The mentor offers the student personally focused instruction and encouragement throughout the semester. Five times, at approximately three-week intervals, students send to instructors a packet consisting mostly of original creative writing, questions about the craft of writing, and short essays commenting on the individualized reading list. The response includes constructive criticism, comments on technical and aesthetic issues, and suggestions for revision or further reading.
Students also exchange ideas and work with other students.
Thus while this study is referred to as independent, it is also collaborative, as there is continual supervision from the faculty mentor and ongoing dialogue with other students during the semester. The details and semester plan are worked out with the instructor. Packets for poetry or writing for children are similar, though the page count of original work will vary. Holiday breaks in December and April are built into the schedule.