Summer Writing Coach Opportunity

A six week long writing one-on-one coaching to help middle school students "Build Strong Stories."

How it works: I will coach mostly through e-mail, but can tailor other methods such as phone calls and Skype as the student needs and circumstances allow.

Who: Kids ages 12 to 14

What we'll be doing: Together, we will learn how to build stories from their basements to their unique interior decorating. Using the theme "Building Strong Stories," I will personalize my coaching to best teach the foundational elements of storytelling such as point of view, plot, and the concept of showing vs. telling, but we will also spend time exploring the individual style elements of writing that will differ from writer to writer.

When: June 22nd - Aug. 1st

What makes my coaching unique:

It's not a class. I'm not a teacher figure. Because I'm seventeen years old, I am close enough to the student's age that I can understand them, their life, and their writing. But, I'm experienced enough to bring the knowledge that can help the kids grow stronger in their writing.
We won't be working on a full length novel. Instead, we will practice different short stories and prompts to get comfortable with the elements that build a strong story. Creating a good instinct is better to learn first than writing a single, long story.
I will encourage the student to find what they love, write what they're good at, and find a style that makes them unique as a writer. I'm not here to lay out a list of concrete rules for writing a story. My coaching focuses on the guidelines that build a strong story.
One-on-one attention allows me to help the student the best way I know how, adapting as I feel that the student needs.

About me: Teaching and writing are two of my great loves. My poetry as been published in Encounter--the magazine, and most recently, a flash fiction piece of mine found a home in the magazine, Splickety Havok. Outside of my own writing, I developed and taught a full year Creative Writing curriculum to two homeschool students. I love to teach by example, showing my own work, my own mistakes, and my own journey as an author.

Cost: $300 total for the six week arrangement.

If you are interested in a summer writing coach or if you have any questions, contact me below.

~ Alyson

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