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Melissa
- Rate R815
- Response 1h
-
Students10
Number of students Melissa has accompanied since joining Superprof
Number of students Melissa has accompanied since joining Superprof

R815/h
1st lesson free
- Reading
Experienced tutor in Reading, Melissa offers private lessons tailored to your needs.
- Reading
Lesson location
Recommended
Melissa is a respected tutor in our community. She is highly recommended for her commitment and the quality of her lessons. A trusted partner on your learning journey.
About Melissa
Melissa Greene is a full-time fiction writer, poet, and writing coach, devoted to bringing out the best in creative people. She studied writing at The Banff School of Fine arts, Williams College, and everywhere she's been in life. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in numerous publications, and her song lyrics performed by singers nationwide including singer/composer, Michael Feinstein. Her father was an Academy Award nominee for Best Song and a comedy writer for The Red Skelton Show.
Fascinated with writing as a therapeutic tool, Melissa has been leading workshops since the 1980s, aiming to spark and support the creative spirit. She has a special interest in those who long to overcome self-doubt and write more freely. In reaction to 9/11, she created Write From The Heart Creative Writing Workshops to share her belief that writing, without fear, has the power to console, illuminate, and heal.
Melissa teaches year-round group and private classes for adults, children and teens, collaborates with schools and therapists; and leads workshops for cancer patients and caregivers at the Lancaster General Health/Penn Medicine Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and the Penn State Cancer Institute at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
I love sharing my love of writing with others, and seeing them fall in love with their own. My specialty is creating an atmosphere of warmth, humor, and trust that supports even the most timid writer to overcome perfectionism and self-doubt.
Through my teaching, I'm constantly reminded of WHY we write: to keep beauty alive in ourselves, and the world... especially now, when we need it most.
I received a 1980s Massachusetts Council of the Arts Grant to create a writing program for nursing home residents, reconnecting them with their emotions and memories through their senses. Years later, in reaction to 9/11, I began Write From the Heart to share my belief that writing, taught with humor and compassion, has the power to console, illuminate, and heal.
I studied fiction writing at the Banff School of Fine Arts and with author/ professor, Jim Shepard, at Williams College, Williamstown, MA. In 2002, I founded Write From the Heart Creative Writing Workshops, a full-time, year-round program of group and private classes for adults, children, and teens. I teach my classes face to face and on Zoom. I also collaborate with schools and therapists, and teach therapeutic writing workshops to cancer patients at the Lancaster General Health/Penn Medicine Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 2016, I taught a 3-year writing program to cancer patients at Hershey Medical Center, and a clinical trial studying the effect of creative writing on patients, the results of which are published in the British Medical Journal of Support and Palliative Care. I have apprenticed with Dr. Clarice Kestenbaum, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry emerita, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, supporting her patients through writing. I’m a published short story writer, lyricist, and poet devoted to bringing out the best in creative people.
About the lesson
- Primary
- Secondary
- Matric/GCSE
- +7
levels :
Primary
Secondary
Matric/GCSE
AS Level
A Level
BTech
Adult education
Masters
Doctorate
MBA
- English
Languages in which the lesson is available :
English
There IS no typical process, because each writer’s process is different and worthwhile! My strength is putting writers at ease, so they can find just the right words for what truly moves them.
Above all, I make sure no one is ever anxious or intimidated,so that we can experience writing as something natural and fun, not another task. We are a safe and welcoming creative space. There are no grades, grammar, or red pen. Whether in person or online, we work together to relax, laugh, reduce stress, bolster confidence, and encourage deeper thought. I provide compassionate support to those who long to overcome perfectionism and self-doubt. A student can look forward to gaining a greater sense of spontaneity and pleasure in their writing and themselves.
Initial lessons might include: capturing vivid detail, the role of the senses in bringing writing to life, the importance of the rough draft.. Cancer patients find hope and healing in expressing the cancer experience as a group. Private essay students come away with a polished essay ready for submission, and a deeper knowledge of the process.
I’ve coached women, men, teens, children, cancer patients, college applicants (essays), beginning and advanced.
Choose the mentor who loves writing too, someone who recognizes the sensitivity that is typical of artists – a teacher who knows there is no right or wrong in creating (writing is not a machine requiring answers. It’s a magic all its own, filling a person with the joy of self-understanding and the freedom to feel!). Choose the teacher who respects your ideas and first attempts, and holds your deepest thoughts and feelings sacred. Stay open and excited about everything you see and feel around you!
I was touched when a young student who had always dreaded writing told me her ideas were now coming “like popcorn.”
A few things worth thinking about before reaching out
What stops me from having a good time when I write? How can I make it fun? What would my writing life be like without the pressure of grades? How can I say exactly what I want to say without being afraid? How can I overcome perfectionism and let my thoughts flow?
Recommendations
Recommendations are written by the tutor's friends, family, and acquaintances.
Wonderful supporting, nurturing and creative environment.
There isn't just one thing I liked about Write from the Heart; but rather everything about it. I remember back to when I first entered Melissa’s house. It was as if I was welcomed home after a very long time.I remember seeing Melissa for the first time, her hair curled in all different directions like the Mad Hatter’s, yet it still looked so sophisticated.She quickly became my mentor, my confidant, my writing buddy. Not only her, but the peers who sat at the table never judged. They were open to your ideas and stories, even the strangest ones. One of my favorite quotes Melissa said was, "The weirder the better." And it couldn't be more true to this day. Melissa didn’t teach from a book; she taught from the heart, letting our opinions and laughter help us understand our work and ourselves more. Melissa inspired me to do what I love most in life. Without writing, I wouldn't be the person I am today. And without Melissa, I wouldn’t write from the heart.
Melissa creates an environment where beginning writers can explore their creativity without fear. She gives encouragement and insightful feedback with kindness and respect and more than a bit of humor thrown in.
My daughter had the most liberating experience in Melissa’s workshops.
The open forum of discussion that Melissa creates, and an inviting atmosphere that encourages participants to feel comfortable speaking their thoughts.
I’ve taken classes with Melissa for the last twelve years, from Intro to Memoir, to Fiction, and the nonjudgmental, noncritical environment she creates has never varied. Her attitude of unconditional acceptance toward each student personally and each student’s work dissolves all obstacles in the path of our writing. Her gentle-handed commentary is always on target. And if one wishes more fine tuning, she offers excellent private sessions. But one of the most remarkable accomplishments of WFTH is the warm community that Melissa creates, a path that leads us to feel in each class that we know and care for each other on deep levels. And this opens us up to a welcoming and safe place to share our writings, if we choose. Remarkably, this comes across the same whether we meet in person or remotely. The bottom line is, Melissa is a one of a kind person and instructor, and I feel fortunate to be able to work with her all these years.
Love the free-flowing, non prescriptive learning format. Have taken a number of classes from Melissa over the years...first in Hershey, then in Lancaster and in Lititz (all in PA). She is a very talented, sensitive teacher who always brings out the best in her students.
Melissa was brought up in Hollywood, has both an acting and writing background and is particularly skilled at teaching "memoir writing".
She teaches all ages and has a very loyal following. Many of her young students sign up for her adult classes as they grow up.
Melissa has perfected the art of using writing as therapy. "Write From the Heart" is good for the heart!See more recommendations
Rates
Rate
- R815
Package rates
- 5h: R4075
- 10h: R8150
free lesson
The free first lesson with Melissa allows you to get to know the tutor and discuss your needs and expectations.
- 1h
online
- R815/h
Details
Fees vary depending on service & need. Established during initial communication.
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