No two works-in-progress are the same. Some arrive as fragments and questions; others are nearly finished. I shape my approach to fit the particular needs of each project.

Broadly, there are three stages I offer. You’re under no obligation to proceed beyond either of the first two; at the end of each, you’ll decide whether to continue. If the process feels useful, the final stage is an eight-week programme of structured, collaborative work.

STAGE 1: Deep Read & Evaluation(3–4 weeks)

I will start by carefully reading your manuscript and providing a detailed evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses, along with general guidance for improvement. This stage typically takes three to four weeks, depending on the length and complexity of the manuscript.

STAGE 2: Focused Edit(2 weeks)

Alongside the assessment, I will propose a focused test edit—something that offers an immediate, practical sense of what my involvement can bring to your project. For example, if I’ve noted recurring structural issues, I might reshape one chapter to illustrate a new approach. This stage usually takes two weeks.

STAGE 3: Structured Programme (8 weeks)

If the assessment and trial edit feel valuable to you, you can choose to continue with a guided, eight-week writing programme.

The Programme

Over the course of eight weeks, we will meet once a week for two hours. Each session will focus on a specific aspect of your manuscript — either an area that needs attention or an element that is already strong and can be further sharpened. Between sessions, you’ll complete targeted writing exercises and/or revisions. I’ll review this work in advance of our next meeting, ensuring that each session builds on the last.

This back-and-forth process creates momentum and helps you better understand the ‘landscape’ of your manuscript, equipping you to move forward with confidence and purpose.

NOTE ON CONFIDENTIALITY: All texts and ideas will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) are available on request.

Every book begins differently. Some start with a clear idea; others with a question, or a hunch that won’t go away. This offering is for people who don’t yet have a manuscript, just the sense that something wants to be written.

We’ll work together over 16 weeks, in three distinct stages. The first month is devoted to conversation — drawing out the idea, clarifying its shape, and beginning to explore it in writing. Then comes a four-week writing sabbatical: a focused but low-pressure interval where you generate material without overthinking. In the final stage, we begin shaping what’s there into something structured and ready to grow: a substantial draft of a book.

Stage 1: Concept Exploration(Weeks 1–4)

We’ll 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 these responses — clarifying, together, what the project is 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 the raw material 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 programme. Through weekly conversations, tailored exercises, and close feedback, I help you explore and develop 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.

NOTE ON CONFIDENTIALITY: All texts and ideas will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) are available on request.