You’ve written for months. For years even.
You’ve slogged wearily through rough draft after rough draft. You’ve wept as you chopped favorite scenes to reach word counts. Your eyes are bleary and your brain a tangle of typos and tiny inconsistencies.
Behind you, crumpled post-it notes hold obituaries to the plot holes you spent weeks attacking. Sometime in the weary hours before dawn, you finish pounding out the last words to your draft.
You’re there. Almost.
Except, in the blood-red light of a new day, it all looks wrong.
Sure, the draft is tighter. Arcs are wielded to maximum strength. Your characters follow their marching orders. Backstory and foreshadowing line up in ordered ranks.
But the air is limp. Flags are drab and color seeps into earth, leaving only the black and white of ink and paper.
You’ve come this far. You aren’t about to give up. You have a good story, you know it. But something is missing. Some final element that will seize your reader by their heartstrings and never let them go.
Deep, raw, relatable emotion must mix into the very foundation of your story if you want to turn your readers into dedicated followers.
The emotions of your characters breathe life into your words. They keep your reader gripping the book with white knuckles until late into the night.
Another battlefield. Another edit. Another long march. Except this time, you’re not alone.
You need someone who’s studied the craft for years. Someone who knows how to avoid land mines and which shortcuts actually work. Someone who will walk beside you long enough to teach you to walk alone.
*salutes*
With over a decade of writing experience behind me, I’ve spent the past few years answering questions from other writers. I’ve written books, self-published a number of works, worked for two years in a therapeutic setting with teenagers, and run the Story Embers newsletter since its founding.
Warning: We’ll be marching hard. It won’t always be easy and it won’t always be fast. Like every aspect of writing, weaving emotion into the word choices of your story isn’t the single secret bullet of writing. You need the other pieces too—plot, characters, and theme. But if you have those in place and are committed to putting in the effort, I promise you can turn your good story into an amazing one that readers won’t want to put down.
Guidance
I’m a multi-published fiction author with experience in self-publishing as well as years spent answering writing questions and managing the Story Embers newsletter. I’ve tucked a decade of writing experience under my belt while helping teach eight younger siblings, working in a managerial role for two years, and serving in a therapeutic setting in the Dominican Republic for two more years. And I’m dedicated to helping you turn your book into a masterpiece.
Mastery
It all starts with the words you use. Word choices are the foundation of compelling stories. Do you want keep your readers engaged and leave them wanting more? Let me help you craft your prose to fit the emotions of your character along with your unique style.
Confidence
You’ve made it this far. You’re fully capable of moving forward and I intend to see that you do. Our interactions will be laced with sarcasm, humor, no-nonsense plans, and thought-provoking questions—all with the goal of encouraging and teaching you how to make decisions with confidence.
It doesn’t just matter what you say.
It matters how you say it.
Have you ever written a story, creating themes, characters, and masterful plots that somehow fall short of the dreams you had for them?
Maybe it’s not your story at all. Maybe it’s as simple as finding the correct words to connect your readers to the raw, emotional, nuanced reality of your characters.
Click here for 10 free keys to writing better prose today.
Hope Ann gave me exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for.
I needed input on how to show emotion and characterization through my prose and her comments were spot on. The actionable tips were especially helpful and the line edits further illustrated her points.
Elizabeth Bråten – Prose Review Student
Hope Ann’s prose services helped me not only see what I needed to fix, but also what I was doing well.
She helped me understand what my prose style is, as well as presenting practical tips to capitalize on my unique strengths and fix up my weak spots. It was exactly what I needed and I’m really excited to implement her suggestions and improve my manuscript.
Rachel Leitch – Prose Review Student
Professional feedback identifying your style of prose with a focus on emotional depth and connection, as well as your strengths, your areas for growth, and next steps for improvement.
5k prose review
After reading the first 5k of your novel, I will send you a one page review identifying your style of prose, the strengths and weaknesses of that style in regard to the portrayal of emotions, and your own personal areas of growth.
1k word line edit
I will deliver a line edit of the first thousand words covering
- Subtext of descriptions
- Subtext of body language
- Portrayal of emotions
- Showing vs telling
- Character thoughts
- Character reactions
- Strong dialogue
Action Steps
Finally, I will deliver a page of actionable tips to improve the emotions of your prose moving forward.
Investment – $55
Click here to contact me about availability and any questions you might have!
Before I worked with Hope Ann, I knew prose was one of my weakest areas in writing, but I didn’t know how to fix it. Hope came alongside me, explaining the difference between styles prose and how to tighten and focus my writing. Now I know what to fix, (as well as good option of who to hire when I need a line edit again.)
RuthAnna – Prose Review Student
A five-session breakthrough coaching teaching you to write raw, gripping, emotional prose now.
Flexible schedule
Email and Google docs provide you with flexibility when it comes to working on your own time and finishing assignments. While the sessions can be easily completed within 2 months, you will be given 4 months to complete the coaching (discuss options to extend longer in a discovery call with me!)
Five sessions
Each session involves critique and training based on the project of your choice. Your homework applies what you’ve learned through assignments you can use later. By the time you’re completed, you’ll have a polished first chapter, two pieces of flash fiction, and another section of prose of your choice to highlight all you’ve learned.
Prose mastery
Prose connects your readers to your characters, allowing you to create unforgettable moments and emotions. To accomplish this, I’ll teach you about:
- Subtext of descriptions
- Subtext of body language
- Correct portrayal of emotions
- Showing vs telling
- Adding character thoughts
- Nuanced character reactions
- Strong dialogue
Action Steps
Finally, I will deliver a 1-2 page summary identifying your style of prose, as well as your personal strengths and areas of growth. I will also provide you with actionable tips to improve your prose moving forward.
Investment – $259
Click here or scroll to the bottom of the page to set up a 15 minute discovery call.
Sharpen the edges of your novel to focus your plot, keep your readers engaged, and fit your word count.
Novel edit
Together, we’ll cut words at the plot/scene level of your novel to scale back to a manageable word count. I’ll then aid you at the prose level to hone the words which actually matter. (Note: this is not a line edit. If you would like to combine reduction and line edits, contact me below.)
Finally, I will send you a 1 page summary identifying your style of prose, the emotional consistency of your story, and your personal strengths and areas of growth. I will also provide you with actionable tips to improve your prose moving forward.
Investment: $0.003/word (beta price; for a limited time only)
Minimum: $200
Short story edit
With your word count goal in mind, I’ll work with you to combine scene and plot elements of your short story. I’ll also cut words at the prose level, sharpening each aspect of your story. (Note: this is not a line edit. If you would like to combine reduction and line edits, contact me below.)
Finally, I will send you a 1 page summary identifying your style of prose, as well as your personal strengths and areas of growth. I will also provide you with actionable tips to improve your prose moving forward.
Investment: $0.006
Minimum: $50
Flash fiction edit
I will help you sharpen 1-2k of flash fiction down to your target word count while also giving it a brief line edit that includes subtext, character emotions, and dialogue.
Investment: $25
Click here or scroll to the bottom of the page to set up a 15 minute discovery call. I’ll also ask to see a sample of your writing before providing a final quote in the case of both the novel and short story edit.
Working with Hope Ann was an extremely valuable experience. Her edits were instructive and her comments very astute and inspiring. The style summary and actionable tips are gold and she is now my go-to editor for future projects.
Kathleen Stewart
Turn your readers into dedicated fans by connecting them via realistic, deep emotions using prose where every word counts.
Emotional consistency
I will ensure your novel includes
- Correct portrayal of emotions
- Correct use of body language
- Nuanced character reactions
- Correct use of subtext and character thoughts
Prose engagement
I will ensure your novel includes:
- Subtext of description
- Showing vs telling
- Strong dialogue
Internal consistency
There’s nothing like the little details to trip you up. Send me the aspects you want to ensure are internally consistent (such as name spellings or character eye color) and I’ll confirm they stay the same throughout the whole novel.
Action Steps
Finally, I will deliver a one-sheet guide listing your book’s strengths and struggles as well as action steps for improving as you move forward.
Investment: $0.017/word
Minimum: $250
Click here or scroll to the bottom of the page to set up a 15 minute discovery call. I’ll also ask to see a sample of your writing before providing a final quote.
Please note: With both coaching and editing, I do not work with projects that contain excessive amounts of swearing, sensuality, or gratuitous violence. Think 15+ if it were a show. I also reserve the right to not work on a project that glorifies actions such as racism, abortion, the LGBTQ+ lifestyle, or worldviews that are in direct opposition to my own. If you have any questions about your work in particular, don’t hesitate to ask below.
Book your free, 15 minute discovery call today.
Have any questions about my services? Ask below!
