She is a writer, reader, life coach, and someone who’s currently neck-deep in her own first draft hell. Which is probably the most honest way to introduce her.

She started MAR Literary Services because she knows what it’s like to feel completely alone in the writing process. When she was writing her baccalaureate thesis as a 36-year-old non-traditional student, she felt like she was drowning. Everyone around her was so much younger, working in completely different ways, and she just felt… misunderstood. Isolated. Like she was the only one who couldn’t figure this out.

Her advisor was incredible—she stuck with Maria even when she probably wanted to throw in the towel—but even with her support, the loneliness was crushing. She kept thinking: why does writing have to feel like this? Why does it have to be such an isolated bubble?

That experience changed Maria. She finished her thesis, graduated with an English degree, and couldn’t shake the feeling that other writers were out there feeling exactly how she felt. Stuck. Afraid. Alone.

Why Maria Does This

She is not a book coach or a writing coach, she is a life coach who happens to work exclusively with writers. Because honestly? The hardest part of writing isn’t usually the writing itself. It’s showing up. It’s believing your story matters. It’s pushing through the voice that says you’re not good enough, not a “real” writer, not [fill in the blank with whatever your brain tells you at 2am].

Maria focuses on accountability, mindset work, and alpha reading. She helps writers get unstuck—whether that’s on a first draft, in revisions, or in that weird limbo where you know something’s not working but can’t figure out what.

What Maria Brings to the Table

Here’s something you should know about Maria: she has read over 4,000 books. She knows it sounds absurd, but it’s true. Every genre you can think of—literary fiction, romance, thrillers, sci-fi, everything (if you get the chance, ask her about her favorite book, it might surprise you). And through all that reading, she has developed this intuition about stories. She can sense when something’s almost there, when it just needs a little push to become what it’s meant to be.

Her English degree taught her how to analyze and articulate what’s working (or not working) in a story. But more importantly, all those thousands of books taught her that there’s no such thing as a perfect book. There are only books that are the best version of themselves. That’s what she cares about—helping your book become the truest, strongest version of what you want it to be.

The Real Deal

She is not going to pretend she has all the answers. She’s in the trenches with you—fighting her own battles with procrastination, doubt, and that voice that says “who do you think you are?” But she’s learned some things along the way. she’s figured out how to show up even when she doesn’t want to. She’s learned how to be kinder to herself in the process. And she’s discovered that writing doesn’t have to be a solo journey into madness.

She started this business because she wants to create the support system she wishes she had. A place where writers don’t have to feel so alone. Where the process can be more collaborative, more human, more connected.

A Bit More About Maria

When she is not coaching or wrestling with her own manuscript, she is usually reading (shocking, right?). She is also a firm believer that writing is deeply personal, and there’s no one “right” way to do it. What works for someone else might not work for you, and that’s completely okay.

She graduated at 36, and she’s proud of that. It took her longer than most, and she did it differently than most, and that’s part of what makes her good at what she does now. She understands what it’s like to not fit the mold, to need something different, to feel like the systems aren’t built for you.

Why MAR Literary Services?

Because writing is hard enough without feeling like you have to do it all alone. Because your story deserves to be written, and you deserve support that actually understands what you’re going through. Because sometimes you just need someone in your corner who gets it—really gets it—and won’t let you give up on yourself.

That’s Maria. That’s what she is here for.

If you are interested to see how we could work together, you can book a free discovery call with her here. No pressure. All she wants is for you to be able to finish your draft, no matter how, or with whom.