I offer personalized creative writing activities for middle and high school students and for advanced students (high school and college), a review of a query letter and first ten pages of a novel.
Tutoring
Services include
- Individualized reading lists, tailored to student preference. I also offer suggestions to expand a student’s knowledge of genre, style, and history of literature.
- Once-weekly, hour-long live session via Zoom: mini-lessons, exercises, reading discussion, and writing feedback. Exercises and lessons help students build skills with characterization, plot devices, theme development, style and voice development, and other writing elements as requested. These lessons are differentiated beyond grade level based on student interest and readiness. I’m thrilled to challenge young writers with graduate-level concepts if they are eager and ready. I’m excited to enrich materials, going as deep and wide as a student wishes. I emphasize depth over “coverage,” and I follow the student’s lead so that they can follow their passion and develop skills therein. I love helping students build from their existing strengths while also challenging them to experiment with the broad range of skills authors need. Recordings of sessions are provided to students and parents.
- Personalized edits on student manuscripts each week, including narrative summary, next steps, and line edits. Up to 10 pages per week.
- Weekly deadlines for students tailored to student-centered writing goals
- While services don’t include research for contests and opportunities outside of tutoring, I will be glad to help students prepare for contests they find, any applications to writing camps, and other goals and audiences.
- I provide query letter guidance and feedback as well as industry tips to high school students, preferably juniors and seniors.
- I provide self-publishing guidance to students of any age if parents support that sort of effort and investment. With all students, we talk about audience awareness, envisioning our ideal audiences as well as how to speak to a broader group.
Availability: January – May. I am occasionally available during summer and fall season, but my college essay students are usually booked solid during these times.
Live sessions are offered Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday afternoons or early evenings, EST. Feedback provided weekly, usually by end of day on Mondays.
Cost: $600 per week. I also provide twice-monthly tutoring, if that’s preferred, at the same rate.
For students who wish to write regularly and submit work for feedback, I also offer a $300-per-week option, with one live session and up to two hours of feedback. Live sessions are focused on reviewing the work and discussing it. This option works well for students who are self-starters; who don’t need activities, mini-lessons, reading lists, or much direction; and who mostly seek support and revision guidance.
Draft and Query Letter Review
I will review a query letter and the first ten pages of a novel for students planning to query small presses and agents. This review, which includes detailed line edits and a narrative summary, plus one follow-up hour of Zoom time to discuss the work, is $400.