Welcome to The Story Within

If you wish to work on your writing individually appointments are available. Clients vary their appointment schedules to meet their individual needs, often meeting once or twice a month, sometimes every few months.  Simply send an email to lauraoliver2@yahoo.com.

We begin with a consultation via phone, email or by sitting down together. You will have the opportunity to describe any current projects and your long-term writing goals.  I will recommend what will best serve you and your project and together we can decide the level of help you would like and estimate the cost. 

I have successfully mentored many writers working on memoirs,  sci-fi novels,  textbooks, fiction collections, essay collections and novels. Former student and client Hank Parker sold his novel "Containment" to Simon and Schuester and former student and client Lisa Hillman sold her memoir "Secret No More" to Apprentice House, to name a few. 

After we have met to discuss your project, writing history and goals, I will make suggestions for how you might like to proceed. This can include specific suggestions as to plot, character, direction, subjects, etc. and often includes support for your writing process. Meetings are usually an hour.  Prior to our next scheduled meeting you will email me the work you want to discuss. I will read it, make  detailed editing suggestions on the manuscript, write up an evaluation of issues for you to consider and we will go over all of it together at our next meeting. If getting together in person is inconvenient due to distance or time constraints, I will mail or email your manuscript and report.

"The Story Within, New Insights and Inspiration for Writers" (Penguin Random House) after 8 printings, is still available in some Barnes and Noble bookstores, independent bookstores such as Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C.  and online at Amazon.com. It may be downloaded as an e-book as well. A new edition is in the works.