Nicole VanderLinden

Writing Accountability, Coaching, and Manuscript Services
 
About me: I've published stories in various literary journals, and in 2021, Lauren Groff selected my story "The Names You Choose" as the winner of the 2020 New Ohio Review Fiction Prize. Many of my pieces have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, and an excerpt from my novel-in-progress was published in the The Masters Review. I have an MFA in Fiction from Colorado State University, and my writing has received support from the Sewanee Writers' Conference. I'm currently revising my first novel, and I serve as a senior reader for Ploughshares and as the prose book review editor for Colorado Review. I've been happy to facilitate workshops at PorchLight and to offer one-on-one manuscript consultation services.
 
My approach: I follow a simple framework when reviewing manuscripts, whether novels, memoirs, or short stories. First, I look for questions that keep the reader moving forward (green flags!) and questions that stop the reader in their tracks (red flags). From there, I help writers find opportunities for adding tension and energy to turn those red flags into green. On a more global level, I'm always looking for the beating heart of a piece--aka, what a story is really about.
 
My expertise is in literary/speculative fiction (both novels and short stories) and memoirs. Although I love reading in a wide range of genres, I'm less familiar with the conventions of fantasy, science fiction, and romance writing.
 
In terms of accountability and coaching, I use my own (often painful!) experience writing a novel to help would-be novelists identify roadblocks, trust the process, and keep moving even when it feels like everything is stalled. What this means is highly writer-dependent, and I work with each individual to determine what would be most impactful.