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"She
is a dream teacher
"To have my first article
"She just looked over |
"Her teaching style is informal and lighthearted, yet professional and businesslike. I have found her always approachable, flexible, encouraging, and insightful. Best of all, Amanda is a wonderful editor, both sensible and sensitive. I can always understand the rationale behind her suggestions. She helped me immensely to make my writing more concise and effective, and to use my quirks to best advantage. "Here's the proof: in my first workshop with Amanda I went through all the stages of writing and marketing an article on Magellanic penguins in southern Chile. To have my first article accepted by the first publication I approached – Christian Science Monitor – was like rocket fuel for me, and I have Amanda Castleman's expertise to thank." "Amanda Castleman leads her courses with thorough precision. She inspires careful attention to detail so that essential elements of the writers' work shine." "I rate Amanda Castleman's course A+. I finished it last month and promptly sold an article. Amanda is a first-rate instructor who reviews every word of each student's assignment and offers detailed comments in a constructive, supportive way." "Amanda is a phenomenal editor and a patient teacher – precise but not nitpicky, critical but not harsh. My writing is clearer and more focused than ever before. I spent eight semesters in creative writing classes at UC Berkeley, and Amanda offered more guidance and carefully directed help than any professor I took there." "After taking her class, I went on to publish a number of travel writing stories and currently have 20 travel assignments due to my favourite editor (Canadian Living's online presence: www.canadianliving.com) before July 1. I started picking up assignments while taking Amanda's class and have kept all my notes for easy reference. Cheers." "Fab experience, again! One word describes Amanda: awesome. Her critiques were thorough, encouraging us to aim for excellence. Her lectures were chock-full of practical advice (and humor) about writing on the road. She is a dream teacher, just the right balance between a knuckle-rapping tutor and a mom full of hugs. Thanks again for Writers on the Net. The course fees are lots cheaper than a shrink!" "I thought that the class was EXCELLENT and well worth the time and money... The overall structure of the class, literary critique/criticism tied with the "business" end of travel writing, is a great approach... I would definitely recommend this class to friends." "A very generous, knowledgeable person! Amanda was definitely worth every penny. Without your program, my writing would have stagnated. As it is, it remains one of the most important things that I do." "I haven't taken Amanda Castleman's class – I already make a living as a travel writer – but because she's a friend, she just looked over a 6,000-word piece I was doing for National Geographic Traveler. Plain and simple, her comments and suggestions were the best I have ever seen from any editor, anywhere. Amanda's a genius." |
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Anonymous comments from class reviews |
"A kind of energy that is delightful and empowering." "A good balance between straightforward instruction and descriptive examples. Her style is both approachable and inspiring." "The [critiques] are terribly witty and insightful and they teach me how to look at a piece critically. Thanks so very much for the openness, willingness to share, wisdom, etc. I mean it! " "Amanda's energy and expertise impressed me. She was a treasure of information from defining the genre to marketing." |
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Updated January 2006 |
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