classes . mentorship . editing
“nicole’s down-to-earth yet playful teaching style draws out hidden, stifled creativity, facilitates connections between inner/outer worlds, and encourages shifts in how we interpret the ordinary.”
“nicole’s lens on my work alchemizes my own words into art that I feel proud of, and am excited to share with the world.”
classes
My generative writing classes are for all levels/all people working in all genres and center around the idea that we create our most interesting and true writing when we can be shaken from the myth of linear thinking and time.
In my classes, we enter the house not through the front door or even the backdoor— I bring the ladder and you climb in through the upstairs window.
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mentorship
My mentorship is one-on-one support that is completely customizable based on the student’s needs. Our meetings include intuitive generative writing, help crafting a writing routine, getting cozy with revision and the submission process, unique to your literary concerns multi-step prompts, catered reading lists, tricks & tips, editing, and revision.
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editing
My editorial and revision services are for poets, fiction writers, and everything in between. My services are customized to your needs and include poetry line edits, concept critiques, developmental edits for larger projects, etc.
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classes
“Though I had abandoned my writing ambitions years earlier, I registered for nicole’s “A Question of Wildness” workshop on a whim. The afternoon was transformative; I left nicole’s workshop with a shifted perspective, and immediately established my own daily writing practice. A year later, I still use nicole’s prompts and the novel that bounced around in my head for over a decade is taking shape. ”
CURRENT:
Yield Everything, Force Nothing
In Person at Buffalo Street Books. Ithaca, NY
9/29, 10/27, 11/24 2:00 - 3:30 PM Register Here
Yield Everything, Force Nothing is the title of a Jean Valentine poem and hopefully a blessing over this workshop series. In these three classes, we will yield to our intuition, write expansively, and try to forgo the everyday pressures of linear thinking. I will gently guide you through fun, multi-step interactive prompts and we’ll engage in playful, radical revision techniques. You will surprise yourself. The most common feedback I get about my teaching style is “I’ve never taken a class like this before” and “I can’t believe I just wrote this!”
These classes are meant for adult writers and humans of all skill levels.
FUTURE:
We Who Love To Be Astonished
six week small group weekly intensive
two hour meetings, In-person in Ithaca, NY ||| dates TBD by group
fill out this interest form if you’d potentially like to join the class!
We Who Love To Be Astonished is a repeating phrase in Lyn Hejinian’s book My Life. In this class, students will surprise themselves with how far their writing can go and how much new material they can generate with consistent support from me and a small group of peers. This class will focus on supported generative multi-step prompts, the creation and expansion of new work, playful & fun revision, and a structured teacher and peer feedback model that centers expansive wonder/inquiry toward one another’s work (not criticism). The small class size is intended to create a thoughtful dynamic of support and care. You will also receive personalized feedback from nicole through email and a weekly reading list to further the exploration of your writing.
This class is meant for adult writers of all skill levels. Beginners and seasoned writers are welcome and will grow in this course. Whether you want to start taking writing more seriously or you’re deep in the wilds of a writing project, this class is for you.
In order for the class to run, 4 people need to sign up. There will be a strict maximum of 5 people in the class. A sliding scale of $250 - $500 for all 6 classes that can be paid in installments. Once 3 people sign up, I can offer 1 scholarship of $150 for all 6 classes.
This class will take place 6 weeks in a row somewhere between February 1st of 2025 and May 1st of 2025.
mentorship
“nicole’s mentorship is customizable and personable: she always takes the writer’s needs, ideas, and goals under consideration. Her feedback is honest and straightforward and productive. I have nothing but great things to say. 10/10 would recommend. ”
“nicole mixes different techniques for in-class writings and assignments, including expanding my access to the work of other poets from her extensive library, meeting me where I am emotionally each session, sharing her genuine excitement at my progress, and offering detailed critical feedback with me at different stages of each poem. She holds me accountable to my own goals, (which takes a lot of humor and patience), and offers tangible support and structure. ”
What makes working with me unique?
Every session with my clients is catered to exactly your personal goals. I not only offer you line edits and methods of playful, creative revision but I support the generative process of writing. I believe we all possess great intuitive instincts toward creating if only we can get our over-analytical mind to hush for a bit. I will teach you how to re-wild your imagination and unlearn the comfort of too literal/ too linear connections in writing. I write and offer customized multi-step prompts that we work through together to tap into your intuitive instincts around creativity!
Who’s the mentorship program for?
Anyone who is ready to take their writing to the next level and work one-on-one with an experienced creative coach. I have worked with people who have MFAs and are working through a period of writer’s block, people who have always had a passion for writing but have never had professional guidance, writers at every stage of their journey. I've worked with poets, horror writers, creative nonfiction writers, novelists, songwriters, and everyone in-between.
What does it look like?
A session usually looks like offering prompts (all very multi-step) and writing together, sharing tricks and tips, discussions about the writing process, offering catered reading lists (both creative and craft texts and other media), and sharing creative techniques toward revision etc. etc. I love working one-on-one with writers because it allows me to really notice what resonates with each individual and hone in on that with how I can support their writing!
Our meetings can be on Zoom and/or in-person and includes my reading beforehand of up to 8 pages double spaced of prose or 2-3 poems that I will lightly edit and craft our session around plus questions, prompts, reading suggestions, etc. completely catered to you and the work you share with me! As this progresses, our sessions will become even more and more catered to your specific writing goals. I've also mentored in lit mag publishing, can offer personal inquiry-based critique/edits, etc.
Cost (all meetings include cost of editing/prework/personal prompt writing, reading list creation):
Hour and a half meeting - sliding scale of $100- $150
Two hour meeting - sliding scale $125 - $175
Scholarships: I offer a scholarship rate to folks who wish to work with me but are unable to make the typical cost work. Email me!
I'm offering a special deal/ bulk buy right now at 20% off for new clients until the end of 2024:
Three (hour and a half) sessions for a sliding scale of $240 - $360
Or Three (two hour) sessions for a sliding scale of $300 - $420
A note on sliding scales: A sliding scale is a fee structure meant to include people at various income levels. If you are financially able to eat out for dinner more than once a week, or able to buy yourself a decent treat once a week (new shirt, new pair of shoes, spend without thinking at a gift shop), I ask that you pay as close to the top of the scale as possible. When you pay at the top of the scale, you offset the cost of a lower income person who uses the bottom end of the scale and you allow scholarship and sliding scales to continue!!