Sandra Hurtes
Author, Teacher, Coach
I've been a professional writer for fifteen years. My essays and features have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Poets & Writers, The Writer and numerous other publications. My essay collection On My Way To Someplace Else was published in 2009. Midwest Book Review called it "A must-read for memoir collections.”Personal essay writing and creative nonfiction are my home base. I love writing and teaching these genres. I've held workshops since 1997. Venues include: Marymount Manhattan, continuing education at Hunter College, the University of Pennsylvania, Special Programs.
I earned my MFA in 2006 in creative nonfiction from Hunter College. Since then, I’ve taught Freshman Composition, Introduction to Literature and Remedial Writing (preparation for the ACT Exam). Schools include: Marymount Manhattan, John Jay (CUNY) and Berkeley Colleges. References provided.
Please read my Web site and blog to get a good feel for my writing style and range. Click on the ‘writings/blog' link to the left to read my articles as well as some creative writing.
Writing Teacher
Have you always wanted to write, but for one reason or another haven't gotten started? Or, are you working steadily, but would like the support, feedback and inspiration a group provides? In my writing workshops I help students find their way to (and through) material that leads to a completed piece. I also teach the elements of personal essays and creative nonfiction.
I can help you:*
Generate material through exercises and assignments
Experiment with fictive techniques, i.e., dialogue, scene setting, description
Create a true story with a narrative arc
Develop your writing strengths and weaknesses
Expand a piece already in progress
Manage your way through the marketing side of publishing
*I can provide guidance to a peer-group in progress
6-weeks, 2 hours per meeting $240 (weekly meetings)
8-weeks, 2 hours per meeting $320 (weekly meetings)
One-on-one instruction $55 per hour
Sign up for four (4) hours for $200
Contact me via email with any questions about how classes work and tell me what you’d like to accomplish.
Writing Coach
Whether your goal is to craft work for publication, write a professional article, speech or write for personal gratification, you may benefit from the guidance and nurturance of an experienced outside source.
I can help you:
Get started through exercises and assignments
Set realistic goals and deadlines
Revise work to completion
Finish a piece of writing already in progress.
My fee is $55 per hour. Sign up for four (4) hours at $200.
For long-term projects, my fee is negotiable.
For a free consultation, send me an email telling me why you need a coach, what you’re writing (or hope to write), and your ultimate goal.
Private English Tutor for high school/college students
Many high school and college students enter their English classes unprepared for rigorous academic writing. Maybe English has always been a difficult subject for them, or the informality of email and texting has made formal writing more of a struggle than it need be. My teaching style is structured and nurturing.
I'm a certified grader of the new CUNY Aligned Assessment of Writing Exam (CAAW).
I can help students:
Write an academic essay with a thesis
Integrate quotations and research material into their papers
Use MLA documentation
Brainstorm for examples and details
Write a personal statement
Proofread and edit their own work
Write creatively (nonfiction or fiction)
Prepare for the CAAW
One hour of one-on-one in-person instruction $ 95.00
Four hours of one-on-one in-person instruction $360.00
Fee adjusted for longer sessions or group meetings.
Contact me at sandrahurtes@yahoo.com with questions. Let me know if you’d like me to call you.