Your Story Matters.
Our mission is to guide authors at every stage in crafting compelling narratives. We believe you’ve got a great story in you. We’d love to help you tell it.
Meet your Consultants
We provide personalized manuscript consultation and story editing services to help authors at all levels bring their narratives to life.
Whether you're a beginner looking for guidance or an experienced writer seeking a fresh perspective, we're here to help you craft a story that truly resonates.
Ilona and Scott
Authors & Writing Consultants
Specialized Services for Authors
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Opening: Your First Fifty Pages
Grab readers from the first line—and keep them wanting more.
Your opening pages make a promise to the reader. They introduce the world, characters, voice, conflicts, tone, and themes that will carry the story forward. We’ll take a close look at how effectively your first fifty pages draw readers in, where the story is already coming alive, and where it can become stronger.
We’ll examine how your characters are introduced and developed. We'll evaluate your story structure and the overall reader experience, with particular attention to pacing, voice, scene construction, and dramatic momentum. Then we’ll offer concrete, creative suggestions for shaping your most compelling first pages, while protecting what makes the story uniquely yours.
Includes a close reading, written developmental assessment, and a one-hour follow-up Zoom conversation.
FIRST FIFTY PAGES — $600
[Book a Free Meet & Greet]
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Story Coaching
Sometimes the best first step is a conversation.
Whether you’re wrestling with a character, a scene, a structural challenge, or just trying to figure out what comes next—we’ll work through it with you in a focused one-hour session.
Share with us your vision for the story you want to write, or bring us the problem that’s keeping you stuck. Together, we’ll explore what’s working, identify what may be holding the project back, and develop concrete options for moving forward. Our goal isn’t to tell you what your story should be, but to help you discover the strongest version of the story you want to tell.
Includes focused, one-on-one story development and creative problem-solving.
ONE-HOUR COACHING SESSION — $125
[Book a Free Meet & Greet]
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Full Manuscript: The Complete Story
Step back from the pages and see the whole picture.
When you’ve lived with a manuscript for months or years, it can be difficult to see the book as a reader will experience it—from beginning to end. A full-manuscript assessment gives us the chance to look beyond individual scenes and examine how all the elements of the story work together.
We’ll consider the strength of the central premise and overall structure, the development of character and emotional arcs, the pacing and progression of the narrative, and the way themes, subplots, voice, narration, and dialogue contribute to the whole. We’ll also look at the larger questions a complete manuscript raises: Does the story build? Does the middle sustain momentum? Does the ending fulfill the promise of the beginning?
You’ll come away with a clear sense of the manuscript’s strengths, its most important opportunities for revision, and a practical, creative roadmap for taking the book to its next level.
Up to 80,000 words — $2,500
80,001–100,000 words — $3,000
Over 100,000 words — custom quoteIncludes a comprehensive written developmental assessment and a one-hour follow-up Zoom conversation.
[Book a Free Meet & Greet]
Expert Coaching & Guidance
We are Ilona Chessid and Scott Rees, novelists, screenwriters, editors, and writing coaches driven by a fascination with narrative and an unshakeable belief in the power of story.
Ilona holds a PhD from Harvard and is a former professor of language and literature.
After 10 years in academia, she worked as a corporate trainer and recruiter until she embraced her calling as a novelist, editor, and writing coach. Now, she uses all those experiences to help a diverse range of individuals bring their stories to life.
Scott began his career in copywriting before studying fine arts, painting, and sculpture at Cooper Union.
He then ventured into entrepreneurship as an inventor and designer of toys. Many years ago he discovered his passion for writing fiction and has dedicated himself to mastering and teaching the art of creating unforgettable characters and shaping dynamic plots.
Over nearly two decades of analyzing great fiction and teaching others how to apply the lessons we've learned (while avoiding the mistakes we've made!), we've developed our signature method of guiding clients through the process of finding, telling, and refining their stories.
What Our Clients Say:
The Mighty Opening!
Welcome to The Mighty Opening, your guide to crafting a beginning that captivates and engages your readers from the very first page. The opening of your novel is your chance to make a powerful impression, to invite readers into the world you’ve created and make them eager to embark on the journey you’ve prepared for them. Here’s how to do it:
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