Readings, Workshops, & Events (2022)
ONGOING: Community Writing (virtual)
at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop, First Friday of the month (6 - 7:30pm EST)
Supportive, generative writing sessions, with prompts & inspiration; hosted/facilitated by Joy
Free & Open to All! Learn More / RSVP
First Paragraphs Workshop, for Prose Writers (virtual)
at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
3 Hours: Saturday, October 22 (1 - 4pm EST)
Learn More / Register
Story Sketching: Outline Your Book in Three Acts (virtual)
at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
3 Hours: Saturday, December 3 (1 - 4pm EST)
Learn More / Register
at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop, First Friday of the month (6 - 7:30pm EST)
Supportive, generative writing sessions, with prompts & inspiration; hosted/facilitated by Joy
Free & Open to All! Learn More / RSVP
First Paragraphs Workshop, for Prose Writers (virtual)
at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
3 Hours: Saturday, October 22 (1 - 4pm EST)
Learn More / Register
Story Sketching: Outline Your Book in Three Acts (virtual)
at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
3 Hours: Saturday, December 3 (1 - 4pm EST)
Learn More / Register
Manuscript Consulting & Editing
As a former literary magazine editor and current manuscript consultant, I have a lot of experience reading and assessing book-length works and short fiction on both a micro level (word choice, grammar, syntax, sentence-level mechanics, etc) and a macro level (characters, plot, story logic, big-picture themes and ideas), and I bring this same attention to all facets of my one-on-one consulting work. I love dissecting stories from a technical, craft-based perspective in order to help writers understand what's working, what could be working better, and most importantly, what is the particular piece trying to be and how can it get there. I am a strong proponent of strengthening the work from the sentence level up, including helping writers understand and internalize principles and mechanics of stronger sentence-level writing. I love a wide array of styles and genres, though I'm particularly drawn to speculative-literary fiction as well as writing that boldly embraces plot, stakes, and has some sense of innovation, daring, and risk-taking to it. I also love helping writers better understand the world of literary magazines and the process of submitting their work, query letters, finding an agent, as well as all the other aspects of publishing and career.
How and when to get in touch: For all book-length editing projects, I require an initial consultation on the first chapter(s) before proceeding. Book-length editing is a significant investment, and it's important you feel comfortable with my approach and feedback style before continuing; it's also important that I feel that I am the right editor to help you, and that I am confident I can add significant value. Before getting in touch, I encourage all writers to take their work as far as they absolutely can. This means that you've done multiple drafts and have revised significantly on your own first. If you're interested in working with me, get in touch through the "Contact" page (or below link/email) and tell me about you and your project(s). It's also helpful to know a little bit about your writing background and goals. Contact me for rates and to learn more!
Availability Update: I currently have a small window of availability for the end of August, then will have availability again in October. If the projects you want to work with me on are shorter, I may have sporadic availability sooner. I can almost always consult on short stories.
How and when to get in touch: For all book-length editing projects, I require an initial consultation on the first chapter(s) before proceeding. Book-length editing is a significant investment, and it's important you feel comfortable with my approach and feedback style before continuing; it's also important that I feel that I am the right editor to help you, and that I am confident I can add significant value. Before getting in touch, I encourage all writers to take their work as far as they absolutely can. This means that you've done multiple drafts and have revised significantly on your own first. If you're interested in working with me, get in touch through the "Contact" page (or below link/email) and tell me about you and your project(s). It's also helpful to know a little bit about your writing background and goals. Contact me for rates and to learn more!
Availability Update: I currently have a small window of availability for the end of August, then will have availability again in October. If the projects you want to work with me on are shorter, I may have sporadic availability sooner. I can almost always consult on short stories.
Testimonials
"I am LOVING working with you, Joy...Your enthusiasm, your commitment, your deep interest in process and craft and creative impulse make working with you feel great. I will be signing up for more classes this summer."
- Erika Higgins Ross
"I have only superlatives when it comes to describing my working with Joy. When I discovered her profile, I instinctively knew she was my person. Her immediate positive response to my project propelled me to finally bring a work begun decades ago to where it should be. I can safely say that it is entirely because of her that an agent is extremely excited about helping me find a publisher. All along the way, her intelligent and sensitive reading helped me organize, restructure and make my story work. It meant so much to me that she really felt the emotion in the memoir, and we worked so well together! I loved the Google Doc system, and found our back and forth over highlighted sections was brilliant. She was tough when she needed to be, and held her ground when I tried to argue a point! I especially was touched at how involved she was with my query process, and finding an agent. She really went the extra mile and I will be forever grateful. Already, imagining how I will thank her in my acknowledgements."
- Julie Scolnik, Founder/Director of Mistral Music
"Joy was beyond generous with her time; gave grounded, real world experience; shared extremely useful online resources; and followed up with the attendees promptly and with even more information. It's a wonderful opportunity to hear directly from a writer direct from her experience, including both failures and successes. I got more than I was looking for in this seminar and am leaving it far more informed and confident in my own practice. Thank you, Joy!"
- Rob Baker, Path to Publishing (one-day workshop at PVWW)
"Joy gave me extremely thorough and helpful feedback, both in conversation and in written comments. I’m so excited to have worked with her because not only is this story much better, I learned so many things I can apply to my next stories. Working with Joy was a great investment!"
- Sam Ruhmkorff, short story editing/consultation
"Joy's feedback was, unsurprisingly, very useful and specific. It's the sort of editorial eye writer's always hope for - someone who can recognize big picture ideas and structure, but also provide very specific notes on lines, characters, dialogue, and style."
- Emily Everett, Managing Editor of The Common
"Joy provides invaluable feedback! She has a knack for interpreting a writer's intentions. She knows the story you're trying to tell. She knows its strengths and its weaknesses. Her expert advice will help you fix things in your story that are broken, as well as things you didn't even know needed fixing. She is a brilliant mind, a great communicator, and a very sweet person. I'll definitely be sending my future projects her way."
-Drew Rogers, short story editing/consultation
"Joy has a keen editor's eye and a thorough instinct as to what is needed to improve a flash fiction piece, in my case. She doesn't hold back from offering radical changes when necessary. I respect her for that, and always enjoy working with her to improve my writing."
- Stephanie Shafran, short story editing/consultation
" Joy is an amazingly thoughtful and astute reader and editor. Best of all, she is incredibly encouraging and positive. Though she gives specific feedback on where to improve, it is always constructive and helpful. She gave me some of the most methodical and specific edits on a short story I wrote, which made a world of difference to the piece. Thank you Joy!"
- Hayley Phelan, short story editing/consultation
"Joy is an exceptional reader and editor. Not only is she thorough with grammatical edits, but she's also terrific in critiquing my stories from a craft perspective. Be it character motivation, the veracity of dialogue, stakes, overarching themes, or other aspects of story-building, she has a keen sense of what works and what doesn't, and my stories are so much stronger for her feedback."
-Maria Lioutaia, short story editing/consultation
"I enthusiastically recommend Joy's skills as an editor, having presented her with a sprawling, 25-page short story I'd been working on for a long time...Joy's work on the story helped tip me in the direction of turning this dense and confusing piece into what it wants to be: a novel. I'm keeping her notes and questions in front of me as I now proceed to write it."
-Maureen Henderson, short story editing/consultation
"The atmosphere was really calm and inviting. Questions were welcomed and my classmates were great! All the information I received, though overwhelming, was broken up in a way that seemed possible for me to tackle in the future. That's thanks to Joy! She is a wonderful teacher, super friendly, and incredibly open to the needs of her students. I'm grateful!"
- Rachel Bowen, attended The Path to Publishing Your Fiction, at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
"I enjoyed everything: Joy's energy, breadth of knowledge about the topic, the variety of exercises, the pace, the built-in breaks, the ineffable community-building that Joy creates among the group members."
- Stephanie Shafran, attended Flash Fiction Intensive, at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
"A truly excellent class. Joy is wonderful. Her teaching is very clear and allows all involved to be included in discussion and clarification when needed."
- Dot Wentworth, attended The Art of the Ending at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
"Joy has a great attitude. She offers her skill and experience in every aspect of the editor-author relationship. Grateful for her hard work!"
-Christina, novel editing/consultation
"Joy's knowledge and her ability to transfer this knowledge is exceptional. A confident communicator and facilitator, she effectively achieves the goals of the session through the interplay of the participant's ideas and concepts."
- Jim Spencer, attended The Art of the Ending, at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
- Connect - |
- Upcoming Virtual Events -Community Writing at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop (link)
Ongoing: First Friday of Every Month (6 - 7:30pm ET); virtual First Paragraphs Workshop, for Prose Writers (virtual) at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop 3 Hours: Saturday, October 22 (1 - 4pm EST) Learn More / Register Story Sketching: Outline Your Book in Three Acts (virtual) at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop 3 Hours: Saturday, December 3 (1 - 4pm EST) Learn More / Register |
- Alone in a Room: Newsletter -Welcome! Alone in a Room is my monthly writing newsletter, featuring craft musings, original writing prompts, what I'm reading and thinking about, upcoming events, and general inspirational/literary goodness!
Visit Alone in A Room Page / First Post! |
