Once Upon a Pen

ABOUT THE COURSE

HOW IT WORKS

In levels 1-3 I provide a strong foundation for students who want to develop into excellent writers; however, I cannot teach everything. Just like other arts, there is so much to learn that it would take more years than students have school! By level 4, though, students have learned enough to approach their writing projects the way serious writers and authors often do–with careful crafting and then, when they have done their best, with a request for feedback from other writers. This feedback helps them see their project’s strengths and weaknesses, so that they have the insight they need to revise effectively. In this level, then, I walk alongside students as they work on projects of their or their parents’ choosing, draft by draft. If I feel that your student is not mastering an important concept, I will discuss the need for a formal lesson (priced separately).

1.  Through either a free email or telephone consultation, we will discuss your student’s needs and goals.  When you are ready, I will then ask you to complete the registration form and submit the non-refundable registration fee. Contact me to begin!

2.  After I have received the completed form, your student may then send me a project to evaluate.  When I receive it, I will email you an invoice.  All payments are due within eight days by either Venmo or Paypal. For mentoring I do not allow personal checks, unless you would like to pre-pay for several drafts at once.

3.  I try to evaluate each project within one week, but complex projects may require more time.  If the student is under a deadline and lets me know, I will do my best to rush the evaluation without extra cost.

4.  OPTION 1: When your student has received my evaluation, he or she may revise without any further assistance from me, or your student may submit the revised draft.  When I receive the new draft, I will send you a new invoice, and the cycle will repeat. You may also prepay for several drafts to reduce your number of payments.

Registration fee: $15 (non-refundable; waived for current students) — This compensates me for the time I spend preparing to work with your student.

Base: $30/up to 500 words (text only; title and any labeling are not included in count)

Additional: $.06/each word over 500

OPTION 2: When I receive the draft, I will evaluate the paper the same as I would in option 1. Then your student and I will set up a 30-minute video call to discuss my evaluation. The written evaluation will be sent just before the call. Some students may learn better with both a discussion and written comments. This may be done via Google Meet, Skype, or Zoom.

Registration fee: $15 (non-refundable; waived for current students) — This compensates me for the time I spend preparing to work with your student.

Evaluation rate: See option 1; then add the rate for video calls listed below.

Video calls: $20/30 minutes (Zoom or Google Meet)

REGISTRATION FORM: https://forms.gle/BqRHwRh3aFBg5ea78

SCOPE-AND-SEQUENCE

This level is designed by either the student or the parent, so a scope-and-sequence doesn’t apply here. The student and/or parent will choose a project and send it to me for feedback. I may or may not use a rubric, depending on the project, but I will always provide constructive comments that will help the student understand the strengths and weaknesses of the project. Students may work on a revision with just their parents, or they may send the revision to me for another evaluation. Projects may include fiction, non-fiction, and poetry and may be personal or academic. Depending on the subject, mentoring can also be approached more like traditional tutoring with live, online calls.

Interested in a group mentoring class?

Check out Inklings Too, my new writing group for teens, new for Summer 2024!