Testimonials

Abigail is a treasure—a warm, wise, engaging teacher whose freewriting techniques work for anyone writing anything. I’ve used her approach to generate new material; I’ve used it when I’m trying to get into the heart of a character.  —Kim Church, author of Byrd

The first writing workshop I ever attended was led by Abigail DeWitt.  This was one of the luckiest things that has ever happened to me, as a writer.  She approached our work with candor, kindness, and respect.

It was a short class – a couple of hours in the morning, a lunch break, and a couple of hours in the afternoon – but it set me off in the right direction.  I still remember the writing exercises she gave us, and continue to use them in my daily practice of writing. Everything I’ve written since then, has benefited from that short class.

I will always be grateful for what Abigail taught me.–Paul Austin, author of Something For The Pain: Compassion and Burnout in the Emergency Room and Beautiful Eyes: A Father Transformed.

Abigail was one of the major shapers of my publishing career, providing both a smart (but kind!) critical eye on my work, while also offering words of encouragement and inspiration that helped convince me to take myself more seriously as a writer. Two published books later, I consider myself lucky and privileged to have had the chance to work with her, and if you have the chance to do the same, I highly recommend you take it!–Stefanie Gaither, author of falls the shadow and into the abyss
Abigail’s embodiment of the idea that “nothing human is foreign to me” gave me the courage to write my memoir.  Every time I felt scared or insecure, she was rock solid and continued to encourage me without missing a beat. I knew that nothing I could write would shock her or scare her away; at the same time, I never felt the impulse to impress her by bragging about my life. She helped me pay attention to the sensory details that would unlock memory, and the exercises she gave us—both in her traditional classes and in her writing to heal classes– have made me not just a better writer, but a better mother, friend, wife, and physician—Kelly Rothe, DO, Board Certified in Family Practice, Hospice and Palliative Care and Integrative Medicine
When it comes to writing fiction, Abigail DeWitt is the best writing coach I’ve ever met. If you are ready to push yourself to your fullest potential and dedicate yourself to the craft of writing, you will not find a better mentor. Abigail is not only incredibly generous with her comments and insights, she is also innately nurturing and will have you believing that you can write anything! This is not to say that working with her is a walk in the park. Stock up on your paper and pencils; she will make you WORK! For me, she pulled aside the mysterious veil of being “a writer” and led me to discover, and trust, my true voice. —Avery Caswell, author of Motherload, stories
Abigail DeWitt’s teaching is infused with pure intention. This results in students who become quickly poised to delve deep, to write from a place of raw authenticity, and to share with daring dignity. Remarkable writing happens in such an intentional environment, and Abigail offers graceful support to her students each step along the way. —Tony Tallent (Read Tony’s story, “Provisions,” here.)
  I was introduced to Abigail by her sister, who worked with my husband at the time. I began to submit my work by mail once a month, enjoyed a very comprehensive telephone critique (Internet connections in her area were not strong at the time!), and received a written review a few days later. I had taken a few classes by then, but this was my first experience of in-depth critique. I leaned a great deal about the craft from Abigail. To my surprise, after about a year, she suggested I apply for a distance MFA program. I had never heard of such programs, and it had certainly never occurred to me that I was MFA material. Armed with a good reference from Abigail, I applied to two programs and was accepted by both. I opted for Queens University of Charlotte, graduating in 2008. I teach adult education now, and my historical novel The Blitz Business and a poetry chapbook Long in the Tooth, have been traditionally published, in addition to short stories and poems that have appeared in various print and online publications. I have also self published three other books of fiction. I owe my successful second career to Abigail. —D.A. Spruzen, author of The Blitz Business and Not One Of Us

Abigail DeWitt fosters a vibrant writing community in her classes. In each group, Abigail creates a sense of trust while teaching craft, applicable to writers at all stages of development. Her focus on writing every day in order to hone skill while finding voice and story finds its kernel in her attention to providing stimulating prompts in class with close response to the writer’s journey. Abigail has been an important facet in my journey as a writer.–Sue Weaver Dunlap, author of Knead and The Story Tender

The period I spent working with Abigail and the writing group that she led in Boston in the early 1990s was both enormously beneficial and great fun.  More than anything else it was this experience that convinced me that I had no other choice than to be a writer.

We’d begin each class with a ‘free write’ which consisted of writing for fifteen minutes without ever lifting one’s pencil from the page beginning with a topic sentence provided by Abigail. Nearly twenty-five years later I still look back with awe on the thrillingly intimate glimpses into our lives that we all shared.  It was nearly a miracle that Abigail got us to do it! I now believe that learning to free write was one of the most important things that I’ve ever learned as a writer.

Also, I believe that the group practice of always beginning the critique of each other’s work with several positive comments was tremendously useful and important.   It was in learning to be compassionate towards others, Abigail taught, that one learned to be compassionate toward oneself.  Furthermore, this was essential if one was to become one’s own editor, and ultimately, everyone was his or her own best editor. This was a profound lesson.

The use of sensory detail in my writing is one critical lesson that Abigail imparted and that I have yet to fully internalize, though I must report that I am feeling a small sharp pain in the middle of my chest as I write this.–Jim Schwartz, author of In Pursuit Of The Gene