coaching | editing | consulting
What I do:
I work with fiction writers and writers of narrative nonfiction. As a longtime faculty member at the Bennington Writing Seminars MFA program and Swarthmore College, I have nearly 20 years of experience helping writers work more deeply, clearly, and productively.
I can help you see what is and is not working in your writing, and offer solutions. I can give you a better understanding of narrative structure, of how to create complex and engaging characters, and suggest some potent ways to get emotion onto the page. Together we will work on all elements of your writing, from clarifying your ideas to fine-tuning the rhythm of your prose. I also have advice about sustaining writing in the midst of our busy, complicated lives.
What I charge:
For works up to 5,000 words (about 20 double-spaced pages), I charge $500. This includes either a detailed editorial letter of 3-5 single-spaced pages or a one-hour phone call or Zoom conversation—as well as detailed line edits. The cost includes follow-up questions and answers via email for two weeks after you receive my feedback. If you would like both the letter and the conversation, add $100 to the cost.
After 5,000 words, I charge $12/per double-spaced page.
For full-length works of approximately 50,000-70,000 words, I charge $800 for a 6-8 page single-spaced feedback letter or a 90-minute conversation. I will address structure, pacing, characterization, setting, style, and more—as well as do some limited line editing. If you would like both the letter and the conversation, add $150 to the cost. The price includes follow-up questions and answers via email for three weeks after you receive my feedback.
After that, if you like, you can send me shorter sections and we can work on them in more detail. As we work together over time and your needs evolve, we can customize the process.
When you send your work, I encourage you to include a letter telling me how your writing is going, what you’re excited about, and what particular questions you have. You might also tell me if you’ve been reading anything that’s influencing your thoughts about your writing.
Logistics:
I prefer to work with hard copy. Ideally, you will send me a printout of your work and include a self-addressed stamped envelope for me to return it in with my line edits and other scribbles. If I’ve written a letter, I’ll usually email it so you can get the general feedback more quickly. If mailing paper won’t work for you, let me know, and we’ll figure out an alternative.
I’ll send you an invoice with my feedback and you can pay via check or Venmo.
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Who I am:
I have published four novels, most recently In the Field (2021), based on the life of Nobel Prize-winning geneticist Barbara McClintock. My 2014 novel, Alena—and updating of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, set in the contemporary art world—was named an Editors’ Choice in The New York Times Book Review. My short fiction has appeared in The Georgia Review, The Threepenny Review, Mademoiselle, Prairie Schooner, and many other places. In 2014, I edited Seven Writers (The Common Press), a chapbook of writing inspired by exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, where I served as Editor-at-Large for several years and developed the popular blog Miranda. I earned my MFA in fiction at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and was a long-time core faculty member at the Bennington Writing Seminars MFA program. I have also taught fiction writing at Swarthmore College, Villanova University, and elsewhere. You can learn more here at my website.
Testimonials:
Rachel helped me excavate the narrative and then build it up, largely by focusing more on the interpersonal relationships among the characters. … Rachel also helped me find ways to keep the reader curious. Her explanation of how to make a story work was something I thought about many, many times….
In our work together during my BookEnds fellowship, Rachel helped me turn a drifty and shapeless manuscript into a novel with narrative drive and urgency.
—Jennifer Yeh, Author of Migratory Creatures, in her BookEnds blog post, “What My Mentor Taught Me: Rachel Pastan on Excavating the Story”
Rachel is the kind of developmental editor a writer dreams of finding. I was so lucky to have her constructive, encouraging feedback at multiple points as I was writing a memoir. I sought feedback on this work from multiple writers and editors, and Rachel’s feedback was consistently the most helpful and productive I received.
Rachel’s responses were both generous and instructive: instructive in ways that speak to her years of experience in teaching the art of fiction, generous in refraining from imposing her own vision or style upon the work. Rachel’s comments always focused on the next steps that would help the project move forward on its own terms—and those comments gave me faith that the book would eventually mature.
Responding to the baggy monster of the first draft, Rachel highlighted the threads or themes she saw running through the work and suggested structural changes that might help weave those threads together. Notes on a second draft asked illuminating questions about narrative arc and pointed to places where readers would need a richer sense of the physical world. As the writing progressed, Rachel’s occasional line edits consistently improved the flow and sound of individual sentences. At every step, Rachel’s comments articulated the principles guiding her questions and suggestions, which made it easier to understand how I might best engage with her feedback.
Wherever you are with your writing, Rachel can help you clarify and intensify your work.
—Betsy Bolton, Author of Dancing with Demons
Ready to get started?
Contact me:
Rachel@RachelPastan.com