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| Mentoring "Writers are not special people. Every person is a special kind of writer."
Are you working on a novel, short story collection, poetry collection, memoir, volume of personal essays, or children's book? Do you feel you could use a little support along with a detached, encouraging, critical eye? I am now taking on private students, and would love to help you make your writing the best it can be.
As the author of more than fifty books, I am comfortable working in any genre. I have been teaching for twenty-four years (where has the time flown?) and my philosphy has always been that everyone has important stories to tell and the ability to tell them. In the 1980's I started my own business, WRITE FROM THE HEART, teaching workshops out of my home in western Masschusetts. Since that time, I have traveled all over the country, teaching workshops at colleges and universities, professional conferences, and community settings, such as senior centers and nursing homes. Currently, I am on the faculty of the Stonecoast MFA in creative writing program at the University of Southern Maine, and the Poet Laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts.
I find the mentor/mentee relationship particularly rewarding and inspiring. It is truly an honor to work so intimately with someone on his or her writing, and thrilling to see how quickly each student improves and how beautifully the work shapes itself into a piece of art.
How it works: if you are interested in working with me, send me an email with a short description of your project and we will go from there. Please do not send me a sample of your work until I ask you to do so. We will discuss your goals and the status of your manuscript, and come up with a game plan (including a price for my services, which depends on many things, including the length of your book, and the amount of time we will be working on it). Write to me at leslea@lesleakids.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
What former students have to say:
"Lesléa Newman is an invaluable coach on the writing journey. We worked together for almost two years and her critique was both critical and affirming. She is able to achieve these results because of her sharp eye, deft language skills, superb objectivity, professional insight, and her years of experience and expertise. These skills make Lesléa, quite simply, the perfect editor. She is also an invaluable mentor who understands what it takes to complete a book and keeps the writer on track and upbeat throughout the long process. Not only did she keep me focused on the story I wanted to tell, but she reigned me in whenever I began drifting away, guiding with constructive, detailed and encouraging feedback, as well as her purple pen. Lesléa’s suggestions and comments not only made my story better, but made me, as a writer, better too. Her considerate, comprehensive, and spot-on critique guided my 400-page “doorstop” into a polished, final manuscript which I would never have achieved on my own. Her feedback streamlined my rewriting process as it guided me with specific suggestions. It was easy to trust her comments as I was not only a client, but a huge fan of her books. I highly recommend Lesléa Newman to anyone who is serious about turning their own manuscripts into honest-to-goodness books." --Felice Cohen, Columnist, New York City
"Lesléa Newman was one of my mentors at the Stonecoast MFA program (University of Southern Maine), and was the first to take a look at a fledgling young adult novel I began while a student. Throughout the program, she was a friend and advisor, providing so much valuable encouragement and insight that I decided to continue working with her after graduation. Working with Lesléa proved to be exactly what I needed to transform my novel from a work-in-progress to a publishable manuscript. We set up a schedule in which I sent monthly packets, which kept me accountable and on task. Lesléa always responded quickly with comments and line edits, and her feedback was invaluable. Not only did Lesléa’s expertise help me polish my manuscript and whip it into shape, her encouragement helped give me the confidence and motivation to finish and submit it. Currently, I’m thrilled to report that my manuscript is with an agent who has expressed great interest in it. I look forward to the day it is published and I can publicly thank Lesléa on my acknowledgments page!" --Cal Armistead
"After four years of editing and reworking my novel on my own, I knew something had to be done to change my book from “good” to "We’d like to offer you a contract," but I just couldn’t figure out what to do to fix the problem. Then, it was recommended that I contact Lesléa Newman to get some individual editing help and critique. I hoped for the best and made the call.
Now, after working closely with Lesléa via emails, phone calls, and manuscript critiques, I can confidently say my hopes have been far exceeded. Though I’ve attended major writing conferences and have been a part of intimate writing/critique groups with best-selling authors, this one-on-one editing experience with Lesléa has been incredible and is just what I needed. Lesléa is always professional, with a keen eye for editing the big, small, and invisible errors in my novel that I have lost sight of in the process of my numerous rewrites. She offers a perfect balance of experienced criticism, encouragement, and has been an amazing resource in regards to the often puzzling publishing world. Working with Lesléa has been the smartest investment I’ve made since beginning this writing journey, and I am already looking forward to working with her on my next project. Every aspiring or published writer should be so fortunate to work with an editor, teacher, and author like Lesléa Newman." --Annameekee Hesik |
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