I’ve had the pleasure of being the Writers Helping Writers Blog Wizard for a year…and have loved working with the Resident Writing Coaches. They’re all talented, generous authors who share their wisdom to help take your writing to the next level.
This is the 7th year of our popular Resident Writing Coach program where we feature writing experts through a series of four blog posts scattered throughout the year. We bring in a mix of expertise, so you benefit from different voices and perspectives from all over the world.
Each year we have some new coaches and some returning, so let me first say goodbye to the wonderful September C. Fawkes and Lisa Hall-Wilson. We greatly appreciate all you have shared with us.
I’m excited to introduce you to our wonderful new Resident Writing Coaches! Please give a warm welcome to…
Suzy Vadori is the award-winning author of The Fountain Series and is represented by Naomi Davis of Bookends Literary Agency. She is a certified Book Coach with Author Accelerator and the founder of the Wicked Good Fiction Bootcamp. Suzy breaks down concepts in writing into practical steps, so that writers with big dreams can get the story exploding in their minds onto their pages in a way that readers will LOVE.
In addition to her online courses, Suzy offers 1:1 Developmental Editing and Book Coaching services, and gives practical tips for writers at all stages on her vlog.
Find Suzy on her website, YouTube, Facebook, Free Inspired Writing Facebook Group, Instagram, and Twitter.
Michelle Barker is an award-winning author, editor, and writing teacher who lives in Vancouver, BC. Her newest novel My Long List of Impossible Things, came out in 2020 with Annick Press. It was a finalist for the Vine Awards and is a Junior Library Guild gold standard selection. She is the author of The House of One Thousand Eyes, which was named a Kirkus Best Book of the Year and won numerous awards including the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award. She’s also the author of the historical picture book, A Year of Borrowed Men, as well as the fantasy novel, The Beggar King, and a chapbook, Old Growth, Clear-Cut: Poems of Haida Gwaii. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry have appeared in literary reviews around the world.
Michelle holds an MFA in creative writing from UBC and has been a senior editor at The Darling Axe since its inception, though she’s been editing and teaching creative writing for decades. She loves working closely with writers to hone their manuscripts and discuss the craft. You can find Michelle on Twitter, GoodReads, and Amazon.
In addition to our new coaches, we’re thrilled to have these returning masterminds…
Lucy V. Hay aka Bang2write is a script editor, author and blogger who helps writers. Lucy is the script editor and advisor on numerous UK features and shorts. She has also been a script reader for over 15 years, providing coverage for indie prodcos, investors, screen agencies, producers, directors and individual writers. Publishing as LV Hay, Lucy’s debut crime novel, The Other Twin, is out now and is being adapted by Agatha Raisin producers Free@Last TV. Her second crime novel, Do No Harm, was a finalist in the 2019 Dead Good Book Readers’ Awards. Lucy is also Lizzie Fry, whose books The Coven and Kill For It are out now with Sphere books.
Marissa Graff has been a freelance editor and reader for literary agent Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary Agency for over five years. In conjunction with Angelella Editorial, she offers developmental editing, author coaching, and more. She specializes in middle-grade and young-adult fiction but also works with adult fiction.
Marissa feels if she’s done her job well, a client should probably never need her help again because she’s given them a crash-course MFA via deep editorial support and/or coaching. Connect with Marissa on her Website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Colleen M. Story is a novelist, freelance writer, writing coach, and speaker with over 20 years in the creative writing industry. Her latest novel, The Beached Ones, released from CamCat Books on July 26, 2022. Her previous novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews’ INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others.
Colleen has written three books to help writers succeed. Your Writing Matters is the most recent, and was a bronze medal winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards (2022). Writer Get Noticed! was a gold-medal winner in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards and a first-place winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards (2019). Overwhelmed Writer Rescue was named Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book in 2018. You can find free chapters of these books here.
Colleen frequently serves as a workshop leader and motivational speaker, where she helps attendees remove mental and emotional blocks and tap into their unique creative powers. Find her at Writing and Wellness, Author Website, Life and Everything After, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, BookBub and Instagram.
Jami Gold, after muttering writing advice in tongues, decided to become a writer and put her talent for making up stuff to good use, such as by winning the 2015 National Readers’ Choice Award in Paranormal Romance for her novel Ironclad Devotion.
To help others reach their creative potential as well, she’s developed a massive collection of resources for writers. Explore her site to find worksheets—including the popular Romance Beat Sheet with 80,000+ downloads—workshops, and over 1000 posts on her blog about the craft, business, and life of writing. Her site has been named one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer’s Digest.
Find Jami at her website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, and Instagram.
Christina Delay is the hostess of Cruising Writers and an award-winning psychological suspense author. She also writes award-winning supernatural suspense for young adult and adult readers under the name Kris Faryn. Fun fact: Faryn means ‘to wander or travel.’ Since that’s exactly what she loves to do, you’ll find juicy tidbits on exotic and interesting places in all her books!
Cruising Writers brings aspiring authors together with bestselling authors, an agent, an editor, and a world-renowned writing craft instructor together on writing retreats. Though on an extended vacation, you can sign up for news about upcoming retreats and fun travel tips here, follow Christina and Cruising Writers on Facebook, or find Kris on Facebook , Instagram, BookBub, and Amazon.
Lisa Poisso specializes in working with new and emerging fiction authors. A classically trained dancer, her approach to creativity is grounded in using structure, form, and technique as the doorway to freedom of movement. Via her innovative Plot Accelerator and Story Incubator coaching, she fast-tracks authors through story theory and development while facilitating an author-paced “developmental edit in a bottle.”
She holds a journalism degree and has decades of professional experience as an award-winning magazine editor and journalist, content writer, and corporate communications manager. In addition to story coaching, she is a developmental and line editor, aided by an industrious team of retired greyhounds. Her popular Baker’s Dozen newsletter serves up 13 tasty tidbits for writers on a regular basis. Connect with an editor or coach who really gets your work with the Writer’s Guide to Finding & Hiring an Editor. Find Lisa at LisaPoisso.com, download her free Manuscript Prep guide, and interact with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net” (2018-2021). She’s also a member of the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers” 2013-2021).
Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and writes psychological thrillers (Tirgearr Publishing) and true crime/narrative nonfiction (Rowman & Littlefield Group, Inc.). Sue teaches a virtual course about serial killers for EdAdvance in CT and a condensed version for her fellow Sisters in Crime. She’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion. In the fall she’s slated to appear on several episodes of Homicide: Hours to Kill. Learn more about Sue and her books at www.suecoletta.com.
Find Sue on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, and YouTube.
Tips
If you want to browse past Resident Writing Coach posts, click here.
Check out all the Resident Writing Coach bios! You’ll find:
- Editing and coaching services
- Free support through online groups
- Helpful resources
Don’t forget to follow them on social media for even more tips and updates!
Pssst…when you comment on their posts, they reply to you! So please share your thoughts and ask questions throughout the year. Angela, Becca and I love working with the coaches. They’re an incredible asset to the Writers Helping Writers blog.
Here’s to another year of amazing posts. Please welcome our Resident Writing Coaches. If there’s a topic you’d like help with, add it in the comments!
Mindy loves giving back to the writing community. She’s a founding member and Administrator on the From the Mixed-Up Files…of Middle-Grade Authors blog, an SCBWI volunteer, and host of the PBParty chats, New Draft Challenge & Critique Train, and annual contest. She writes middle grade novels and picture books filled with humor, heart, and hope and is represented by Joyce Sweeney.
Hello again everyone! Delighted to be returning and thank you so much for having me. Can’t wait to be chatting with you all about writing craft and careers 🙂
Welcome, Suzy and Michelle! Cheers to another great year!
Wow. What a great lineup of coaching for the coming year. I’ve loved reading the posts here. Warm welcome to Suzy and Michelle, and looking forward to the wisdom from all these great coaches.
I am so excited for this year, and all the great knowledge we’ll gain. Thank you all so much for sharing your wisdom with us!
September and Lisa, thank you for all the great insight. We appreciate you both! <3
All of our writing coaches are awesome! I’m so thankful to be partnering with Suzy again, and Michelle’s posts at the site have been so helpful, I know she’s got some good things in store for us. Thank you to all of our coaches. I can’t wait to see what wisdom you’re going to drop this year for our readers (and me!) :).