My Approach
I work with writers of fiction, essays, and memoirs. I also assist writers with their applications to MFA programs. First-time writers, published writers, driven writers, timid writers, writers who write to make art, writers who write to understand, writers who write to knock their readers’ socks off: all are welcome! I especially enjoy working with clients who are willing to reflect on their own process and stay open to new discoveries.
As a late-blooming author, I understand how mental and emotional well-being affects creativity, and vice versa. If doubt and anxiety are holding you back, I’ll help you develop coping strategies, trust your unique voice, and become a confident editor of your own work.
One of my clients recently lamented that she always seemed to be “writing above [her] skill level.” Frustrating as that is, I can’t think of a better goal for a writer. Whether you want to record your memories for your family or publish a full-length manuscript, I’ll help you rise to the challenges of the writing process and create your best work yet.
Bio
Whitney grew up in Richmond, Virginia, where at an early age she began writing stories inspired by her family’s nine cats. She holds an MFA in Writing (Vermont College of Fine Arts) and an MA in Teaching (Morehead State University). She has taught writing in public and independent high schools and at the college level (University of North Carolina at Charlotte) for over twenty years.
Whitney’s work has appeared in One Story, The Georgia Review, Chapter 16, and is forthcoming in Shenandoah. She was a finalist for the J. F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction (2022) and a semifinalist for the Story Foundation Prize (2022).
She currently resides in Nashville with her husband and their two tripod cats. She teaches creative writing classes at The Porch, writes book reviews, and is the fiction co-editor of Atlas + Alice: A Magazine of Intersections (atlasandalice.com).
Recent reviews
George Masa: A Life Reimagined, by Janet McCue and Paul Bonesteel
Ghosted: An American Story, by Nancy French
Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals, by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy