Aminah Mae Safi

Author of the novels Not the Girls You’re Looking For, Tell Me How You Really Feel, and This is All Your Fault. Ms. Safi was the winner of the We Need Diverse Books short story contest and her award-winning story appears in the young adult anthology Fresh Ink.

Instructor Statement

My approach to teaching is similar to my approach to writing. I like to dive into the process. I use a combination of concepts, written examples, and in-course work in order to drive home a writing concept.

I believe I'm here to teach you elements of craft. I also believe in guiding you in finding your voice. When I teach, I used a lot of questions because you're the one who is going to find the best path forward in your own work. This is why I love critique time so much – learning to read another's work and give critical feedback is integral to learning to writing well. Learning to translate those notes into your own idiom is essential to developing your own voice.

I also believe it's my job to give you a sense of what being a working writer is like. I hope you understand the industry as much as you understand story when you come out of my classes.