Some writers are only beginning to develop a body of work, and may not have extensive manuscripts for us to work with. That’s fine! I may do a kind of one-to-one class with that person on craft, and help them move through each element of their genre and deepen its power and their understanding. Or I may work to completely customize our consultations to respond to what each writer may need at every point in their development.
For writers with partial or full manuscripts, long or short, poetry or prose, we will center our work on what you have written, though we may dance beyond it to locate future projects, or open up abandoned ones.
In our work together, we will:
- open up and fulfill your work and deepen its language, themes, images, and characters;
- discover its larger structure and movement;
- locate and fulfill the narrative voice and point of view;
- and help you make decisions about its fine points, such as: the music of your language; word choice; verb tenses and other grammatical issues; the elegant compression of your work; transitions from scene to scene, or from one point of view to another, or from one time period to another.
My services include the following: reading and commenting on your
manuscript; or one-to-one classes or coaching sessions in person and/or by
telephone and e-mail. In my critiques, I cover the following:
- how to develop your writing;
- questions that you have about writing;
- how to unblock your writing, especially in passages that are thinly written; and
- discussing the manuscript with you by phone, e-mail, or in person.
Logistics
I generally work with electronic manuscripts, providing guidance for revision and new writing, as well as a basis for further discussion, through my extensive comments and questions. (All manuscripts are to be double-spaced, at least 12 point Times New Roman or comparable font.)
At that point we can speak by telephone or zoom, or exchange e-mails to respond to any questions or thoughts you may have on my comments.
To begin
Contact me at thedisobedientwriter@gmail.com and let me know what you are working on,
and your thoughts about what you would like from working with me. You are
welcome to e-mail pasted into the body of your note the first three pages of
your book or story or poem[s], or three pages which you feel hold some
challenges or unfinished business, so that I can get a sense of your writing and ways it might be further developed. Then I will let you know how I think we might work together, and discuss fees and scheduling.
Anya Achtenberg 