Your favorite athletes all work with coaches. A football coach creates plays and helps players adapt to the game on the field. A swimming coach analyzes individual parts of the athlete’s stroke to gain more speed in the pool. A gymnastics coach finds ways for the gymnast to add more grace and power to his or her routines. Just like these athletic coaches, a writing coach or tutor is an excellent asset as you work to develop your writing and rise above the competition.
Just like athletic coaches, writing tutors have the expertise and experience to help you take your writing skills up a notch. They can assess where you currently are with your writing and work with you to achieve your goals. Writing coaches will encourage you and push you to your limits. And with time, practice, and dedication, you’ll be writing masterpieces in no time.
There are countless reasons to turn to a writing tutor. Maybe you’re having trouble acing your weekly reports in English class or looking for advice on writing your college admission essay. Or better yet, maybe you’re wondering how to be a story writer. No matter your age, current writing skills, where you are in your writing journey, or where you want to go, a writing coach can help.
Whether you want instruction on how to be a good essay writer or how to become the next great American novelist, check out our list of just a few of the many ways a tutor can take your writing to new heights.
Working with a writing coach is an excellent idea if you are:
Looking for support with schoolwork
Writing assignments in school are often challenging, regardless of whether you’re taking a high school literature class or college-level journalism course. Maybe you’re struggling with grammar or figuring out how to organize your thoughts. If you need help with writing an essay or other assignments, working with a writing tutor can be incredibly helpful. A tutor can provide critical feedback, assist with revisions, and offer writing examples when necessary. Before you turn in a piece of writing, your tutor will help ensure it is your best work. Your tutor will provide you with lessons on how to be a writer–and a good one at that!–so you can confidently tackle whatever assignment comes your way.
Seeking specific feedback
Many people learning how to be a writer are looking for feedback on a specific aspect or style of their writing. Are you one of them? You could be focusing on how to be an article writer or how to become a poet. Different styles of writing require different kinds of practice and instruction. Perhaps you are struggling with plot development, conflict resolution, organization, dialogue, or establishing strong characters. A writing coach can provide the feedback you need to refine your work.
Working in a new genre
Each writing genre has a fairly standard set of characteristics that sets it apart from other genres. Do you want guidance on how to be a novel writer? And if so, do you want to dedicate your time to crafting science fiction or suspenseful thrillers? Or what about romance or fantasy novels? Your tutor can help you narrow down your options based on your interests and your strengths. And if you are new to a particular genre, a coach can help you discover how to be a writer that has mastered this new type of writing. Some writers may specialize in a single genre, so consider this as you’re searching for the right coach for you.
Encountering writer’s block
Every writer has experienced writer’s block at some point. There’s nothing worse than sitting down to write your masterpiece and then suddenly having nothing to write at all. How do you overcome it? And how do you avoid it in the future? A writing coach can offer a fresh set of eyes and the feedback necessary to continue writing – or at the very least, some words of encouragement! If self-doubt has crept in, your coach will encourage and challenge you to help overcome this block. Your writing coach may even offer exercises to help you get your thoughts flowing when you feel stuck. Having someone on your side that has gone through the same writing struggles can be a huge asset.
Hoping to get published
Once you’ve mastered how to be a story writer or essayist, now it’s time to share your work with the world. If you are seeking advice on the publishing aspect of how to be a writer, a coach can help you understand the process. Publishing isn’t just seeing your work in a magazine, on the store shelves, or featured online. It involves understanding the manuscript process, which publishers you should submit to, and the way an author interacts with editors. There are a variety of publication options that are specifically for developing student writers. Your coach can help you submit your work to these publishers and will guide you through the online or print publishing process. And who knows? If you’re lucky, you may be able to start making a profit off your writing!
Whether you want to improve your writing skills to pursue a career in writing or simply pass a challenging English course, it may be time to sign up for writing lessons. Thanks to online tutor sessions, now you don’t even have to leave your home to receive instruction. As long as you have internet access, you can sign on whenever and wherever best suits your schedule. There’s no excuse; start improving your writing skills today!
Practice writing every day, get the guidance you need from a tutor, and most of all – make sure you’re enjoying the process. Good luck!
Photo by Kim Piper Werker
Megan L.