What Does a Professional Writing Coach Do?

Recently, I conducted an academic writing retreat for a group of chemists, biologists, engineers and other STEM scholars. The setting for the retreat embodied the perfect getaway: a secluded conference center and hotel situated on more than 300 acres. Individual rooms for participants had two doors: one leading to a private patio or deck; the other leading to the hotel hallway. Plus, the property had plenty of quiet spaces to work, indoors and outdoors. 

As we gathered the first morning, some participants were skeptical, not knowing what to expect or whether the retreat would be worth their time. Many attendees had taken precious time from the lab, where they spent 8+ hours each day at least five days a week, to write before the new academic year. They were all doctoral students committed to finalizing dissertations, publishing articles or completing research proposals. As STEM scholars, they had been trained to collect samples, analyze/compute data, build prototypes, do simulations/measurements and formulate/break down equations. 

I explained that my job, as the retreat facilitator, was to take my expertise in words, language and writing to equip them to achieve their goals for the retreat and leave as better equipped scholarly writers. I would flow between several roles: workshop presenter, writing coach plus dissertation coach and editor. Then, we got started!

So, what does a professional writing coach do?

Essentially, a professional writing coach is a credentialed expert in writing, who helps you to meet your writing goals.

A Common Problem a Professional Writing Coach Addresses

At the retreat, I experienced what I regularly encounter as a writing coach: negative beliefs, attitudes and experiences around academic writing. 

Many scholars:

1. Dislike writing

2. Deal with “red ink” trauma 

3. Procrastinate when writing

4. Approach writing from a perfectionist lens

5. Have developed wordiness tendencies from undergraduate study

6. View writing as a natural ability rather than a skill

   
   

Professional writing coaches address these issues. 

I like to start by attacking the last one first. Unfortunately, too many scholars assume that people are born “good” writers. They think writers simply sit down and begin writing; they believe some people possess a gift that causes words to flow effortlessly from their mind. With these notions, these scholars erroneously conclude they’re not good writers or need to try harder since they struggle to get started or can’t find the right words to express themselves.

While it’s true that some people have an affinity for writing, just like some people have an affinity for science or math, writing is a skill. Trust me, my natural affinity for writing only took me so far. I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing. I even won essay contests as a child. However, my affinity for writing simply made me more motivated to pay attention in English classes and do my homework.

I still had to earn three degrees and spend more than a decade after high school to become a strong writer. 

Guess what? I’m still learning and growing as a writer!

A Professional Writing Coach Challenges Internalized Inadequacies

My initial goal as a professional writing coach is to normalize a scholar’s writing struggles. I help them stop viewing themselves as lacking a natural gift or the ability to write well just because they don’t like to write or have marked up papers from teachers.

I help them see the reality: they lack sufficient instruction in writing.

Most scholars who are not in writing-based disciplines have had few writing courses, yet they’re expected to write throughout their educational and professional careers. With each degree, the quality and style of writing is expected to elevate. So, people are assessed on a level of writing they were never taught to do. And, if graduate students and faculty members don’t somehow pick up a strong scholarly writing style, they’re considered deficient.

While becoming a good scholarly writer can occur without proper instruction, the more guaranteed route is to be taught by an expert, just as undergraduates are taught how to write a research paper. 

A professional writing coach teaches you what you didn’t learn about the various genres of academic writing along your educational journey, including how to write:

1. Research Study Proposals 

2. Seminar Papers

3. Literature Reviews

4. Journal Articles

5. Theses/Dissertations

6. Research Statements

7. Grant Writing

Even with some genres you have learned, a professional writing coach helps you to apply and elevate them to the complex nature of advanced research.

A Professional Writing Coach Challenges Erroneous Perceptions 

Some people assert, “I do my best work under pressure.”

However, I ask scholars who state these words if they take that approach to doing tasks they enjoy. Does a chemist or biologist collect samples or analyze data at the last minute? Or, do they spend hours verifying the accuracy work?

A professional writing coach challenges lackadaisical attitudes and mindsets about writing that lead to counterproductive writing habit writing. The goal is to make you uncomfortable so that you can shed undergraduate writing habits, such as submitting the first draft you write. 

A Professional Writing Coach Helps You Develop a Process

A professional writing coach understands your reluctance to write. In fact, as a writing coach, I sympathize with scholars who pressure themselves to produce perfect, or near perfect, writing in one setting.

The truth is effective writing rarely begins with the act of writing, just like effective research doesn’t begin with building a prototype or conducting a simulation. You start with the end in mind, not at the end. 

The truth is credible research results from a vetted, systematic approach known as “methodology” that guides the research collection or analysis process. Likewise, the best writing results from established steps, called a writing process. Trained writers work to achieve strong writing. We draft and revise for periods of time, just as a scientist may run and rerun tests or experiments repeatedly.

A professional writing coach will equip you to be just as methodical in your approach to writing as you are when conducting research. The process begins with strategizing, organizing and sifting through thoughts and ideas. Then, you methodically move your research ideas into a clear, logical and well-written document. 

A professional writing coach gives you the tools to develop a systematic approach to writing that works for you.

So, one of the most valuable questions a professional writing coach can help you answer is:

What is my approach to writing?

If your answer is, “I just sit down and start writing,” you are probably making writing much more stressful than it needs to be.

A professional writing coach helps you to:

• identify where and why you struggle to write

• slow you down or speed you up

• pinpoint what you need to produce your best work consistently

• develop strategies that make writing more productive and fulfilling

  
  

The goal of introducing a writing process is not to follow someone else’s formula; the goal is to remove the mystery from sound academic writing. 

A professional writing coach should bring a level of structure, clarity and understanding to your writing that you likely were never taught.  

Ultimately, one of the greatest jobs of a professional writing coach is to help you create a systematic process that you can use with intention every time you write.

Realize effective writing coaching doesn’t make you dependent on a coach. Rather, it equips you with the writing skills you need to write with confidence and clarity.

As a professional writing coach, I have multiple goals woven into my coaching sessions. Mainly, they are to:

1. Understand a person’s writing goals and habits

2. Identify barriers to writing productivity, motivation and confidence

3. Pinpoint sources of writing frustration, challenges and stress 

4. Learn about the person’s research 

5. Answer personalized questions, often based on a particular document 

6. Help a person embrace a scholarly writing identity

7. Provide writing expertise in a digestible way so the person can apply it to get immediate results

   
   

If you want to experience the benefits of a professional writing coach or explore more about how a coach can support you, a free consultation is a great starting point.