
What Happens When You Book a Story Coaching Session
What’s story coaching? I’ve written a blog post about that! To put it succinctly, a story coach works with writers to clarify their story ideas, including plot, subplots, character arcs, and themes.
But that definition doesn’t tell you much about what actually happens when you secure an appointment with a story coach. How is it that those things are clarified? What’s the process? What are you actually going to get out of it?
You’ll get a lot out of it—I make damn sure of that. And my clients agree.
I was at a roadblock with my story, and Megan came up with multiple ideas and directions for me to take my story. It was clear she put a lot of time, thought, and interest into the ideas she presented to me.
Carian Cole, Author of The Lovely Return
Megan took a hodge podge of ideas and thoughts and helped me craft a story outline that was EXACTLY what I was hoping for…. I don’t know that I could have gotten my brain unstuck without her.
Tia Marlee, Author of the Piney Brook Wishes series
Megan is truly gifted in the craft of storytelling! Megan saw holes in my story structure that I wasn’t even aware were missing. She was enthusiastic about my ideas and provided amazing guidance when I got stumped. I highly recommend this to all authors!
Ashley Messer Sweet, Upcoming Debut Author
Megan stepped in like a magical Ariadne and helped me unspool and detangle my story lines so that I understood my story and why I was getting so tangled. She has tremendous energy, generosity, and a rare gift to see through to the heart—the true essence—of a story.
A.K. Mountrakis, Upcoming Debut Author
Once you click through and book me for a story coaching, here’s everything that happens, step by step.
First, you’ll fill out the form.
I have a Google Form asking for a few key details: what your book’s situation is, what story structure methodology you’re most familiar with (none is okay!), what your story’s about, and why you’re stuck.
Importantly, I don’t ask for your outline or your draft. This helps me stay out of the weeds and maintain a bird’s eye view of the story’s structure. No need to agonize over a perfect blurb, worry about having a readable draft, compiling your handwritten notes into something you can send with a Google Drive link—just tell it to me like it is, and we can go from there.
Then, you’ll book me for a story coaching session through Calendly.
Towards the end of the Google Form, I have you book a timeslot when we’ll get together over a video call and chat about your story.
When you pick a time, you’ll want to make sure you have around three hours free. Most story coaching calls don’t take three hours, but blocking out this much time will help ensure we don’t feel rushed while diving deep into your book. Use the leftover time to rest your brain or look over your freshly-emailed notes after we hang up.
If blocking out three hours isn’t feasible for you, no worries—you can book a follow-up call gratis.
Once that’s all squared away, you can relax! There’s nothing more you need to do. If you can, I recommend taking a step away from the work between when you sign up for a story coaching and the date of your appointment.
When the day arrives, expect the unexpected breakthroughs.
The first thing I do on a call is ask you to describe your story and what’s giving you trouble in your own words. Yes, you’ll have done that in the Google Form, but I’ve found that speaking aloud can help details surface that never make their way out otherwise.
When I’m crystal clear on your premise, we’ll break down who your protagonist is at their very core: their Wound, Wrong Idea, and Right Idea—the foundation of a strong character arc. If there are multiple protagonists or an antagonist, we’ll figure out what makes them tick, too.
Here comes the fun part: applying the proven eight-step method to take your character(s) from Wounded and clinging to the Wrong Idea to wholeheartedly embracing the Right Idea. Every step is rooted in your story’s plot, so the on-page transformation feels earned, inevitable, and deeply satisfying to your readers.
This process looks like high-energy, collaborative brainstorming—and it is—but it will feel like fun. We’ll rearrange chapters and invent new scenes that could better illustrate the themes of your story. A few darlings may be sacrificed in the process, but the narrative that rises from their ashes will feel closely aligned with your values and reignite your passion for the project.
Throughout the call, I’ll share my screen, so you can watch your story take shape in real time. We’ll also go over those notes before we hang up to ensure you’re satisfied.
After our session, keep an eye on your inbox!
Within an hour or two of hanging up, I’ll send you a PDF of the notes I took during our session. These will include your character’s Wound, Wrong Idea, and Right Idea; the story structure we built together; and usually some other links and resources relevant to your book that came up in conversation.
Also hitting your inbox will be a quick Google Form asking for your honest feedback and a link to book me for a follow-up call if you need me again while working on the same story. Follow-up calls are included in the packaging price, so always feel free to book a time if you want my brand of brainstorming and problem solving!
Ready to book your story coaching session with me?
Rest assured: even if you’ve lost just about all hope in your story being salvageable, I haven’t. Borrow my belief in your ability to bring it back to life, and let’s get to work.
