My most joyous work is one on one with teens and college students, helping them let go of fear and self-criticism to discover the music of their voice, their language, rhythm and their strongest forms of writing.
All these attributes and skills will last a lifetime. See essay on writing: Big Mind.
We work on making the invisible visible: coaxing each thought into words, directing each line in stanzas or paragraphs, discovering one’s own perception of stories, honing and polishing fiction, memoir, essays or poems.
For teens in high school or home school, preparing for college, and for college students, we work in creative writing, and several expository genres: autobiography, reflection, observation, analysis or concept explanation.
We also tackle argument genres: position papers, evaluation, cause/effect, or proposals to solve a problem.
We learn to research and write in AP form.
When needed, we work on mechanics, grammar and style.
Students learn to read like writers – for pleasure, for their personal response, and also thinking deeply about mirroring texts, classical and contemporary. They learn to read rhetorically, as well, discerning what choices a writer’s made in order to persuade, wow and enchant the reader.
It’s urgent for young writers to know there’s never been anyone exactly like them before, and there will never be anyone exactly like them again. Each human voice is complete in itself, not like anyone else’s. My goal is for young writers to recognize themselves in the strange, beautiful and surprising words they put down on the page.
Details:
- One-on-one weekly instruction in Redlands studio or online
- Lesson length: 60 to 90 minutes
- Summer or academic year sessions
Please contact Sandra for rates, times and availability.