1:1 fiction craft coaching
Your novel isn’t working the way you imagined.
You can feel when something is off.
A character isn’t coming alive.
A scene doesn’t land.
The story has lost momentum.
Figuring out why is harder.
Working with me, you’ll understand what is happening beneath the problem so you can make stronger craft decisions for your stories.
When feedback names the symptom
Knowing something isn’t working is not the same as knowing why.
“The pacing is slow.” · “There’s too much exposition.” · “I don’t feel connected to the character.”
You may have received useful feedback, but you’re stuck.
You still don’t know what is producing the problem—or what to do differently. You don’t need to diagnose it before we begin.
How I Work
We follow the problem from the page to the reader.
Story
We begin with the novel on the page: its scenes, structure, movement, and promises.
Character
We look at their goals, motivation, and stakes. We pay particular attention to their inner character arc.
Meaning
We look at the meaning the pages are creating now, the meaning you want the story to carry, and look for ways for them to align.
Reader
We ask what the reader might notice, expect, or feel. We look for craft techniques that move the reader towards it.
I don’t want you to leave the session with a list of changes you don’t understand.
We’ll look closely at what your pages are doing, talk through why they may be creating a different effect than the one you wanted, and explore what you might try instead.
Your manuscript stays yours. My goal is for you to leave better able to tackle the next decision yourself.
How it works
What you send and what happens next:
Your short intake covers:
Your story
Genre, intended audience, current stage, and a brief description. It does not need to be a polished pitch.
What’s troubling you
What feels unclear, weak, frustrating, or not quite right. You don’t need to diagnose the craft problem.
What you’re trying to create
What you want the reader to feel, understand, anticipate, or experience—and what seems to be happening instead.
Your pages
The manuscript pages you want us to examine, plus any context needed to understand the excerpt.
First, I review your pages and concerns
I read your pages and intake answers, paying attention to what is troubling you, the effect you want, and what the writing is currently doing.
Second, I identify examples
I select useful examples from your writing so we can investigate how specific craft choices may be shaping the reader’s experience.
Third, we investigate the craft together
In our 1:1 session, we connect what we discover to relevant fiction-craft principles and explore techniques you can experiment with.
Finally, I send your personalized Next Steps
You receive a concise summary of our key discoveries, what to watch for elsewhere, and practical techniques or experiments to try.
Testimonials
She’s a delightful person with great story skills, a signature wit and a real understanding of the genre. She comes up with creative solutions to plot problems and has a real flair for characterization. Can’t say enough good stuff.
Paranormal-romance ghostwriting client on Upwork
Work with me
Choose how much of the problem we need to see.
Every option includes advance review of your pages, a private 1:1 craft session, and personalized written Next Steps for revision.
Story Focus
$50
Best for one scene, excerpt, or specific concern in a small set of pages.
- Up to 5,000 words
- 60-minute session
- Written Next Steps within 3 days after our session
Story Deep Dive
$125
Best when a concern recurs across several scenes and we need more pages to understand what is happening.
- Up to 10,000 words
- 75-minute session
- Written Next Steps within 5 days after our session
Story Breakthrough
$250
Best for a complex problem in which character, scene, structure, pacing, or reader effect may be interacting.
- Up to 15,000 words
- 90-minute session
- Written Next Steps within 7 days after our session
Not sure which session fits? Write to me at emmalili.bookcoach [at] gmail [dot] com.
Before you book
FAQ
Is this an editing service?
No. This is 1:1 fiction craft coaching using your manuscript as our working material. I may point to passages and discuss possibilities, but I won’t copyedit, proofread, rewrite, or prescribe your story.
What if I don’t know what is technically wrong?
Tell me what feels off, what is not creating the effect you want, or what feedback you received. Figuring out what is happening beneath the symptom is part of our work.
Do I need a completed manuscript?
No. You can bring pages from a work in progress or a manuscript you are revising. You may also bring an outline or synopsis when the concern can be explored through that material.
What genres can I send?
Any fiction genre is welcome. I have the most experience with fantasy, science fiction, murder mysteries, and romance.
What will I receive afterward?
You’ll receive personalized Next Steps: a concise written summary of our key discoveries, patterns to watch for elsewhere, and practical techniques or experiments to try.
About me
I bring together fiction, teaching, and close inquiry.
I’m a fiction writer, CRLA-certified Master Tutor (Level III), and developmental editor in training through the Editorial Freelancers Association. I have more than a decade of fiction study and practice and completed Wesleyan University’s Creative Writing Specialization.
I’m also a contributing editor for The Hoolet’s Nook, and my fiction experience includes two 5-star ghostwriting contracts.
I’m from Argentina, and outside fiction I teach at university and work in scientific research. That background shapes the way I read and think about craft: I want to know how each craft decision has an effect on the reader and choose the best one for the effect I want.
I know the hope behind the work—the desire to move readers and leave them with that wonderful lingering feeling of having finished a book that will stay with them. Away from the page, I love cats, cooking, reading for pleasure, and spending time with my family.
Bring me the part you can’t quite figure out.
Choose a session on Upwork, send your pages and concerns, and I’ll read them before we meet. You don’t need to diagnose the problem first.
Want to read how I think first?
Questions before booking? emmalili.bookcoach [at] gmail [dot] com
Emma Lili 