“I have to tell you that I have been applying your teaching in my writing SO MUCH. In my most recent Substack, I remembered what you taught me and then applied it. So grateful for your mentorship/teaching.”
Call or text 541-408-4509 to register.
Your learning matters to me. As a teacher, I am known for my kindness, organization, creativity, and commitment to student learning.
Upcoming Classes
Think Like an Editor Learn what an editor looks for when they read a manuscript. Freelance editor Ellen Santasiero will discuss genre, narrative structure, the elements of “good writing,” the difference between developmental editing and line editing, and formatting. Thinking like an editor can help writers save time and produce polished manuscripts that can compete in the literary marketplace. The first five people who register and attend will get free feedback on two pages (double-spaced) of writing. Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2 - 3:30pm, Howe Library, Albany, NY. Free.
The Forge 10-month Creative Writing Program theforgewriting.com Begins September 2024 You have something important to say. At The Forge, we'll give you the creative writing tools & training to say it, at a much lower cost than a traditional MFA program. You bring the fire — your love of creative writing —and we help shape you into the writer you want to be: confident, keen, and committed to a writing community. In bi-weekly meetings and through individual mentorships, we'll stock you with craft know-how, revision skills, and writerly habits so you can forge your own literary works. 10-month program is $6,000. Apply with writing sample & $25. More info at theforgewriting.com or theforgewriting@gmail.com
Past—(and possibly future)—classes
Literary Craft Series: Better Metaphors, Words, and Sentences (See descriptions below.)
Better Metaphors Metaphors in literature are like wings on a plane—both are necessary to lift us into another place! After reading and discussing beautiful metaphors and learning techniques to create their own, prose writers and poets practice creating metaphors to help to get their writing off the ground. Bring a piece of your own prose or poetry to work with. 1.5 hours.
Better Words What’s the difference between the words “conflagration” and “fire”? They mean the same thing, but ah, the music they bring to a piece of writing could not be more different! In this class, prose writers and poets learn to recognize the difference between Latin, Greek, and Saxon words, and when and where to use them in their writing for most effect. Bring a piece of your own prose or poetry to work with. 1.5 hours.
Better Sentences and Paragraphs Music. Power. Intimacy. All these qualities come from well-written sentences and paragraphs. After listening to and discussing different types and lengths of sentences and paragraphs, prose writers and poets try shaping their own to most effectively convey meaning. Bring a piece of your own prose or poetry to work with. 1.5 hours.
Take one, two, or all three sessions.