Stage 1: Deep Read & Assessment
To begin, I will carefully read your manuscript, as well as relevant notes, and provide a detailed assessment. The report will cover what I think is working well as well as the areas where I believe there is room for change and growth. The aim is to give you a clear sense of the ‘landscape’ of your project.

Stage 2: Trial Edit
Alongside the assessment, I will propose a focused test project, something that would give you an immediate, practical sense of what my involvement can bring to your project. For example, if I’ve said I think chapter structure is a recurring issue, I’d reshape one chapter.

Stage 3: Structured Course
If the assessment and trial edit feel valuable to you, you can then choose to do a guided eight-week writing course.

The Course
For eight weeks we will meet once a week, for two hours. Each session will be devoted to an aspect of your manuscript that needs attention, or to sharpening a key element that is already strong. Between these weekly sessions, you will do targeted writing exercises and/or revisions - work I will review and use to guide a future discussion. This back-and-forth process builds momentum and deepens your understanding of the ‘landscape’ of your manuscript, thus equipping you to take it forward with new focus and confidence.

Stage 1: Concept Exploration (Weeks 1–4)
We begin with an in-depth conversation exploring your idea — its themes, scope, and potential shape as a book. From this discussion, I will create custom prompts and questions for you to respond to, in writing. Over the following weeks we will meet once a week to examine at these responses - clarifying, together, what the project is really about and where it wants to go.

Stage 2: Writing Sabbatical (Weeks 5–8)
Next comes a four-week writing sabbatical: a focused but low-pressure period where you build on the material you created in Stage 1. The aim here is to write with as little self-editing as possible while you generate raw material which we will work with in Stage 3.

Stage 3: Coaching & Shaping (Weeks 9–16)
With this raw material in hand, we enter a structured eight-week program. Through weekly conversations, tailored exercises, and close feedback, I help you explore what you’ve written. We will listen to what the material is telling us, and begin shaping it into the foundations of a manuscript. By the end of these eight weeks, you’ll have a clear outline, substantial chapters, and a realistic plan for carrying your manuscript forward.