Monthly
Story Coaching
Get intensive, personalized mentoring for your story.
Story Coaching is a bit like developmental edits on steroids, with a strong dose of line editing.
Every month, get side-by-side brainstorming, plotting, & deep dives into your story with weekly online meetings and written feedback on your manuscript pages.
We can work from wherever you’re at: a first draft or just an idea.
All tailored to the romance genre.
Ready to level-up your storytelling? Let’s go!
Note: All Story Coaching slots are currently filled.
But we’d still love to work with you on your stories! Click the button below to get on the shortlist.
Or check out our one-time Story Consults!
Intensive, personalized deep-dive into your story. 1:1 meeting & editorial feedback on manuscript pages.
Get on the shortlist!
If you’re ready (or almost ready) for Story Coaching, now is the time to save your spot.
We’re so sorry there’s no availability right now, but reach out to let us know you’re interested!
We’ll chat via email or on a live call, whichever you prefer, to help ensure our Story Coaching is the right option for you, then get you on the shortlist for upcoming availability.
Can wait to work together on your stories!
Your Story Coaching Package Includes:
Live Meetings
Meet weekly via online meeting room to discuss problems, answer questions, and brainstorm solutions.
Deep Dives Into Story
‘Big Story’ structural editing & coaching: structure, plot, characterization, arcs, conflict, tension, pace, theme, with a focus on the beating heart of your story: the romance.
Downloadable Resources
Depending on what you need, get access to all the written materials of RWL–articles, worksheets, exercises.
Arranged Monthly
No ongoing commitment required! Schedule for the month(s) you need. When you have what you need, take a break.
Editorial Feedback
Send up to 20K words/month. Get intensive written feedback & suggestions.
Line Editing
Intensive line editing on the manuscript pages, offering paragraph- and sentence-level feedback to improve impact, clarity, & voice.
Unlimited Email Q&A
Have a question? Feeling stuck? Reach out! We’ll figure out where you got bogged down & get you going again. If needed, we’ll hop on a quick zoom.
Work On One Story or Multiple
We can work on one story, or if you need help with multiple stories, we can do that too. Identify your core story, plan a series…we can do it all.
25% Discount for 6-12 Months
Get 25% off when you book & pay for six or more months in advance.
Story Coaching
Monthly- All features & services above
- 25% off 6-12 month Coaching packages when booked & paid in advance
FAQs
What Is Story Coaching?
Story Coaching is one-on-one personalized mentoring to help you understand & apply the core, key elements of powerful fiction to your stories.
It focuses primarily on structural storytelling elements (developmental editing level work). The ‘Big Story.’
‘Big Story’ is the main focus of our work: plot, characterization, world-building, dialogue, narrative drive, tension, pace, conflict, and, of course, the romance. We ensure your story intertwines plot, character, & romance, so it’s seamless and gorgeous.
Story coaching doesn’t focus as much on the ‘delivery system’ (i.e. the actual writing).
That said…I do a good bit of line editing on the manuscript pages, offering more granular, paragraph- & sentence-level feedback. Line editing focuses on the writing itself: style, flow, clarity, & strength of the prose. I’m devoted to helping my clients find & develop their voices, and if I see ways to increase the impact of the writing, to evoke stronger reader reaction, I’ll point it out.
Since I may not see the final version of a story, line editing isn’t the primary focus, but I offer feedback wherever I can.
Who Is Story Coaching For?
Coaching is for everyone! (Except puppies. I don’t think puppies would enjoy story coaching very much.)
It’s for new writers.
It’s for ‘intermediate’ writers mastering the fundamentals of the craft, or ready to take their storytelling to the next level.
It’s for veteran authors who’ve been up & down the publishing highway since before the highway was built.
For new writers, it provides an intensive crash course in fiction craft & structure. It’s one thing to read about a concept or strategy: it’s quite another to put it into practice.
For experienced writers, it’s an opportunity to do a deep-dive into the craft, refresh old skills, and get excited about storytelling again. Whether you do a one month ‘shot in the arm’ or an extended recharge, coaching will get you back on track & reignite your love of what you do.
How Does It Work?
Step One
An initial 1:1 online meeting.
We break down your story—your vision for it, as well as the current structure, plot, and character arcs if you have them. If not, we’ll talk about what might work, clarify potential problems, & brainstorm through them.
If you need weekly goals, we’ll set them up.
Step Two
You go write!
Step Three
You send me manuscript pages, up to 5K words/week.
Step Four
I review the pages & return them. Usually one-week turnaround.
Step Five
We have weekly or biweekly meetings to discuss your pages & any problems, successes, or breakthroughs. We brainstorm and problem-solve, breaking down Story to come up with a plan for the coming weeks.
Step Six
Repeat.
Step Always
If you get stuck, drop me a line.
How Long Does It Last?
Coaching is set up on a monthly basis. It can run anywhere from 1 month to…however long you want!
There is a 25% discount for those who book & pay for 6 months in advance.
How Many Stories Can We Work On?
I’m at your disposal!
I can review up to 5K words/week in manuscript form, but at our meetings, we can talk about any stories you want.
Some clients want help planning a series. Some people need help with the romance turning points of one story, but want help developing conflict in another.
I follow your lead. That said…it’s often better to focus, especially if we’re doing 3 months of coaching or less.
Do You Work With Non-Romance Stories?
Yep!
We’ll still dive into the core concepts of writing & storytelling: structure, turning points, tension, pace, conflict, characterization, backstory, world-building… You name it, we’ll do it.
For romance stories, we add in that ‘romance special’ angle–romantic conflict; intertwining all other elements with the romance; shaping character arcs around the romance; and honing romantic turning points.
Why does it cost so much??
The cost of a single month’s coaching ($999), with 20K words, comes out to $0.049/word. So, just under five cents. If you book & pay 6 months in advance, it comes out to less than $0.04/word (.0375), or about three and three-quarter cents a word. Compare this to other developmental editing rates.
But Story Coaching also includes up to 4 hours of live, 1:1 video meetings, as well as support/troubleshooting emails & discussion as often as you need, each month.
It’s actually a really good deal!
If it helps to know when considering the price of a service…self-employed freelance professionals in the U.S. pay 35% of all income in taxes/SS, as well as their own health insurance, retirement (and no leave time!) I mention it in case you’re like me, and think about these sorts of things when deciding where & how to spend your money.
Story Coaching
Monthly- All features & services above
- 25% off 6-12 month Coaching packages when booked & paid in advance
Note: All Story Coaching slots are currently filled.
But we’d love to work with you on your stories. Click the button below to find out more about Story Coaching, ensure it’s right for you, & get on the shortlist.
Or check out our one-time Story Consultations!

If you’re interested in Story Coaching with Kris, but aren’t sure if it’s right for you, or have questions about any of Romance Writing Lab’s offerings, fill out the form to get in touch. Can’t wait to hear from you!