VCFA and Martha Brockenbrough

After submitting my MG novel to several editors, my agent told me Capstone and Random House would be interested in picture book versions of Luci Collins’ story. Lacking confidence in my ability to write a picture book (It’s so hard!!!), I decided to apply for the postgraduate program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts with the brilliantly talented Martha Brockenbrough as my advisor. Martha is equally talented in writing fiction as she is at nonfiction, but it was her nonfiction that captured my attention: biographies, picture books, essays, Trivial Pursuit, journalism. She’s got a wide range of writing skills. I had to wait a semester, due to her book deadline, and I was accepted into the winter session.

One of Martha’s most recent nonfiction picture books. Would make a lovely gift.

For anyone who wants a deeper understanding of Artificial Intelligence: middle grade and up.

This was the first book I read by Martha, and I was hooked.

     The pandemic impacted VCFA’s on-campus programs, so we zoomed our workshops and tutorials, which I loved. In addition to being a fabulous writer, Martha knows how to work with neurodivergent learning styles, and she helped me create a personalized plan of instruction for the semester. I had to submit four packets with fifty pages per packet, and at least six pages had to be critical writing about some aspect of craft. I focused on voice, scene, flashback, and the frame story. The remaining pages were multiple drafts for nonfiction picture books. I came up with ideas I hadn’t even considered before, which I found to be highly motivating. Getting constructive feedback in a way that continued to alter and shape my writing helped me gain the confidence I needed to take risks in my storytelling. Martha emphasized the importance of having fun, while telling the story I want to tell, even though the editor’s “wish list” lurks in the shadows.

     Martha no longer works with VCFA. She is currently the Director of a new MFA program at the University of San Francisco. She also hosts private writing retreats at her home at The Lookout at Seabrook on the Washington Coast. You can find the schedule for her writing workshops at nothingtonovel.com. If you’re looking for a solid course of writing instruction, a class with Martha Brockenbrough might be just what you need. She has my eternal respect.

This is one of her fiction novels, and it’s a great story. The audiobook is fabulous!