Chris writes, "I meet with my participants outside of the workshops to discuss writing goals, dreams, ideas, and questions they may have. Sometimes a participant will ask me to comment on a manuscript, and I'll look it over and encourage him or her to submit it to the workshop for group feedback. This always proves invaluable to the writer, since the atmosphere of the writing workshop is one of safety and trust."

Chris works with writers who are not in the workshops; they hire him as a manuscript consultant or a coach.

Helping you reach your writing goals. The work Chris does with individuals outside of the workshops varies, and he lets the writers set the goals for their time together. In the past, he's read entire first drafts of novels, collections of poetry, single short stories, and helped writers select and edit work for submission to MFA programs in writing. He also meets with writers and helps them set goals for submitting their written work.

Manuscript consultation. His consultation includes a thorough reading of the writer's work, a long, detailed, typed response focusing on what's strong in the work, (as well as places he was confused or "tripped up") and grammatical and syntactical suggestions. He always meets with the writer to discuss his comments as well: the typed response is for later reference.

Supportive feedback. Chris says, "I'm wearing my editing hat when I read this work, but I'm also careful to exercise supportive, encouraging feedback to help writers continue to write, to build confidence around their work, and to see what's working. It always an honor to read someone's work, and I never lose sight of that during these consultations."

Fee: $80.00 an hour.

Chris usually meets his writing clients at a cafe on 24th Street: Martha & Bros.Coffee

If you are interested in consulting or coaching, please contact Chris, or feel free to give him a call: 415-206-9771