More of Things

Haley Isleib took my competent but messy manuscript and made it the best it could possibly be through her insight, skill, and dogged dedication to excellence. Haley’s preternatural understanding of the nuances of language is inspired – and inspiring. She can see through the muck and hone in on the heart of a sentence, an idea, or an entire work in progress, and then express in clear directives what the next steps need to be. She’s friendly and funny, and working with her is always pleasant. That said, she’s a relentless taskmaster. So, if you work with her, you’d better be ready to write your heart out. And in the end, you’ll be so thankful you did.

Gloria Harrison, memoir Hell is for Children

I teach online and in person.

Archetypes, Tropes & Clichés: Make the Ordinary Unique
Online course at Antioch University’s inspiration2publication
What does it mean when someone calls a story trope-y? Are clichés always bad? Are archetypes always necessary? If you’re writing any kind of fiction, you’ve probably heard all of these terms at some point. You may have encountered conflicting definitions, or gotten feedback on your writing that has included these terms. How can you take that feedback and make use of it? How can you use these concepts in the early stages of drafting your work? Together we’ll explore these concepts and develop a framework for utilizing these ideas in writing and revision.


Writing the Tough Stuff: Memoir for Women with Gloria Harrison
In-person workshop co-taught with storyteller Gloria Harrison. You’ll go on a guided tour through the River Styx with Gloria, and focus in with personalized prompts with Haley. This workshop will help you work creatively within the space of memory through writing exercises and feedback.
You can listen to the amazing Gloria Harrison on NPR’s This American Life.