I'm a writing instructor and long-time English professor based in South Korea. For over 10 years I've been helping academics get their research published, and now I'm taking my teaching online.
How My Work Will Benefit You
I think writing well is a super power, and I'm here to help you become a super powerful writer.
My teaching focuses on...
- Meaning, not grammar;
- Tools, not rules;
- Writing from the reader's perspective.
Most of all, I help writers put their ideas into the clearest, strongest form possible.
My Teaching
My approach is grounded in a simple principle: we acquire language when we understand messages.
This means focusing on meaning before mechanics, and treating writing as a way to think through problems rather than just report solutions.
Most of the concepts I teach are not my own. They are ideas that I've come across in my lifelong fascination with the written word. They come from various fields: literature, history, cognitive science, applied linguistics, behavioral psychology. It can come from a cookbook, a cereal box. Whenever I read something that impresses me, I take notice, disassemble it to understand how it works, and reverse engineer it to make it my own - all in keeping with one of the best pieces of writing advice I ever received: steal style.
While I package this teaching under the rubric 'Expert Writing,' I must admit that I am not an expert. I'm a fellow traveller on the road to clear, powerful prose. As the German novelist Thomas Mann puts it:
A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.
What I'm Working On
- π§βπ« I've been teaching English as a Foreign Language to science students in South Korea since 2014. I studied English Literature as an undergraduate, and completed a Masters of Education in TESOL in 2019.
- π¬ On my YouTube channel, I make educational videos about the art & science of expert writing.
- π I write a weekly email newsletter. Each issue features 3 brief writing tutorials, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question for you.
- π§βπ» On this website I write articles about nonfiction writing, as well as any other insights that I've found helpful or interesting over the years.
Other Stuff
- π§ I practice Vipassana meditation in the tradition of S.N. Goenkaβa secular mindfulness practice focused on observing the mind and body with equanimity. I began meditating in 2011, and have since spent 100+ days on silent meditation retreat. In 2013 I participated in a Mindfulness Retreat for Educators with zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community.
- π π΄ββοΈ I enjoy baking sourdough bread and long-distance cycling. (Each hobby supports the other.)
Get in Touch
- π¦ If you've got a short question or message, please πeet @WriterScience and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
- π¨ If it's a longer message, please email me (will [at] writerscience [dot] com).