Coaching with ROXAN McDONALD

A few of My coaching clients got together to talk about writing with Me. They decided to write a description of their experience of one-on-one coaching with me. I like This better than tooting My own horn:

WORKING With Roxan

When we asked Roxan McDonald what writing means to her, her eyes immediately lit up:

“above all, writing feels spiritual in the most practical down to Earth way possible.” - Roxan (me)

"You know how studies show that people change their standpoints due to stories rather than dry facts? Stories are what help people change their perspective about themselves, the people in their lives, and the world at large. From a very young age I’ve loved how storytelling is a part of huge wisdom of thousands of years – stories are not facts but are key ways of illuminating the complex truth under all the facts and lies and dead-ends of the human existence. Stories at their essence are meaning making device. When human beings seek meaning, welcome complexity and learn to find beauty in the mundane and tragic, they are so much better, in my opinion. The world we live in separates and categorizes and artists are here to connect. The more logically we can connect things that are vastly separate the more awe we bring into the existence.

When we asked Roxan why she is so passionate about teaching writing to others, her answer was direct and clear:

“I want to help people connect to their stories and their own voice.  There is a magic when someone is able to express themselves clearly, effectively, and in a way that resonates with their own soul. Whether someone writes fiction, memoir, poetry, garden reviews or is journaling just for themselves; I think writing is a brave act. I believe that the most vulnerable thing we can share with another person is not our greatest wound but our greatest desire. Revealing what we hope for, what we want and what we believe ourselves capable of is an act of incredible vulnerability. When we embark on learning the craft of writing we are stepping into a powerful place of vulnerability because you are implicitly saying that we believe that we have a story that is worth the time and trouble to spend our time on and worthy of being read. I want to honor, feed and protect the energy and wisdom in that kind of vulnerability. When I work with a writer I don’t ever want to be prescriptive. I want to align with people, not just on the project they’re currently writing but on who they are as a human being, who they want to be and what they want to create in this world. So much of the work we do as writers is becoming the person who wrote the thing. When we work on writing that truly matters to us each project, each chapter, each scene, each poem, each sentence demands that we learn and grow and heal to be the one who wrote it. I show up to coach writers with all the tools I have from years of study and practice and I want all of those to tools be of service to the writer and their vision and growth and not the other way around; writers bowing at the altar of literary craft. Craft should serve your unique creativity and expression.”

WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ROXAN

Roxan is one of the most courageous human beings you could ever meet, with a unique and complex story to tell. Her coaching is as unique and complex as she is as a person; Roxan is not a grammar expert and will prioritize your ability say what you really want to say rather than writing in perfect English. Coming from a background of poverty and trauma, Roxan understands what it's like to have writing be your friend, helping you make sense of your life.

Roxan is the coach who will ask you brave questions that ignite you to think, feel, and connect more fully to yourself and your story. She will challenge you to be more honest, clear and precise. Many of us have described Roxan as the ultimate literature nerd armed with a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, over a decade of working as a counselor and extensive experience working with writers from all genres and skill levels. Roxan will definitely challenge you to improve your writing craft but she does not believe in criticizing anyone. Instead, she helps you celebrate your voice, a voice that resulted from your life journey and your true soul and heart. Roxan understands that writing can be frightening, grueling and how much it can demand that you address your grief, trauma, shame and heart’s desires. Roxan doesn’t flinch from the difficult stories and she always seems to help writers find deeper meaning even in the seemingly mundane aspects of their writing.

Writing seems sacred for Roxan, but not in the traditional way. Rather than crafting and revising your writing in order to appear more intelligent and sophisticated than you are Roxan sees the entire creative process from shitty first drafts to your final edits before publication as all part of the process of becoming more fully human and uniquely yourself.

One-on-one coaching sessions with Roxan give you personalized guidance that ensures you receive coaching that suits your needs and goals. She believes that writing is not done in a vacuum. Creativity is an expression of the human experience. Therefore, we must support human beings in their emotional, psychological, and physical health to truly tap into the wellspring of their creativity and productivity as artists. Roxan has found that this holistic approach aligning with each person who comes to her to supporting people to grow, heal, create and yes, write.

A TYPICAL Coaching Session

Each meeting is unique but usually begins with checking in on your writing practice, how you are doing as a person and discussing your goals for the week ahead. Some sessions are focused on grappling with the throughline, plot, themes or the scope of your project. Most sessions include sharing about 1,000-1500 words of your writing, reading your work aloud and receiving feedback. Reading your work aloud is crucial to developing your eye and ear for self-revision and prepares writers to share their work at public readings. Roxan also aligns with the work much better when the writer reads aloud. She gives basic line notes to remind you of what was discussed during the session. Roxan doesn’t provide extensive notes on writing as she prefers to have a discussion rather than dictate what is “correct and incorrect”. Most writers find the line notes and discussion are more than enough to move them forward on their revisions and edits. You are encouraged to take notes during the coaching session and you are welcome to record your coaching sessions.

You’ll meet Roxan online through Zoom. If you'd like to have your session recorded, please let her know at the beginning of each session.

FREQUENTLY Asked Questions 

  • Roxan is open about the fact that she is a feral raccoon when it comes to grammar and doesn’t care about the rools. See!  Once you’re ready to send your work out to agents and publishers Roxan can recommend a grammar nerd to copyedit your work.

  • Roxan does not give feedback outside the agreed meeting time and without the writer present. Sometimes if clients can’t make it to a meeting, they request that Roxan read their work and give written feedback in lieu of meeting together. Roxan has found over many years of being a writing coach that face-to-face meetings have a more compassionate and constructive impact than written notes. Of course, if you have worked with Roxan for an extended period of time and have developed rapport and trust, please feel free to discuss your needs and develop a unique plan to support your goals.

  • Roxan only reads longer pieces after having built a rapport with a writer. Most writers find that after working with Roxan for even a few sessions, they don't need to pay a content editor to read their entire manuscript. Writers are given the tools to understand the scope of their project, can conceptualize and identify the key aspects of their story and have an eye, ear, and nose for refining their sentences, images, paragraphs, and chapters.

  • Roxan doesn’t give extensive notes on people's work. If she gave longer notes, she’d be writing a book on craft for each person's work. She'd much prefer to explain something in a way that her clients truly understand how it applies to them personally and their writing. Roxan’s coaching style is directed at developing the writer's skills and not just "fixing" one piece of writing. This is why her discussions on craft, focused directly on your writing, are beneficial.

  • Roxan can answer clarifying questions between sessions but also models good boundaries as a writer. Roxan doesn't check her emails for days at a time (she encourages other writers to do the same) and can't promise to be available in between appointments.

COACHING PACKAGES:

Roxan offers coaching packages of four or eight sessions.

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Individual Session Costs $300
The four-session package costs $600,
and the eight-session package costs $1100.

Cancellation Policies:

One of the core benefits of working with a coach is taking the step to prioritize your writing and incentivizing oneself to continue working toward your writing goals despite the many responsibilities we all have. Agreeing upon and attending all meeting times holds writers accountable to their goals and creates the deadlines that writers need to push past writing blocks and life’s stressors. In your first meeting with Roxan, you’ll solidify a schedule of meeting times and dates. If you are unable to attend a meeting, please notify Roxan at least a week in advance so she is allowed enough time to schedule another writer into that time slot. No refunds or credits will be given for missed or cancelled sessions without a week’s notice.

  • “Roxan’s writing group is quite simply the best. I fell into one of Roxan’s writing groups quite by accident and felt challenged by the quality of writers and welcomed at once. After writing on my own for three years I’ve been inspired by the positive and helpful culture she’s created and reinvigorated to challenge myself to get the work done!”

    Linda Colwell, MFA

  • “Roxan is a master teacher: she is funny, insightful, and knows her craft. She builds community amongst her students almost as though it's second nature, though I know she gives lots of thought to how to create a warm, welcoming, and creatively exciting environment. Her insights on my work pushed me into new territories in my writing, and I would not be the successful writer I am today without her. You won't regret taking classes with Roxan!”

    Mandie Carol, MFA

  • “Roxan McDonald is an astonishingly talented writer. She is also a gifted teacher – warm, insightful, funny, and smart. I so admire her combination of skills – both writing and teaching – that I have asked her to assist me in teaching workshops. Participants in these workshops consistently tell me how much they appreciate both her teaching and her presence. She’s a gem – and you’ll learn more than you ever imagined!”

    Ellen Bass