Writing Coach

Hello there, I'm Althea Damgaard

I am a lover of a good story. It takes work to produce anything worthy of publishing, short or long. The process can be discouraging and confusing if you try it alone. All published writers have a team behind them no matter if they are indie authors, work with a hybrid publisher or traditionally publish.

A coach is a team member that can direct you through the process and point you to the resources you need to succeed. Some follow a specific niche of the process, while others handle a broader spectrum. My skills lie in the realm of fiction and what makes a novel keep readers up at night.

I've learned a lot by trying it myself, and there is always something changing or new out there to verify if it warrants your attention. I plan on making videos of how to do things in various programs like Scrivener and my new favorite, Deckle. Deckle's formatting is pretty close to digital typesetting and can produce a higher quality-looking interior faster and easier than anything else I've used.

The Solid Novel

WRITING A DYNAMIC NOVEL DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SO HARD!

Download my FREE guide which lists the 5 Things Your Novel Needs. You will find some that are easy for you and others that make you work. That is how writing flows.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Once we know where we need help, we can start making a plan of improvement with resources and people.

Writing is a journey of continual learning while sharing memorable stories with the world. The writing dream is scary, but we all can find our path to a published novel.

Short, simple emails follow this free offer to help you think deeper about the takeaways you get from this resource. It also leads to you gaining a free 30-minute chat with me that can be anything about novel writing and publishing, though come prepared with your questions to get the most out of it. You can also respond to any of the emails with questions and thoughts you want to share with me.

Here's What I Do To Make Coaching Your Best Investment

I tell you the hard truths. My clients tell me they want tough love. They want the truth even if it hurts. Why? They want to improve. This could mean a lot of rewriting to fix a scene's flow, dive into a character's emotion, or knowing when to remove it entirely if it doesn't help move the story. Without the truth, there is no way of redirecting your steps to improve your novel.

I'll give you homework. We learn by doing. Once we have assessed an issue to conquer, we can determine the next step. It could be rewriting per my feedback on a scene. It may include checking out a resource to improve a skill. It can even include course suggestions from reputable organizations. I want to be sure you have the resources you need to become the author you dreamed of being.

I'll help you find direction. It can be as simple as forgetting who your audience is or why you wanted to write this novel that derails the process. Whether we use discovery writing, a full plan, or anywhere in between, we need to be sure of our genre, audience, and theme. We'll work together to find the right resources to help you find clarity in your novel writing and improve your writing style.

I will help you stay on track. You get to set the schedule, but I will help you set achievable goals within the time you have for writing. The best approach is one thing at a time. Everything comes in layers. First, we must draft the novel no matter how ugly we think our initial writing is. It's okay. We can't edit an idea we don't write. Editing, which I like to call rewriting, has layers you work through, from content editing down to the final proofreading.

I have a variety of ways we can work together for coaching, so contact me via the button below. You will also have the opportunity to reply to emails or set up your free 30-minute consultation session via the 5 Things Your Novel Needs.

Contact Me About Coaching

Other Author Services

I also love the tech behind creating a good book. The following are things I can do for you.

Book Formatting

One of the things I've learned by doing it myself, is that it is not always easy producing a quality interior for your book. Not all programs are created equal because even in the digital age, typesetting is very important. My first books were not as good as those that had proper typesetting rather than just formatting. I can see the difference.

If you do not have the time to learn formatting or rather have it done for you for any reason, I'll gladly do it for you. You will have to supply me with all the graphics you want internally and the text. I'll gladly discuss design options that you can take to your graphic designer to help you make the book look the way you want.

The following are the basic things I will need to produce you and epub and a pdf.

Your complete text in a Word document (.doc or .docx). Save me time by having a linking Table of Contents set in the document, so chapters are broken out correctly in my formatting program. If not sure how to do that, no problem. Depending on the length of the book and number of chapters, there will be a small fee for me taking the time to do this.
NOTE: If your links don't work to separate chapters when I import because of a technical issue, I will not charge you for the time to fix them.
All graphic files
Notes on which graphics are chapter headers, scene breaks, etc. If multiple chapter header graphics, I will need to know which chapter gets which graphic.
All front and back matter can be included in the word doc or sent separately.
I have a standard copyright page, but I will need to know the ISBN, all cover design and graphic designers, and the year you intend to publish if not the year I am formatting this for you.
For the print book formats, I will need to know the size of the book, like 5x8 or 6x9. You can have a different-sized hardback compared to your paperback, which will add some to the cost since it means two formatting exports and verifications for each book size.

If interested in discussing my book formatting services, please contact me.

Contact Me About Book Formatting

Still Reading?

Good, because there is something I need to tell you.

It's hard to read your own writing and know what needs improvement and polishing. I have PERSONALLY received coaching and training for my writing, and will always do so. My writing has improved from following the lead of others who have done what I wanted to do.

I want that for you, too.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the coaching work?

You will meet with Althea one-on-one over Zoom Video Conference for an hour each session. Althea will answer your questions personally, and you'll get access to a recording of the call.

The writer coaching is tailored to your specific needs as a writer. Althea can help you find clarity in your writing process, point you to helpful tools and resources for your needs, and help you find the way through to a completed novel ready for pitching to agents/publishers or self-publishing. She will assign homework that will help achieve a goal agreed upon during the session.

Upon the start of coaching, we will determine the best way to contact for quick questions or updates between calls that works for you and Althea.

What is the timing of multiple sessions?

We will set a timing that works for you based on the assignment we agree to that is to be completed by the next call. Althea prefers to keep calls two weeks to no more than a month apart.

What about cancellations and refunds?

If you need to reschedule a coaching call, please do so with at least a 24-hour acknowledged notice before the start of the session. Otherwise, your missed call will count towards your session total. Unfortunately, we do not offer refunds whatsoever for missed calls without notification. Your success and progress are based on your willingness to put in the work in partnership with the advice and hands-on training you receive.

Refunds for book formatting and all services other than coaching will be based on a case-by-case basis.