Is this you?
- You have stories to tell and novels to write, but you get stuck and sometimes struggle to finish even your most meaningful projects.
- It’s hard to tell if what you’ve written actually reflects the worlds and characters in your head—and you find yourself wondering if readers (and publishers) will really ‘get it.’
- Sometimes it feels like you only write when inspired, which makes it difficult—if not impossible—to make forward progress.
If you could…
- Finish the projects that mean the most to you—and feel confident that you can overcome any block…
- Take your writing to the next level, fully confident that what’s on the page matches your vision and is written in a clear, engaging way—all while maintaining and developing your unique voice as a writer…
- Develop a writing practice that works for you and your schedule, so that you can make consistent progress and finally feel excited about writing again…
…would you?
Writing Consultations
Bust through your blocks with our one-on-one writing consultations so you can stop staring at a blinking cursor and craft the stories you were always meant to write!
“Cathy’s feedback on my novel-in-progress has been invaluable to me. I have been working on this project for a while, and have often felt that I’m not moving forward with it, or at least not as fast as I would like! Cathy had some great ideas on how to deal with some of the problems that I, as a first-time novelist, have experienced: being unable to decide which path my novel should take, or spending forever to move past a certain chapter or section in my book. As writers, we tend to work alone, and we might develop writing habits that are counterproductive without ever being aware of them. Talking to a more experienced writer has helped me see through this. I now feel confident that I have a few great strategies at hand that will take my writing to the next level.”
— Maria
“Cathy gave me the push and the confidence boost I needed to get my project rolling. She knew the right questions to probe me with to make me think. I would recommend Cathy to anyone who needs help shaping their writing or is stuck with writer’s block!”
— Mindy
“I’d done all the research, but I needed to ensure my ideas would be communicated in a way that anyone could understand. Cathy provided one-on-one writing services catered to my needs and helped me feel 100% confident about the writing. Thanks, Cathy!”
— Chris
Hi! I’m Cathy, and I’m a writing consultant. As an adjunct professor at Columbia University, I am passionate about helping writers of all levels improve their writing skills and make their work the best it can be. With over a decade of experience in responding to writing—through teaching, peer edits, workshops, and professional editing—I have cultivated my editorial eye and readerly ear to attend closely to the nuances of the written word. I hold an MFA in fiction writing from Columbia University and have developed curriculum for English departments at Columbia, Lehman College, and Strayer University. I’ve dedicated my life to studying not only writing itself, but also the best ways to teach writing and help writers improve their work and their practice.
What to Expect
During our consultation, we can work through what you’re most concerned with at the moment. You can expect to get targeted, reader-based feedback that gives you a real sense of how your writing is coming across, while also maintaining your ownership over the piece and keeping your work 100% you. We will also spend time at the end of our session to develop clear next steps so that you can continue to make progress as you move forward.
$115/session
$85/session*
*limited time offer
Frequently Asked Questions
How long are consultations?
Sessions run 45 minutes.
Do I need to have a finished piece to benefit from a consultation?
Not at all! Whether you have a full draft, a partial draft, an outline, or even just a few notes, we can use our session to move you forward in the project.
Will you tell me if my piece is good?
Research shows that descriptive feedback is much more useful than evaluative feedback. This means I won’t tell you if your writing is “good,” but I will tell you exactly how it comes across, what is clear/unclear, the themes your writing invokes, how closely it matches what you intended, etc.
Will you read my piece before our consultation?
In most cases, no. Research shows that providing reader-based feedback in real time is most helpful to writers, because this way you get the most accurate and unfiltered sense of how your writing comes across. If we work together across multiple sessions, however, our work in previous sessions will of course inform our subsequent ones.
Something came up. Can I move or cancel my session?
Absolutely. You can cancel or make changes to your session up to 24 hours in advance.
Our Guarantee
Making long-term, lasting changes in your writing and writing process can take time and effort. These are changes that won’t happen in a day, a week, even a month—but the work you put in now can transform your writing life forever.
The fact that you’ve made it this far shows how dedicated to your craft you are. I’m dedicated, too. If you are not satisfied with your consultation, let me know at the end of our session, and I will issue a full refund.
Take your writing to the next level.
Writers need readers. It’s that simple. Writing consultations give you the targeted, reader-based feedback you need to understand what your writing is doing on a fundamental level—so that you can take your craft to the next level and beyond. Let’s bust through your blocks together.