People hire a writing coach for many different reasons.
Some folks want help improving their writer’s craft technique. Others want support managing the massive project that is writing a novel. Still others are looking for accountability and mentorship.
But regardless of the specific reason they hire me, almost every client at some point early on in our work together asks me a very specific question.
It’s probably the very same question you have asked yourself time and time again:
Is my writing any good?
As a writing coach, it’s my job to read a piece of fiction and then answer that specific question in an honest and effective manner.
But how does someone know if a piece of writing is good or not?
To be honest, when I first started coaching, it was almost purely gut instinct guiding my advice. I’m talking about the same sort of intuitive gut feeling you probably go with when reviewing your own work.
That said, the longer I coached writers and aspiring authors, the more I began to standardize my analytical approach. It’s not good enough for a writing coach to tell a writer their scene is good or not. I have to be able to tell them why it’s good or why
it’s not working.
That’s the reason I have made a continual effort to refine my approach to fiction analysis.
Now, after almost ten years of working with writers, I’ve landed on a tool that is startlingly simple and yet incredibly powerful: a 20 Question Rubric.
With these 20 questions in hand, I can easily analyze my client’s writing, quickly pinpoint what is working, and then effortlessly narrow in on what needs improvement.
When I tell my clients their writing is good, they know it's the truth because I can show them exactly why it’s working. It is the same when a piece writing needs some tweaks. I tell them the truth about what is wrong and how to improve it.
No mystery.
No gut instinct.
No second-guessing.
Just solid writer’s craft advice rooted in a clear rubric.
Now, for the first time ever, I’m going to share those twenty questions publicly.
This Saturday, I’ll be hosting my latest live online seminar, How to Know if Your Fiction Writing is Good: A Game
of 20 Questions, and I’ll be sharing the exact 20 questions I use to review, analyze, and improve my client’s fiction writing.
In this seminar, you are going to discover:
- Nine key questions to ask about your story mechanics
- Five essential questions to ask about your scene structure
- Six evocative questions to ask about your literary style
- And much more!
This is a live online event via Zoom so you will be able to ask questions and get personalized advice directly from me in real-time.
In addition to your spot on the live seminar, afterwards you’ll also receive:
- An audio file containing the full seminar
- A transcript of the whole seminar
- A PDF of all presentation slides
- A video recording of the entire training
You will be able to review the material whenever works best for you, and in the format you prefer.
It’s time for you to stop worrying about whether you’re wasting your time putting words down on paper.
I urge you to attend this event so that your can review and revise your fiction writing with confidence and ease.
Get registered now and I’ll see you this Saturday.
Your pal in writing,
Kevin T. Johns, writing coach