Right from the first interaction with Rachel, I realized that she was the writing teacher/mentor I had been longing for. Her teaching style is relaxed, warm and supportive – with a lovely dash of humour. She was always open to questions and lively discussion, and showed a genuine, deep level of engagement with the material and with the writers in the class. I have taken many writing courses over the years, and I feel that I gained more confidence as a writer with 5 weeks of her in-depth, insightful feedback than in all those courses combined.

Rachel was an extraordinary teacher on many levels. Apart from knowing so much about craft and being able to share that with her students she made the experience more intimate and valuable by paying close attention to everything we were doing individually as we applied new concepts and influences to our works-in-progress. She was very professional, warm and encouraging. I really enjoyed working with her.  It got me back to writing again after a long lapse and I am now at a point where I’m beginning to submit work to contests in publications. 

Working with Rachel Laverdiere has transformed my relationship to writing. Under her tutelage, I’ve learned to trust my instincts and to embrace experimental techniques for crafting my most personal stories. Rachel has a gift for challenging her students, while remaining supportive and encouraging. For those who want to learn more about their craft and how to be good literary citizens, she’s the best.