If you need someone to help with your writing skills or general English/literature subjects, please get in touch. I have BA and MA degrees in English, with a concentration in writing, and taught English (both composition and literature) at the University of Washington. I've earned my living for twenty years as a freelance writer, mainly in newspapers and magazines, with about 800 stories in print. I've always believed that teaching writing is an exciting process and should open students up to the possibilities of the written word; while certain rules are of course necessary (grammatical and stylistic rules need to be observed), I want to show students how much fun the written word can be. I carried this philosophy through my teaching of both literature and writing. When a student learns that a piece of literature he/she thought daunting is really something that can be enjoyed, or when he/she finds out that you really can have a lot of fun creating an essay or short story, my job has been accomplished. I'm more about showing students what they can do rather than what they can't--and to show them how even rules that seemed inhibiting, or concepts like alliteration, simile, and other stylistic devices, are just ways to enjoy the process of writing and improve your skills.
In addition, I'm a successful theater producer and a director, so students with a thespian bent will find it useful to work with someone who has a great deal of experience in these areas, whether they want to go onstage or work behind the scenes. My work as a writer has enabled me to look at a script critically and help an actor with the words of the text; and conversely, my work in the theater has helped bring a sense of fun, excitement, and accomplishment to the teaching of literature and writing.
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