Support and guidance every step of the way…
Feeling a bit lost with your writing? Maybe you just need a friendly ear and some encouragement to help get yourself back on track. Maybe you need a soundboard to work through your ideas and find the right way forward. Or maybe you need long-term support to keep yourself accountable and reach your goals. Whatever you need, I’m here to help!
Developmental creative support can be vital at any stage of your writing journey — whether you’re just starting out and need some practical guidance, or you’re a seasoned writer who needs a cheerleader to help you through the tough bits — I can help you to identify your strengths and navigate challenges to create a tailored plan for your writing.
Choose from a mix of critique, feedback, one-to-one check-ins and mentoring sessions to curate a support programme that suits you and your needs. (And if you have no idea what you need, let’s just have a chat and figure it out!)
What is developmental support & mentoring?
Honestly, whatever you want it to be! Developmental support can help you to launch into a brand new draft, troubleshoot a stalled project, forge your way to the finish line, or pluck up the courage to submit your work. My mentoring services are fully tailored to your needs, whether that’s regular check-ins, one-to-one video calls, on-page editing, feedback and encouragement, or something else entirely.
We can work together on a long-term or ad hoc basis to keep you on track, stay accountable, tackle creative blockages boost your motivation, and make tangible progress on your writing. Get in touch to tell me about your writing, discuss your needs, and we can go from there.
I’m also happy to support writers applying for Develop Your Creative Practice (DYCP) grants. I can help you draft your application and incorporate mentoring and feedback into your package, so please give me a shout if this is something you’re considering.
Why work with me?
I have 15 years’ experience helping writers to develop, edit and improve their work, and I have been teaching creative writing for over a decade. I’ve worked with thousands of authors, at every level of experience and every stage of the process — from early drafts and burgeoning ideas to developmental brainstorming and final draft tweaks.
I’m an award-winning novelist, short fiction author, playwright and screenwriter and have devised hundreds of writing courses and workshops over the years. But most of all, I love helping other writers to find their way and feel confident about their work. :)
As a neurodiverse writer, I also know how hard it can be to stay on track, manage the overwhelm, and find an approach to wriing that suits my brain — and I really want to help you do the same.
Oh, and these fine folk have some pretty nice things to say about me, too:
How much does it cost?
Every project is different, and every project will have different requirements, so the best way to start is with a free 15 minute call to chat about where you’re at and what approach might be most useful for you.
Pricing will depend on whether you’re looking for long-term mentoring, a combination of development calls and editing, or just need a one-off kick up the bum to get you writing.
My fees are guided by the Society of Authors suggested rates. Fees can be negotiated according to your budget, and payment can also be made in instalments if necessary.
Here are a few examples of how we can work together:
30 minute mentoring check-in — a regular (or sporadic) catch up to keep you motivated and on track, for example throughout a first draft or to facilitate self-editing.
1 hr one-to-one development call — a more in-depth discussion to talk over your project, progress and any wobbles or worries, work through sticking points and plot holes, bounce around ideas and get excited about your work!
Feedback sessions — a combination of critique and mentoring, where you send me extracts of your work to review and discuss together.
Face-to-face meetings — if you’re based in Brighton or Sussex we can arrange a mentoring or development consultation in a nice quiet cafe to chat about your writing in person!
Development calls can be via Zoom or phone, and can be combined with manuscript reviews or editing and critique options to create a bespoke package.
If you are thinknig of applying for an Arts Council ‘Develop Your Creative Practice’ grant, I can also help you factor a mentoring package into your application, and provide guidance on the process itself. I have been awarded two Arts Council grants in the past, and assisted many other writers and creatives to succeed in their applications, and I would love to help with yours!
To book, or if you have any other questions, please get in touch via the form below.
Book a developmental support or mentoring session
Tell me a bit more about your writing and what kind of support you’re looking for:
More testimonials…
“Oh my god you’ve made me so happy with the points you've flagged up. You are so clever! I've been nodding away at your ideas — this is absolute gold dust. Your feedback has come at exactly the right time. Thank you so much for the clarity when I was feeling foggy. I'm so excited, this is exactly the morale boost and the shot in the arm I needed. Your feedback is the best present I've ever had!” — Ellie L
“Jo is extremely talented and knows her stuff when it comes to writing. She has helped me immensely in forming my ideas and structure for my memoir. What started as a simple idea and plan has turned into the beginnings of a comprehensive piece of work in response to her brilliant critique. Her feedback has been thoroughly helpful and encouraging. I really would be lost without her. I will be forever grateful for her help and support she has given me and have had the courage to enter a competition under her guidance. Thank you, Jo!”
“I can't recommend Jo’s editing service highly enough. The feedback I received on my query package was detailed, thorough and framed in a way that was both thought-provoking and encouraging, getting me to consider how I could strengthen what was already on the page and providing a clear path towards achieving that goal. Following a written report which included both big-picture comments and sentence-level in-line suggestions, the query package also included a one-hour Zoom chat with Jo who provided additional thoughts and answered all my questions in a really accessible way. If you are working on a novel, this is definitely something to strongly consider. And if you're working on shorter fiction, I am certain that the other editorial options available are equally as golden.”
— Matt K
“Jo provided invaluable feedback on my proposal and opening chapters — being incredibly encouraging whilst also providing really useful, constructive feedback. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her critique services.”
"I have had the pleasure of working with Jo on my recent book, The Oxygen Advantage. I have no qualms in saying that Jo has been the best editor that I have ever worked with. She added a creative flair to the writing, making it digestible for the everyday reader. She followed the brief, delivering on time and providing feedback and insight where she could. She is a consummate professional and I have no hesitation recommending Jo for any editorial work - book, article or websites." — Patrick McKeown, CEO and founder of The Oxygen Advantage
“Your feedback was more detailed and helpful than four years at uni. I’ll definitely be back with more words.”
“Thank you so much. Your email knocked me for six. I was all prepared for constructive criticism. It hadn't crossed my mind at all that your comments might be positive. The day I got your email was pretty much one of the best days of my life. That sounds ridiculous but it's the first time someone who isn't my mum or a primary school teacher has said something that's given me hope that I'm not deluded and that one day I might be able to write a book that people want to read. It was a big deal for me, so thank you.”
— Joanna J
“I completely agree with virtually all of your suggestions. Fresh eyes are so valuable, especially experienced ones such as yours. Very helpful and much appreciated! Thank you!”