Red Pen for Rent
editing . coaching . collaboration . supportYou have a story or message that needs to be shared.
At its core, writing is about connection. Sharing our stories and truths, our wisdom and insights, our rawness and vulnerability—this is one of the ways that we show up and shine light in this world for ourselves and each other. These words I’m writing to you right now embody my hope of connecting with the people I’m meant to show up for.
This is true whether you’re writing about fictional characters traveling through portals to other worlds or about the real-life struggles of caring for a chronically ill child. It is always in the hope that your words will resonate with those who read them. That you’ll make an impact, touch hearts, open minds, and leave people changed on some level.
The written word is powerful magic. When a reader is actively engaged with your writing, it becomes more than mere ink on paper or pixels on a screen. The story comes to life. The message or information causes a shift. And this alchemy requires that the vision in your head translates clearly to the page in a way that other people can access.
Alissa McGowan
Editor • Coach • Collaborator
Enter my red pen.
You need an exceptional partner—someone to provide fresh eyes and an outside perspective, to support you in clarifying and carrying out the vision and intention of your work. What that partnership looks like is different for every project and largely depends on where you are in the writing process. That’s why I start all new clients with the First Date.
Regardless of the nature of our collaboration, I only accept projects I can support wholeheartedly, which means you get a partner who is deeply invested in you and your work. You and I are a team in service to your book and your readers, and it’s my job to provide the professional support and critical eye you need to become the best writer you can be. And I’m really fucking amazing at it.
But don’t take my word for it; just ask my clients!
Philosophy
in a nutshell. click here for the long version.Accessibility: I focus on clear transmission of ideas, elimination of barriers, and minimizing harm to the greatest extent possible (both to readers and to ourselves).
Connection: Connection is my soul’s purpose in this life, and everything I do in my business is about helping author and reader to connect in a space of resonance and deep truth.
Consent: We’re not here to coerce ourselves into doing shit we don’t want to do, and we’re not trying to live up to the unrealistic expectations of western capitalism. Creativity must be nurtured and respected, not forced.
Empowerment: Creativity is a powerful, vital, spiritual force that anyone can learn to tap into, and support is available every step of the way. Know that your book already exists within you. You're just writing what you already know.
Equity: It is vitally important to me that we both feel good about the energetic exchange between us, and that we agree to communicate and reexamine our arrangement if either of us feels an imbalance.
Flexibility: I don't buy into prescriptive bullshit, or the idea that any one dialect of the English language is more valid than any other. Language is a tool that continually evolves to meet the needs of its users, not a set of laws to follow.
Fun: My overarching goal is to create containers where people can let go of all judgment and expectation and write for the pure joy of it. Humans are natural storytellers, and creative expression is a vital part of our survival in this corporate hellscape we call modern living.
Inclusion: Words have the power to cause harm, and that’s one of the reasons I’m constantly educating myself about experiences and perspectives and ways of doing narrative beyond my own narrow, white, western lens.
Representation: Words also have the power to influence how we see ourselves, and to connect, educate, inspire, and persuade. That’s why representation is so important, and why we need diverse voices and inclusive literature.
Respect: We agree to respect each other’s time, boundaries, and expertise, and to prioritize each other's fundamental humanity over usefulness as service provider and income source.
Sustainability: My autism and ADHD are integral to what makes me so good at what I do, but they are also disabilities. I don’t always have the bandwidth for the high investment my work requires, and I will sooner push a deadline than shortchange you or sacrifice my mental health.
Transparency: I will always let you know if there need to be adjustments to scheduling or fees, and I expect you to let me know if adjustments need to be made on your end as well.
