What I Don’t Care About

At the risk of Inviting Controversy. . .

I don’t care how accomplished students are.

I don’t care about the “names” of universities.

I don’t care about students’ admissions outcomes.

I don’t care about writers’ initial belief in their own writing.

I don’t care about other folks’ understanding of "good” writing.

Here’s What I Do Care About

I care about writers recognizing they always have room to grow.

I care about writers engaging in the process methodically and thoughtfully.

I care about writers thinking creatively, executing in distinctive and singular ways.

I care about writers developing discipline, organization, time-management skills.

I care about writers taking ownership of the writing, from beginning to end.

If Students Can Write Without a consultant. . .

Save the money. Use it instead to invest or defray the prohibitive cost of college or other future expenses. Seriously, save the money if possible.

Consultants often contribute to a toxic industry that widens inequities. Perhaps I, too, am complicit. I hope I’m not and that my students think about this work as a writing journey.

If Students Want Others To Write For Them . . .

I’ll gladly recommend others’ services who do the work students should do for themselves. If students ask friends or family for fixes alongside GreenMark, no need to seek me out.

My Job and Writers’ Job

I coach writers. I conference with them by asking questions, offering suggestions, and talking through their ideas and themes.

The writers do the heavy lifting. They read. They speak. They think. And they write.

What I won’t Do

It's not my job to write; the writing must be the students’ and in their voice.

What I will do

I guide students through generating ideas, developing themes, working through mechanics, organizing structure, and considering voice, pace, and flow.