Children's Book and Young Adult Novel Writing Workshop

I learned so much from Joy! She made me grow as a writer and I am truly optimistic about what I accomplished with her help. -- Lisa Zeiger

"Joy was the most inspirational and dedicated instructor I've ever had. The effort she put into her responses was well beyond what I could have ever expected." -- Nina Sherwin

"Joy made it possible for me to understand my writing in totally new ways and put it in a broader context." -- Ellie Parker

"Joy is an excellent instructor. She helped students find the focus of their project and why they were blocked." -- Elisa DeCarlo

"Joy's class was the extra push I needed to motivate me to keep working on my book. Very informative and helpful! I want to go back again!" -- Cara Alwill

"Joy understands her audience and knows what the market is all about -- really important information for writers trying to break into a genre." -- Randi Gollin

"I flew to New York from Minnesota just to attend and it was well worth both the time and money. Joy was fantastic." -- Ben Olson

"Joy was everything that a student needs in an instructor. Down-to-earth, informative, thorough, and inspiring." -- Philana Marie Boles

"Joy is smart, insightful, and knowledgeable. I've returned three times to take a class with her!" -- Caroline Bock

"Joy is very generous, warm, candid, and extremely knowledgeable. I have taken this class twice, and I might just take it again." -- Rebecca Cohen

"Joy is a very gifted editor and teacher. I benefited from her intelligent and supportive feedback. I look forward to taking another class with her." -- Elizabeth Merrick

"Joy's class showed me that I have many stories to tell. Now I know how I'm going to organize my material and which direction to go in." -- Marguerite Dunne

"I left Joy's workshop excited to start on my revisions and more confident in my story and with my writing." -- Theresa Clarkson

"Joy was accessible and informative, and it's clear she knows the industry and how to get the best out of writers." -- Morgan Baden

"Joy is incredibly insightful, energetic, and witty. She truly cares for each student." -- Candy Schulman

"Joy's class was just the shot of adrenalin I needed to immerse myself back into the revision process." -- Allison Kopicki

"Joy is a joy! She reads and listens actively, and her comments are refreshingly honest." -- Kiara Downey

"Joy was warm and engaging and she created an environment for productive feedback. She offered suggestions in an encouraging and supportive way." -- Laura Sibson

"Joy's knowledge of publishing was invaluable. I left feeling inspired and ready to keep on writing." -- Stephanie Whallon

"Joy was an astute and encouraging guide. She has a lot of enthusiasm, empathy, and expertise and was generous in sharing ideas." -- Leslie Brody

"Joy jumpstarted my confidence, making me believe that I was writing something worth publishing. She highlights what works and introduces ideas for improvement so we leave inspired." -- Christine Wang

"I highly recommend Joy to anyone needing objective feedback on their memoir. The caliber of students was high and very valuable. Joy clearly loves what she does and the passion translates into enthused critique." -- Nancy Colasurdo