The Gilliam Writers Group is not in the business of peddling overly abstract advice – the kind unqualified professionals use as a smokescreen for missing knowledge. Instead, we're committed to providing actionable, practical feedback that helps every client become a better writer, no matter their training or goals. 

To this end, we believe that a creative writing coach should offer not only technical support, but a collaborative, participatory learning experience, to each person they work with. The interactive, growth-oriented nature of this service is what distinguishes writing coaching from editing; while editing is (primarily) asynchronous, coaching calls for real-time human connection. While editing is product-focused, coaching attends equally to the writer, their product, and their process of production. 

Accordingly, GWG’s nonfiction writing coaches take a hands-on approach to our clients’ writing. Meeting on Zoom and Google Docs simultaneously allows us to engage with written text in a uniquely tactile and organic way; using shared digital documents, we can shift seamlessly between dialogue and demonstration, idea and experiment, critique and revision. The virtual environment introduces an unprecedented level of immediacy into the workshopping process, enabling us to intervene in a client’s output at nearly the speed of thought. 

Practically speaking, this means our creative writing coaches can mark up your work with you live on video, demystifying the editorial process. It means we can observe your writing process in real time and provide actionable pointers on technique. It means we can instantly demonstrate the skills we want you to learn — all without the awkwardness of peering over each other’s shoulders or passing notebooks back and forth. 

If you’re still feeling uncertain (or excited!) about the logistics of one-on-one creative nonfiction classes online, we invite you to schedule a consultation call. A representative from our company’s leadership team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Whether you’re interested in a short personal essay writing class or a more extensive memoir writing course, we hope you’ll consider building a long-term creative partnership with your GWG nonfiction writing coach. Why? Because the longer you work with a writing coach, the more impactful their insight becomes. A coach’s most valuable assets – nuanced interpersonal awareness, an intuitive grasp of clients’ evolving skill sets, and deep familiarity with their work – just aren’t available off-the-shelf. 

These layers of comprehension take time to emerge, relying as they do on data from months and even years of regular meetings. As time passes and the client-coach relationship deepens, this data becomes understanding, and informs our work as creative writing coaches in countless beneficial ways. We rely on the long process of trial and error to gain perspective on which interventions lead to the greatest improvements in a given client’s writing, for example, or which strategies most consistently mitigate their writer’s block. The more thoroughly we know our clients as individuals, the more precisely and impactfully we can apply our expertise to their writing. 

Many of our senior faculty members have met with the same clients weekly for years; several of GWG’s very first customers are still active in our community today. Long-term collaboration is a core value of the Gilliam Writers Group, foundational to both the sustainability of our business and the quality of our services.

Gilliam Writers Group coaches are highly trained writers, expert editors, and passionate teachers of the art and science of creative nonfiction. Scroll through our Faculty page and you’ll see graduate degrees in writing and literature from the country’s top MFA and PhD programs; years of professional experience in the publishing industry, media, and education; and strong track records of literary publication. 

Writing by our faculty and emeritus faculty appears in top publications including Granta, The Southern Review, The New York Times, Tin House, Vice, A Public Space, AGNI, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Al Jazeera, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Sun, The Cincinnati Review, American Poetry Review, The Common, Los Angeles Review of Books, Ploughshares, and more.

Before hiring an online nonfiction writing coach through the Gilliam Writers Group, we invite you to request a writing sample from their portfolio. That way, you can experience for yourself the exceptional combination of talent and training our team has to offer.

The Gilliam Writers Group is your pathway to mastery in creative nonfiction. Our coaching services are designed to spark your imagination and guide you in crafting narratives that inform, inspire, and captivate. We are here to help you breathe life into your nonfiction prose, assisting you with the vital, messy work of weaving facts into meaningful stories. 

“Creative nonfiction” encompasses a vast array of literature. Your nonfiction writing coach can guide you through any subsection of this broad literary spectrum, whether you're intrigued by the incisive cultural commentary of James Baldwin, the immersive reporting style of Susan Orlean, or the philosophical musings of Henry David Thoreau. If you're drawn to the lyrical personal narratives of Maya Angelou, our nonfiction writing lessons can help you weave your experiences into an engrossing memoir. If the poignant essays of Roxane Gay speak to you, we can assist you in articulating your own viewpoints with equal power and finesse. 

In weekly or bi-weekly video meetings, your creative writing coach online will collaborate with you on any projects or concepts you bring to the table — even if you’re starting from scratch. They’ll provide inspiring prompts tailored to your interests, supportive strategic advice, and detailed technical feedback to help you hone your narrative skills. Our shared digital workspace enables real-time editing, mutual brainstorming, and immediate input during sessions, offering you the convenience of learning to write nonfiction (or building on your existing skills) from the comfort of your own home. 

At GWG, we know from personal experience that every writer has a worthwhile story to share. Our mission is to help you fully realize your own unique voice and narrative style. Whether you’re a journalist seeking to enhance your storytelling techniques, an author working on a nonfiction book, or an enthusiast aiming to turn personal experiences into art, we’ll design a curriculum that suits your needs. Our custom creative nonfiction courses can focus on any genre you choose, from memoirs and personal essays to biographies and opinion pieces. 

For writers with publishing aspirations, a nonfiction book writing coach or memoir writing coach from our faculty of professional authors can offer invaluable insights on manuscript preparation, submission strategies, and the current publishing landscape. We provide our clients with comprehensive guidance on the various aspects of the publishing process, ensuring you have the knowledge and tools to confidently present your work to the world.

And for those who write purely for the joy of storytelling or personal reflection, GWG offers a creative, supportive environment for translating thoughts, insights, and memories into stories. There is nothing more satisfying — and perhaps nothing more enlightening — than seeing yourself take shape on the page, and a well-designed nonfiction writing class can facilitate that experience over and over again. Make this a regular practice, and who knows where your writing journey might take you? Find out with us at the Gilliam Writers Group, where your creativity meets our expertise. 

To learn more about our creative nonfiction coaching services or to schedule a complimentary consultation, please don't hesitate to contact us. We’re here to support you, from blank page to final draft.

In every life, there is a story waiting to be told. If you want to give expression to your own story through a memoir or autobiography, the Gilliam Writers Group would love to help. Our online creative writing coaches offer personalized, long-term support to clients who feel called to transform their lived experiences into compelling prose. 

Before we continue, a definition of terms is in order. A “memoir” is a personal narrative that chronicles a significant period or event in someone’s past, allowing for deep, detail-oriented reflection on the part of the writer. An “autobiography,” on the other hand, is a retrospective narrative that records the entire trajectory of a writer's life thus far. It demands a profound level of self-awareness, introspection, and honesty, as well as a hardy sense of perspective. 

Notable memoirists like Mary Karr, Jeannette Walls, and Tobias Wolff have shared their tales of struggle, triumph, and transformation, giving others the courage to do the same. The autobiographical tradition, for its part, brings us sweeping classics from luminaries like Maya Angelou, whose I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings paints a stark portrait of her early life, and Benjamin Franklin, whose recollections contain priceless historical and political insights. These authors, along with countless others, left us the gift of their lives set down on paper – to cherish, to learn from, and to pass on to future generations. 

Crafting a memoir or autobiography, of course, is not just about recollecting events and setting them down on paper. It’s about weaving your personal experiences into stories that touch hearts and inspire minds. It’s about identifying those poignant, everyday moments in which the personal meets the universal, and interpreting them in a way that brings insight to others. Every autobiography and memoir writing coach on GWG’s faculty understands this distinction; we are highly experienced at helping clients navigate their life histories, identify what has shaped them, and translate their impressions into clear, meaningful accounts.

If desired, your coach can design an online memoir writing course or autobiography writing course that guides you through every phase of the creative process, from outlining to final tweaks and touch-ups. Together, you will plumb the depths of literary craft, addressing concerns both broad (like story arc and plot structure) and narrow (like the artful use of detail and dialogue in specific scenes). Whether you're beginning with fragments of memory or an already-compiled life chronicle, our online autobiography and memoir writing courses will help you compose a manuscript that makes you – and your readers – proud. 

Just as each life story is unique, your coach’s approach will reflect your particular needs as a client. Your sessions together can be as structured or flexible as you choose; some clients may prefer a series of curriculum-oriented writing lessons, similar to an online class, while others might opt for a more conversational approach, treating each meeting as a creative dialogue with their coach. Whatever your preference, we’ll support you in writing at your own pace, in your own style and voice. We're not just showing you how to write excellent nonfiction — we're accompanying you on a deep-dive into your past. 

Remember, you don't need to have a complete manuscript, or even a rough outline, to work with one of our writing coaches. All you need is something to say (or the desire to find it) and a willingness to immerse yourself in the coaching process. Our memoir and autobiography writing coaches will be there for you every step of the way as you tap your literary potential and share your recollections with the world. No matter who you are, your words, your memories, are valuable.

Please note that writing coaching takes place via Zoom and a shared Google Docs space. While the vast majority of our sessions are virtual, GWG may in select cases be able to offer memoir writing classes near you, especially if you live in New York City. To discuss the possibility of setting up an in-person memoir or autobiography writing course in NYC, please reach out. For more information on our asynchronous editing services, see our Editing page.

Discover the transformative power of creative nonfiction classes online with the Gilliam Writers Group. Contact us today to hire an autobiography or memoir writing coach, or to learn more about how we can help you tell your story.

From the nuanced intimacy of personal diaries, to the anonymous pique of gossip columns, to the meditative connoisseurship of travel and food writing, the literary landscape of short form nonfiction offers terrain for every writer. At the Gilliam Writers Group, we embrace this literary diversity, fostering a vibrant creative ecosystem where all of our clients can find a niche. 

Whereas long-form nonfiction leaves room for rumination, short form nonfiction hinges on the author’s ability to balance artistry with concision. An online life writing course or personal essay writing class with GWG can show you how to achieve this balance, helping you compose meaningful narratives that capture your readers' attention quickly, sustain it intensely, and leave a lasting impression. We empower our clients to thrive within the constraints of even the strictest word limits, crafting vibrant pieces that pack a punch. 

If you have developed a taste for the fruits of other writers’ contemplations, whether you prefer the work of Frederick Douglass, Joan Didion, or Henry David Thoreau, your writing coach can design an online personal essay writing class tailored to your individual tastes. By embracing the push and pull between your desire to share all and your need to express just enough, you will learn how to rapidly immerse readers in your perceptions and make every word count. 

If you’re a keen observer of the little things in life, someone who cherishes the quirks and contours of people’s every-day stories, then you might consider exploring your own cache of memories through short-form life writing courses online. In regular virtual meetings, you’ll work with your coach to condense emotionally ripe, deeply personal narratives into just a few pages. GWG’s life writing coaches eschew one-size-fits all techniques and standardized templates for “good” nonfiction, emphasizing instead the pleasures of minute particularity. In other words, if you’re tired of workshop platitudes and sweeping generalizations about writing, then we’re the firm for you!

That’s because GWG’s nonfiction writing coaches not only support other authors, but actually write short nonfiction of their own; our faculty’s work appears in many of the most distinguished literary journals in the US and beyond, as well as in several major collections and anthologies – more with each passing year. Our team’s deep familiarity with the writing and submissions process makes us uniquely insightful editors, mentors, and creative partners; as a client of the Gilliam Writers Group, you'll have our firsthand expertise at your disposal. 

Ready to learn the ropes of life writing and personal essay? Eager to improve your latest draft? Let’s have a conversation. No matter your level of experience, we’d love to discuss how our online personal essay writing classes or life writing courses might benefit you. Just fill out the contact form below to book a no-cost fifteen-minute consultation call with a representative from our leadership team.

The Gilliam Writers Group faculty has experience working in every type of nonfiction. Don’t be shy with your inquiries; whatever your preferred genre or style, at least one creative writing coach on our team has either written it themselves or supported an author who has. We read, write, and teach it all: memoir, autobiography, life writing, personal essay, art criticism, book and film reviews, cultural commentary, satire, comedy writing, travel writing, food writing, and more.

To connect with a creative nonfiction writing coach from the Gilliam Writers Group faculty, we invite you to first schedule a free, 15-minute consultation call with a representative from our company’s leadership team.

During this phone call, we’ll guide you through a series of standardized questions about your background, experience, and goals, taking detailed notes on your responses. These notes will form the basis of your client brief – an internal document central to GWG’s client-coach matching process. After answering any lingering questions, your representative will conclude the call and email you two important documents. 

First, you’ll receive our new client onboarding brochure, a PDF containing useful resources including a list of best practices, contact information for everyone on our leadership team, and the link to a feedback form you can submit at any point during your work with the Gillam Writers Group. Second, you will receive a link to our service agreement (fillable online). We co-sign this form with all new clients to establish clear terms of engagement and, above all, to protect your interests – for example, to legally bind ourselves to nondisclosure. You can later dissolve this agreement at any time, for any reason, with just 24 hours’ notice.

Within 24 hours of your consultation call, your newly assigned writing coach will reach out via email and text to schedule your first session. 

At this point, they’ll already have a clear sense of your background, needs, and preferred meeting schedule; it is our policy to always read a new client’s brief before making contact. This mitigates redundancy in GWG’s onboarding process; as you establish communication with your coach, you won’t need to rehash the basics of your interest in comedy writing classes, for example, or the personality profile of your ideal memoir writing helper. Your coach will already be in the loop.

Our online writing coaching sessions take place on Zoom and Google Docs, and emphasize guided, real-time practice combined with immediate feedback.

The structure of your first session will depend largely on your particular needs and the discernment of your coach; there is no standard formula, though most such meetings are necessarily focused on gathering information, assessing the client’s writing and goals, and developing a plan of action. After your first session, we suggest that you and your coach agree on a regular weekly or biweekly (once every two weeks) meeting time and stick to it. Over the years, we have found that consistent weekly or biweekly sessions generate the clearest improvements in our clients’ writing and writing processes. 

The Gilliam Writers Group is primarily an online company; however, if you’re interested in setting up in-person nonfiction writing classes near you, please contact us. In certain cases, we may be able to offer creative writing lessons in NYC, which is home to a large part of our community. 

If you find that you and your writing coach aren’t a match, or you decide to work with other GWG faculty in the future, our leadership team can support you in choosing another creative nonfiction coach.

Before matching you with another faculty member, we will usually suggest that you first tell your writing coach as clearly as possible what you believe is missing in your work together. Open, honest dialogue is essential to the service we offer; all GWG coaches have strong interpersonal skills, but none of us can read minds.

If clear communication does not yield the hoped-for results, or you no longer want to work with your writing coach for any reason, just let our leadership team know. We’ll initiate a new, more streamlined client-coach matching process, supplementing your original client brief (the one created during your initial consultation call) with updated information to reflect both your progress and the reasons you are pausing work with your previous coach.