Writing Coach & Essay Tutor
I help students find what they're actually trying to say and then say it in a way that stays.
"What if I fall? Oh, but my darling — what if you fly?"
Erin Hanson · the guiding principle
I'm a student at the University of Michigan, studying Philosophy and Film, Television, and Media (on a track for screenwriting).
I'm a writer first. I've spent years working with language: performing spoken word poetry, constructing philosophical arguments, sitting with literature until it opens up. I bring that same attention to your work.
I was accepted to 10 out of 10 colleges to which I applied, including UMich, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Bristol.
Every student I work with gets a different version of me because every writer has different needs. I read the person before I read the page.
Most essay problems can be solved with a second set of eyes. We will start with the idea and work outward: story, structure, then language. Three sessions are usually enough to transform a draft into something that sounds like you at your clearest.
3 sessions recommendedFor students who want to develop their voice over time. We work on craft: reading closely, discussing choices, building instincts. For creative writing, academic essays, or anyone who wants to write better and know why.
Ongoing · flexibleWe dig into your story. I ask questions until the real idea surfaces underneath the version you thought you wanted to write. This is the most important session.
We build a skeleton. Structure is a conversation between your idea and your reader. We find the form that fits what you're saying.
Line by line. We cut what's weak, sharpen what's strong, and make sure every sentence is earning its place.
I'm flexible; reach out and we'll find something that works.
One focused session — great for proofreading, brainstorming, or a single problem piece. We work on exactly what you need.
The full arc: excavation, structure, and polish. This is the package that takes an essay from raw to right. Covers a complete college essay start to finish.
Your first session is on me. Then $30/lesson for four more. For students developing their voice over time, or prepping for a season of writing.
My own work. These are poems and essays that climbed out of my notebook for you to read.
The Abyss
You have the sun’s Silky hands Wearing saturn’s Satin rings Fill my soul with your Cold, dark cosmos Play me your heart’s Nebula strings
∗resonance
she settled for the sandy floor the waves tangled and fought above her tangled thoughts sitting on the sandy floor she wanted more than the bubbles formed folded away in water's arms secluded from fire's blazing harm
∗On Art — from Isle Royale Teen Artist application
Art is often taught as if there's a bullseye to hit, as if creation is constrained by conformity. Art does not cling to linen canvases. The intuition of imitation is only illusion; tulips can sing, roses can dance. A chicken can fly, but it's expected to walk. Why would a caterpillar want to become a butterfly in a world of only caterpillars? Originality, it seems, starts with a cocoon.
∗On Conservation — from "To save money or save our parks?"
A view that looks like a painting rays of sunlight are thrown out into the morning air; a flock of birds tumbles above jagged peaks. Take a few steps back to be surrounded by America’s newest metropolis: Grand Tetons National Park. Towers of rock transform into towers of concrete. Glassy streams transform into windows of high-rise office buildings. Starry skies transform into headlights of late-night traffic jams. Over a century ago, President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order forming the National Park Service (NPS), a federal agency responsible for protecting national parks and monuments. Since 1916, the service has been a shield for America’s most treasured land. What happens when that shield breaks?
∗An extremely talented writer, as evidenced by his essay, and undoubtedly, his words will continue to help heal and touch others.
Hope College AdmissionsHis poetry has a sense of subtlety and power that feels authentic to his voice and moving for the reader. He is a tremendously thoughtful creator who is heavily invested in his own craftsmanship.
IB Language & Literature TeacherHe demonstrated a level of sophistication in his writing rarely seen at the high school level. Bastien is not only a student who understands the world around him but also one who seeks to improve it through reason, compassion, and action.
AP Language Teacher