(415) 686-2761
MARTHA KRAUSZ
Writer, Editor, Coach
MY PHILOSOPHY
WRITING FROM THE SELF. I believe the writing process has a lot to teach us about our interior worlds. When a client and I sit down to work, my mind is alert to not only the words they commit to paper, but to the internal parts that animate their process: their moments of resistance, breakthrough, joy, frustration etc. Pulling from my formal experience as a classroom teacher, Body Positive Coach, IFS- trainee, yoga instructor, & student of meditation, I love helping clients relinquish creative burdens, loosen fear and perfectionism's grip, and invite Self energy to guide the way.
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MAKING CONNECTIONS. I am a master combiner and connection-maker. I mix unlikely ingredients into meals (tiramisu cheesecake, anyone?) and I write similes that collapse distant worlds into single phrases. Writing is all about making meaningful connections--in the writerly sense: between words, sentences & paragraphs, but also in the social sense: between people, points-of-view, and between the parts of ourselves that show up when it's time to write. As an editor & coach, I want to connect with you. I will do my best to creating a trusting, honest space where your stories can surface. Then I will challenge you to uncover new connections in your work, among your story's images, ideas, scenes, characters, and questions.
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FINDING DEPTH. Cheryl Strayed says, "The forward arrow of plot–what happens in a story–is not the only thing that matters. Plot is important. But it is not what sustains a story. What sustains a story is its depth–the downward arrows." The horizontal line of progress–the things we do and write with great effort in order to reach a goal–are only as meaningful as the moments when we pause and reflect, "Ah, this is why this matters. This is who I am; this is why I'm writing." These moments of depth are the downward arrows. These moments are where the value of our writing, and of our lives, is most felt. If I've done my job well, I've balanced a client’s urge to progress in single writing projects with a desire to express these deeper so whats that occasion their entire writing lives.
Email me at martha.krausz68@gmail.com me to see how I can be of service to you.
MY SERVICES
Editing
Writing is all about making meaningful connections--in the semantic sense (between words, sentences & paragraphs); but also in the social sense: between people, points-of-view, and between the parts of ourselves that show up when it's time to write. I embody this value of connection-making in my work. Writing is also about truth telling. In order to guide my clients towards their truth in writing, we must both establish a trusting relationship wherein that truth can be discussed, held, and known between us.
The benefits from these private virtual and in-person sessions are twofold: they cultivate a trusting, honest partnership so we can problem-solve as a team. They also invite solitary self-reflection and metacognition on the client’s behalf. In addition to instruction and discussion, I aim to create the space and silence wherein clients can connect with themselves.
Contact me today to schedule an over-the-phone evaluation and schedule your first private session!
Freelance Content Writing/ CRAFTING YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT
Find the language today to launch your future
On the one hand, writing college essays when the future of education is unmapped, might feel futile and intimidating. On the other, it is during these narrative-unwinding times when I believe the personal essay has more power and purpose than ever.
Writing a personal statement is about asking oneself: "What do I care about? Which life experiences showcase these values? How do I want to tell these stories? What does my voice sound like? How might I move forward, with these answers as my compass?" When the scaffolding of pre-pandemic structures and roadmaps fall away, reconnecting with this core of "self" is perhaps the most orienting thing we can do for ourselves, and for our students.
From prompting students to define their core values, brainstorming stories that manifest these parts of them in-action, to fastening the bow of personal style, I've designed lessons that I hope will serve not only the college applicant, but any person seeking self-knowledge, expression, connection.
I feel crazy lucky to be a part of this wild journey of self discovery and self-saying.
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Yet, writing your personal statement can be a complex ask. It demands that we are introspective and aware of our audience; authentic and somewhat performative. In my one-on-one sessions, I help students find and defend their authentic voice, and give form to their most resonant, powerful stories. But I also illuminate the blindspots natural to a high school perspective, and try to replicate the presence of an admissions committee so that the final draft both reverberates deep within the author, as well as projects confidently and appropriately to the intended audience.
GROUPÂ WORKSHOPS
Words work together, so must their welders.
“A Room of One’s Own” is not always what we need to navigate and succeed in our writing. While solitary, undistracted, work is an essential element in our writing routines, a reverence for reading and writing is a communal value meant to connect humans, not isolate them. It is in concert with our communities when we often encounter that great idea, renew writerly inspiration, and remember our reasons for pursuing the writing life.
In these 2-4 client group workshops, we work together to air, affirm, challenge, and clarify our stories.
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Importantly, these workshops are a practice in the art of giving and receiving feedback—an art that is, itself, an off-the-page form of writing.
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These classes help remind us that when we write, even if we do it alone, we contribute to the collective memory and imagination of our generation. Writers are engaged members of an academic, creative community.