Charlene Smith 

Summer is a time to laze, relax, travel and have fun, but once batteries are recharged it is also time to look ahead, learn new skills and approach the challenges of the coming year with confidence. These classes are designed to help.
All classes are on Zoom unless private in-person classes are requested. They are one hour each; class notes are sent the day before. Classes prepare for higher grades in fall. They also look at some of the special classes students in middle and high school might need, ranging from ISEE prep to ways to ace SATS and AP or write those ultra-important college essays. Additional classes help students Understand Shakespeare, Analyze and Write Poetry, and improve fiction writing (essential for entering competitions) and essay writing (imperative for school, college, and work).
There is a book appreciation and writing class for adults too; when I run these rare courses at adult centers or libraries, they are oversubscribed and people make friends they keep for years.
Fun activities are tied into every class. Payment must be made upon registration. There are no fill-in classes if a class is missed, but if a day's notice is given (24 hours), the class will be recorded and sent to the absent student. Enquire for private classes. Payment is due upon registration. 
 
Grades 3 and 4, Mondays 4pm-5pm, June 30 – August 4 – Common Core demands basic grammar and punctuation, we also explore fun poetry, fiction writing, first lessons about figurative language and essential grammar. Fiction is anything from fantasy to adventure or mystery. We also dabble word games and humor. Six classes. $380
 
Grades 5 and 6, Mondays 5pm – 6pm, June 30 – August 4 – Young people are now more confident. They are interested in discussion and learning as much as they can. This class ramps up their knowledge about all sorts of amazing things, boosts grammatical knowledge, begins the explanation of literary terms, and starts with the basics of essay writing. Six classes. $480
 
Grades 7 and 8 - includes SAT preparation, Mondays 6pm-7pm, June 30 – August 4 –  Significant attention is paid to synonyms and antonyms, higher level grammar, and sentence construction. The main types of essay. Effective argument: whether Socratic, debate, speech, or essay writing. Grade 8 is when some students take their first SAT exam, and there is prep for this too. Six classes. $480
 
Grades 9 and 10, Tuesdays 6pm – 7pm, July 1 – August 3  - includes SAT and AP prep. Teachers now apply more pressure, time management is critical, and if a student is not aided, he or she may slip into depression. These classes avoid that. Literary analysis, includes understanding and analyzing poetry, which is crucial for SAT and AP too. Students learn how to create strong argumentative and analytical essays: critical for high grades. Six classes $520
 
Tuesday Tea, 10 am – 11 am, July 1-29: Adult writing and book appreciation class. Make new friends, discuss books you love and discover more to read. Try your hand at writing with engaging prompts and writing techniques to uncover your hidden talents, or just find a way to better appreciate or understand the world around you. In-person with Zoom accessibility too. $300
 
Grades 11 and 12, Wednesdays, July 2 -August 6-  6pm -7pm Summer vacation English literature and writing classes include AP prep (if desired) and college essay writing. Critical thinking, American literature, and writing – including rhetorical analysis.  Attention is paid to nuance and syntax, interpreting, analyzing, and writing about the greats of classical literature. Six classes: $540
 
COLLEGE ESSAY WRITING - 5 CLASSES - COLLEGE APP AND SAMPLE QUESTIONS from individual colleges. THURSDAYS 7PM – 8PM, JULY 3 – JULY 31 - The focus is to complete a good College App essay. It is often the deciding factor in accepting a student, eg. your average Ivy League university gets thousands of straight A student applicants who also did well in sport or music, those attributes are not enough. A good College App essay is hard to write well and is in a style the student has not yet mastered. In the rare event that a student completes their Common App essay within the five days of this course, they will start work on the supplementary questions colleges ask in addition to the Common App. $550
 
ISEE Prep, TUESDAYS 5pm–6PM, JULY 1 – 29: Private schools often set tests for applicants and all expect essays. These essays can later be used as seedbed essays for Common App college applications. This course covers ISEE tests and essay writing as well as knowledge on what to expect from a private school. Five classes. $550
 
 
Understanding Shakespeare, July 3 – 31, Thursdays 6pm – We look at the Bard and his life, and the Greek and Roman writers who influenced him. Instead of fearing Shakespeare you will understand him better and even develop a love and fascination for his works. We will learn how to decode his language, learn iambic pentameter, how to analyze a sonnet and write a sonnet. During each class we will examine excerpts from the major plays taught at school and one or two sonnets. Five classes $365
 
Analyzing and writing poetry,  July 1-22: Wednesdays 5 pm-6 pm – Most of us try writing poetry at some stage, but often it is like setting sail on the ocean without knowing how to navigate. This class looks at the magic of writing poetry and helps students to break through the mists of understanding poetry and its deeper meanings. This class is essential because poetry analysis is neglected in lower grades, and then students are expected to interpret poetry at high levels in senior grades. We examine a great work of poetry written in one of the primary styles in each class and try our hand at writing poetry, too. This class is important for those preparing for SAT or AP classes – or just starting out. Five classes: $355.
 
Essay writing skills, Friday June 27 (skip a week on July 4) – August 8: Fridays at 6pm–7pm This is imperative for those in high school or about to enter high school. Essay writing determines grades throughout high school, college, and in many instances, will influence job progress.  This course examines effective thesis writing, topic sentences, transitions, self-editing, analysis and interpretation, and how to boost grades. Five weeks $525
 
Competition Writing ages 13 upward, Thursday 5pm-6pm, July 3-31 - This class is for writers aged 13 and upward. Every time, those who work hard in my class get placed in competitions ranging from Scholastica to Bow Street and more. To even be a runner-up in a writing competition is a strong recommendation on a private school application, and especially a College application. I give students a choice of competitions to apply to, guide them with the best writing ideas, edit, and guide them on eliminating flaws to create their best writing yet. Five classes. $480
 
SAT AND AP PREPARATION, Saturdays 10am-11am. June 28 – July 26 These challenging tests for high school exhaust many students, but help prepare for college, AP in particular. This course balances the needs for both and provides essential preparation and tips as well as sample tests. 5 classes. $480

Summer was productive with clients completing books ahead of deadlines for the Frankfurt Book Fair and Christmas publication lists. Those completed include an inspiring book from a Fortune Top 50 CEO about his life, work, and how to get it right (and when you don't, how to remedy); a four-year hike through a wilderness area; a how-to guide for homeopathic pet care, and a novel approach to balancing mind and body challenges from a mental health professional.

Books in the mix for the months ahead include a beautiful love letter about a marriage in book form; a memoir about a transformative time in an individual's life, and an analysis of the economic impact of fashion.

 I help authors navigate the writing and publication process. Behind the books you read are editors and coaches like me who gently aid writers. Often, I am approached by authors in the early stages of writing; they have written 20,000 to 30,000 words and are now stuck. They are unsure how to complete the book. On occasion, the author is not certain how to begin; he or she may have done some research, but the opening lines or structure of the book evades them.

First steps
We discuss the project so that I get a sense of your vision. We discuss options for progress. I edit any existing copy, which gives a sense of gaps and opportunities in the work.
As a developmental editor, my role is not just to check and correct grammar and punctuation, that is simple copy editing. My process is intensive. I guide you to areas where you may need to clarify, add context, or restructure. Developmental editing is collaborative; I provide guidance and feedback, and you make the necessary changes as you hone your message. Writing becomes crisper with vivid detail and description. Words dance on the page.  The rate of progress depends on how much time you can devote to the project.  I tend to be fast and attentive.

Getting published
Once you have completed the manuscript or are in the final throes, I give advice - if needed - on the book proposal (if this is a work of non-fiction), query letters to agents or publishers, or aid you through the self-publishing process. We discuss ideas about marketing and distribution; this influences how many copies of the book you sell. When I first started writing books, authors were feted by publishers who took care of the marketing and distribution. Today, with fewer independent publishers and big publishers with fewer staff, it is imperative for a writer to think of the marketing and sale of their book from the time they first put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Who is your target market? What message or lessons do you want them to take away from it? Is this a work that brings a smile to the reader or provokes introspection?

 Contracting Me

There is a fee for the brief initial meeting. Once there is essential agreement and the initial fee is paid, we get down to coaching and/or developmental editing. Please use the contact form on this site. Give your name, brief details of the project, how far you have progressed, and what you need help with.

Pastor Liz Magill took an online course with me to turn her thesis into a book. This is not easy because a thesis is written in academic jargon. A book for the commercial market needs to be written as an enjoyable narrative.

Liz Magill's book is about food kitchens and feeding programs run by churches.
By the end of the course, we had three chapters ready for submission to a publisher or agent.
I helped Liz with a query letter and book proposal to take to a publishing conference to help her pitch to agents and publishers. I came up with a working title: Five Loaves, Two Fishes, Twelve Volunteers, which was accepted by the publishers.
This is her signing a book contact with Upper Room Books.

Liz will soon complete her second book!

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http://www.amazon.com/Mandela-In-Celebration-Great-Life/dp/1928213138/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

Don't Feed the Bears (see link below), The Boston Globe Magazine. 

"We underestimate the ability of wild animals and humans to get along,' says New Hampshire environmentalist David L. Eastman. 'But getting along also requires humans to behave.'"

On November 26, Charlene Smith was invited to speak on the Life and Legacy of Nelson Mandela, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Some 350 guests arrived, and a book-signing took place afterward.

A referee wrote, “Charlene Smith is a powerful, highly skilled and experienced journalist, author and communications professional. She is adept at finding the right channels for messages. She has immense patience and love for people – no-one is unimportant or undeserving of her time or mentoring.”
As a journalist, author, authorized biographer of Nelson Mandela, and ghostwriter, I have been privileged to witness the best in the great and had the time to ponder their flaws. I am struck by the fact that humility and a true love of people is the mark of greatness.
Journalists are the first writers of history and so our responsibility to truth-telling and fairness is eternal.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, I reported on anti-apartheid resistance and economics in South Africa. In Japan and Argentina, I reported on politics and economics. Publications I have worked for include the Los Angeles Times, Independent, Guardian, Washington Post, Le Monde, and others. As a television documentary maker I worked with Tony Burman at Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ted Koppel at ABC Nightline, and Ed Bradley and Anderson Cooper at CBS 60 Minutes, and others.