“I want people to leave this class with a perspective that makes them question themselves, what they believe, and what they write. It’s in the questioning that we improve as writers writing about other identities.” -Alex Temblador

“We are arbiters of change! The writing will never be “done,” so embrace the chaos of highs and lows that come with developing your story into its best possible version. Letting go of perfectionism will make that process easier.” -Beverly Chukwu

“Cultivate gratitude and embrace process – if we can see the positive in our writing lives, we’re so much likely to feel empowered to begin or return to the page..” -Charlotte Gullick

“Even Mythology can be a playground for brand new thought. And if that is possible, there I’d no space that’s off limits.” -Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton

“We readers have to know what is at stake for your characters and have a little glimpse of their need and weakness from page one. Better yet? From paragraph one.” -Courtney Maum

“It simply takes a ton of time in the chair to produce fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. That’s why it is so important to enjoy the process as much as having the end project.” -Stacey Swann

“You have to figure out what you’re trying to do, what you’re trying to say, and how you want to say it– you have to bring your own vision to life. That is a lot of work, but if you’re willing to do it, you can end up with something you’re really proud of.” -Chaitali Sen

“Once you’ve written something that’s really good and you believe in it enough to be tenacious getting it out there, someone will pay attention.” -Greg Garrett

“If your writing life feels like it’s not working out the way you want it to, don’t give up. Instead, take a step back and ask yourself what you can do differently. What change(s) can you make that can positively influence the future?” -P.J. Hoover

“Every day is a new ‘now.’ Our work as writers is incremental and cyclical and cumulative. Every time we sit down to write, it’s like improvisational work, which is not to say we pluck something out of nothing. It means we awaken and mingle many somethings, many nows, that we filed away in recesses of our brain some time ago and can now bring front-of-mind and to the page. There’s no magic door or finish line; there’s only these breakthroughs and the belief that a nurtured writing practice will bear fruit in its own time.” -Cinelle Barnes