Meet Author and Writing teacher, Janisse Ray

If you’re reading this, you may feel stuck. You’ve dabbled with writing to share hope and a piece of your soul. But somewhere along the way, the writing got hard, and your inspiration dried up.

I know it’s not about getting published. Your story is your own, and you’re driven to express it no matter the outcome. But your story must be seen and read to share its magic. If only your passion were sufficient to create a published work that would resonate with readers, but no, great writing requires study, apprenticeship, the habit of practice, and lots of magic. 

That’s where I come in. 

I help writers like you dive into craft and technique, plus the invisibles required to make words on a page come alive. I help bring writers from feeling stuck or scattered to feeling capable and polished. My students tell me that I’m straightforward, clear, and direct, but that I also revere the art of writing and the magical power that it requires. As an author, my special abilities are seeing the structure and edits that can transform a story. But more importantly, I genuinely believe in your. own. mythic. story. and your ability to change the world.

Some other things about me. 

• I’ve authored, edited, and published over a dozen books.
• My work has appeared in more than 40 anthologies.
• My books have been translated into French, Turkish, and Italian.
• I have received a Pushcart Prize, an American Book Award, Green Prize for Sustainable Literature Award, Nautilus Award, and the Arlene Eisenberg Award for Writing that Makes a Difference, among many others.
• I grew up in the south of Georgia and returned after earning my MFA in Montana. 
• I’ve been inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame.
• I own and operate a small family farm with horses, chickens, and a mule named Tecumseh. 
• My writing and my daily life are deeply rooted in the land. 
• I believe in the power of stories to change the world, solve the climate crisis, and create a more just society. 
• My purpose has always been the same through multiple phases of my life: to bring powerful stories to life. 

In my 6-week courses, I teach how to use invisible forces to your best advantage. This is content you’re not taught in college or run-of-the-mill writing classes. It is an essential and teachable body of knowledge. I also put aside at least one class in each course to talk through publishing, marketing, and book proposal strategy.

My courses will prepare you to present your work confidently and understand your best chances of being well-received. I’ve walked this path many, many times through the publishing of my own articles, essays, poems, and books. I’d love to teach you how it’s done.

When I first met Mary Katherine , she had passion and ambition. She was willing to “nail her feet to the floor and write.” She had put in hundreds of hours on her work. But she lacked confidence and clarity. In her own words:

My Story

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As a young writer, I thought I could teach myself what I needed to know. I felt I could figure everything out if I read enough Welty, O’Connor, and Hurston. What I learned is that I could be moved by what other writers were doing, yes, but I couldn’t understand on my own how they were moving me.

Unfortunately, I lost years struggling to write. Finally I began to study with great teachers, and I realized what a mistake I’d made.

I quickly learned things I could have never untangled on my own. I was given frameworks, structures, techniques, and ideas that captured a wild creativity, gave it clarity, and made it sing. That’s when I began to believe in the power of teaching. Now, I offer collections of workshops and webinars to pass on the same invaluable advice that changed my career. I hope you’ll join me in a course.

Work with me