Strategy Session
It all starts with an idea!
You've got great ideas, but you're not sure how to bring them to life on the page. Unlock your full narrative potential with a personalized 75-minute Zoom session.
This is perfect for someone with any level of experience in writing. If you haven’t written outside of school or professional writing, I’ll help you break free of those restrictions to creatively tell your story. If you have years of creative writing under your belt and want to focus on a new project with a fresh start, let’s talk about alternate ways to approach your material. A Strategy Session is also ideal for people who want to present themselves in a particular narrative context, like business/grant proposals, artist statements, college and graduate school applications, and website content.
Deliverables of this service:
✔ Project Questionnaire & Preparation
✔ 75-mins recorded Zoom session tailored to your project needs
✔ Action Plan + Golden Notes™
✔ Follow-up Accountability Email
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What can we do in a Strategy Session?
Once I receive your Project Questionnaire, I’ll prepare for our 75-minute session with research about the subject, potential outlets, your background as an advantage, comparable titles or projects, and anything else that will make our time together uniquely productive. I follow up with a plan of action and Golden Notes (a list of the most important topics we cover in our call).
What we could work on:
Crafting an Elevator Pitch:
Film, TV, a product, or branded content
Two Sides to the Same Story:
Examining Commercial & Literary approaches to the same idea
Personalized Generative Prompts:
Memoir, Essay, Flash
Adapting Your Memoir to Screen:
Process Overview
Writing Career Development:
• Transitioning from academic / business to creative writing
• Prepping for a writing workshop / intensive
• MFA program & workshop application materials prep
By Request:
You pitch me! What do you want to work on?
Tell your story
This is perfect for you if...
you want your voice to be authentic
You know what you want to say about yourself and your strengths but can’t find words that feel authentic in the given context.
you feel stuck in a draft & need a jolt
You feel like you’ve tried everything for your essay or pitch and need a jolt of brainstorming and solutions to finish it up.
YOu want a plan of action
You want someone with media and narrative experience to help you navigate commercial, dramatic, and literary outlets.
This isn't the best fit if...
you are writing in a specific genre
I love poetry, fiction, and some fantasy, but I specialize in creative nonfiction. (If you're looking for help in another genre, I’m happy to recommend someone.)
you need a copy editor
You need help with grammar, punctuation, and syntax on an essay or pitch draft you want to publish or submit to editors. (If that's what you're looking for, check out my Last Look service.)
You have an idea you want written
You’re looking for someone to write your entire script/essay/pitch for you. (If that's what you're looking for, you can hire me here.)
The Process
get your action plan
You’ll receive an email with an Action Plan and Golden Notes™ based on what we covered in our Strategy Session. This includes:
I’ll cut the fluff out of our Zoom recording notes and create a hierarchy of action to achieve the goals we outlined in the call. These personalized Golden Notes™ apply only to you and your project. We will then agree on a realistic timeline for a follow-up accountability email to make sure you feel supported going forward.
INquiry & Questionnaire
Book a consultation call to receive an in-depth questionnaire that addresses you and your projects:
Current status. What’s happening now. Origin story. How it all began. “Why you? Why now?” A sense of urgency. Immediate and long-term goals. Current & Future audience. Any burning questions.
75-minute zoom session
We’ll use your questionnaire as a blueprint for our call. In addition:
I’ll research the material, look for opportunities for the project, and craft a personalized approach to the session for you to consider resources and directions you hadn’t thought of before. This is an opportunity to break free of habits or fears and speak openly about your project and what it means to tell your story so we can come up with a strategy that will work for you.
Book a session
What They're Saying:
The goal for my business proposal was to pull at the heart strings of investors. They see tons of sterile decks asking for support, and I wanted to put myself on paper, as if they were having a conversation with me. Michelle read an early draft in a Strategy Session and pointed out relevant details that could be expanded, as well as areas that needed research and data as back-up. She also considered how the text would work in a visual layout."
"My proposal was much stronger after just one consultation with Michelle.
- Ras Langford Johnson, Entrepreneur