I am available as a writing instructor, coach, and tutor for all ages and abilities. My editor from the Pasadena Weekly nicknamed me “Coach Carla” based on the role I played with my students and the quality of work they submitted to the paper.
Together with other talented writers, we offer a range of creative writing workshops for all levels and in all genres.
I have found in my practice as a writing coach that there are many people, in particular women (but also men) of a certain age, who have led busy lives and in some cases raising children and grandchildren and have amazing stories they would like to unpack in different genres but don’t know how to get started. And when they do, they can really benefit from some structure, support and mentorship. A writing coach can function as a supportive accountability partner who helps you find your voice, shape your ideas, and stay committed to your writing, offering guidance, encouragement, and valuable feedback every step of the way. The way I work with each person is very individual, doing a deep dive into what they are most passionate and drawn to in terms of writing. Then we maintain an ongoing and flexible plan for working together. It can be a combination of brainstorming, opening up wide possibilities for integrating writing into their lives and then zooming in on how to integrate that into their lives with specific activities, usually growing and changing organically.
I’m a multi-genre writer who often works with alternative form to help writers get started on sometimes difficult or even traumatic topics. This helps to infuse humor into an otherwise fraught and difficult read and writing project. I’m big on multi-genre, hybrid work and non-traditional structure for pieces. Particularly for our post-fire, ICE impacted community and our entire world at present, where people are surrounded by deeply disturbing events involving loss, grief and conflict, this approach to writing can be very helpful (that is working in alternative form).
For more information please contact me at carla@sameth.com.