Story Consultation

Need a developmental edit to move forward, but don't have a complete manuscript? Overwhelmed by possibilities? Characters not talking to you? 

No matter where you are in your manuscript or what stage of your writing journey you're at, we can help you identify your next steps.

Personalised Story Consultations.

Whether you’re struggling with writer’s block, need help unravelling your character arcs, or can’t see your story structure for the tropes, a story consultation can get you writing again! Through an in-depth discussion tailored to the needs of your story, Gillian will help you identify what your story needs. Part coach, part developmental edit, a story consultation can take you from first draft to finished draft.

How it Works

 Decide which of the following services best suit your needs:

-analysis and problem solving of pain points in your manuscript

-refining a character arc or story structure

-brainstorming plot beats and character arc

-explore your character and plot further through the use of images and archetypes

Pick-and-mix—you can choose more than one option!

 Make a Booking

Book a consultation at the time most convenient to you.

Next, fill out one of the following two forms. This will ensure that we start your consultation on the same page. You will automatically be emailed the relevant form after placing your order, or you can fill it out immediately at one of the below links:

Story Consultation: Single Book/Script

Story Consultation: Series

Consultations will take place over Zoom or an equivalent service.

From these initial questions, I’ll gain an understanding of your particular story problem and prepare some questions to better dig into your plot or character problems. In our fifty-minute consultation, we’ll examine the possible causes of your particular pain point, explore various solutions.

I may offer suggestions of tools that might work for your individual writing style, such as the plot embryo, or a beat sheet. If doing a tarot reading, we’ll do that in the latter half of the consultation, when our imaginations are primed. You’ll end the session feeling inspired, and with strong next steps to take to get your manuscript moving forward.

Gillian St. Kevern.

Gillian (she/they) has an in-depth knowledge of story gained through over a decade of study and practical experience working within the publishing industry, doing everything from assessing manuscripts for publication to copy and developmental editing.

In addition, Gillian has published over thirty stories in a variety of genres. Readers praise Gillian’s unique characters, atmospheric world-building and twisty plots, revelling in the fact that no two books are ever the same.

Gillian believes strongly in authentic representation in fiction, writing empowering queer fantasy that empowers their readers to embrace their truths. Gillian launched Plot Wholes in 2023 out of a desire to support fellow queer writers on their writing journeys, and now offers their services as a consultation to genre fiction writers at any stage of their journey.

Who is a story consultation for?

• Are you a writer?
• Have you reached a sticking point in your current project?
• Staring at a blank page wondering what to do next?

A story consult can help!

A story consult will be most useful to a writer who has either previously finished a manuscript or has made solid progress on one. This is because the better you know your story, the better advice I’ll be able to give. It helps if you’re familiar with concepts such as the three-act structure or story beats, and that you know the tropes of your genre inside and out. As I am most familiar with urban fantasy, paranormal romance, mystery and suspense, romance and gaslamp fiction, my advice will be most useful to writers within those genres. Additionally, I have experience working on memoirs.

A story consultation is not for:

Non-fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, lyrics, literary fiction, middle-grade or children’s fiction.

Nothing against any of these types of writing! I personally lack the experience necessary to properly advice you in these genres. However, I can recommend manuscript assessors or coaches that do specialise in some of these fields. Let me know if you’d like a recommendation or you’d like to be on my recommended list.

What people say:

“Good for a writer who is new to using story mapping techniques and wants a personalised walk through. Gillian is very knowledgeable, and I found her suggestions about how to tie my plot points together to be helpful. The technique she's put together out of several others is effective and useful for plotting.”

“Gillian demonstrates great understanding of writing structure and gave me some great approaches on what to focus on. I used the consult to look at a structure for a series, and came out of it with an overarching theme, and lots of ideas for stories and themes to hit on as I write the books. Loved it!”