“Writing, at its best, is a lonely life.” — Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway did not mince words.
Or slice, dice, cube, or hash (and especially not rehash) them.
His point: the generative work of writing is mostly done…alone.
But the act of becoming a professional writer…
maintaining your practice
polishing your drafts
putting your work out there
promoting yourself
and ultimately being published
…these activities are accomplished not solo but in concert.
You, the author, are the virtuoso, but you need an orchestra—or at least a quartet (coach, editor, proofreader, publicist)—for optimal performance.
Trying to play all these parts yourself drains you of creative energy—and takes you away from the part of the process you love best: writing.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a creative collaborator—someone who:
pushes you gently and effectively to maintain your writing discipline
provides perspective on your work in progress
presents tactical and strategic suggestions on story and style, plot and character
pre-empts the voice inside your head that says you aren’t good enough
plays a supportive role in every part of your writing journey
puts you in touch with professionals who can promote your career
places you in a creative community of writers who inspire and encourage
Wouldn’t it be…so much easier to move your work forward?
As a Christmas Lake creative collaborator, you will work one-on-one every week with one of our founders, Thomas Fiffer or Julia Bobkoff, for a full year, to bring your novel, memoir, screenplay, or non-fiction book to the next level and beyond.
Our time together will be productive—and fun.
Due to the intensive nature of the Creative Collaboration program, Christmas Lake Creative has only 4 Creative Collaboration opportunities available each year.
We are also offering one Creative Collaboration Fellowship to a qualified writer at no charge. If you are interested in the fellowship, please email us.
To learn more about this unique program for writers, click on the button below.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Julia for over a year. In that time and through her wisdom, knowledge and guidance, I was able to learn the craft of screenwriting. Julia has an incredible ability to listen and respond in a way that feels both honoring and supportive, yet she challenges and guides me to grow my ability and to expand into creative possibilities. I feel very grateful that she came into my life and I know I would not be where I am today in this craft if I had not met her. I highly recommend her services.”
— K. Manz
“When I wrote what I thought was my first novel, Tom spent time helping me learn to find my voice and how to add a dramatic arc to my story. We spent many months together, and during that time I wrote another book that I don’t think I could have written without Tom’s help. I’m very grateful for his assistance, and I can happily refer his work to other writers.”
— Risa Winograd
“A novelist needs a skilled editor, a person who pays attention to details and grammar but, most importantly, understands the art of storytelling. Julia Bobkoff is this kind of editor, and she became mine when we worked together to ready Sophia’s Journey for publication. Her enthusiasm for the story and its characters, her respect for my voice and my intent made working with her a pleasure. We are a good match. I look forward to working with her again.”
