You didn’t set out to write a simple story.
You are mapping out a narrative rebellion—delving into speculative friction, sprawling historical power dynamics, or the suffocating bureaucracy of a dark academy. Your protagonist isn’t just fighting a villain; they are fighting an entire architecture of oppression.
But building a complex system is a dangerous game.
Somewhere in the middle, the logic begins to fracture. The political factions get muddy. The systemic stakes lose their multi-dimensionality and revert to an army of mustache-twirlers. Because the “evil empire” feels like a cardboard cutout, your protagonist’s decisions feel too pat, the climax approaches too fast, and the narrative drive completely stalls.
Build an airtight novel that subverts power structures without lecturing your reader.
Imagine A Few months FRom Now…
You're working on a novel that has staying power, that will grab readers by the ribs and not let go — you’ll be able to choose your track so you’ll have a plan, a madcap draft, or a revised draft!
You're confident that your protagonist has the agency they need to subvert power structures
You understand how your ideal reader will encounter your story and protagonist, and how they'll remember your book after reading
You're working with clarity and not wasting time penning tens of thousands of words that will have to change later
Meet Your Book Coach
Hey, I’m Margaret!
I don’t provide boilerplate templates or generic validation. I provide the structural engineering to make your universe airtight.
I am not a cheerleader; I am your strategic advocate. I specialize in the hidden architecture of complex systems—aligning a protagonist’s internal rebellion with the heavy, external friction of a fictional empire. Together, we will stress-test your world-building and untangle your story bottlenecks before you waste months writing scenes that don’t work.
My approach is rooted in elite craft frameworks and rigorous analysis. I hold an MFA in fiction, am a published author, and am an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach (I also work on Jennie Nash’s team at Author Accelerator to train book coaches). I don’t deal in fluff; I deal in story mechanics that ensure your narrative grabs your reader by the ribs and your story’s deep truth etches itself into their hearts.
Two masters degrees in creative writing
Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach
Author of four historical fiction novels
Whether your characters are subverting a corporate superpower, a religious institution, or a toxic family dynamic, my goal is to give you absolute clarity, high-level strategy, and total creative confidence over your manuscript.
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You're writing a story that focuses on subverting power structures through character agency
You're writing a story that tells a deep truth, perhaps one that has held onto you for a long time
You're ready for high-level craft and intensive coaching to strengthen your story
You're ready to bring your creative energy to the table with an open mind and heart
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You're looking for the fastest path to getting your story on the page and into the world
You're looking for validation, not creative partnership, critique, and coaching
You're not interested in subverting power structures through your story
You're fine with flat antagonists, a protagonist who reacts rather than acts, and a forgettable story
The power structures in our stories work best when they aren’t completely evil. Real, imperfect systems are far more terrifying—and subverting them as a protagonist creates much more layered, fascinating narrative choices.
If your world doesn’t show how power is held, used, and realistically resisted by characters who wouldn’t normally make the history books, your setting is just a stage prop.
What some of my writers say
“Margaret has a keen eye for detail and easily catches inconsistencies. She has a high-level grasp on the craft….”
— Elli C.“[Margaret] zeroed in on the issues and gave me valuable information. Her insight was spot on.”
— Lorraine N.“…if it wasn’t for Margaret, I probably wouldn’t have finished this book.”
— Carmen C.THE NARRATIVE REBELLION LAB
3 Months of Direct, Asynchronous 1:1 Coaching for Ambitious Speculative & Historical Fiction Writers
Enter the laboratory for 3 months to craft your narrative rebellion!
When we work together, you’ll choose one of these goals:
Plan & Research Your Narrative Rebellion
Draft Your Narrative Rebellion
Revise Your Narrative Rebellion
REbellion is better together.
I’ll coach you 1:1 via Slack private text and audio messages. Share snippets (up to ~500 words/week), ideas, and blocks. I’ll help keep you on track, be the mirror your narrative rebellion needs, and provide relevant insight and as-needed resources to help along the way.
Once a month, I’ll host a live Q&A.
You will be founding members of an exclusive community of speculative and historical writers.
Your investment: $1,300 total (or $500/month) for 3 months
Currently, I have 10 9 slots open.
Track 1: Plan and Research Your Narrative Rebellion
We’ll start out with my Subversive Novel Mini Blueprint, and follow that with exercises from Author Accelerator’s Blueprint for a Book and others to help you plan and research for your novel. For anyone just starting out or ready to work on early revisions.
Track 2: Draft Your Narrative Rebellion
Get the accountability and support you need. Did you just write a scene and you need to know how it lands? I’ve got you. Need to explore a different POV? I’m by your side. This track is perfect for anyone ready to get words on the page.
Track 3: Revise Your Narrative Rebellion
When you’ve got a draft on hand but you know it still needs work, when you need the motivation and support to keep going even as you reach that inevitable place where throwing in the towel looks a lot more appealing than pressing on, you’ve got me at your side to help you make empowered craft choices and keep the momentum rolling. This is great for anyone with a finished draft.
Your Questions, Answered
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To me, a madcap draft means anything can happen. You can drop and pick up threads like you’re making a messy embroidery project.
A rough draft still needs revision but it holds together a bit more.
Some people call what I consider a madcap draft a zero draft, but I just think madcap is even more descriptive and frankly, a word that’s a lot more fun to say!
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I’ll answer pre-submitted and live questions about writing a subversive novel, and I might also offer some hot seat coaching. If all questions are answered and there is still time in the hour, the rest of the time may be used to teach on a craft topic or write along together. The calls will be recorded so replays can be shared with all who are currently enrolled in the Narrative Rebellion Lab.
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Getting started is easy! All you need to do is schedule a quick, free, discovery session with me. There are two ways to this:
1. Scroll down to grab a spot on my calendar
2. Complete the Sovereign World-Building Game and follow the link at the end to grab a spot on my calendar
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I specialize primarily in fiction that deals with complex systems, institutional friction, or subversive themes. This includes speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, dystopian narratives, historical fiction, political thrillers, and dark academia. Whether your protagonist is rebelling against a sprawling galactic empire, a corrupt local institution, or a toxic family dynamic, I provide the structural coaching to ensure your story mechanics and systemic stakes are airtight, and the personal book coaching to help you reach your goal.
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Great storytelling requires genuine human insight, acute narrative intent, and a deep understanding of systemic nuance—things an algorithm cannot replicate. I am fully committed to cultivating and protecting human creativity. All of my feedback is created entirely by me. I do not use generative AI to evaluate your story materials, and I work exclusively with authors who are dedicated to writing original, human-crafted work.
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It is! I keep it in three-month sessions to help you reach a goal without being overwhelmed, but you’re welcome to sign up for another session once yours ends, either for the same track or a new one.
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When your program ends, your community Slack account will be deactivated. But! If you miss it, you can always come back (though I will have to put a waitlist in place if it gets too popular so I can keep delivering my best service to all my writers.
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In general no. But sometimes life lifes. If something comes up, I encourage you to reach out via our 1:1 Slack chat. We’ll decide together what’s best. I believe in being a reasonable human and I want my writers to thrive. If you have an emergency, illness, or some other mitigating and unplanned circumstance, we can discuss a pro-rata refund.
Ready to enter the narrative rebellion lab?
Book a free discovery session; let’s get you into the lab and on the track your story craves.