Coaching

Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself.  ~ Franz Kafka

A writer I greatly admire is surgeon Atul Gawande. He wrote an interesting article titled Personal Best for the New Yorker (October 3, 2011). Gawande noted that top athletes and singers have coaches and wondered why other professionals, such as surgeons, didn’t have coaches. Few of us will reach, let alone sustain peak performance, so why don’t we get help?

I attend writing seminars and read books about writing, but I don’t have a writing mentor or coach. My excuse is that taking time to learn about writing takes time away from writing—an excuse that is flimsy and ridiculous. I am open to having a coach, and although I am not actively pursuing one, I bet one will drop into my life as soon as I put the period at the end of this sentence. Do you have a coach, and if so, care to recommend him or her?

Here is the interview with Gawande (This link will take you to the entire New Yorker article): http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/29/pm-the-benefits-of-having-a-career-coach/