Who isn’t it for?

I’m here for young writers to learn how to find the words to define themselves.

I’m here for older writers looking back and putting words to their memories.

I’m here for people at the top of their class, and I’m here for people who haven’t stepped foot inside a school in ages. I’m here for people who want to reclaim the relationship to writing ruined by their 10th-grade language arts teacher.

I’m here for creatives who want to run wild. Come to mention it, I’m here for creatives who want to reign it in and need structure to help shape their creativity.

I’m here for professionals who need to put their best on paper, or online for that matter. I’m also here for professionals whose souls deserve to write something other than another friggin’ email.

I’m here for grief. To hold that space for you and with you to feel all that you feel, no matter how fresh or long ago your loss was, and to get some scrap of that feeling written down.

I’m here for new parents, working parents, harried parents who need to take some hours to reconnect with themselves and remember who they are in the world.

I’m here for the to-bes and the eulogies. I’m here for the introverts and those who want to subvert. I’m here for writer’s block and generally anything longer than a caption on TikTok….

Writing can be super intimate, both within yourself and then with your reader. Leveraging your story authentically can feel risky.

I have assisted writers gifted with a variety of identities. I work hard to consider the impact of my identity in my role as a writer and reader, and am mindful of the lifelong commitment to continued learning and improvement with humility and sincerity.

I promise I will work always to honor the bravery you bring to the table, whether discussing your identity (race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, learning differences), your journey (personal and professional), and your emotions (hopes, fears, successes, and wounds). At times I may challenge you to engage with aspects of your identity in service of your writing, but only in so far as it supports you and your process.

Taking on a writing project can be an undertaking most people only engage when they “have to.” Guess what? You can write just for yourself, and it can feel AMAZING.

I’m going to guess that as you’re reading this you are slightly thrilled, and significantly terrified, at the idea of reaching out to me about this project* that you’ve got. And chances are your first instinct is to chicken out. So normal. But consider emailing me real quick right now before you chicken out.

*Also like what if you don’t even have a project. What if you currently have more of an inexplicable impulse?!!? Still send that email; that impulse is all we need for an initial conversation. Because then you won’t be alone, you’ll have a cheerleader and a collaborator, helping you figure out what to do with that impulse.

Maybe you’re going to write short vignettes to paste in the family photo album telling the stories behind the camera (we all know photos only tell half the story).

Maybe you’re going to write a love letter you’re never going to send. (I’m also not above helping you write hate mail, as long as we thread that needle in a healthy way).

Maybe you’re going to write a stack of thank you notes to special influences in your life. (This would be great to send to teachers and mentors, but personally I have a long-put-off letter I need to write Dolly Parton thanking her for, you know, everything.)

Maybe it’s a letter to the editor, maybe it’s an ode to your cat, maybe it’s just a jumble of memories and hopes. Whatever it is I’m there for you for it.

I believe all writing is a balance between the writer and the audience, but this balance is very different in professional writing compared to personal. My goal in supporting your professional writing is to allow your perspective to be expressed within the needs of your audience.

When we talk, please provide me with information to get me up to speed on:

-you (education, experiences, interests, passions, skills—this can be a C.V./resume or a verbal description),

-your field,

-and your professional goal for the writing project (a job application/cover letter/writing sample, crafting a mission statement, public-facing text in printed or online materials, etc).

Head over to my “for professionals” page for a fuller idea of my approach.

While writing for cover letters and applications may adhere to a general formula and format, I welcome idiosyncratic projects: song lyrics, poems, comedy sets, a line of greeting cards. There may be a greater onus on you to craft the initial vision and articulate it to me in a way that I can then help serve, but I am enthusiastic about any creative endeavor!

Head over to my “for students” page for a fuller idea of my approach to admissions.

Head over to my For English learners page for my approach and background working with non-native English speakers.

International students, be sure to check out my for students page.

Absolutely yes! Bring me whatever you’ve got, whether it’s 15 years old and unfinished but still promising, or barely more than a few phrases on your Notes app. I can’t promise it’ll stay that way, but I promise whatever stage of germination your project is growing we will nourish it! (We might also, you know, chop off a few dead sprouts and repot it a bit, but that’s why you’re coming to me, right?!)

You’re already doing step one: poking around this website. Actually, no, step one was whatever brought you to this website, so hey you’re actually already on step two. Nice work!

After looking around, drop me an email and we’ll set up a free 30 minute “getting to know you” chat.

• Not sure what to say? Don’t worry, I can ask questions to guide you.

• Know exactly what you need? I’ll be ready to listen!

• If in that conversation you get the sense I’m not the right fit for you, that’s okay, I get it, you’ve got to find the right collaborator for YOU.

Once you’re ready, we’ll have our first session, which will be focused on getting know each other even better and sketching out your specific writing goals. Depending on where you are in your process we’ll brainstorm and outline, or start to read and refine.

Together we will determine our timeline and I will do my best to accommodate scheduling for these needs. (See below for more about timing.)

There may be times when pulling another set of eyes up to the table helps freshen our perspective. This may be from a colleague, guidance counselor, family member, friend etc, and I welcome that further collaboration.

When you’ve finished we’ll celebrate. With cookies. Writers deserve cookies.

I always offer a completley free and no obligation first session. This conversation is essential for us to get to know each other, discuss your project, your goals, and your writing needs. We will also determine how many sessions would be best for you and your project. For more about pricing (and financial aid) click here.

Yes, financial aid is available.

I have *never* turned anyone away who is in need of financial assistance.

I often work with people on a pay-what-you-can model, and I have given my services completely free of charge. If you and I and your project are a fit, but the money part is causing you hardship, I promise: we will make it work.

We will use tools to collaborate on your writing virtually in real time, and I will provide all the relevant links for video conferencing and document collaboration (private between the two of us). Most advising will be discussion based sessions, though at the very end of the writing process you can choose to skip the meeting and conduct editing via comments and corrections in the private document we can both interact with. But expect the majority of the writing process to be conversation based via phone or video calls.

Sessions are intended to be 60-90 minutes. But if we’re really rolling and both have an extra fifteen minutes I say let’s go for it. Or if after 45 minutes you’re pooped and you want to call it a day, that’s fine too!

How often we meet depends on you and your project. Some folks want to plough through their project, and others want to allow more time to marinate. I welcome scheduling according to your preferences, while also offering my thoughts about how to pace your sessions most effectively. And of course should you want or need more sessions they are available.

This work is intended for people ranging from students to retirees, professionals to parents (and often both), and in time zones around the globe. I strive to offer flexible appointment availability.

If you (or I) need to cancel, I expect that it is communicated at least 24 hours before our appointment.

Please tell me in our first session if you are writing with a firm deadline, including job applications, events, product launches, etc.

If you do not have an external deadline but find due dates to be positive motivation, please tell me so I can incorporate more accountability through firm scheduling.

If your writing project is in response to an unexpected event, such as the loss of a loved one, let’s talk and we’ll figure something out. For example, we may also aim to craft an initial piece to share in the short-term, and then revisit and expand the piece and writing process on your own terms.

Lastly, if you are writing for admissions and application projects, our first meeting should be at least two months before the deadline. For college applications, the ideal time is the summer before you apply because Time=Reflection=Success. (More information for students here.) However remember success is reliant on how you use each session and the time between sessions.

*If there is not enough time ahead of a deadline I reserve the right not to accept you as a client at that time.

Well for some folks that pesky deadline thing will tell us when we’re done. For others, it’ll be when it feels right. And whenever it is that it feels right—or when you’ve hit that final submit button—I’m gonna send you cookies to celebrate. And then I’m going to eat some cookies. And that’ll be a good day.

My skills and joy are rooted in the creation and crafting process. In general, I ask you not to think of me as a copy editor. The focus of my feedback aims to engage the substance of your piece—themes, flow, specificity, textured imagery, and asserting your authentic voice.

If we have worked together in the past, for example crafting cover letters, and you only need help with reviewing updated versions, you are welcome to book “additional sessions” ad hoc on my service page.

If you only need copy editing, I am not your person but reach out and I’ll try to connect you to someone through my professional network.

Projects that are personal or interpersonal—such as applications, writing samples, cover letters, eulogies, or anything with your name on it—absolutely must be written by you.

But if you need help writing content for your website or commerce, I could be open to helping you with it. Reach out and we’ll talk about your project. However, my primary focus is on advising so if I need to pass I will do my best to connect you through my network to another writing professional.