I was my own worst enemy regarding time…
“After taking Diana Stout’s Time Management for Writers class, I discovered that I had been my own worst enemy. I was performing tasks I didn’t need to do, some that were labor intensive. It felt good to write my goals in a coherent list and to use my planner in a more productive way. I learned I needed to spend more time doing the things I like and love and to be more detailed about my short-term goals.” – TL – writer
Finding Your Writing Fire class participant – Jamie Dallas
A Writer Whisperer
I was stuck with my writing—not for months, but for years. My mind went blank; ideas went nowhere. Working with Dr. Diana changed everything. She not only helped me rediscover my passion for writing, but her guidance helped me understand why I write. With warmth, honesty, and deep expertise, she helped me identify the issues impacting my writing and offered generous and practical support. Thanks to Dr. Diana, I am back to brainstorming, creating, and writing again. I wholeheartedly recommend her as a writing coach and mentor.
“I couldn’t get it done.” – L.E., a self-claimed satisfied customer
L. was having a difficult time with a computer glitch. After sharing her screen with me via our Zoom meeting, I was able to walk her through the troubleshooting steps to get the computer and Word to recognize the add-on app properly.
“I don’t know if I thanked you enough for helping me out yesterday. I was so frustrated and anxious, I couldn’t get it done. You took me by the hand and dragged me through the fire. When I reflected on this later, I realized this is why you’re published, and I’m still wandering in the weeks. You know how to get the hard stuff done.”
Diana is a writing coach master! – writer Linda Fletcher
I’ve always been a panster, would start a story, then get to a point where I didn’t know how to continue. I didn’t understand plot points and percentages. I believe I can now finish unfinished manuscripts because Diana showed me how to ramp up conflict while managing story timelines, not just a single plot thread! I’m excited because I now have a worthy project for NanoWrimo! Diana is a coaching master when it comes to plotting!
Knowledgeable In So Many Topics – author Anne Stone
Diana is knowledgeable on so many topics, whether it’s brainstorming story characters and plots or getting into the nitty-gritty of punctuation and grammar rules. She’s been an excellent teacher for me in many areas. Most recently I finished my debut novel and needed to learn the ropes of self-publishing. She spent hours of her time helping me navigate the entirely new world of KDP and Ingram Sparks.
Additionally, she helped me set up my WordPress author website after I ran into several problems. She is persistent. If she doesn’t know the answer to a problem, she researches it until she finds the solution.
About Anne: A new author and a new indie publisher!
- Website/blog
- Amazon author page
- And to learn more about Anne, check out this interview.
Her class revealed I’m my own worst enemy!
After taking Diana Stout’s Time Management for Writers class, I discovered that I had become my own worst enemy. I was performing tasks I didn’t need to do, some that were labor intensive. It felt good to write my goals in a coherent list and to use my planner in a more productive way. I learned I needed to spend more time doing the things I like and love and to be more detailed about my short-term goals.
– Teri, Time Management for Writers class participant
She Helps Me With My Blurbs – author Rosanne Bittner
There are times when I struggle to write a book cover blurb with clarity. When I send my blurb to Diana, she returns exactly what I was trying to write, and she does it by using my sentence structure, voice, and most of my words.
About Rosanne: Known as the queen of the historical romance, she’s written over 70 novels.
- Website/blog
- Amazon author page
- And to learn more about Rosanne, check out this interview.
She provided honest feedback – author Linda Bradley
After meeting Diana at a writer’s conference, I asked her if she’d evaluate a synopsis I’d written. She provided honest, professional feedback and additional resources to instill further understanding. The experience was invaluable! Clearly, Diana’s love for writing defines her coaching style.
Diana Stout’s knowledge of purposeful text and story structure helps writers understand and obtain desired writing outcomes. Diana loves brainstorming, teaching, and being a go-to troubleshooting writing coach. Her superpower is identifying problematic details in story blurbs and content in mere minutes. She’s on my speed dial.
About Linda: Both a writer and an artist, her favorite genre to write is women’s fiction.
Website/blog
Facebook
Amazon author page
Instagram
Twitter
And to learn more about Linda personally, check out this interview.
She’s my go-to for correct information – author Susan Payne
Having attended several of Diana Stout’s presentations covering writing and many of its myriad elements, I can attest she has all the basics covered. Synopsis being particularly frightening to most authors, Diana broke it down to the bare bones then rebuilt it so her listeners could understand the how and why of ‘beast’. Any critique is difficult for a writer to hear, but Diana makes the bitter pill a little sweeter to swallow. She is my ‘go-to’ for correct answers.
About Susan: She writes for Wild Rose Press (Sweetwater series) and Literary Wanderlust (Montana Lineman).
She helped me get unstuck! – writer S. F. Skyheart
Diana helped me get unstuck! She brought a fresh, critical eye to my work in a prompt and professional manner. Her manuscript critique helped me lay out a strategic editing path to completion. With her guidance, I was able to evaluate every character and scene with objectivity. Her feedback was affirming and reignited my belief in myself as a writer. I would never have arrived at “The End” without her skills, experience, and support!
About Sadie: Author and screenwriter Sadie Francis Skyheart grew up in Michigan. She currently lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two sons, two cats, and a coonhound. The Recollection of Trees is her debut novel. She likes to write in lucky Halloween socks.
- Website
- Facebook author page
- To learn more about S.F. Skyheart, check out this interview.