Hi, I’m Candace!
I’ve been helping mission-driven thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and people with dramatic and important stories use the power of true story to write their books and screenplays and get their message out to the world for decades, and I would love to help you do the same.
With over thirty years experience writing and editing professionally, and dozens of testimonials from satisfied clients, I can take you from concept to finished draft, with personalized guidance and care throughout the entire process.
I developed the Writing on Purpose method because it’s my belief that only when we are really clear on our purpose, can we move into the rest of the writing process.
Think of the theme of your project as the root ball from which a cluster of flowers grows. One stem is for content, one is for structure, one is for process, one for revision, and one for publication. At each step of the growth of the book, you keep touching back to the root ball of answering questions like:
“What is the one main thing I want the reader to “get” when they finish the book?”
This question alone can lead you to find your project’s purpose.
You can think of your writing’s purpose as its function. If form follows function, and form serves function, you can ask more questions, like:
What content would be best to include? What should I leave out?
What structural choices would serve the book’s purpose best?
What process makes the most sense for me to get this written?
What revisions should I make to get this book to serve its higher purpose even more?
What type of publication path would be best for getting this message out to the world?
Using my Writing on Purpose method, I can help you develop and write a Blueprint, Book Proposal and Pitch Packet for your book or screenplay project. Over a period of several months, we will work together to create these foundational documents that will greatly support and guide you on your writing journey.
Once you are writing, I can be your sounding board, reading and critiquing as you go, or, if you prefer, read the finished draft and give you an editorial review. I will help you during the revisions phase, and I can even help you make decisions about your path to publication, giving you guidance on clear steps to achieve whichever publication venue you choose.
Whether you need a writing coach or a ghostwriter for your book, I can help you get from initial concept to finished draft and beyond.
Interested in writing a screenplay? I can help with that – Let’s talk!
My Projects
From Idea to Publication.
Let’s Make Your Writing Dreams a Reality.
About Me
I grew up in Los Angeles with a passion for and fascination with writing. As a child, I was given two huge volumes of Aesop’s Fables, and I loved them so much I dragged them everywhere I went for quite some time. What I loved most about those stories was how, in one short tale, there was a higher meaning, a lesson that anyone could learn. To this day, in my decades of work as a writing coach, I look at writing from a theme-driven viewpoint and always start with questions like
- “What point are you trying to get across?”
- “What is the lesson here?”
- “What transformation does this work promise for the reader?”
- “What truths do you feel compelled to share with the world?”
After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing from New York University, I went to work as a script consultant for actors, agents, managers and producers in the film industry. I served as a story analyst in the motion picture talent department at ICM for several years and personally read and helped develop scripts for Anthony Hopkins, Denzel Washington, Marlon Brando, Richard Gere, Michelle Pfeiffer, Melanie Griffith, and many other A-list actors.
“As the personal manager of Anthony Hopkins, Dick Van Dyke and Faye Dunaway, I was introduced to Candace’s talents when she was with International Creative Management. Her story sense, grasp of the writer’s intention, and special gift for seeing elements, which, if developed, could carry the material to greater heights, was often stunning. Her criticisms were clear. In her candor, she was always constructive. When Anthony Hopkins moved to CAA we brought her into the fold to help us evaluate projects submitted to us through CAA. She worked closely with Sir Anthony in preparing notes on two feature films, which were ultimately produced. She also produced brilliant coverage on two unpublished novels.”
In 2000, I decided to branch out and work in nonfiction in addition to screenwriting. I received my MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Antioch University Los Angeles and began dedicating myself to being a writing coach and ghostwriter.
I’m the author of the acclaimed how-to-book Shaping True Story into Screenplay and a memoir, The Rope Swing. I also co-authored the Hollywood expose/memoir Bogie’s Bike with Anthony Hopkins’ long-time manager, and have helped countless nonfiction authors and screenwriters fulfill their writing dreams.
My essays and articles have been published in magazines and literary journals, including The Rumpus, Manifest-Station, and International Screenwriters Association.
“Candace Kearns Read has a knack for whipping a weak script into shape. She is tough, but in the kindest way.”
“I had no idea how much work writing a book was at the start of this project. Without the support of my brilliant writing and research partner, Candace Kearns Read, my book would never have come to life”
“I’ve learned more from Candace than I ever did from any class, book, or “expert” I ever looked to for help. Her criticism is constructive, encouraging and enlightening.”
“Candace Kearns Read, an accomplished writer herself, read the early drafts of my manuscript and copyedited the later drafts. Her criticism and positive encouragement helped me see the book through to publication.”
“Thank you for all your wisdom and guidance. You are a great teacher, and the work done in your class has been so helpful. You give excellent advice, and don’t sugar coat, but at the same time install confidence.”
“Candace Kearns Read is an extremely talented screenwriter and story analyst. Anyone intending to develop material based on ‘real life’ will benefit from her wisdom and experience.”
