Mentoring
My clients are writers, artists and entrepreneurs. I help people express their bodacious, creative selves. My superpower is my transparency — the sensual, subversive style of my writing that allows my whole self to be seen, even the ugly parts. I can show you how to be brave enough to fail. If you’re working on a book, essays, short stories, if you know you have a story inside and you’re not sure what form to use, if your characters are talking to you, if you’d like to learn how to trust uncertainty and imagine possibilities and take risks, I’m your writer. Our time can include walking in the forest, becoming accountable, breaking barriers, writing at the margins, and other lessons in how to live in your craft. I have worked with clients to overcome writer’s block and perfectionistic obsessions, identify and ease the inner critic, and choose the writing project–by genre, craft and subject matter–true to their voice, passion and lifestyle.
I am interested in literary fiction and memoir, and I like to work with book-length memoirs, essays, and short fiction. I don’t work with genre writing (science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, family histories). I am not an editor, and have some great suggestions for editorial assistance.
I take a limited number of mentoring clients. You can contact me for more details.
Teaching
This autumn I am teaching Radical Memoir, a unique class where you’ll learn to intuitively follow your obsessions on the page; to take emotional risks with safety, humor, and clarity; to stop defending your reputation and instead live in the moment with those hungry for the truth. This work is for those interested in integrity and wholeness, and less concerned with rules and roles and fitting in. Come write your story in any form: essay, letter, prose poem, manifesto, vignette, list, abcderian, Wikipedia entry.
There’s two forms to engage – an online class moving at your own pace and an in-person class where we’ll write together, read out loud to each other, and discuss the art of written storytelling in a nurturing environment. Both options are flexible enough to engage and challenge writers of all levels—from the novice to the advanced.
Retreats and Workshops
When my schedule allows I teach workshops and offer retreats in Seattle, Washington and Banff, Alberta. I can also be booked to teach at workshops and retreat settings around the world.
Book Clubs and Writer’s Groups
I would be delighted to join your book club by phone, Skype or email to discuss my book and answer any questions you might have. I can also customize a talk for your group on themes of identity, memory, loss and writing after trauma.
For more information on schedules, fees and descriptions of any of the above services, contact me here.
