Reviews from Fiction, Humor Writing & Creative Writing Classes: 

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"Nelsie was clearly interested in getting her students to write and read their work, but she didn't create a fearful atmosphere. I appreciated Nelsie's constructive comments/suggestions while always being positive."

 

"Nelsie delivers constructive criticism in a way that’s encouraging instead of making me feel like I’ve shamed my family, as criticism can often do."

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“Nelsie, was exceptional in conveying the concepts and nuances of writing creatively. She was highly engaged with the students. Most importantly, Nelsie motivated me to work harder as a writer and find the inspiration and drive I need to bring myself into the world of fiction. She also introduced me to some interesting contemporary writers.

It was the perfect course for me. Nothing short fantastic!”

 

“The instructor was amazing!! She made the environment very comfortable

to share work in. The exercises were really interesting and the day flew by.”

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“I would recommend this class to any of my friends or co-workers interested in writing and definitely tell them to try to get Nelsie Spencer as an instructor. I would

describe this course as a creative 1- day experience to learn, share,

and WRITE in a safe and inspiring environment.”

 

 

"Nelsie Spencer is one of the best teachers I've had. Her method was great-- mini lectures, writing, critique. I feel like I learned a ton and had fun while doing it." 

 

"The instructor was amazing!! She made the environment very comfortable to share

work in. The exercises were really interesting and the day flew by." 

 

"Loved the writing exercises and the professor's energy!"  

 

"The safe space Nelsie created to share and her generally encouraging nature."  

 

"Nelsie is one of the best writing teachers I have ever had. She is supportive, kind, and respectful in what could easily be a space for unwarranted harshness and unconstructive criticism. She is knowledgeable in her field and yet is still fair in her expectations.

She truly sees the best in every student. I am in awe at how great Nelsie is at her job.

She is the best!" 

 

"The class was very supportive and encouraging, so it made me feel comfortable sharing my work, which helped me improve at a much faster rate." 

 

"She was fantastic!"  

 

"I really loved Nelsie's enthusiasm and humor. We were quite a shy group, so she really created an energetic atmosphere. She also gave good feedback and all writing exercises." 

"I really enjoyed and learned from her critiques to me and the other students.

They were spot on and often covering points I hadn't even thought about." 

 

"I love Nelsie's affability and sense of humor. She has a true warmth about her and a wonderful way of delivering specific feedback on what works and what doesn't.

I also really appreciated the in-class writing assignments."  

 

"Nelsie was honest and open without forcing her personal opinions on us.

She directed the class in the direction that her students requested.

Combine that with her personal vignettes, and the class was awesome."  

 

"I liked the instructor, she taught with humor and insight." 

 

"The instructor was informative and entertaining.

Her class felt like a knowledgeable conversation where you felt free to share

anything. And the participants in this class were all interesting characters." 

 

"Nelsie was very supportive and found something valuable in everyone's work"  

 

"Nelsie is very supportive and encouraging. She is good at creating a safe place

for people to share their work and take risks."  

 

"Nelsie is very funny and encouraging to everyone.

She made the class a safe place for us to express our feelings." 

  

"She spoke from experience and gave great notes. She created a safe space where all felt encouraged to share their work and personal stories." 

 

"An on-point, supportive and fun instructor who really knows her stuff."  

 

"Nelsie was honest and open without forcing her personal opinions on us.

She directed the class in the direction that her students requested.

Combine that with her personal vignettes, and the class was awesome."  

 

"Nelsie jumps right in with exercises that are both fun and productive.

Immediately the class is engaged and interacting.

Her personal journey as a writer inspires me to keep writing."  

 

"Nelsie was incredible. She was direct with feedback and made the entire class

feel comfortable sharing their work." 

 

"I thought the instructor was excellent -- she was engaging, encouraging and insightful.

I was also surprised by the caliber of the students, both in their

writing ability and their willingness to listen and engage." 

 

"Great insights from the teacher, with her fabulous ideas

on how to make things funnier." 

 

"Nelsie was amazing in her planning for the courses and for her engagement of the class. Wildly disparate in our styles and temperaments, and

she brought out the best in all of us." 

 

"Knowledgeable, thoughtful, encouraging, funny-- a real gem."

 

"A fantastic instructor - kind, enthusiastic, encouraging and full of great information. I found the writing exercises extremely effective in boosting creativity,

and her feedback was invaluable."

 

"She provided real world examples which were helpful in understanding and

applying to myself. Great personality, her sense of humor is a plus." 

 

"An exceptional teacher. She kept the class lively and engaging every week.

In addition, she has a remarkable ability to hone in on a piece of writing and offer constructive advise on problem areas. I learned invaluable skills in just six sessions that will carry over into my future writing."  

 

"[Nelsie's class] made me realize that I want to write more. Nelsie gave me exceptional feedback and pointed out things in my writing I haven't noticed before.

It was fun class and we laughed a lot.

Loved my classmates as well. Great 10-week course! 

 

"...a great listener that gives great suggestions and critiques even in the minor details." 

 

"… an amazing teacher!"

 

"... a wonderful instructor. She's kind and funny and really knows her stuff." 

 

"… very attentive, sharp, and made class fun and enjoyable. I had a great time." 

 

"She gave us lots of practical tips, then had us use them in writing exercises, then thoughtfully offered suggestions for how we might improve our writing."

 

"Supportive, warm, experienced, knowledgeable." 

 

"Nelsie was terrific. Her enthusiasm, knowledge, and humor along with the constant writing exercises made this class genuinely worthwhile."
 

"I liked that the instructor was funny and experienced, and encouraging.

The exercises were great for getting us thinking about our own voice

and how we'd approach writing about something." 

 

"Nelsie was incredibly supportive and responsive to the class and to the work we produced. Her comments were astute and really helped me to

gain more confidence in my writing. I also really liked the way that 

Nelsie fully responded to questions from the group,  and these tangents

were some of the most insightful moments of class."  

 

"Nelsie is terrific!

Very dynamic, charismatic, supportive, warm, entertaining and educational.

She did a terrific job of making us feel safe and supported enough to share

and often offered really helpful and insightful tidbits on how to improve.

I loved having deadlines and having to write in class.

I get lazy and uninspired on my own." 

 

"The instructor was great at facilitating the discussion."  

 

"She taught with humor and insight." 

 

"I loved Nelsie - what a fun & vibrant instructor!

She was always positive & constructive. Also, you can tell she loves what she does.

For the most part, the entire group was really invested & great to work with. I also enjoyed the homework assignments quite a bit. And the Booth is a great tool!" 

 

"Nelsie was focused and passionate throughout, and gave great feedback. She was encouraging throughout and gave criticism in a positive way.

She was fabulous throughout." 

 

"She was encouraging for those who were timid about their work,

and very good at hearing what is written." 

 

"Nelsie is such a great instructor, she critiqued everyone in a respectful manner and ensured that everyone felt comfortable sharing with the group.

What I liked the most about her is her welcoming energy, which allowed

everyone to share their work and receive positive and constructive feedback." 

 

"She made sure everyone got something out of the course, she ensured everyone's investment did not go to waste. My peers were also welcoming and the fact that

we all (instructor and participants) created a safe environment for all

was the best part of the course." 

 

"The teacher immediately encourages participation with enthusiasm and humor. She knows the subject well and thus brings out the student's confidence

in writing and sharing while having fun in the process."
 

"I loved her kindness, knowledge and experience." 

 

"The content, pace, knowledge of instructor and her ability to

handle group dynamics-- all superior."

 

"I've earned an MFA in Writing, and yet, found this course invaluable

in content, style and approach." 

 

"The course was an excellent introduction to the elements of humor writing,

and Nelsie was engaging, encouraging, supportive and

funny as she shared her knowledge and expertise." 

 

"The instructor's ability to critique students' writing assignments was very productive.

The mutual critiques from the students were also helpful.

Hearing and reading the students' writing was also growth producing.

In general, the format of the course worked well. The teacher was very adept at her field and freely offered her knowledge. Bravo!"

 

"The lightness that she was able to bring to the class and how she made us comfortable sharing our words. I also love her experience and knowledge." 

 

"Smart, funny, articulate and a great listener.

She was able to appeal to the [most] experienced as well as the least." 

 

"Very encouraging but also challenged us to be better writers.

I found her attitude about 'just going for it' contagious...

she made me believe she thought we all had potential. "

 

"Nelsie was a smart and witty instructor who offered up great ideas and

conveyed solid principles about writing in general and humor writing in particular. 

...very professional, knowledgeable and of course, very funny.

I liked the real world/candid advice that was given along with the presentation of the course materials."  

 

It was my very first time taking a writing class of any kind

and I am not a writer by trade. I thought it was a wonderful introduction and was also challenging in the right kind of way. I would highly recommend

this teacher and this class." 

 

"Helpful, engaging, fun, gets you motivated." 

 

"I loved it! It fulfilled almost all my expectations- and they were high!

I’ll be seeing you again!" 

 

"This course is full of lots of content and you will do lots of writing!

Put any shyness aside, and get ready to write, read your writing out loud,

and grow from the feedback. Best workshop I've taken!" 

 

"Tons and tons of fun. Not to be missed!" 

 

"Great instructor goes over principles of good humor writing and gives students

the chance to try out new ideas and put them out there for peer review,

yielding both encouragement and constructive criticism." 

 

"The BEST humor writing class!" 

 

"A fun, relaxed way to motivate you to write more." 

 

"Fun, friendly, dynamic, supportive, motivating, a great sense of community and

some great tips on how to improve writing skills."

 

"A really fun way to find yourself as a writer through nonfiction and fiction." 

 

"I have told friends how much I enjoyed it. Nelsie’s energy encouraged me to take risks - she’s able to deliver criticism in a very kind and constructive way. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a writing class!" 

 

"Nelsie is hilarious, kind and a very supportive teacher. It was a joy to be in her class." 

 

"I was thrilled to walk away from this course with a virtual portfolio of work.

The sessions offer a unique opportunity to push you out of your comfort zone

an in a supportive environment. It also gave me the motivation

and confidence I needed to just start writing." 

 

"A well trained instructor that explores key components and

critical techniques to enhance and expand writing skills." 

 

"An extremely supportive environment." 

  A great starting point for learning to write with humor.

Along with elements of writing such as setting, dialogue, and descriptions,

you will learn how to tell your stories in such a way that the reader

will be delightedly amused. And you will be laughing along with your

fellow students as you share the experience." 

 

"Informative and challenging. Interesting." 

 

"Nelsie is great! She's an extremely effective instructor.

Her class and teaching style is fun and enjoyable." 

 

"Exciting, fast, creative, practical." 

 

"Had a fabulous time. A young friend [of mine] from the Far East is coming to NYC

next year to attend your program, and I'm recommending this course to be

number one on her 'must' list." 

 

"An excellent course for beginners as well as experienced writers

who want a shot of inspiration."

 

"You'll learn pro strategies for bringing flat characters to life in a warm and supportive atmosphere, with writing exercises to drive the lessons home.

It's surprising how much you can absorb in a day." 

 

"It was so much fun. Nelsie is amazing and gave me such great feedback that I know

I'll continue to grow when it comes to writing! Now I have this tool in my

disposal--I'm more knowledgeable about humor and I'll use it." 

 

"Most fun I've had in a long time and instructive." 

 

"A great self-journey that just happens to be taken with strangers

who become friends and confidants." 

 

"A judgement free environment." 

 

"An excellent way to learn how to infuse humor into your writing." 

 

"Fun, effective, and enjoyable." 

 

"This was a great push back into the comedy world that I've missed so dearly. This class pushed me to start exercising that part of my brain again and Nelsie was everything I wanted in an instructor - encouraging, intelligent and FUNNY!

She gave great feedback and made it a wonderful experience.

I'm sad that it is over."  

 

"The best there is." 

 

"It's a dope class."

 

"The course provided me with techniques on how to breathe life into a character. The instructor was very clear and concise and has great experience in the area of character development. I would definitely take another one of her instructional classes." 

 

"Creative, interactive and friendly." 
 

"An opportunity to get techniques and ideas for how to build out your characters and then you're given the opportunity (and challenge) to use these in a writing sample." 

 

 "Very effective and enjoyable!" 

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"The most fun I have ever had writing!" 

 

"I liked the opportunity to learn some basics and practice in a group environment/with an instructor that was both supportive and critical.

The instructor was very enthusiastic and maintained high energy and a good pace.

I liked how she would identify ways/points to improve our practice writings in real time."  

 

"The exercises the instructor gave us helped us understand

what each lecture really meant."    

 

I really enjoyed Nelsie's experience and teaching style. Her classes were taught in her funny and encouraging way. I am signing up for another class largely due to how I feel leaving her class. I am ready to move to the next step.”