Many renowned authors have criticized writing courses. Ernest Hemingway, the most influential American author of the last generation, often disparaged such instruction. But it should be pointed out that he had the benefit of one-on-one tutorials with such luminaries as Gertrude Stein and Ford Maddox Ford. He learned his craft through daily journalism and writing short stories, but also called upon knowledgeable, experienced instructors to correct his mistakes and set him on the right path.

Hemingway, like most writers, benefited greatly by writing instruction. Even the most promising writers need sound advice from someone who practices the craft. Without this they can flounder for years, continually repeating mistakes, turning what should be a rewarding and enlightening activity into an exercise in frustration.

A good writing class, whether online or in a Seattle-based class, can provide direction for writers' work and models of the kind of writing they should emulate. In the long run such advice is very inexpensive. Writing is a very solitary occupation, and the structure, guidance and deadlines provided by a writing class can serve as a powerful agent for a writer's growth and development.

But no matter how helpful the instruction, you must provide the motivation. It's your desire, discipline and commitment that will make the ultimate difference. I provide the context in which to progress, but you must provide the impetus to make that happen. You'll get a lot of help--specific assignments, pertinent outside reading and individual critiques--but your drive is key. This is especially true in writing. Writers must be self-starters, even if they need a lot of encouragement in the early stages of their career.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that students learn by doing. The factory model where students take notes on a lecture and then repeat them in their assignment is anathema to me. In my Seattle writing classes, I lecture briefly and distribute handouts to provide clear goals, but then quickly get students working on writing exercises, critiquing each others' work, reading and analyzing published stories, and putting the skills and techniques into practice in their own writing. In online courses, I provide you with the lectures and explain in detail the writing exercises that accompany them. Students need to find their own voice and approach to these techniques.

Since novice writers need most help with the larger, structural elements of stories, I pay particular attention to questions of form. Most students have a decent grasp of sentence structure, syntax and grammar but few know how to put together the story as a whole. For this reason, structure is the dominant focus of my classes, whether online or Seattle-based. Are all the necessary elements present in the story? Is the design workable? Would another design or structure serve better?

Since students have distinct learning styles, I use a number of strategies to reinforce the forms and techniques addressed in my Seattle writing classes and online courses.