What is Life Coaching?

Life Coaching is having someone to guide and encourage you to the life you were meant to live. A life coach is someone who has the training and experience to make change easier. When you feel something is missing — when you want to change careers — when you want to lose a bad habit or gain a good habit — when you have always wished you could, but you don’t know how to start — a good life coach can help.

Why would I hire a life coach?

To find your vision, focus on it, and achieve it. To accelerate your progress to your dreams. To set aside time for yourself, and have my support as you brainstorm and plan. To start writing. To finish what you write. To enjoy life more. To finally start taking care of yourself like you’ve been meaning to for years. Because you shouldn’t have to be mentally ill to have the fun of having someone listen to you.

Why would I hire you, in particular?

I have a passion for science fiction and creating a spacefaring future. Good writing excites me. If you wish to work on any of those areas, you will have my heart as well as my mind at your service.

And here is what my teacher Martha Beck said about me: “Have you ever felt like an outsider? Anna Paradox understands. Through three decades of science fiction, she has empathized with people of all genders, ages, and planets. Anna listens. She creates a safe place to be your essential self – a place where you can find your unique vision and the steps to make it a reality. Anna never compromises her sense of her true self, and she will stand up for yours with power and enthusiasm. Smart, unorthodox, and intensely committed, she’ll help you find (or make) a place in the universe where you know you’re completely at home – and with Anna at the helm, that wonderful situation may well be something the world has never seen before.”

Ultimately, you’ll choose me because you trust me, I can help you, and we work well together.

Can’t my friends do everything you do for me?

If you have really good friends, maybe they can. But if, after a few minutes, you find their attention wanders to their own topics, I can do better. When we have a session, my only focus is you. I bring outstanding listening skills, professional training as a life coach, and years of study and practice to your service.

For writers: I have completed two novels, and I know what it takes. I have learned to edit, through college training with a B.A. with Honors in English, and through a decade’s involvement in writing critique groups. I have published poker articles and a science fiction story, blogged for years, and I send out my newsletter twice a month. I understand first hand as an author the challenges that writers face, and I understand first hand as a life coach how to solve them.

Recently, I was at a convention, and I heard a writer say that it took him five extra years to sell his book, because his friends and family didn’t tell him he had spelling and grammar errors in his manuscript. I could have saved him those five years.

Doesn’t the period go inside the quotation marks?

I am so glad you asked that! It shows you have the kind of attention to detail that can really appreciate good editing.

Placing periods inside quotation marks is one of the grey areas of style. Yes, that is the most common choice. Influenced by dialogue, many eyes are accustomed to seeing all punctuation inside quotation marks (but not always inside parentheses). Because this is my site, I follow the alternative rule for period placement near quotation marks: that it goes inside when the quoted phrase is a complete sentence in itself, but outside when the quote does not complete the sentence, the same way I order periods and parentheses. However, if you are writing for an editor or publisher that uses the other rule, I will edit to their house style.

Is your coaching for everyone?

No. If you want someone to write for you, look for a ghostwriter. For some, free writing critiques such as through critters.org may make more sense.

What I do may or may not be right for you. Don’t take my word for it. Test me, gather the evidence, and decide for yourself. I’m a North Star writing coach — I want you to follow your own best judgment.

If you think we might work well together, please contact me. I will gladly give you a free 15 minute consultation to see whether my services would benefit you.