writing

with

Karl

Writing is difficult. Writing alone is harder.

Karl knows how exciting writing can be. When a story starts to flow, when a character suddenly comes alive, or when you finally find the words you were looking for. But he also knows how frustrating it can be when you get stuck, lose confidence, or simply don’t know where the story should go.

He works with new and published authors, one-on-one or during writing weekends in Amsterdam. He reads your work, talks it through with you, asks questions, and helps you find the parts of the story that are worth exploring further.

Karl doesn’t want to tell you how to write. He wants to help you find your way of writing and make your story as good as it can be.

You bring the story. We work on making it work.

One-on-one Writing Coaching

Your story.

Your voice.

A second pair of eyes.

Whether you’re just starting a novel, stuck in the middle of a manuscript, rewriting a draft, or getting ready to publish, Karl can help you find your way forward.

We look at your writing, work through what’s holding you back, and figure out what your story needs next.

Together, we can look at:

your story and its main idea
plot and structure
characters and their motivations
scenes, dialogue and pacing
point of view
beginnings and endings
tension and conflict
finding the right voice
showing rather than explaining
making scenes more concrete and alive
cutting what doesn’t work
revision and rewriting
writer’s block and getting unstuck
preparing a manuscript for agents or publishers

Sometimes the problem is a weak scene. Sometimes the problem is that you don’t yet know what the story is really about.
And sometimes you simply need someone to ask the right question.

One of Karl’s favourite questions when a writer gets stuck is:
“How can I make this worse for this character?”

Stories usually become interesting when things become difficult.

How the coaching works

There are no writing formulas.

There are quite some rules of writing. Believe it or not, most of them are there for a reason.

And still: writing in the 21st century is wonderfully free.

Karl’s approach is practical, direct and focused on the text in front of you. Are you a “plotter” who plans everything, or a “pantser” who just starts writing and sees what happens? Both ways are completely fine, and have their pro’s and con’s.

Your first draft is supposed to be bad

One of the biggest obstacles for writers is expecting the first draft to already be good.

It won’t be.

You have to make decisions.

You have to cut things you love.

You have to rewrite scenes that aren’t working.

And sometimes you have to admit that the story you thought you were writing is actually a different story.

That is not failure.

That is writing.

What is modern writing:

Clear and concise

Active voice

Less jargon

Shorter sentences

More direct communication

But also:

realistic dialogue
complex, morally ambiguous characters
diverse perspectives
non-linear storytelling
…

So, and then let’s talk about fear!

What are writers really most afraid of?

These fears come down to two questions:

“What if readers think I’m stupid?”
“Who is waiting for my book?”
“What if the story isn’t actually interesting?”
“What if people laugh at my writing?”
“What if someone I know reads it?”
“What if I never finish, because I never finish things?”
“What if I’m doing it all wrong?”
“What if I have no idea how to structure a book?”
“What if I spend years on this and nobody wants to read it?”
“Who am I to think I can be a writer?”
“What if I run out of ideas?”
“What if I finally finish it and it’s still not good?”
“What if I put my heart into this and nobody cares?”

“What if I’m not good enough?”

“What if nobody cares about my story?”

Trust Karl with this. He has a few tricks up his sleeve — and a few things he’s learned along the way that might help you.

Enough to get you writing again, and keep you from getting stuck there in the future.

Modern Writing Workshops

Two days to get deeper into your writing

Karl’s writing weekends in Amsterdam are intensive, practical workshops for writers who want to develop their work and understand the craft of storytelling.

In these weekends you will have writing exercises, expert guidance, discussion, individual writing time and lots of feedback.

Story & structure
How do you turn an idea into a story? What does your protagonist want? Where is the conflict? What is the climactic moment?

Starting your story
Where should the story begin? How quickly should you introduce the central problem? How to avoid information dumps (boooring)?

Scenes
How do dialogue, action and narration work together? How do you make a scene move?

Characters
How do you create characters readers want to meet? How do you give them contradictions, desires and an inner life

Show, don’t tell
How can you replace tedious explanations with actions, details, sensations and concrete images?

Dialogue
Dialogue isn’t just communication. Characters lie, hide things, fight for power and reveal themselves through the way they speak.

Point of view
Whose eyes are we looking through? How much does the reader know? What changes when you move from an intimate character perspective to an omniscient one?

Setting
You need to know where your characters are. What do they see? What do they hear? How does the place feel? What is around the next corner?

Pacing & tension
When should you slow down? When should you move quickly? How can a scene or chapter make the reader want to continue?

Revision
The first draft is only the beginning. Learn to see the big problems before getting lost in grammar and individual sentences.

The reader
What does the reader actually receive from your text — and how is that different from what you intended?

… and a promise:
After this workshop, you’ll rediscover your love for writing, and leave with a renewed sense of excitement about your work.

A workshop is a safe space

Writing is vulnerable.

You put something on the page that comes from you — your ideas, memories, fears, obsessions and imagination. And then you hand it to someone else and wait to hear what they think. Isn’t that pretty scary.

That’s why Karl’s workshops start with a simple idea: first, listen to the writer and understand what they’re trying to do. Then, together, look at how the writing can become stronger.

Writing exercises

The workshops use short, playful exercises to get writers moving. You might be given a photograph and asked to write only what is visible. You might invent the story behind an unknown photograph. You might take a completely ordinary newspaper article and give it some life. You might write a dialogue between two people in a photograph.

The exercises are short, often seven to ten minutes. Let’s see if we are discovering something.

Who are the workshops for?

The workshops are for writers at different stages of their journey.

You don’t have to be a professional writer.

And you don’t have to call yourself a writer yet.

If you have a story you want to write, you are welcome.

About Karl

Karl Giesriegl is a writer, editor and creative director based in Amsterdam. For many years, he has worked at the intersection of writing, storytelling and the performing arts. As creative director of Mezrab, Amsterdam’s House of Stories, he has helped develop one of Europe’s most active storytelling communities and worked with hundreds of storytellers and writers.

He is the author and editor of several books, fiction and non-fiction.

He is currently working on a non-fiction book project examining causes of death as a way to reflect on human understanding of mortality.

Why write with Karl?

Karl has years of experience as a writer, editor, storyteller and as a mentor. He knows how a story works.

His approach is practical, personal and generous. He helps you discover what is already working in your writing, where the story could go further, and what might be holding it back.

Most importantly, Karl believes that there is no single way to write a good story. The aim is to help you find your own voice and make your writing stronger, clearer and more alive.

For writers who are stuck

Sometimes you don’t need more inspiration. You need a decision.

Have you been staring at the same chapter for three weeks?

You know exactly what happens in your story, but somehow you can’t make it come alive on the page.

Are you in a loop of endlessly researching? Instead of writing?

Or are you simply be afraid to make the wrong choices?

Or maybe you’re simply wondering: Who is actually waiting for this book?

Come on. Let’s look at it together!

For writers who want to go further

Writing is rewriting.

There is no perfect first sentence. No perfect first draft. No magical moment when the book suddenly writes itself.

But there are better questions.

Better choices.

Better ways of seeing your own work.

And sometimes all you need is another experienced reader who can see the problem from outside the manuscript.

Bring me your text. Let’s see what it can become.

Writing Weekend in Amsterdam

Next workshop: to be announced

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Duration: Weekend

Language: English

Group size: Limited

One-on-one coaching

Sessions: 60 or 90 minutes

Location: Amsterdam or online

For: New and published authors

Languages: English, Dutch, German

Costs: I work exclusively on a pay-what-you-can basis.

Free first consultation

Questions?

Not sure whether coaching is right for you?

Send Karl a short description of what you are writing, where you are in the process and what you are struggling with.

You don’t need to have a finished manuscript.

You don’t even need to know exactly what the problem is.

Contact

Karl Giesriegl

romedius@deleatur.com

+316 1903 1175 (Signal or Whatsapp)

Be precise.

Be curious.

Take risks.

The reader will believe you.

Cut what doesn’t work.

And, above all, finish the story.