“The group was respectful of the individuals while being honest with each other. You fostered that environment and made it look easy.”
— Tami
“It's rare to get a nurturing environment coupled with a deep, productive critique for one's work. You set the bar high for writing workshops.”
— Kyle W
In the words of our writers
“Candlewood is a far better book (and I am a far better writer) for the company and programs I encountered through the Madison Writers Studio. ”
“It’s rare to get a nurturing environment coupled with a deep, productive critique for one’s work. You set the bar high for writing workshops.”
“I learned more in this class than any other writing class I’ve taken.”
“I loved the class. I was in awe of (and totally intimidated by) the talent I was in company with. I found their pieces brave and inspiring. I was thankful to be there as they shared. The readings and assignments got my brain going again”
“The combination of your competence and caring has made the editing process a productive and positive experience. I am most appreciative.”
“I would love to take another class. I’ve been prolific in the amount of material I’ve created and with the new skills I have to work with.”
“Given the quality and abundance of the feedback from the instructor and classmates, I found this class to be the best value as well. You get your money’s worth, and more.”
“This reminded me of the joy I used to feel in learning new skills and trying new things. I’ve already started the next MWS class.”
“Without being too simple – I loved it! And yes I will do it again, and if I knew anyone who was serious about being a better writer, I would recommend the classes.”
“Feedback was amazing! I had come from a situation where every few months I was writing a story for a story share show and I had garnered a reputation of being a skilled and talented writer who didn’t need feedback. If I was struggling people would just tell me I’d work it out and they weren’t worried, never mind that I was. It was so refreshing to have feedback no matter what. It renewed me as a writer.”
“For me, this was a great re-entry into the practice of writing. I would take another class. It’s a wonderful resource for people from all walks of life who want to write.”
“The class was a big step for me to sign up for it, in the sense of stepping outside my comfort zone and letting someone else look at my writing. I never felt ill at ease.”
“I think people improve the most when they finally have confidence. They will experience their best growth and find their true voice. You’ve helped me tremendously in this area. Thank you for your kind words.”
“I felt that the group was respectful of the individuals while being honest with each other. Susanna fostered that environment and made it look easy.”
“I want to tell you how truly grateful I am for your amazing workshops, your thoughtful feedback, and the open and nurturing environment you created. I’m super grateful.”
“A+++ Excellent encouraging feedback, useful, specific, and perceptive. Your written critiques of my workshop pieces gave me wonderful clear guidelines for revision. I am deeply appreciative.”
“Susanna has helped my writing by always sharing honest and clear reactions paired with achievable suggestions to action. I learned early on this year that I could trust her, that she was paying close attention, and truly cared about our success as developing writers.”
“THANK YOU for your guidance during the Book in a Year workshop.
Your feedback during our workshops helped me move forward month to month, and I recently went back to review your comments on my submissions and incorporate your editing suggestions before finalizing my first draft. Wow!
I learned so much by going through the manuscript again with your comments. It made for a stronger first draft (which is done!), and I’m eager to apply the lessons to my second draft.
I’ve been working on this novel for approximately two years and eight months now. I’m so excited to have a complete first draft, and perhaps more importantly, to have enthusiasm for moving forward and confidence in doing so. I don’t see how I would have arrived in this same place without the workshop.
Very grateful.”
“A year ago, I signed up for the Book In A Year workshop with Susanna. I swear, I believed I’d quit eventually, like I’d quit on myself so many times before. But I didn’t. Susanna, and the other members of our little troupe, picked me up when I stumbled, encouraged me when I doubted, slogged through the messy middle with me, and we came out the other end together. Twelve months later, we’ve handed each other completed first drafts. We’ve done the unimaginable, often driven by nothing more than Susanna’s unwavering belief that we could.”
“You’ve just been a fantastic inspiration to me all year. I really can’t begin to say how much I appreciate your encouragement and help, and getting to come to your workshops. I would not have committed to this novel without your support. ”
“What I learned from you in the time that I attended your sessions has become a foundation for so many things that I now do. Learning to critique with kindness and attention to the intention of the creator is highest on my list, perhaps, as I review art by and for other artists.
The next most important thing I learned was to dig deep and put myself out there. What I laid on the page was at first derived, but later became something deeper, coming from a well of lived experience. Being able to examine those experiences in a safe environment was healing on many levels. Sharing them with others was informative and required courage that I didn’t know I had.”
“I was excited to take the Revising Your Book course so I could get helpful feedback on my first draft and learn to read like a writer. What I didn’t know is that I would get so much more out of it. The structure of the course is well crafted and I could see immediately that the instructor took great care in navigating such a vulnerable space and experience and making it into a fantastic opportunity to become a better writer. It was one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had and I’ve taken a LOT of writing courses. I can’t recommend this course enough.”
“I had been pursuing my dream of being a published writer for nine years when I took a class with Susanna Daniel. One of the first things she advised me was to tear up my outline! I’m one of those control freaks who thought I had to know where my story would go on every page. When Susanna insisted I follow where my characters led instead of where my outline told me to go, something amazing happened. Because of her guidance and trust in me I was able to listen to my characters and take the story in a completely different direction. Susanna helped guide me down that path, offering helpful critique and enthusiasm for my work. I finished my novel and am proud of the result. Not only that, I landed a literary agent and a book deal with a major publisher in less than two months. I firmly believe that had I not had Susanna in my corner, I would still be waiting for my big break (and outlining!)”
“Thank you for what you have done. You have such a gift for communication and writing. I loved all the pearls and lessons you left along the way. I’m also grateful for the encouraging remarks you left, they often kept me going. ”
“I can’t thank you enough for such a wonderful class! It was a crazy year for me, but I’ve learned so much and your feedback was so important to me. You’re a wonderful writing “coach” and gave me that nudge when I needed it. We had a terrific group and I think the feedback helped all of us become better writers. You and Michalle have created something so special with the MWS!”
“It was the best writing class I’ve ever taken. I would absolutely take another class. The feedback was probably the most valuable part of the class. It was thorough and really showed that the instructor cared about the students and content.”
“I really appreciated the critiques Michelle gave me for my work, which were generous and also interested. After reading them, I felt like I had a lot more options and could see my pieces in a different way, which was empowering.”
“I loved this class, and I think Michelle is a great editor and teacher. I will definitely take another class! The format – a round table discussion with peer and instructor feedback – was one that I found to be very helpful. I liked that people were encouraged, by the instructor’s example, to be very honest instead of giving insincere or inflated reviews…. I saw a noticeable improvement in my writing from the start of the class to the end.”
“The feedback I received from Susanna was exactly what one hopes to receive in a workshop: meticulously attentive tracking of story development and identification of craft successes and near-misses . . . I truly admired the way she insured that every member of the class contributed. It was especially wonderful to see how well she modeled equity in attention and contribution among the group members.”
“Before this class started, I was technically writing and working on my novel. But it wasn’t until I knew I had to turn 25 pages in to five other writers that I got serious about polishing up my prose, working with the novel’s structure, and getting it in shape to be seen. The class really put some pressure on me—a good kind of pressure!—that I probably wouldn’t have felt even from joining a writing group. I also loved the camaraderie that developed among the members of our class. I left every workshop feeling encouraged and enthusiastic about moving forward.”
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