Coaching & Classes

Check this space quarterly for class offerings

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CLASSES

 (more to come)

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MANUSCRIPT CONSULTATION/WRITING COACHING

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I’ve been writing in one form or another for most of my life, productively for twenty five years, and my favorite thing to do is help other writers. I did it in my Hollywood executive days, working with professional screenwriters, cracking stories, helping make scripts stronger to get producers moving on them. I have been a developmental editor professionally and for friends for over twelve years, and have become expert in creating actionable notes that will most definitely make your book better.

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I’m not here to teach you writing. You’re already writing, that’s why you’re here. But I can promise you, I have tons of tools I’ve gained over my twenty-five years of writing and teaching and mentoring experience that can help you on this maddening journey from idea to revision to book or screenplay. So many times we go from mind-blowing fantastic idea to the slog in the middle where we’ve lost our way and faith in our work and sometimes as far as the dreaded words, “Aw, it wasn’t such a great idea to begin with.” We all have demons that whisper in our ears, “You aren’t good enough, what’s this about anyway? Why are you writing at all?”

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In my role as your book coach, I intend to help you quell those demons, find the natural strengths in your writing and get your head back into the story that had you sit down in the first place. I believe that by asking questions of your story, your characters, your themes, we can help you serve your book, which is its own animal, and help make it the best that it can be.

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Along the way, I hope to give you tools that you can take back to your writing, because I hope that you, like me, are trying to get better at what you do every time you sit down to write.

I look forward to working with you.

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reasonable rates, email queries: katemwriting@gmail.com

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Testimonials:

“…after a critique in a writing group left me confused and discouraged, I was having difficulty moving forward on a novel. Kate encouraged me to silence the critical voice in my head and she gave me practical advice on how to get back to the page… Kate’s notes were incisive and delivered in a way that left me eager to revise. This is a hallmark of a good mentor—one who inspires you to get to work and makes you feel that you can, in fact, do what needs to be done to get the piece to the next level…with this same project, I’d received bad advice, ranging from dropping a main character’s POV, to throwing the whole book out. Kate saw potential in the pages. She gave an overall critique with a few large issues to consider, and also specific suggestions for revisions clear enough for me process and execute right away.”

 

–Toni Ann Johnson, author of the NAACP nominated Remedy for a Broken Angel

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"Kate Maruyama is a brilliant editor whom I’ve worked with on many projects over the past decade. Several stories Kate has provided feedback on have found homes in prestigious publications. She has an excellent eye for detail and her notes are concise and meaningful, inspiring me to think critically about the work and guiding me to craft the strongest story possible. Kate always delivers honest, constructive feedback in a timely manner. It’s important to me that an editor “gets” my writing style and voice and Kate nails it every time. I highly recommend her as an editor because she views each writing project as a collaborative effort. I’m looking forward to working with her again soon!"
 

Nicole D. Sconiers, Author

Escape from Beckyville: Tales of Race, Hair and Rage