“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image,
but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” — Steven Spielberg |
"Working with Emily in the Mentoring Program has realigned my sense of self and purpose. Our weekly sessions are chiropractic for the creative soul, replenishing my identity as a writer, and our more casual online chats throughout the week keep me focused on and committed to the writing life.
Emily has helped me isolate long-held, crippling blocks and challenged me to dive into the sometimes shark-infested waters where my creativity flows. She's inspired me to challenge myself to write even when I suddenly remember I should clean the spot behind the toilet. She's offered me great tips on writing and assignments that encourage me to seek out the truth through right-brain play. Perhaps most importantly, Emily has been a trusted companion on my writing journey, one who has brought joy back into my writing life, making me smile and laugh along the way." -Sonia Giordani |
"I began Emily's Mentoring Program with a massive case of writer's block and an unrelenting internal critic that became especially loud and harsh whenever I wrote more than three pages. Emily, however, has a gift. She knows writers, and she knows their inner critics.
She helped me see how I empowered a fierce inner critic. She showed me how to take the drama out of its voice and make it a small, infinitesimal whisper. I'm now four hundred pages into a rough draft because she helped me find the courage to fall down the rabbit hole and to be nonchalant about the creative chaos that a rough draft entails. If you want to write, you need to talk to Emily." -Bob Storms
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"I am now finishing my second year of the Mentoring Program with Emily. My decision to undertake my first-year was not made lightly. My desire to find the ‘right fit’ with a mentor was my primary focus.
I looked for a mentor who'd be emotionally aware and present to my journey as a writer, someone with whom I could openly share my doubts and frustrations, as well as my successes. I looked for someone whose expertise and personal professionalism were top-notch and who believed in the magic and power of words. Someone who had an understanding of and appreciation for the characters who came alive in my untold stories. I found these qualities, and more, in Emily. She is, for me, the perfect fit." -Anna Marie Hrivnak |
"Emily has an acute ability to listen. She is honest, though always kind, in saying what doesn't work well, and though she suggests alternatives, she makes certain that the last word on how to proceed is mine. She removes walls, helps me step over debris, and at times, picks up one of her medieval swords to help slay my Inner Critic dragon. I always come away excited, with new direction and confidence in my ability to do what I need to do with my writing." -Sheila Weinstein
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