All writers, even the great ones, depend on some kind of feedback in order to develop their talents and skills. Published writers have editors, agents and other writers to advise them. Emerging writers often make use of manuscript evaluation or 'mentoring' with established authors. By working with a professional writer, they can obtain an informed and detailed response to a specific project from someone who is an expert in all aspects of the craft. This can move the work forward dramatically and, hopefully, improve the attention a manuscript receives if/when it is sent to an agent or publisher.

Kathy Page offers honest, practical and sensitive feedback on fiction or creative non-fiction manuscripts and project ideas, along with more general advice about writing and the writing life. She has an MA in creative writing, twenty years' of experience teaching fiction writing in workshop and academic settings, as well as experience as a publisher's reader in the UK. Her last two novels, Alphabet and The Story of My Face, were listed for major literary awards.

Recommendations

"Kathy never fails to understand exactly what I'm trying to do with my writing. She manages to explain in a clear and informative way exactly why and how it isn't working (and also when it is) which leaves me armed and motivated to continue after every feedback session. Kathy critiques in such an open and positive way that I feel I'm working with an ally on my novel as opposed to a less personal tutor. I love being able to talk about my characters with somebody who knows them as well as I do. Top this with great value for money; I can't imagine how I could have a better mentoring relationship than this." Jackie Buxton, UK.

"Kathy is a gem - prepared to defend a point, but creative enough to work round an author's vision. I recommend her highly." Keith Lord, USA.
Keith Lord's fiction has appeared in Duck & Herring, failbetter.com and is forthcoming in Dark Sky. He has completed a novel, Bank Street.

"I've relied on Kathy Page's analytical and critical judgement for many years now. She manages to be both enlightening and inspiring. She has a wonderful ability to go right to the heart of serious weaknesses in a piece of writing without being distracted by more superficial flaws, which, once you correct the underlying problem, will often disappear. She has a fine sense of structure and an excellent "bullshit detector"—an invaluable skill. I'd be lost without her feedback." Vicky Grut, UK.

Vicky Grut's short stories have appeared in magazines and collections including Random Factor (Pulp Books, 1997), Reshape Whilst Damp (Serpent's Tail, 2000), Valentine's Day: Stories of Revenge (Duckworth, 2000) and Volumes 13 and 14 of the British Council's anthology New Writing. Awards for short fiction include the Asham and Ian St James prizes in 1999 and the Chapter One International Short story prize in 2006. Her novel, Understudy, is with a literary agent.

"Thank you again for doing this. I can't tell you how helpful this process is for me, on more than one level. Your comments are clear and helpful. I've really appreciated how you get past the superficial things right to the bones of my stories. That's exactly the help I need - thank you. And of course for critiquing things on the surface too, where it's needed." Rachel Muller, Canada.

Rachel Muller's short fiction has been published by Hitchcock Magazine and her young adult novel When the Curtain Rises is published byOrca Press. Two further young adult novels are forthcoming.

What to expect?

A written report which covers characterisation, structure, dialogue, setting, story-line, voice, language, and anything else relevant to the piece, along with notes on the manuscript or Word file. For advice on long projects, such as entire novels, it is often best to begin with several early chapters and a summary of the rest. Kathy Page can also respond to specific questions about writing and the writing life, such as how to make time for writing and keep working on a long project, or when and how to submit work to publishers. A written format normally works best but telephone consultation can be arranged.

Contact for rates and further information:

Teaching experience