Adrian Michael Kelly

WRITING COACH / AUTHOR

Here’s How I Can Help You

Stuck? Want to write, but don’t?
Feel like your own worst enemy?

I know those feelings. And I can help. Stalled novel, life story, play, or graduate thesis, I can get you there, from first ideas to final edits. Working together, we will:

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Dissolve Blocks

Writing awakens fear, and it should. Fear can be an enabling force, except when it prevents you from starting a project, or from moving forward with it. We’ll look at what lies beneath your avoidance, and I’ll teach you techniques to beat it.

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Build Healthy Creative Habits

Writing needs a base of compassionate self-care. We’ll take an honest look at your habits, from diet and exercise to spiritual practice, and we’ll work on manageable steps by which to optimize them.

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Find Joy in Writing

Writing can be hard. It’s also a pleasure and source of great freedom, from goal-setting and life-planning to the kind of creative play needed for new ideas. I’ll teach you techniques with which to get your pen moving in surprising, helpful ways.

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Increase Your Productivity

Are you a binge writer? Do you wait for blocks of time in which to write? Maybe it works for you, but I know and will teach you daily writing habits likely to work much better. Not only will you increase your productivity, you’ll increase your confidence and the fun to be had in writing.

Contact me for a free consultation. No spam. No nonsense. No pre-arranged commitments of your money or your time. I’ll listen to you and your goals. If I think I can help, then we’ll work together to come up with terms and timelines. Writing is hard. Not writing is harder. Let’s talk.

Here’s My Story

My teacher, Mrs. Stapely, wore dresses like Day of the Triffids, her knee-high stockings sagged, and I owe her heaps. It was Grade 6. I was ten and thin and awkward, and dwelt a lot in books. A favorite was The Wolf King by Joseph Wharton Lippincott. I liked it so much I wrote a story based on it. Part of an assignment. I can’t remember the title now, but Mrs. Stapely read it out loud in front of the class. Later on, she told me, “Keep going. You can write.”

Nearly thirty years later, I published a novel, my first. Why the wait? For a long time, I ran from writing. It terrified me. Still can. But I’ve learned ways to write through fear and other obstacles, and now I teach them. One on one, in small groups, across North America and abroad, I’ve helped dozens of writers from diverse backgrounds find their form and voice. It’s good to be of help. And meanwhile, I keep writing.

Testimonials

"Adrian is a wonderful editor whose thoughtful suggestions have improved my writing and helped me to produce successful grant applications. But what is best about Adrian is his holistic approach to coaching writers. For many academics, writing is a task that is intricately connected to other aspects of professional and personal life, and so it brings many anxieties. Adrian’s approach emphasizes strategies for building good writing habits and addressing the blocks that prevent forward momentum."

Sailaja Krishnamurti, Professor of Religious Studies, Saint Mary's University

"Adrian enlivened my writing and pushed me to challenge some of the taken-for-granted ideas embedded in my work. I would not hesitate to work with him again."

Diane Crocker, Professor of Sociology & Criminology, Saint Mary's University

As academics, we are provided many opportunities to share our expertise and sometimes it is difficult to know how to prioritize our commitments. By asking simple, yet crucial questions, Adrian has helped me understand my professional priorities, which has freed up energy to do more of what is important to me. He also has introduced me to valuable tools that have enabled me to set my research goals and structure my writing practice not only over the day, but over the month and the year. Most importantly, Adrian has invited me to bring my whole self to the writing process and has guided me to make decisions and establish habits that will not only sustain me as a writer but as a person--both at and away from my desk.

Kip Pegley, Professor of Music, Queen's University