Writing Is My Drink

I offer writing coaching to writers working on memoirs, nonfiction book proposals, MFA program applications, and personal essays (with a focus on Modern Love essays). Writing coaching sessions are available on an one-time or ongoing basis, depending on the needs of the individual writer.

My students and writing coaching clients publish memoirs and other nonfiction books with small and large publishing houses. Their personal essays have appeared in Yoga Journal, Salon, Self, the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Establishment, Brain, Child magazine, and many other places (See examples here). 

Individual Coaching Sessions

15-minute sessions

Are you stuck on a writing question and want a quick consult? Schedule a 15-minute appointment using the calendar below. After you book your session, send your question to theonestorprods@gmail.com so I can prepare for your session. Or, if you prefer, just show up and ask your question.

Your 15-minute session will be held through GoToMeeting. You will receive a link to this online meeting via email after booking. After our meeting, you’ll receive a video recording of our conversation.  $30.

30-minute sessions

Want a full 30 minutes to discuss your question? Schedule a 30-minute session w/o pages in the calendar below. $60.

Are you in need of a review of pages and 30 minutes to discuss an issue you’re having with your memoir, personal essay, book proposal, agent search, or query letter? Schedule 30-minute session using the calendar below. After you’ve booked your session, send up to 2000 words of written material (personal essay, opening of memoir, overview of book proposal, outline of memoir, for example) for review in a Word document to theonestorprods@gmail.com.

Your 30-minute session will be held through GoToMeeting. You will receive a link to this online meeting via email after booking. After our meeting, you’ll receive a video recording of our conversation. $120.00

60-minute sessions

Do you need global feedback on the opening of your memoir or business pages of your book proposal? Schedule a 60-minute session using the calendar below. After you’ve booked your session, send up to 6000 words of written material (opening of memoir, overview of book proposal, outline of memoir, for example) for review in a Word document to theonestorprods@gmail.com.

Our 60-minute session will be held through GoToMeeting.  After booking, you’ll receive a link to our online meeting. After our meeting, you’ll receive a video recording of our conversation. $240.

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Ongoing coaching

Coaching meetings are held online via GoToMeeting, which allows for us to meet face to face. My philosophy is to meet the writer at the level they’re at and help them reach their goals by teaching discrete skills and giving them honest and usable feedback. My strengths are structural and developmental editing; intuiting a narrative’s emotional preoccupation; and reading at the speed of light. I don’t proofread unless a client desperately needs me to because it’s not my strength, but I’m happy to refer you to an excellent proofreader. My rate is 120 dollars an hour. If you’d like to know more about the coaching process or to go ahead and set up a session, send me an email at theonestorprods@gmail.com.

Selected nonfiction titles from former students and clients:

New York Times Modern Love columns by former students and clients:

Forthcoming nonfiction from former students:

Untitled memoir from Noe Alvarez forthcoming from Catapult (2020)

Setting the Wire by Sarah Townsend forthcoming from Lettered Streets Press (2019)

Washington Post essays by former students:

My son’s father killed him for insurance money. Full justice hasn’t been served by Hera McLeod.

We’re failing the immigrant kids who show up alone on our border by Noe Alvarez

Marijuana’s addictive risk shouldn’t be ignored by Roger Roffman

My husband was laid off. Here’s what happened to our parenting by Natalie Singer

Bio:

Theo Pauline Nestor is the author of Writing Is My Drink: A Writer’s Story of Finding Her Voice (And a Guide to How You Can Too) (Simon & Schuster, 2013) and How to Sleep Alone in a King-Size Bed: A Memoir of Starting Over (Crown, 2008), which was selected by Kirkus Reviews as a 2008 Top Pick for Reading Groups and as a Target “Breakout Book.” An award-winning instructor, Nestor has taught the memoir certificate course for the University of Washington’s Professional & Continuing Education program since 2006. She also teaches at Hugo House in Seattle and has taught two master classes at Hedgebrook. She holds an MA in English Literature from San Francisco State University and an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from the University of Washington. Nestor also produces events for writers such as the Wild Mountain Memoir Retreat, Bird by Bird & Beyond, and the Black Mesa Writers’ Intensive, featuring talks by writers such as Anne Lamott, Cheryl Strayed, Julia Cameron, and Natalie Goldberg.  You can follow her on Facebook here, Instagram, and on Twitter @theopnestor.  Read testimonials here:A