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The Writing Coach

Literary Consultancy and Coaching for Writers from Jacqui Lofthouse

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Carolyn Kirby

Carolyn Kirby

Author of The Conviction of Cora Burns

Without Jacqui, I would not now be a published author. She was there at several key points in my writing career with the advice and encouragement that allowed me to make the move to the next stage.

When I began feeling my way towards writing fiction, Jacqui’s gentle guidance steered me onto the right path. I can see now how much time her assistance saved me; working out the rules of story telling would have taken so much longer on my own.

Later on, when Jacqui had become a trusted friend, she provided invaluable help when I was struggling to find an agent. Despite consistently doing well in competitions, my novel (then called Half of You) seemed unable to entice any agents to bite. I was at a crossroads. After nearly ten years of writing, I felt that I had progressed as far as I could without being published. If this novel could not secure representation, I wasn’t sure that I had the heart to start another.

At this point Jacqui suggested several new agents for me to try. One of them, Andrew Lownie, was entirely new to me. It seemed miraculous when his agency made me an offer of representation almost as soon as I had sent him my book. Rights were then sold both in the UK and US and the novel, now titled The Conviction of Cora Burns will be simultaneously published in March 2019, with an audio book forthcoming later in the year.

My diary is now filling up with debut author speaking events, and my novel has been submitted for a range of prestigious prizes including the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. The coming year looks exactly like the future I could only dream of during those years as an unpublished writer. There are so many people who have helped me on this journey in many different ways, but Jacqui Lofthouse is at the head of my list.

Novel

The Conviction of Cora Burns

The Conviction of Cora Burns, Carolyn Kirby

‘The Conviction of Cora Burns’ – Affiliate link

Carolyn Kirby’s debut novel takes the reader on a heart-breaking journey through Victorian Birmingham and questions where we first learn violence: from our scars or from our hearts.

Birmingham, 1885. Born in a gaol and raised in a workhouse, Cora Burns has always struggled to control the violence inside her.

Haunted by memories of a terrible crime, she seeks a new life working as a servant in the house of scientist Thomas Jerwood. Here, Cora befriends a young girl, Violet, who seems to be the subject of a living experiment. But is Jerwood also secretly studying Cora…?

‘The Conviction of Cora Burns is tense and pacey with the rare combination of driving plot as well as deep emotion. The twists and reveals are deftly handled and at one point Carolyn damn near broke my heart. The theme of nature versus nurture is often explored but is done so here with fresh energy and zeal’  – Darcy Nicholson, Daniel Goldsmith First Novel Prize judge

Find out more about Carolyn Kirby

Originally from Sunderland, Carolyn Kirby studied history at St Hilda’s College, Oxford before working in social housing and then as a teacher of English as a foreign language. She began writing fiction in 2008 with an idea about a female pilot during the Second World War.

Her next novel, now titled The Conviction of Cora Burns was begun in 2013 was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, a finalist in the 2017 Mslexia Novel Competition and winner of the inaugural Bluepencilagency Award. It will be published in March 2019 by No Exit Press in the UK and by Dzanc Books in the USA.

Carolyn has two grown-up daughters and lives with her husband in rural Oxfordshire. Her next novel about pilots of both sexes in the Second World War will be published in 2020.

For more details of novels, events and background information go to; carolynkirby.com

To buy The Conviction of Cora Burns from Amazon click here (affiliate link)

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‘A thriller full of twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing. Every word is magical, almost luminous.’
– The Daily Mail

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About The Writing Coach

Jacqui Lofthouse

The Writing Coach was founded in 2005 by the novelist Jacqui Lofthouse. An international mentoring and development organisation for writers, it is also an online home for writers, somewhere you can find advice, information, motivation and most of all encouragement for your writing work ... read more

The Modigliani Girl

Anna Bright never wanted to write a novel. At least, that’s what she tells herself. But a chance encounter with a famous novelist and a surprise gift of an art book cut a chink in Anna’s resolve. The short, tragic life of Modigliani’s mistress, Jeanne Hébuterne, becomes an obsession and before she knows it, she has enrolled on a creative writing course, is writing about a fictional Jeanne and mixing with the literati.

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Recent Posts

  • Interview with Mark Leggatt
  • Our Charity Literary Event for War Child
  • Inside Story – The Writing Coach Membership
  • Michelle Graham Taylor and The Ghost Of A Lie
  • The Writing Life of PD Viner, Crime Writer and Crime Writing Mentor

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The following posts are particularly useful for writers and include advice, ideas and inspiration...read more

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So shocked to hear the news about Salman Rushdie a So shocked to hear the news about Salman Rushdie and thinking of his friends and loved ones. A terrible day for the worldwide literary community.

Posted @withregram • @peninternational “PEN International utterly condemns the brutal attack on Salman Rushdie. Salman is an esteemed and celebrated author and beloved member of the PEN community, who has been facing threats for his work for years. No one should be targeted, let alone attacked, for peacefully expressing their views. We wish our dear friend a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are with him and his family.” – Burhan Sonmez, PEN International President.
 
Read our statement condemning the attack on former PEN America President, Salman Rushie, today in New York. Link in bio.

#SalmanRushdie
Wow! On Friday I spent an hour or so looking throu Wow! On Friday I spent an hour or so looking through old journals, searching for some notes on an early novel idea that I'm considering reviving. But when I came across a particular entry in 1997, I nearly fell off my chair... and when I saw the date - well… 

What it said was this: "Instead of teaching, I could run my own business - the complete writer? The essential writer? The writing coach? Fiction school?" 

What! 'The Writing Coach'? In 1997? But I didn't start training as a coach until 2003? I didn't know what coaching was before then! I was teaching writers, yes, nurturing them individually, meeting them to talk about their work. Coaching Writers. Except I didn't call it that. But there it was in black and white. With that date, exactly 25 years ago! 

I knew, reading this, that I had to do something to celebrate this unexpected anniversary. So first of all, I've gathered some of my own favourite free resources in one place to offer you. You can find them all via my newsletter in link in profile. 

I’m also offering 3 mentoring places for one year with me at close to 50% off my usual rates - for those who sign up this weekend. If you have ever considered making the investment of working with me for a full year, this is the weekend to go for it! Find the details via link in profile.

I would love to work with you personally, to do some intense work on your writing mindset, your craft and your connection with the literary world. I'll read and annotate 80,000 words of your work over the year and we can talk about your writing career on a deep level in our monthly calls. My aim is to make a massive impact on your writing life this year. 

I'm also offering four of these meetings as in-person in London. Think 'discussing agent choices' at Tate Modern members room over a pot of Earl Grey...

I'm doing a little happy dance thinking about it! 

Book by midnight on Sunday 7th August to access it. I can't wait to find out who my Ultimate Clients from September 2022 will be...

There’s also a link in the newsletter to many free resources - on editing, dialogue, confidence, purpose and planning.
#writerscommunity #writingcoach #writingmentor #writersofinstagram
Mary Fletcher, one of our clients, interviews Mark Mary Fletcher, one of our clients, interviews Mark Leggatt, crime writer and consultant at The Writing Coach.

Mark is the author of five books and a former technology specialist. He is an editor and mentor.  Mark is also a member of the author touring group ‘Four Blokes In Search of a Plot’, a show which performs in theatres and arts venues, and writes a very short crime novel live on stage, while discussing all the aspects of being a writer and publishing. The stories are truly terrible, so it’s just as well it’s done for laughs or he’d never sell another book! He has appeared at festivals across Scotland and was invited to Thrillerfest in New York for three years running. He is represented by a leading London literary agency.

He has a keen interest in technological and international thrillers, crime, especially Tartan Noir, and loves fantasy, sci-fi and psychological crime. He enjoys the mentoring of debut authors, so he can show them all the mistakes he made as a debut, so they don’t have to. Just as well he can laugh about it.

We are so grateful to have Mark on our team.  You can read the interview via the link in the bio.

#writingcoach #authorinterview #author #igwriters #writersofig #instawriters #authorsofinstagram #writerscommunity #writerslife #crimewriting #fantasywriting
What a fabulous Brighton launch for Phil Viner’s What a fabulous Brighton launch for Phil Viner’s (PD Viner) novel ‘The Call’ @northlainecafe. 

Phil’s one of our mentoring team at The Writing Coach @thewritingcoach and it was great to catch up with @laura_wilkinsonwriter and @nikkisheehan3 there too - also Writing Coach mentors and friends - as well as well as novelist friend @katewritesbooks . Here’s to great success for ‘The Call’

“In a frantic late-night phone call, Ben learns his wife, Mia, has killed a man. And she needs his help.

When Ben arrives at Mia's hotel room, the scene is horrific - but over the course of the night it will get much worse.

All their secrets will be uncovered, and they will discover how far they'll go to protect themselves and each other... will they kill for love? Or will they die for it?
One phone call. Twelve hours to save their marriage. And their lives.”

 #thriller #launchparty #writingcoach #writingmentor #crimefiction #crimefictionmentor
Are you a fiction or memoir writer who wants to im Are you a fiction or memoir writer who wants to improve your work and complete a finished manuscript? 

If you have dabbled in writing fiction or memoir but now want to make strides with your writing or if you’re an experienced writer looking to polish a second draft of the work, this exclusive one day course with The Writing Coach Founder @jacquilofthouse will make a real difference to your output and your craft. 

You will learn what literary agents and publishers are looking for, but equally importantly how you can achieve this, whilst maintaining your authentic voice.

Join us on Saturday 28th May by signing up via the link in the bio.

#writingcoach #writingworkshop #amwriting #writinglife #writinghabits #writingritual #writersofinstagram
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