Deep Dive with Andy Ward on Great Coaching

How do you help someone see their own work more clearly without breaking their spirit? In this episode of our "Great Coaches" series, Kelly talks with her editor Andy Ward about the delicate art of literary coaching—knowing when to push a writer toward uncomfortable truths and when to step back and let them find their own way. Through stories about working with David Sedaris, George Saunders and the posthumous publication of When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Andy reveals how great editing is really about asking the right questions, building trust through close attention and helping writers discover what their book is truly about. This conversation covers the psychology of creative partnership, the vulnerability of sharing early drafts and why the best coaches never impose their vision but instead help others see their own more clearly. It's a "must listen" for anyone interested in writing. (Previously aired)

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Naked by David Sedaris
• Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
• Tenth of December by George Saunders
• Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
• To Obama by Jeanne Marie Laskas
• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
• North Woods by Daniel Mason
• The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan