Elaine Beale teaches creative writing in the San Francisco Bay Area, and will be teaching several classes starting in the fall. If you’d like to put on her mailing list for information about upcoming classes, you can email her at info@elainebeale.com
Starting September 13th, she’ll teach a six-week fiction workshop on Monday evenings in Alameda at The Frank Bette Center for the Arts. (Click on the link for more information and enrollment info)
On Saturday September 18, she’ll be teaching a half-day workshop (1pm-5pm), on the Five Fundamentals of Fiction, at Book Passage in Marin.
And starting in October, she’ll be teaching a nine-week fiction class at The Writing Salon in Berkeley. (More details to follow)
Elaine was trained as an educator in Britain, has years of teaching and training experience, and has taught creative writing workshops and classes in the Bay Area for more than a decade.
“Writing is an act of courage. There are many things that frighten us about approaching the blank page, getting our words down, and sharing them with the world. It’s easy to lose confidence. And it’s also easy to undermine our own work. As a teacher one of my most important roles is to support my students so that they learn to live with the fear and write anyway. I’m also there to help them learn the craft while also more deeply connecting with their own creative voices. It’s an exciting journey. I get so inspired by my students’ work.”–Elaine Beale
Here’s what some of Elaine’s recent students said about her classes and workshops:
“Elaine is one of the most encouraging and supportive writing instructors I’ve ever worked with. She forbids you to beat up on yourself and focuses instead on helping you set realistic goals so you can achieve your writing dreams. She also provides delicious food for thought at every session.”–Stephanie D.
“Elaine Beale’s enthusiastic approach to teaching offers encouragement to the beginner as well as to the more experienced writer. Her balanced appraisals of each writer’s offering inspires and informs not only through her thoughtful critique, her knowledge of the craft, but also her practical experience in the real world of publishing. I’ve learned to take myself seriously as a writer.” –Beth H.
“Elaine has the innate ability to determine exactly what each student needs and when they need it. I began studying with her to explore a new a hobby and could easily have been overwhelmed just by hearing the work of other, more experienced writers. Because of her relentless enthusiasm and honest but supportive critiques, I was able to discover not only my own voice, but the richer experience of being part of the fiction writing community.”–Rick K.
“Elaine is a superlative teacher whose sole agenda is to get you to write: If you’re a beginner, she’ll show you how to get started. If you’re stuck, she’ll show you how to get unstuck. If you’ve got a completed draft, she’ll give you insightful and honest feedback. She does this all in a friendly, encouraging way. And when you read her marvelous novel, Another Life Altogether, you’ll see that she knows exactly what she’s talking about.” –Brie D.
“I am a big fan of Elaine’s, of both her writing and fabulous teaching. Having studied with Elaine in classroom and workshop settings, I know her to be a gifted, natural and gracious teacher. Elaine works hard, is thoroughly organized, covers all bases and does this with serious intent, gentle guidance and a healthy dose of good humor.”–Laura N.
“Elaine is a gem of a teacher. I took her Breaking Through Writer’s Block class, which was designed for both newbies like me, and seasoned writers. The class exceeded my expectations in every way. Elaine has the perfect touch with the class –encouraging, inspiring and motivating. She gently nudges the students toward freer writing, and gives concise and helpful feedback, seasoned with a sense of humor. I liked the homework and in class exercises. The writing prompts she gave us to use as a starting point were all well chosen to stir up memories and kindle the creative fire. Setting specific reasonable goals each week made a big difference.
Under her guidance, I realized both that I could write, and that I had things worth writing about. I loved her class so much I was sad when it ended, and immediately signed on to the next class she offered. I look forward to taking more classes with Elaine.” –David K.
“I came to Elaine with dozens of pages of a novel that weren’t going anywhere. Now I have an outline I’m excited about and I’m making steady progress.” –Rebecca J.
“Elaine’s class really helped me open up and write freely. She is an incredibly supportive and insightful teacher, and is great at helping everyone find their voice.”–Kate R.
You can contact Elaine at info@elainebeale.com if you’d like to be added to her mailing list to be notified about future classes.