept coming, because I asked them, what would the three most important attributes of a successful writer be? And three, the three that were most common, and it was surprising. The first one was you need to have creativity. Sorry, that was the third one rather, the third most popular, and I thought I would be the first I’m gonna thought most people would say you have to have, you have to have creativity, you have to have talent. But that came up was important, but not that important. The second most popular was you got to write you got to practice you just got to do it you got to be the more you do, the better you get. But then the most popular answer by twice as many as the others was persistence. It was actually about doing just keep on keeping on you need it for everything you need it when you start writing to keep yourself going. You need it when you ask for feedback you because you get knocked back there. You need it when you’re sending off work to agents, you need it when your book reaches the shops and maybe doesn’t sell as much as you’d like it to. Yeah, you need it when you get reviews and they’re not ones you want. So basically just got to keep going and and know where you want to go. I mean, I think that’s something that people find difficult. They just want they don’t want to write a book. They don’t know why. I think you can find out your real deep down why what are you actually trying to achieve? You know, then actually makes everything else all the decisions you have to make much much easier.

Emma Dhesi: 

Yeah, so true. So true. It has become a bit of a cliche. Now this ask What’s your why, what. But the reason it’s a cliche is because it’s so important, and it’s so true. Yeah. And even if it’s just organizing your child’s birthday party, you kind of got to know that you’re going to do that if you want to achieve it. Yes. Big difficult project like writing a book if you know why you want to do it and what you’re trying to achieve and what success looks like for you get that project and make the in the steps in between so so much clearer and absolutely manageable.

Nikki Vallance: 

I mean, you’ve probably done this as well if you ask yourself on anything. Why but you ask it five times, you know, like you kids do when they’re little but why but wow. During that, actually you get to the real why? Because I think sometimes people say I want to do it because I’ve always wanted to, well, that’s not really deep enough you need to go. But why have you always wanted to? And they just keep asking that question, you really get to the heart of what it is that makes you tick. And and I would always advocate have the biggest possible goal that you could ever imagine? Because it will take a long time. But there’s no reason why you can’t get there. But you have to be persistent.

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Interview with Nikki Vallance

Emma Dhesi: 

Yes. Yes. Love it. Love it. So you are working on your second book, as you’ve mentioned, are you able to share anything about it?

Nikki Vallance: 

I could share a little bit it is. So it’s a similar audience. It’s the characters are in midlife. And it is a dual timeline. story set in the late 80s. And early 2000s and 10s, attend 2010 2011. And it’s, it’s a very easy to determine the genre is a proper romance is a true, true story. Romance. of second chances. Oh, lovely.

Emma Dhesi: 

I loved your timeline. So I’m excited about that.

Nikki Vallance: 

And also, I think for our for our age group, but I mean, you’re not the same as me, necessarily. But I think we reach a point and we do look back. And actually we often look back to that really formative sort of teens young adult time. And for me, that was 80s. And so that nostalgia really plays into the book as well.

Emma Dhesi: 

It frightens me, you know that. Our youth is now considered historical. Whatever makes me laugh. Oh, well. Lovely. It’s been so nice chatting with you, Nikki, thank you so much for joining me today. And just before we wrap up, I wonder could you let our listeners know where they can find out more about you your coaching and your fiction?

Nikki Vallance: 

Yeah. Okay. So it’s very simple. My website is my name.com so it’s Nikki and I K Aki. valance, VA Double L ey nc.com. And I am on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Although not there very actively, and Instagram, all under my name. Some of them I’ve got underscores, but you should be able to find me quite easily and it’s all linked through my website as

Emma Dhesi: 

well. Fantastic. Well, I’ll be sure to put a link to your website in the show notes so everyone can can find you easily. Nikki, thank you so so much.

Nikki Vallance: 

Thank you very much for having me.

If you’ve been working on your novel for years (perhaps even decades) the maybe it's time to consider working with a coach.

If you have multiple versions of your novel and you don’t know which works best, are scared nobody will like your book and don't feel like a 'real' writer, then my guess is coaching is the right next step for you.

Find out more and sign up for your free Clarity Call here: https://emmadhesi.com/personal-coaching/

 

Join Turning Readers Into Writers
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Shortcuts for Writers

Do you feel as if you don’t have the time or the money to invest in editing your novel? I know an online course that can help you to transform your manuscript WITHOUT breaking the bank. It’s called Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable, and it was created by Stacy Juba of Shortcuts for Writers.

 

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emma dhesi

Emma Dhesi

Emma writes women’s fiction. She began writing seriously while a stay at home mum with 3 pre-school children.

By changing her mindset, being consistent and developing confidence, Emma has gone from having a collection of handwritten notes to a fully written, edited and published novel.

Having experienced first-hand how writing changes lives, Emma now helps beginner writers find the time and confidence to write their first novel.

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What is A Book Coach?

What is A Book Coach?

by | coach, coaching, getting help, inspiration

Where has book coaching come from?

Book Coaching is a new field which has emerged in the writing and publishing industry.

As traditional publication has coalesced and financial margins have become tighter, agents and editors don’t have the time or money anymore to invest in new writers, coach them, or guide them in their writing.

I remember reading Diana Athil’s biography Stet, in which she described the nurturing of a new young writer called VS Naipaul. With strong guidance (and even stronger patience) she took him from young writer to literary giant. 

This level of long-term support is now a privilege available to only a chosen few!

With the amalgamation of the big publishing houses and resulting financial pressures, there’s less room for mistakes and publishers want only those books that they feel confident will reach a wide audience and make them a profit.

Agents are by default in the same boat. Agents are looking to pick up a nearly perfect product from the slush pile. They don’t have the luxury of time or budget to coax a great story out of a writer who has potential.

Margins are too tight.

Just as the merging of the big publishing houses has created an open marketplace for formerly in-house editors (good news for indie authors!) so, too has it created a gap in the market for experts and professionals to help aspiring writers finish a first draft (which eludes an estimated 90% of writers) revise and even publish or query their books.

This is wonderful news for writers because it’s slowly but surely breaking down the misconception that novels are written solely by the author in a bubble.

Novels have always been a collaborative project, but previously that project was worked on in-house with the agent or publisher. The co-operative aspect of novel writing is not a new thing.

How does a coach differ from an editor?

A coach works with you throughout the writing process. 

An editor comes in at the end, once the book is finished.

How a book coach can help you

Writing a novel is a long-term and intellectual endeavour. It’s hard work keeping all the moving parts in your head while at the same time maintaining perspective on the story as a whole.

If you’ve experienced coaching in any other part of your life, you know how beneficial the experience is.

Most writers come to a coach knowing the basics, at least in theory. They’ve attended classes, taken part in workshops, read many craft books and scoured the internet for a magic solution to novel writing. It’s not a teacher they need

1. Feedback

A coach really comes into their own when it comes to brainstorming ideas, asking questions about the script at hand, working through a character’s goals and motivations.

Often I’ve got stuck with a plot point, or can’t work out how to get my protagonists out of (or into) trouble.

Because my coach knows the story and the characters, they are best placed to help me come up with ideas on how to solve that particular problem. Oh, the wonderful a-ha! moments I’ve had with my coaches.

2. Moral Support

The most surprising thing I’ve discovered, however, is that the story itself is only part of the coaching. The other half is the support I offer my students. 

There is always a moment (usually about halfway through the novel) in the process where my students doubt themselves and wonder if any of it’s worthwhile and wouldn’t it be better for everyone if they just gave it up?

My job then is to help reframe my student’s state of mind. Their book is absolutely worth pursuing. That’s why it keeps them up at night! It needs to be told. Frustration and self-doubt are a natural part of the process and, with experience, my students come to recognise their own roller coaster of emotions.

3. Transformation

You need a coach who facilitates your transformation from a confused and lonely newbie to a clear-headed and supported author.

A coach is the only person who is as invested in your manuscript as you are. They take the time to read your work, comment on it, ask questions and ensure your novel has all the necessary components.

A novel is more than pretty words, it’s about structure and forward momentum.

Your coach will guide you to write the best book you can by asking questions of the plot, the characters, and writing itself. They will ask just the right questions to unstick your story.

It’s been my experience that the transformation shows itself not only in your writing but your wider life. You’re a happier person because you’re doing what lights you up and this ripples into your professional life, your family life and even your future goals.

Do coaches need to be accredited?

No. It’s not necessary to have a qualification to be a book coach, just as it’s not necessary to have an MFA/MA to be an author.

That said, it is necessary to be a book lover and ideally a writer. It is necessary to study Story and understand its many and varied dynamics.

A qualification can give you reassurance that your prospective coach has invested in themselves and their professional development, but it’s not a prerequisite.

Will they help me write a bestseller?

That is something nobody can guarantee, no agent, publisher or book coach.

Your coach will help you write the best book you can at that moment in time, but they can’t promise book sales.

If you’re looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, this isn’t it. Building a back catalogue and a name takes time.

Do they need to be a bestseller?

Being a bestselling author doesn’t make a person a good coach, so don’t base your decision on that alone.

There are a lot of good writers out there who haven’t hit the bestseller list (you may even be one of them!). That doesn’t mean they don’t have value to share.

How do you choose the right coach?

It’s all about relationships. The most important thing, I believe, is that you like the person you hire.

1. Trust is key

You’re going to have some in-depth conversations with them, so you want to feel safe to discuss almost anything with them. You’ll be amazed at what emerges from the depths of your psyche when you’re writing a novel, and it can leave you feeling vulnerable.

2. Do they understand your goals?

Be sure they understand your goal and will give you actionable steps to achieve them. Ensure they’ll provide constructive feedback (good or bad) to keep you growing.

This is another reason you like the person you work with. They might give you negative feedback and it’s imperative you feel those comments come from a good place.

3. What do others say?

Look for testimonials and if you don’t see any on their website, ask for them. All coaches worth their salt will be happy to do this.

What qualities do you need as a client?

1. Be coachable

The first and most important quality is being ‘coachable’.

There’s no point hiring someone to work with you if you reject everything they say. You must be willing to listen to what they say, and their reasons for saying it. After that you must make up your own mind.

Defensiveness gets you nowhere!

2. Be willing to try

You must also be willing to try new things. Your coach may suggest new ways of writing or approaching your work, things you’ve not tried before.

Before you reject them, try them. You never know, it might just be the solution to your problem.

3. Be committed

The third quality you need is to be ready to write. You want to make the most of your time with your coach. Commit to the novel for the length of time you’re with your coach. Take advantage of their expertise and feedback.

A coach can do many things, but they cannot write your novel for you.

Coaches have their own speciality

As the coaching profession is expanding, so are many coaches are niching down to work with particular writers and stories.

For example, I work with first time novelists. Others work with writers ‌three or four books down the line.

I work across genres, but others specialise in historical fiction or thrillers, literary or children’s. Some work solely on non-fiction books or memoirs.

Some work solely on the first draft with you, others will take you right through to the querying process.

Think about the stage you’re in and what kind of coach will be of most benefit for you.

Coaches have their own frameworks

Each coach has their own way of working and will have their own framework, taking you from initial idea and premise, to outline to finished draft and beyond.

Ask your prospective coach how they like to work and over what timeframe. Some work for a few weeks at a time. Others, like myself, work on a 12 month basis.

Be sure to ask so you understand what’s expected of the relationship and how long it will initially last.

Interested in working with me?

I work with first time novelists. If that’s you and you’d like to join my pod coaching programme, book a call here and let’s have a no obligation chat.

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Never Stop Learning, with Sharon Hughson

Never Stop Learning, with Sharon Hughson

by

Never Stop Learning, with Sharon Hughson

by Emma Dhesi | Turning Readers Into Writers

https://www.buzzsprout.com/971221/9730539

Never stop learning, with Sharon Hughson

Emma Dhesi: 

Well, welcome, Sharon. I’m so glad to have you on the show because we’ve been sort of in each other’s world for a little while now. So it’s lovely to finally get you get you on the podcast.

Sharon Hughson: 

I am so fortunate to be here with you.

Emma Dhesi: 

Well, I wonder if you wouldn’t mind sharing with us all, just about your journey to racing and to where you are? No.

Unknown: 

Okay. Well, I’ve been I feel like I’ve been writing my whole life. I wrote my first book. Yes, that is in quotation marks. When I was in third grade, it was called the horse killer. I wrote it in a spiral notebook. And I still have it, as well as my second and third books that I wrote in spiral notebooks when I was a kid. So I have loved reading and writing pretty much my whole life. And, and I always dreamed of being a published author. But back when I was in school, it was not touted as something realistic. You were well, but what’s your going to be your real job while you pursue that on the side. And of course, the publishing industry, as it was then was very difficult to break into anyway, and not necessarily lucrative. So I mean, it makes sense that your parents and your teachers or whatever want you to have a better plan than that, right.

Sharon Hughson: 

So it’s really exciting to me, that we have this new paradigm for publishing. So you don’t have to wait for the gatekeepers to say yes, you’re good enough. You don’t have to go through all those hoops. I mean, you can you can choose to, or you can choose to Self Publish, and you can, it can be lucrative, not like vanity presses, which was the only way to Self Publish when I first started writing so many years ago. So it’s really to me, I’m excited by it, I have been published by two different, or three actually different small indie presses, as well as it’s doing some self publishing. So I’m kind of familiar with both tracks. And I, I just still love to write I fall into stories and get lost in those worlds, whether I’m reading them or writing them. So.

Emma Dhesi: 

So tell us about your fiction, because you’ve written across a couple of different genres. So tell us about them

Sharon Hughson: 

yes, I have. So myself, I have self published some of the stuff that was previously traditionally published once I got my rights back. But the first thing I self published was a pondering heart in my reflections series, and that’s a biblical fictionalization series. And that story actually, just kind of came to me out of the blue, and I didn’t want to write it. I fought against writing it for a couple years, and then I would write a few scenes and then I’d be like, No, I didn’t. Because I I’ve read biblical fiction. It’s not like my favorite genre or anything. I’ve read it just because I think it gives me an interesting, I told you Yeah. Okay, um, so it’s because I feel like there’s a lot of pressure on that to get it biblically accurate, and that I’m not a scholar of that time. So I also don’t know whether or not to be able to portray life in the first century, Israel in a good manner. So but what I do have is a friend that I graduated from high school with, he has a degree, he’s a doctor, and he is a practicing Jew, but he’s a Messianic Jew. So he does believe that Jesus Christ, Messiah, but he has a degree in his degree is in first century Jewish culture. So he read my books to make sure that they were not out of the world out of the realm on

Emma Dhesi: 

this so interesting that you resisted doing it but still there was this pool. This is like calling say, No, this is

Sharon Hughson: 

what you have to ride it. See, that’s the thing about Sheena rider, the stories won’t if there need to be written, they won’t let you go. I know a lot of people are like, well, if I don’t write this, then I’m going to lose it. And I’m like, well, that hasn’t necessarily been my experience. If the story wants to be read written, it is gonna keep after you until you write it down. So I have three books in that series. And then I have two sweet Christian romances both that were published with sweet promise press originally, but when I got my rights back, I went ahead and republish them. So one is about a middle aged second chances romance. And the other is a kick out a cowboy, and it’s a former soldier and a cowboy. And it was written originally as three novellas that they published together as in a collection and I just put them so you have the whole meet cute through the happily ever after. You know? So anyway, that is what I have for that I do have a few other things on there that might be considered nonfiction. But my passion is really for fiction.

Emma Dhesi: 

Mm hmm. I didn’t know that you’ve gone through a small press as well as it did, is there anything you can sort of spring to mind that was the main difference between working with a small press and being indie, and either good or bad.

Sharon Hughson: 

So the good news is that they have a wider reader base than what I have for myself. So my work was published out or press out and presented to their wider base, for example. So we promised press had a base of 10,000 readers. And so every time they released 10,000, readers would hear about your release. And so I got, you know, quite a few sales there. Most indie presses are really good about they pay you in royalties, only most of them, and you get half of half of the net. So that is also a much better pay rate than you would get from most big traditional publishers who publish or give you quite a bit less than that. And since they require an agent, your agent is taking a cut of all that as well. So um, yeah, it says,

Emma Dhesi: 

but that’s good to know, it’s interesting, you know, just, there’s no right or wrong is there. But it’s interesting to know which what your experience was and your sort of takeaways, and there’s always good and bad. So it’s, yeah, nice to have that kind of immediate exposure without having to do a Facebook ad or something like that. Just to know that the the press already have a readership. And thanks, thanks for sharing that with us. And so I know that you’re not only are you passionate writer, but you’re also passionate about helping other writers. And your website has a fantastic resources page. Can you share with us the the sorts of resources you’ve got up there for aspiring writers?

Sharon Hughson: 

Okay, great. So I need to update it again. Because a lot of a lot of the bulk is posts, my blog posts that I’ve written based on my experiences, or whatever about specific things so that they can find those. So it’s an easy way for them to find something if they’re going to pitch their book to an agent. Well, I have posts about that, or if they’re, you know, trying to find an editor. Well, I have posts about that. So but the other thing I do is I have linked to quite a few other great resources on the web, like one stop for writers and Kristen lamb who is amazing, about how about helping indie writers promote themselves on social media. And so there’s just a lot of resources like that, that I found. As I was starting out, trying to go help me help me I need information. Well, these ones that are just so fantastic that I have linked those as well, because like you said, I want to help writers, and I remember what it felt like to be a newbie, and go, Okay, where do I start? Yeah, yeah. And so

Emma Dhesi: 

it’s it’s an ever changing world, isn’t it? And so this always kind of things to be kept abreast or, and you also have a lovely community and your Facebook group called writes your book, nuc, which is a great title. If anybody wants to join that group, what can what can they expect from from being a member?

Unknown: 

So I post six days a week, something, a lot of times, it might be a motivational quote, or it can be a question. I have given away critiques in the past. And so I like to do that. Because paid critiquer is one of my multiple jobs, freelance jobs that I have to try and make ends meet. Because we all know that offer pay still isn’t necessarily a top notch. And so I do that I have I do weekly lives where I’ve before it’s been courses, which I’m going on sliding that onto a YouTube channel, but I still go live usually and give a tip. And every member is encouraged to post if they have a question. So I’ve had members say, Hey, I’m looking for beta readers. I’ve had members going, here’s my story I did does it sound good? And different things like that. So it’s a place where it’s a safe space for riders to ask questions about whatever they want. Usually, twice a month. I have a post that says, hey, ask me, What are you struggling with? Ask me about it right now. I want to help you. Yeah. So to remind people that I am there as a resource for that and not just me.

Sharon Hughson: 

All the other writers will have varied experiences as well so they can also answer and give feedback about questions that are there. So I really wanted to be that safe space for writers to Just know that they can even come and rant, as long as they were not digging on anyone else, you know, sometimes you just have a bad day or your computer doesn’t back up, and then the the drive fries, and you’re like, I just lost everything I wrote the last two weeks or, you know, no one understands that those struggles and those pains and that anxiety as much as another group of writers will just don’t.

Emma Dhesi: 

yeah, your group is really active. There’s lots of Bessie, lots of comments coming through it, lots of people responding, it’s definitely a very encouraging place. And I agree, when you’ve got a sort of a safe space like that, then it’s a really good place to mind the hive mind and see what other people are doing and brainstorming. And you know, putting a problem out there, because who knows what will come back and it might just be the answer you need. Or it might spark an idea that becomes the answer that you need. So it’s a great group you’ve got so I recommend people dig it out. So it’s them called write your book nuke lovely title. But that’s not all you do. Oh, my goodness, you’re such a busy lady. You are also a book coach. And you’ve been coaching for quite a while now. But you recently invested in yourself. And you became certified with hope raters. So a big congratulations on that. Because I know that that takes a lot of work and a lot of not just financial investment, but a lot of time and energy investment. And this shows that you really care and are passionate about the writers that you help. How was the experience of going through that accreditation?

Sharon Hughson: 

And it was great. I have been coaching since September of last year. So 2020, I guess I don’t know when this podcast goes live. So I guess, two years ago, anyway, so since September 2020, that’s when I took my first client on and I kind of was just, Hey, how can I help you, I’m gonna use my experience type of thing. And my clients were all very pleased with that. But I felt like that’s not really the total of coaching, I have had several different coaches myself, which I just wrote recently about on my blog, because I think that all of us can use coaching in various areas. So it was great to get a format, a methodology and to understand the process from that perspective of what coaching really is. Because according to hope writers ideology of my idea of coaching was kind of a teamwork, like we both are equally into it. And their their thought is that the writer who’s coming to me has all the answers they need for themselves. And my job is just to question them, to help them find those answers to mine. Those answers from within their themselves. And I love that idea is, as a matter of fact, our coaching direct director of coaching called it a thought partnership. And I think that’s, I think that’s an awesome verbiage to use to think about that. So you said a book coach, and my understanding of a book coach is someone who coaches you through the project of a book. So they come to you and they have a project, and they want you to help them through the process. And a lot of those also include critiques. Whereas what hope writers is promoting is just individual sessions where you would have whatever your struggle might be, and you work through it until you work through it. And then you come up with the next one. And so that that’s how they do it. And myself. I kind of visioned myself more as a story, coach, because as you said, I love working with writers. Well, I love talking about stories with writers. I love brainstorming ideas for stories. I love asking them about what Wait, what about that motivation, or the character’s background or all this stuff that’s really important to get a great grasp of if you’re going to have a successful book. Successful fiction story? Yeah, so

Emma Dhesi: 

yeah, yeah, like me, I think. I like that. I like that approach. Similar to hope writers that the answer is there inside the individual, it’s in their brain somewhere. They it’s all kind of there, but you’re asking the right questions, asking the right prompts, even being a bit challenging sometimes so that there’s a sparks a response that then brings out that answer. So yeah, I love that approach. I love seeing it when suddenly, a client or student suddenly has that aha moment and they realize what the answer is and how they need to go forward. And so do you also help in through your coaching, talking about the story, uncovering all of that, do you also help sort of with the structure of the story and helping them get through, you know, all the plot points We need to get through getting that right arc into the climax, that kind of thing.

Sharon Hughson: 

Yes. So, um, the one code the one fight has been with me the longest, we worked through her first draft. And yes, it was very much that we lined out all the beats, she ended up writing the synopsis two different times to get to me because to me, that’s how you can get even if she’s, she does want to go traditionally. So she will need that synopsis for submission submitting. But even if you were going to be indie, it still helps you get a pulse, like, do I have a complete story here. And so that’s kind of what we use to help her through that. And she is signing on with me in January to work through the revision process of that manuscript. So I don’t feel like that’s a pretty good.

Emma Dhesi: 

It’s a good indication, automation that she was, he felt like it was very successful working with me.

Sharon Hughson: 

So I think it depends on what the what the writer wants. But indeed, if they say help me make my story, right, I would definitely be talking about what structure plan they used. So yeah, because there are there. There are different ones, as far as they’re all really the same. But they tend to use different words and different. Whatever.

Emma Dhesi: 

Yeah, yeah. And what so what kind of writers do you like to work with? Or maybe I should ask, first of all, do you? Do you like working with specific genres? Do you work with fiction nonfiction memoir? Do you work with voters across the border, do you specialize?

Sharon Hughson: 

I have, I worked with nonfiction, and memoir, as well as some fiction writers, for my practicum for my 35 practice hours that I needed to get my certification. And I really enjoyed working with all of them. It’s just different the way that you work with each kind. And that depends really on the struggles of the, the writer that they come to you with. So like the memoirs, she was a really a very beginning writer, and she’s still very insecure about her abilities to write. And so it was working through those things, which, Hey, I’ve been published. So for seven years, and I still have those insecurities sometimes. So it’s like, I totally relate and get that. So if I’m going to work on stories, yeah, romance, women’s fiction, fantasy, young adult, those are the genres I read the most. And so I feel like, I would be up front with any writer that came to me to let them know that my, most of my experience would come with those, but is about those genres. Um, but I think the knowledge of structure kind of translates across the board. But you know, genre expectations are a real thing. And so that’s something that self published, writers really need to be cognizant of that their readers have an expectation. And so your story needs to measure up to those expectations that readers have.

Emma Dhesi: 

Yes, absolutely. 100%. I’m just trying to think because you offer so many. You have many offerings for your clients, is there, is there something I haven’t mentioned or forgotten to ask you, I think you do developmental editing, is that right?

Sharon Hughson: 

I do do editing too. And I like developmental editing is my favorite type. I do copy, edit, and proofread as well. I actually have a proofreading job on my desktop right now to do once we finish this call. Um, but I like developmental editing the best because if you don’t get that story, right, I think it goes, it connects in with my love of wanting to be a story coach, that if you don’t have all those pieces in place, your story is not going to satisfy. And so the best place to get that is with your developmental editor to point out those things and help you help you fix all that and strengthen it. So you have the strongest Best Story possible. Yeah, what I will say about my editing is a it’s a lot less expensive than what I paid for my editing. Because I feel like a lot of people who want to be self published don’t have a lot of money to spend, but I want them to be able to still put out a high quality product. And to do that you need an editor. And the other thing is, is that my mindset of it is always about your style, your story, your message and not mine. It’s not about me. But the truth is, is that if you don’t hit those structure points, you’re not going to be able to get the message out your story isn’t going to resonate the way that you want it to. So as a developmental editor, I’m picking up those things about that as well as character development that is such a huge thing. And when I first started writing, that was where I completely was terrible. because I just wanted to tell the story. And I, you don’t realize how much that character motivation and their arc is really tied in with the good, good stories that you love. Yeah. And so that was something that I spent several years do going through craft courses and whatever, to strengthen that aspect of my writing. So yeah,

Interview with Sharon Hughson

Emma Dhesi: 

yeah, I think it’s quite common, isn’t it amongst new writers, we get very hung up, or very focused on the plotline and making sure that we get the plotline. And it can be easy to forget, actually, that character is equally as important. And they they sort of marry with one another. I’m certainly the same, you know, over. So I think I read every kind of plot book out there trying to find the right type of structure that was going to work for me, when really spent a little bit more time on the character, perhaps it might have been slightly easy for that story to move along a bit more organically. It’s interesting. I remember what I did want to ask you, because you’d mentioned that you have used coaching in the past as well or you still do, what do you feel is kind of one of the benefits of working with a coach, as opposed to just going out alone.

Sharon Hughson: 

So going alone is just hard. Finding the right coach is important. I’ve worked with four different coaches. But all of them were for different things. I went to a coaches coach to help me build my coaching business. And I went to a business and a writing business marketing coach to help me with my launches. And then I’ll creativity coaches, that other type of coach I went to because I was kind of in writer’s burnout for a couple years, and I was struggling to try and get my creativity back I was having my well was empty, and I was having a hard time struggling with that. And so it really helps to talk to someone who that is her focus and that she was certified with that, how to work on creativity and build that. So I think that a lot of times we don’t even know what we need or what our story needs or whatever and having an outside person be able to look in, they have a different perspective that can offer us insights. And like you said, that aha moment is the best thing to see on I was a teacher before I was an education for more than a decade before I became a writer. And it was the same with students when they would have that aha moment like I get it. Oh, wow. Okay, this totally makes sense. And it gives you such joy to see that moment happen. And writing is a solitary profession. You write in your office by yourself, all of us do. That’s what we do. We’re encouraged to shut our door and get you know, so you can’t be interrupted so we can get into our story. Okay, great. Except for sometimes you get stuck, sir. And and when you first start out, you don’t know when your writing is good enough. So you really do need someone who’s more experienced who’s farther down the line? Who can help you suss out those answers. And so I guess my thing is, why go it alone, when you don’t have to? I think about me 10 years ago, when I first started, okay, I’m going to get serious. And I’m gonna submit and bumbling along and what I wish there had been writing coaches back then. But there weren’t, it’s a newer thing. You know what I’m saying? And so it’s like, why go it alone? If you don’t have to? Yeah. So yeah,

Emma Dhesi: 

makes the journey so much more fun. Takes a lot of the pressure off, doesn’t it of just feeling like you’ve got the whole weight of the world on you. And only you can do this. And I think in no other profession, even other artistic professions. I don’t think anyone else does this quite so alone. If you think about, you know, songwriters or artists or sculptors there, there’s a community there. Yes, they might have to do the painting and the sculpting alone, but it’s with a teacher with a guide with a mentor. But for some reason, I don’t know where it’s come from. We feel that as writers we should be able to do all by ourselves, even though it’s a really, really difficult intellectual endeavor. But yet, we still think we’ve got to do it all by ourselves. It’s a funny one. It’s a conundrum to me, I have to admit, is it is very strange. But let’s let’s change tack a little bit because I’d like to come back to your own fiction. And I’m wondering, do you have time for your own fiction still? And if you do, what are you what are you writing?

Sharon Hughson: 

Well, I did do National Novel Writing Month and I as I went through it, I decided this probably will be my This was probably my last year doing it. So I did it. The first time I did it was in 2013. I became aware of it even before that, because there was a teacher at the school middle school where I were to did it every year. And he was like, I think you have a novel and you usually Do this data. Um, but I would love to talk about why National Novel Writing Month is beneficial for writers, especially beginning writer, but we don’t have to talk about that here. And I did not write a novel, I wrote short stories. And actually, I wrote two different worlds of connected short stories that I was thinking, Oh, maybe I could do the Kimbo Bella thing with these. I don’t know if you’re aware of that. That’s the new episodic fiction that that you do. And so I talked to one of my friend, author friends who is doing it. And so I was like, Oh, wow, maybe I would use that for that. But where I started, my being published was was short stories. And because I’ve kind of been waffling about what novel idea inspires me or is drawing me in. And that’s a huge undertaking, as you know, as a published novelist, yourself. I thought, you know, I don’t want to write something if it’s not really the the thing I should be writing. So I’ve kind of went back to writing shorts. So I entered a few flash fiction contests. And I’m writing some short stories. And so my goal for 2022 is to submit short, and see if I can get some more short stories out there. But that’s why I started I have five or six anthologies, where I have short stories published in them. So that is where I started. And I the benefit of writing short, is incredible for building your muscles, your writing muscles, because you have to be concise. You have to get it done. And I think that it may actually have impeded my ability to be a novelist that I wrote short, short stories and then novellas burst. Yeah, because I’m so used to condensing my story into a short space. Mm hmm. That it’s difficult then to flesh it out. Like I wrote a women’s fiction book that was really close and dear to my heart. And it was 72,000 words, and I pitched it and everyone I pitched it to at the conference was like, holy like the story I did, but we wouldn’t even look at it until it was 80,000 words or more. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah. And so it was like, wait, what I had already fleshed it out, because it started out as a short story. That just I couldn’t let go of and I kept flushing, questioning, questioning.

Emma Dhesi: 

So do you think short stories are where your heart is actually, that that’s, that’s your first cold?

Sharon Hughson: 

And I really am leaning toward that I’m going what I, which is something I’m gonna be working through with my writing coach. Is, is there a reason why I think I have to be a novelist. What’s wrong with just writing shorts and being a short story writer? Because yeah, I definitely have always felt that call. And even between novels, there be times when I’d have a short story, I didn’t I just, you know, whip it out. Yes. That’s a great thing about something. That’s five 6000 words. It doesn’t take you very long to write it. And so you can get it out. And you go, yes. All right. Now send me the next one.

Emma Dhesi: 

Nice feeling of completion, like

Sharon Hughson: 

our new ideas, don’t we? And so, when the short story, hey, get to the next new idea a lot quicker.

Emma Dhesi: 

Sharon has been lovely speaking with you. I’ve so enjoyed our conversation today learning more about what you do. And the accreditation. So congratulations again on that. If our listeners want to find out more about you, and what you offer, where’s the best place to do that?

Sharon Hughson: 

So you can find me at Sharon hewson.com There, the resource page you talked about there?

Emma Dhesi: 

Well, Sharon, thank you so, so much for our conversation today. I’ve loved learning more about you and everything that you do. But if our viewers would like to learn more, where can they? Where can they find out?

Sharon Hughson: 

So the best place to find me is on my website, Sharon houston.com. And you can find out everything about me there, my books, my services, and of course, that resource page that you like, and I’ve met other writers say wow, that’s pretty incredible. So that as well, if they are on Facebook, write your book neck, and it is a they can find it. But they will have to ask to join it before they can post your see all the other posts, but no big deal for that. So if that Facebook is the place they like to go, that’s a free coaching resource for them. So those are the two best places to find.

Emma Dhesi: 

Wonderful. I’ll make sure that we have the links to those in the show notes. Sharon, thank you again. It’s been lovely.

Sharon Hughson: 

Yes, have a wonderful day and thanks for having me.

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If you’ve been working on your novel for years (perhaps even decades) the maybe it's time to consider working with a coach.

If you have multiple versions of your novel and you don’t know which works best, are scared nobody will like your book and don't feel like a 'real' writer, then my guess is coaching is the right next step for you.

Find out more and sign up for your free Clarity Call here: https://emmadhesi.com/personal-coaching/

 

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Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is author mindset coach and bestseller author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer’s block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

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