Carolyne Whelan

About

At Forward Motion Coaching, I coach writers on how to self-edit, with a mission of building both confidence and skill in writers looking to land their first byline or tap into creativity they think is gone. Part of this work is a retreat series called Pedal & Prosody, which combines movement, writing, and nature to help connect writers to themselves and to each other to build support, community, trust, and confidence while stepping out of comfort zones and letting go of the fear of a crappy draft.I enjoy my freelance work as a consultant for individuals and brands looking to hone their own writing and editing skills, develop their brand voice, and build sincere relationships with their customers. This has currently translated into a contract role as Editorial Director at Overland Expo. I write for outdoor platforms who want a lyrical approach to storytelling, whether that's reviewing GPS dog collars and skin repair ointments or first-person cycling adventures that research history through present movement. I also work with mental health platforms looking to connect to their audience in a smart, thoughtful way that meets them where they are.As a magazine editor, I took seriously my role in sculpting the world of adventure travel and how this world is broadcast. Under my leadership, Adventure Cyclist successfully completed a fully in-house magazine redesign and rebrand. The result has been an award-winning publication that’s been touted as “the best it’s ever been” from 40-year subscribers.In my first six months as web editor for Dirt Rag magazine, I over doubled our web readership from 85,000 to 200,000, implemented new ways to build partnerships with brands no longer interested in static ad placement, and developed revenue-generating collaborations with other platforms that bring in capital to us with limited additional effort. I quickly took over as Editor-in-Chief and increased diversity of content and storytellers by around 70%.I received my MFA in poetry and nonfiction at Chatham University in 2009, where I was a finalist for Best Thesis. I'm the recipient of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center, the Lucille Clifton Fellowship to the Community of Writers, and the Jan-Ai Fellowship to the Murphy Writing Center. I am a Writing Walking Women fellow, and received an Honorable Mention in the Sacramento Poetry Center Prize for a Single Poem, as well as an anonymous grant for my literary contributions in Pittsburgh, PA. Member: OWAA