Information About Alexander - Falmouth teacher -

(27 reviews)

Personal Description:

Hello!

I'm Alex a professional writer, tutor and published poet. I have been tutoring privately and in schools for the last five years. I currently work for the national tutoring program , an initiative set up to deliver high quality to students in schools across the country.

As a creative writer, I have published poems in some of the most exciting literary journals in the UK and Australia. I currently have a poetic sequence available as a chapbook called '10 Windows'.

My expertise is with poetry, but I also have extensive experience with creative prose. I write short stories myself (although have yet to seek publication).

Teaching Experience:

Over the last few years, I have worked with a wide range of students wishing to develop their creative practice. I have helped poets edit and bring manuscripts together; novelists, looking for advice about form, structure and intention; and many others looking to hone their craft and 'find their voice' in the short story, poem or long-form fiction formats. I have worked with individual students and groups in workshop settings.

In addition, I have extensive experience as an academic tutor. I have taken much from my experience here and incorporate many of the latest ideas on effective pedagogy into my lessons.

I am also able to help with issues around poetry publication and manuscript preparation.

Teaching Approach:

Everyone needs to find their own way with writing: the key, as they say, is to find your 'voice' . My job is to simply let you know if you might be singing a little off key -- which usually means sounding like someone else ( imitation, however, does have its uses.)

Sure, there are some basics to grasp. Understanding how to use figurative language, prosody and story structure is a good start. But craft will only take you so far. The path to genuine expression is often indirect-- but, again, a helpful guide can help you on your way.

I can help with the following: craft; finding your genre; developing ideas; manuscript editing; workshopping poems and stories; preparing for publication; finding the right form; critical feedback; structuring; how to think with your poems and stories.