BLUE TEACHES
Creative Writing & Manuscript Support
From the first idea to the final polish, I can help you make the work stronger.
Free consultation
Writing rarely moves in a straight line. You may have an exciting idea but no idea how to shape it. You may be halfway through a draft and unable to see what comes next. You may have a complete manuscript that needs structural revision, careful line editing, research support, or one final polish before you send it into the world.
Bring me the writing problem. We will figure it out together.
I provide creative coaching, editorial feedback, manuscript review, and practical project support for writers at every stage of the process.
Experience and expertise
I hold bachelor’s and Master of Fine Arts degrees in writing from Columbia University. I have taught writing at the college level, worked professionally as a freelance editor and manuscript reviewer, and supported writers through projects ranging from early ideas to publication-ready drafts.
This is the area in which I have my deepest training and broadest professional experience. I understand both the creative process and the demanding work of transforming an ambitious idea into a finished manuscript.
For young and emerging writers
I care deeply about supporting young writers and helping them continue to see themselves as writers.
High-school and college creative-writing courses can provide inspiration, community, and valuable workshop feedback—but students do not always receive much individual support during the writing process itself.
I can help students develop ideas, move through difficult drafts, prepare work for workshops, understand and evaluate feedback, plan meaningful revisions, and assemble stronger final portfolios. This is not about completing coursework for the student. It is about giving emerging writers the sustained attention and creative conversation that can be difficult to find within the limits of a class.
Ideation and project developmentClarify the heart, shape, and direction of a new project.
If you have an idea but do not yet know what it wants to become, I can help you explore possibilities, identify the heart of the project, and develop a direction.
- Clarifying the central idea or purpose
- Exploring characters, conflicts, themes, or questions
- Choosing a form, structure, or point of view
- Developing a research plan
- Identifying what makes the project distinctive
- Turning scattered material into a workable project
Drafting and ongoing supportA thoughtful outside reader as the work develops.
Long projects often need sustained attention, accountability, and a thoughtful outside reader. I can read work as it develops, respond to new material, help solve problems as they arise, and meet with you regularly to discuss the manuscript and determine the next steps.
Developmental manuscript reviewWhole-manuscript attention to structure, movement, and intention.
Developmental feedback looks at the manuscript as a whole.
- Structure and organization
- Plot, pacing, and narrative movement
- Character development
- Voice and point of view
- Thematic depth
- Scene construction
- Clarity and coherence
- The balance between different sections or ideas
- What the manuscript is trying to accomplish
- Where the current draft is—or is not yet—fulfilling that intention
Revision planningTurn feedback and uncertainty into a meaningful next draft.
Revision is more than correcting mistakes. It is the process of seeing the work again and making meaningful decisions about what it needs.
I can help you interpret feedback, determine which changes will have the greatest effect, create a realistic revision plan, and work through that plan without losing sight of what made the project yours in the first place.
Line editing and final polishSentence-level attention to clarity, style, rhythm, and correctness.
When the larger elements are in place, I can work closely at the sentence level.
- Clarity and precision
- Style and rhythm
- Diction and word choice
- Repetition and unnecessary language
- Grammar, punctuation, and syntax
- Transitions and continuity
- Consistency of voice and tone
- Preparing a clean, polished manuscript for submission or publication
Research, citations, and project systemsPractical support for complicated manuscript problems.
Some manuscripts create practical problems that are neither purely creative nor purely editorial.
I am especially good at looking at a complicated problem, determining exactly what needs to happen, and building a system for doing it thoroughly.
- Locate and organize research
- Track sources across a long manuscript
- Reconstruct missing or incomplete citations
- Develop a citation and source-management system
- Check consistency between notes, sources, and manuscript references
- Organize complicated materials
- Create a process for managing an unusual or overwhelming project
Genres I work withFiction, poetry, nonfiction, and hybrid work—with a specialization in nonfiction.
Nonfiction is my particular specialization, but I am confident working with the essential elements of story, structure, language, voice, and craft across genres.
- Fiction
- Poetry
- Creative nonfiction
- Memoir
- Personal essays
- Literary journalism
- Research-based nonfiction
- Book-length nonfiction
- Hybrid and experimental work
A response tailored to the work
Different manuscripts need different kinds of attention. I will not impose a generic workshop response or turn your writing into something I would have written.
We will begin by discussing what the project is, where you are in the process, what kind of response you want, and what decisions you are trying to make. I will tell you honestly what I think the work needs while respecting your intentions, voice, and creative authority.
The goal is not to make the manuscript sound like me. The goal is to help it become the strongest and most fully realized version of itself.
Ways to work together
Ongoing projects can include remote manuscript review with a weekly check-in meeting online or by phone.
- A one-time review of a story, essay, poetry collection, or manuscript
- An editorial letter with detailed recommendations
- In-document comments and line edits
- A consultation about a particular creative or structural problem
- Ongoing review as a project develops
- Regular meetings for discussion, planning, and accountability
- Research, citation, or manuscript-organization support
- A combination designed around the particular project
Pricing
Ongoing remote review generally begins at $35 per hour and includes a weekly online or telephone check-in during the project.
Because creative and editorial projects vary significantly in length, complexity, and the kind of attention they require, other work is priced according to scope. After reviewing the project and discussing what you need, I will explain the proposed work and pricing clearly before we begin.
FOR MY FORMER STUDENTS
If I have ever taught you, at any age or institution, you are always welcome to send me your creative work. I will read and respond to former students’ writing completely free of charge.
Young writers do not always have access to an experienced reader who will take their work seriously, recognize what they are trying to accomplish, and help them keep developing. I want my former students to know that they will always have that support from me.
My availability may affect how quickly I can respond, but I will never charge a former student for reading and responding to their creative work.
It pays to be my student!
FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION
Let’s talk about your writing
For students under 18, a parent or guardian should be involved in the initial contact and arrangement of services.