I could not have asked for a better writing coach! He provided many helpful insights and resources, and also gave me the confidence I needed to move forward with my vision. I found myself feeling so scattered and full of ideas, but Matthew’s structured and motivational approach really helped me with the process of truly breathing life into my story. -- Sarah Kindred
Writer
Coaching
Service
Meet Your Story Buddy!
Fiction writers!
Your cadre of advance readers are great once your short story, novel, or other work is finished. They’ll tell you what works for them, what didn’t… when they couldn’t put your book down, and when they fell asleep…
…but what about while you’re writing, when you’re deep in the weeds with your fiction, and feel tangled and stuck?
What about when you’re toying with an idea that isn’t quite a story, but you can’t get it there?
What about those moments when you’re adding words by the hundreds, but you can’t shake the feeling that something is missing..?
What about those days the suggestions of your critique group, loving and helping and supportive as they are, just don’t land, and you’re not even sure why?
You need a story buddy.
Who is Your Story Buddy?
My name is Matthew Wayne Selznick. I’m an author and editor with twenty years of experience writing and publishing fiction and creative non-fiction, and helping others do the same.
I will help you.
Storytelling is at the core of everything I do: novels, short fiction, memoir, articles… even marketing and social media.
I understand dramatic structure and story architecture in ways that help bring clarity to your work in progress or work-to-be.
Let’s talk about it.
How to Meet Your Story Buddy
Via phone, Skype, or Zoom, we’ll spend an hour discussing your work and the specific knots you’re trying to untie.
Through directed questions and experience-driven insights and suggestions, I’ll guide you to discover ways to strengthen the storytelling bones of your piece, excavate and construct buried, fragmented thematic opportunities, coax out undeveloped character depth and motivation, and more.
Written yourself into a corner? Together, we’ll carve doors and blaze trails.
Naturally, the specifics will depend on the work itself. No matter — by the end of our conversation you will see your work in ways you hadn’t before, and you’ll have new ideas and a new outlook from which to proceed.
Kind Words from Story Buddy Participants
- I have been writing for forty years and always got stuck in my storytelling. I have tried critique groups, “how to” books… nothing helped. In just an hour, Matthew helped me de-clutter so much that years of ideas aligned and seemed to fit together. Matthew helped me see what decisions were needed. It was very encouraging and freeing. -- Steve Clark
- Matthew Selznick led me to new insights and perspectives on my story. He recommended books to read for inspiration, and provided accountability by offering to check in on my progress later on, which I gladly accepted. I feel much more confident, and I have a roadmap of the next steps to take. I would sign up for a session like this again! -- Amelia Bowen
- My session with Matthew Selznick was exciting, as it gave me focus and new inspiration; invaluable, as he taught me the importance of finding and applying concept; and irreplaceable in his insights and encouragement that showed me things I was missing on my own. -- Clariss Ritter
- It felt like I was talking to a personal coach who instantly understood where I was coming from and gave me both motivation and practical advice that will keep me writing. -- Leszek R.
- Matthew gave several suggestions to make my book’s ending more conclusive, as a milestone on the protagonist’s arc, and raised important questions about a key character. I appreciated his input regarding ways my story strains some genre conventions, and his views on how to best present a relatively long young adult story told in two parts to agents and publishers. -- Kevin Brown
Get Ready To Meet Your Story Buddy!
Book a session with Your Story Buddy! Find the date and time that works for you.
When you book, you’ll be presented with a choice of meeting methods: phone or Zoom. You’ll also need to have two things ready to complete your booking:
- A concise (under 1,000 words) synopsis of your story, including any details applicable to the challenge, problem, or question you’d like to address in our session.
- The challenge, problem, or question itself.
The Works of Matthew Wayne Selznick
Your Story Buddy doesn’t just coach fiction writers… I’m a veteran author of novels, short stories, and serial fiction with a background in indie publishing dating back to the turn of the century. Here are my currently available books, short stories, serials, collections, anthologies, and non-fiction works.
Put me to work on your story problem. Let’s be story buddies!
Terms and Conditions
PRIVACY
When you book a session with Your Story Buddy, you grant Matthew Wayne Selznick and MWS Media permission to contact you with news and information regarding your booking, the Your Story Buddy service, and related services, products, and offerings from Matthew Wayne Selznick. Your information will never be sold / traded / shared / distributed to others, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
RESCHEDULING / CANCELLING / FAILURE TO ATTEND
If you need to cancel or reschedule, please do so at least twelve hours before your scheduled session. Instructions will be included with your booking confirmation e-mail. In the interest of respecting my time and that of other Your Story Buddy clients, there are no refunds for cancellations made within twelve hours of your scheduled time, and no refunds for failure to attend.
Click here for the complete privacy policy and terms of use for this website.
Okay! Time to book Your Story Buddy!