Polish and Publish | Tools and Tactics for Creative Writers

From a new writer in my current class:
I signed up for a writing course offered by the town’s Adult Education program. At the first class I met the instructor, Lynette Benton, very informative and enthusiastic person. I liked the class very much because her presentation was interesting and spirited.

In that first class I was given an assignment to write 500 words. A few days before the next scheduled class, I called Lynette and told her I couldn’t write because I’m distracted by of a personal problem.

Lynette then gave me a simple assignment.

“Write one sentence about your distraction.”

So I took her suggestion and wrote my one sentence, which miraculously morphed into a page of words. I am fortunate to have found a class with an encouraging teacher.

- Bill Mitropoulos

From a creative writer who’s taken four consecutive classes with me:
“This class was outstanding—actually there aren’t enough ‘juicy words’ to describe its effect on me. I had such fun! I find stories pouring out of me and I have such pleasure in the process.

I’ll be camped on the doorstep for the next course. You’re a superb teacher and coach.”

- Judy Higgins

From a memoir/family history student, who’s taken a number of classes with me:
“I am privileged to be a part of your classes and recommend them highly. The fee is unbelievably low and you deserve much more. The specific assistance and pardon the cliche, “words of wisdom” you give out is priceless. I would follow you anywhere, for any price. Thank you for all your intelligence and support.”

- Barbara Fulchino

From a very fine poet student of mine:
“Like others, I enjoy your class very much, but to me it is more than learning something new every week. The pleasant atmosphere you create is like walking into a room with A/C after being outside on a hot summer afternoon.

“I look forward to that hour every week.  To me it is also like what I hear about children in their “story-hour,” listening to new stories every week. I never had a chance to experience that as a child, because of several reasons, but I feel now I have that and it will continue for a long time. I sincerely thank you for everything.”

Best regards,
- Fariza [Hasan]

From a recent client:
“I had the pleasure of working with Lynette on my memoir. Not only is she professional, but also personable. Lynette knows her stuff. She is thorough, inquisitive and offered guidance when I needed to strengthen my scenes or characters. Lynette went above and beyond my expectations and I would not hesitate to work with her on future projects.”

- Andrea Lewis, author of Dramaville

From career coach Terry del Percio, Workintegrity
“Lynette is an extraordinary person.

“Not only does she have a wealth of knowledge about writing and publishing in her mind, but she is vibrant, creative, generous, and one of the best listeners I’ve ever had the pleasure to speak with. Perhaps that is why she is such a skilled writer – she pays attention to everything that everyone else misses.

“I love reading her pieces because her style is so natural – and the humor she incorporates into her writing is a breath of fresh air. Whenever I need advice about writing or publishing, Lynette is the first person I go to. She has the most recent resources at her fingertips, and is very generous in sharing them with others.”

Margy Rydzynski runs Brave New Web:
“Lynette is a writer’s writer, someone who can take the hard work of creation and craft it into something as accessible as it is skillful. I, for one, feel grateful that she’s chosen to share her depth of knowledge regarding writing and writing careers. Her research is meticulous.

As a professional writer, I often find myself bookmarking her articles for my own reference and career development. As a client, she has impressed me with her focus, her discipline and her progress. I couldn’t have asked for a better client. Lynette has an incredible amount of knowledge and enthusiasm to offer her students and her peers. It’s a privilege to work with her.”

A colleague had this to say:

“When Lynette (Benton) spoke to my essay writing class at UMass Lowell, she wowed my students with her lecture on humorous writing. It’s challenging to find fresh information about this particular topic, but Lynette knows the material from the inside out. With her inimitable brand of humor, she conducted a class that demonstrated her extensive knowlege and sharp insights about nonfiction writing and, more importantly, rallied my students to think about how they could experiment with and improve their own work.”

Sandra Miller, writer whose work has appeared in more than 100 publications, including The Boston Globe.

From a writer and fellow memoirist:
“Lynette is a superb writing coach and consummate professional. I was fortunate enough to read her booklet, Polish and Publish. It is a real gem and an invaluable tool for writers in all genres. I found it to be a shortcut, or Cliff Notes, of anything a writer could find beneficial in a practical, technical, and business sense. Yet, it was an engaging read; not the least bit boring like many other ‘instructional manuals.’ I highly recommend Ms Benton for any coaching-related endeavor.”

- Darah Zeledon, The Warrior Mom

A colleague whom I interviewed was kind enough to post the following recommendation on LinkedIn.

“Lynette interviewed me for a two-part series in Examiner.com. The focus of the piece was professional writing careers in the context of fundraising and philanthropy.

Lynette was a joy to work with. She has a genuine curiosity that serves to inspire and inform her interviews. She will ask, and ask again to make sure she fully understands the story behind the words. I found myself rethinking my own sense of my writing life as a result of the questions she asked during our conversations and email exchanges.”

- Diane Felicio, Ph.D

I’ll help you put it in writing. Get in touch.
Relief11@verizon.net