You want to write a book.
Why is it such a struggle?
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One-on-one help for determined, motivated writers
Upcoming Webinar! Register Today!
“You’re not good enough. Stop wasting time.”
“Don’t you have important things to do?”
“You never finish anything anyway.”
“Nobody’s going to read this.”
“Maybe you should try knitting.”
We find time to do what we want to do. You’ll find time in your busy day to write when it becomes a pleasure to put words on paper.
Do you do better with deadlines? With a teacher helping you? With feedback from someone you trust? Sitting down and writing will stop being a chore you find excuses to avoid. It will become a source of JOY and PRIDE.
Your story could help others, make them laugh or cry—or both. Picture yourself at a book club, answering questions about your writing, talking about what inspires you, and encouraging others to write their stories.
I was a stay-at-home mom with two little kids, so the writing didn’t go fast. But I had a great idea and a title I loved. I knew I could write a great novel. I spend four years, writing and rewriting.
It took a harsh rejection from a literary agent to wake me up and make me see that I didn’t know how to write a novel. Fortunately, pride wouldn’t let me quit.
Besides, I had told ALL MY FRIENDS I was writing a novel.
For the next decade, I spent part of every summer taking classes at the University of Iowa. It was expensive—travel, hotels, fees, time away from my husband and kids… okay, that part was nice… and I loved it. Every class was a revelation. I learned about point of view, dialogue, scenes v narrative summary, plot, characters, setting, memoir techniques, and so much more.
A Writing Coach would have saved me YEARS of writing and rewriting. A skilled coach would have quickly identified my weak points and focused on what I needed to learn. It wouldn’t have taken me 14 years to write Revenge of the Soccer Moms.
Friends and family mean well, but they might be too nice or too picky. Consider looking for a professional. But before you hire an editor or coach, MAKE THEM PROVE THEIR WORTH.
Let’s be honest—there are no licenses in my business. Anybody can hang out a shingle and create a nice website. So ask a prospective editor or coach to read a few pages of your writing and provide feedback. If they’re insulted by the request or too busy, think twice. You wouldn’t buy a used car without driving it. Don’t hire a writing coach who doesn’t offer a test drive.
I had plenty to write about. It started with congenitally dislocated hips, resulting in a permanent limp. I got my first glasses in 2nd grade, my hair was unfashionably wavy, and I wore ugly corrective shoes that did NOT correct my flat feet. Raised Jewish in a small Catholic suburb of Chicago, I was a nail-biting, thumb-sucking, nervous middle child with a world-class overbite. I also had an imagination that ran to the morbid…
Let’s be honest. There are no licenses required in the writing/publishing world. As soon as you start googling or asking questions on social media, the sharks smell fresh meat and begin circling.
Every week, I get unsolicited private messages, emails, even phone calls from supposed “experts.” They love my writing. They’re going to republish my wonderful books, market them brilliantly, and get me gobs of 5-star reviews.
If you get my monthly newsletter, you read about the email from the founder of Lionsgate Entertainment, wanting to talk about a movie version of my novels. It looked legitimate, but it was a fake.
Likewise, a client was contacted by a literary agent about getting her self-published romance novel in front of one of the Big Five publishers. It took a bit of digging to discover that the scammer had created a fake email account for a legitimate agent.
Anyone can call themselves anything, create a pretty website, attract hopeful writers, and charge lots of money. Even if you’re offered free help, do you trust a stranger on Facebook with your manuscript?
Choose a Writing Coach or Editor the way you’d buy a used car.
Send me a few pages or a chapter to read and evaluate.
You need to assess my skills, and I need to know how you react to critiques. Some writers aren’t ready for coaching, and that’s okay. I’ll never expect you to take all my suggestions, just listen and consider. I am constructive and honest. If something about the writing isn’t working, I’ll explain it and suggest improvements. You’re the writer, so the final decisions are always yours.
I’ll send your pages back with comments, and you’ll decide if my input will be helpful. We’ll meet on Zoom (or by phone) to discuss my comments, and you’ll decide if you want to take the next step and talk money, schedules, and the like. The feedback I give you on those free “test drive” pages is yours to keep and consider, of course.
“Myra is a thorough and thoughtful writing coach. She has brought clarity to my novel.”
Judy D.
California, United States
“Myra is helping me gain knowledge and the confidence to write. She is professional, dependable, friendly, and honest. We have a good working relationship with trust and mutual respect. I receive one-on-one attention, focused on areas in which I need help.”
Carol Francis
Wisconsin, United States
“I enjoy Myra’s monthly seminars so much I hired her as a writing coach. Myra is phenomenal to work with. She’s a great coach, mentor and keeps us novice writers on track to ensure we can finish our projects.”
Renee V
Minnesota, United States
Myra’s debut novel—a dark comedy about Stay-at-Home Moms who get ticked off about what’s happening in their perfect suburban neighborhood and become secret vigilantes. Things go horribly wrong, and thanks to the 24-hour news cycle, their activities are exposed to the world. NOTE: At some point, you’ll wonder why there’s no soccer in the book—not even one well-aimed ball to the head. Keep reading. The answer is in there. Available in print, ebook, and audio on Amazon.com and Audible.com
Maura Quarrels doesn’t realize she’s dead until her first college roommate (also dead) shows up to invite her to join the local chapter of The Dead Mothers’ Club. This sounds perfect—surely this will be a way for dedicated wife and mother Maura to continue to guide her husband (possibly cheating) and teenage children (definitely headed off the cliff) toward proper, mom-approved decisions. Turns out, it’s not that simple, and Maura has to decide whether to follow DMC rules or risk eternal banishment from Heaven. Assuming this IS Heaven?
Available in print and ebook on Amazon.com
“The author has a way of hilariously exposing our feelings about life. You will meet people you know and recognize situations in your every day existence, and you will laugh. I’m looking forward to the next book.”
Linda Thornton
“Loved the book! It could be any neighborhood in any suburb. I hope M. Levine continues her passion for writing to entertain all of the women and men who are or were Stay at home Moms.”
Alfred C.
“Such a funny book, couldn’t put the book down. Myra is such a creative writer, imagination, insight, she can take an every day moment and see the humorous side. Highly recommend this book. Can’t wait for the next one.”
Joyce Callahan
“Thanks for another excellent seminar. I’ve attended quite a few of these, and you’re by far the best. You’re to-the-point, informative, and useful.”
P. Woolrich
Harrogate, England
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