The Naked College Essay
WRITING THE TRUE YOU
The Naked College Essay looks beneath the six prompts on The Common Application and helps you explore the deeper question: Who are you? This book “reverse engineers” the Common Application and other college essay questions by beginning the writing process with your most original and unforgettable material. After decades of experience coaching students with their college essays, and seeing many gain admission and win scholarships to top universities, I learned their strongest material drew from the key memories of their lives. This book will give you the writing techniques you need to write a compelling and unforgettable college essay. In the process, you will discover something even more valuable: the story of the true you
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Charity saved my Common App essay from being both common and pretentious. Her unique prompts were so effective in helping me write something truly personal that after working with her, I am actually inspired to write some more, for fun! How is that even possible? Work with Charity, and you’ll find out.
–Benjamin Shapere, College Senior
The Path to Creativity
Creative Writing Exercises
to Awaken the Artist Within
For many of us, a treasure of hidden material is stored within our memories, waiting for a way to come to the surface. Each exercise in The Path to Creativity can give writers a focused way to access the unique memories, ideas, and experiences that give our lives meaning. In this profound journey into the heart of your own imagination, you will discover a wealth of material you can transform into art. By writing, you will better understand the creative vision you are destined to share with the world. It is a journey filled with beauty and emotional power. There is no more important gift you can give your life, than exploring the path to your own creativity.
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Wonderful stories; fast to read; clear; high impact. Beautifully illustrated. In every way this books shouts “creativity.” It is an inspiration.
Richard N. Forster
The “empty page demon” is something I really don’t have to worry about since I started using this book. I take it with me every time I go writing in coffee shops. It’s perfect for airplane rides. I’ve done quite a few of the exercises multiple times. I dip into it again and again.
You don’t have to start at the beginning. You can page through quickly, and you’ll find some of the prompts will make you stop and react immediately, emotionally. Those are the ones you want to use right away to start producing your best stuff.I own about 20-30 “How to Write” books, many of them by my favorite authors. I love re-reading them. Zen In the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury is probably my fav, followed by “On Writing” by Stephen King. But I think of those more as a peek at how THEY write. They haven’t actually helped me very much with my own writing.
This book is about MY writing. It gets ME writing.
Kimberly Hatch Harrison,
Head Writer and Producer, Socratica
The Wisdom in the Room
A Teacher’s Guide
The Wisdom in the Room brings creative techniques to the classroom. The practical exercises described in these pages will empower both teachers and students to gain access to the unique source of wisdom we all possess. The Wisdom in the Room gives specific strategies to encourage creative thinking, energize the class, and give students an active role. By trying some of the techniques described in these pages, teachers can free themselves from the repetition and routine of teaching, as they move from being the center of attention, into the director’s chair.
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The ingenious and sometimes unorthodox tools in The Wisdom in the Room will allow the reader to acknowledge, unpack, and surpass barriers that prohibit them from achieving their full potential as teachers, students, writers and lifelong learners. After using the exercises, I was left with several bodies of work— clear, honest, and heartfelt— that I feel contributed to my being named both a Ron Brown and a Gates Millennium Scholar.
Aubrey Walker
Harvard University ’15, Ron Brown Scholar ’11 and Gates Millennium Scholar ’11
If you care about education, this book is a must-read. Filled with inspiring insights about creativity and learning, The Wisdom in the Room takes a bold step in re-imagining the teacher-student relationship.
Adam Leipzig, Publisher, Cultural Weekly, former President of National Geographic Films
Charity Hume is an experienced, creative teacher and wonderful writer who brings great wisdom and years of classroom experience to the art of teaching. The Wisdom in the Room should be a must-read for teachers, parents and students everywhere.
Hoyt Hilsman, Author