Writing coaching

In a former life, I taught writing at the university level: I was in graduate school in the Department of English at Iowa State University (ISU) for a long time (see my CV for details about my training and experience) where I taught first-year composition and business communication.

Now, however, I prefer to work one-on-one with adult learners on their particular writing issues. In general, I work with two different kinds of writers. I enjoy working with people who love to write but are shy about putting their work out. I coach these writers by serving as a first reader and by identifying specific writing habits that can use attention, and I tailor my work to address those habits and other issues writers bring to the table. Grammar, spelling, organization, composition, and genre-related issues are my specialties.

I also enjoy working with people who are engaged in a "once-in-a-lifetime, I haven't done this before, and I won't do it again" project, like a thesis or dissertation. I successfully completed both a thesis and a dissertation, and I have coached several students through the process successfully. I am proud to include their dissertation abstracts so you can get an idea of the range of areas of my work.

My basic rate for writing coaching is $30/hour.

Here's a flyer about writing coaching for dissertations

In terms of academic and professional work, I have experience with a variety of style manuals including

  • The Chicago Manual of Style, (15th ed.)
  • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, (5th ed.)
  • MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, (6th ed.)
  • Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, (6th ed.)
  • Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, (3rd ed.)