Melissa Larsen

M.F.A., author of the upcoming psychological thriller Shutter. Ms. Larsen has previously worked in publishing on both the literary agency side at Writers House and the editorial side at Penguin Random House.

Instructor Statement

I first studied writing in an extremely practical setting: sifting through the inboxes of literary agents, evaluating countless query letters and manuscripts, and discussing their potential for publication. This experience really influenced my style of teaching. I learned to approach writing almost as a mechanic approaches an engine. Every story is its own wonderfully unique engine, but they all run on the same fuel: a reader's interest. I believe it's important to examine what stories we gravitate to, the ones we keep re-reading or the ones that leave an indelible mark on our psyche, and to be able to articulate why we are so drawn to them, because these stories often inform our own writing. I want to de-mystify the publication process and to help you catch the eye of the intern reading through their boss's inbox.