Award-Winning Fiction Writing Tutors

America's #1 Tutoring Platform

Who needs tutoring?

FOXNBCCBSUS NewsTIMEUSA Today

TUTORS FROM

  • YaleUniversity
  • PrincetonUniversity
  • StanfordUniversity
  • CornellUniversity

Award-Winning Fiction Writing Tutors

Talia

Certified Tutor

5+ years

Talia

Bachelor in Arts, Political Science and Government
Talia's other Tutor Subjects
AP Statistics
AP Calculus BC
Middle School Math
Geometry

An avid reader and writer herself, Talia digs into the craft elements that make fiction work: dialogue that reveals character, pacing that builds tension, and point-of-view choices that shape how a reader experiences a story. She gives concrete, line-level feedback that pushes drafts forward without...

Education

Northwestern University

Bachelor in Arts, Political Science and Government

Test Scores
Perfect Score
ACT
36
Patrick

Certified Tutor

4+ years

Patrick

Master of Arts, Creative Writing
Patrick's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
College Essays
Literature

Dialogue that sounds like real people talking, point-of-view choices that control what a reader knows and when — these are the craft decisions that separate a flat story from one that pulls someone in. Patrick digs into these elements as part of his MFA in creative writing at Harvard, and he brings ...

Education

Harvard University

Master of Arts, Creative Writing

Southern New Hampshire University

Bachelor in Arts, English

Certified Tutor

10+ years

Marisa

Bachelors, Writing
Marisa's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Middle School Math
Calculus
Algebra

As one of roughly ten writing majors at MIT — a campus where nearly everyone else is deep in engineering or computer science — Marisa has become the go-to person for turning rough ideas into polished prose across every genre, fiction included. Her specialization in Digital Media means she thinks abo...

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bachelors, Writing

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Minor in Business Management

Test Scores
SAT
1540

Certified Tutor

6+ years

Katie

Bachelor in Arts, Medical Anthropology
Katie's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
SAT Subject Test in Physics
SAT Mathematics

Crafting believable fiction requires more than imagination — it demands deliberate choices about point of view, pacing, dialogue, and scene structure. Katie's liberal arts education at Brown exposed her to a wide range of narrative traditions, from realist short stories to experimental forms, and sh...

Education

Brown University

Bachelor in Arts, Medical Anthropology

Test Scores
Perfect Score
SAT
1600

Certified Tutor

6+ years

Emma

Bachelor of Science, Human Development and Family Studies
Emma's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Middle School Math
Calculus
Algebra

Poetry and nature literature were Emma's first creative loves — she designed and taught original lessons on both at Chautauqua Institution for students ranging from preschoolers to high schoolers. That experience shaping literary material for wildly different audiences translates directly to fiction...

Education

Cornell University

Bachelor of Science, Human Development and Family Studies

Certified Tutor

Hasan

B.A. in Literary Arts and Visual Arts
Hasan's other Tutor Subjects
1st-12th Grade Writing
1st-8th Grade math
1st-8th Grade Reading
3rd-8th Grade Science

Fiction lives or dies in the details — the right sensory image, the tension in a line of dialogue, the pacing of a scene. Hasan studied fiction craft at Brown's Literary Arts program, reading everything from contemporary American short stories to ancient Indian epics, and he brings that range to wor...

Education

Brown University

B.A. in Literary Arts and Visual Arts

Test Scores
SAT
1540

Certified Tutor

Karishma

Bachelor in Arts
Karishma's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
Anatomy
Anatomy & Physiology

Dialogue that sounds wooden, pacing that drags in the middle, point-of-view shifts that confuse the reader — these are the craft problems that separate early drafts from polished fiction. Karishma digs into the mechanics of storytelling, from scene structure to narrative voice, drawing on her own wr...

Education

Northwestern University

Bachelor in Arts

Test Scores
ACT
34

Certified Tutor

David

Bachelor's
David's other Tutor Subjects
9th-12th Grade Writing
9th-12th Grade Reading
Calculus
Algebra

Telling a compelling story requires more than imagination; it demands concrete technique — point of view, pacing, dialogue that reveals character without explaining it. David tackles fiction at the sentence level, pushing students to show rather than tell and to understand why a scene narrated in cl...

Education

University

Bachelor's

Certified Tutor

6+ years

Heather

Bachelor in Arts, Psychology
Heather's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Middle School Math
Geometry
Calculus

Crafting fiction requires a different muscle than academic writing — it's about voice, pacing, dialogue, and trusting your reader to fill in gaps. Heather took a gap year to pursue creative work before earning her psychology degree, and that combination gives her an unusual lens on character develop...

Education

Cornell University

Bachelor in Arts, Psychology

Test Scores
SAT
1550

Certified Tutor

5+ years

Sarah

Bachelor's in Mathematics (minor: Creative Writing and Statistics)
Sarah's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Linear Algebra
College Algebra
Trigonometry

Sarah earned a creative writing minor at Penn, where she workshopped short fiction and learned to craft characters, dialogue, and narrative structure from the ground up. She teaches fiction writing as a process — brainstorming a premise, building tension scene by scene, and revising with purpose rat...

Education

University of Pennsylvania

Bachelor's in Mathematics (minor: Creative Writing and Statistics)

Test Scores
ACT
35

Meet Varsity Tutors Experts

Connect with highly-rated educators ready to help you succeed.

Lesleigh

Calculus Tutor • +43 Subjects

I am currently working on my PhD in English Literature at Southern Methodist University. I specialize in the intersection between ancient texts and Christianity as it is evident in Renaissance literature. During my MA I worked as a teacher's assistant, learning teaching strategies from many distinguished professors. Students met with me one on one to discuss assignments, work on papers, and review for tests. During these years I had the opportunity to work with several ESL students and students with disabilities. Being deaf in my right ear gives me a unique perspective when working with students struggling with disabilities because I have fought those battles myself, albeit to a smaller degree than some. I firmly believe that disabilities should never stand in the way of learning. Hobbies: reading, music, writing, singing, art, books, hiking

View Profile

Peter

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +153 Subjects

I'm looking forward to helping your student find personal success in their academic lives! Hobbies: art, books, sports, reading, music, writing

View Profile

Amanda

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +84 Subjects

I'm currently a fourth year medical student at a private medical school in Texas. I've been involved with tutoring since middle school continuing all the way through medical school. There are so many different ways to teach based on how students learn best and I am passionate about meeting the individual needs of students so they can succeed. I took unconventional approaches to learning as instilled by mentors throughout my life that greatly increased my ability to learn and comprehend material . I've worked with tutoring students in ACT prep, SAT prep, MCAT prep, IB and AP courses, as well as STEM subjects from elementary school through to college. Recently, I've also tutored for USMLE Step 1 & 2. I also edit and work with students who need tutors for writing and reading comprehension. I have extensive experience in both college and medical school admissions and work yearly with students on essays and applications. I went to high school at the Downingtown STEM Academy and graduated May 2018 from the University of Alabama with a 4.2. I have a BS in Biology with minors in Social Work and Social Welfare. I will be graduating with an MD and MPH in May 2022. I tutor english, math, geometry, algebra, SAT, ACT, MCAT, USMLE chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, and writing along with other subjects. I've worked with rural students in Alabama, students in the Greater Philadelphia area, and students in urban areas. I believe education should be personalized and while schools can't provide this due to lack of resources, tutors are a great substitute for that. Education is the gateway to social mobility and happiness and I seek to prepare my student to meet their individual goals. I work to create an environment where the student can focus on understanding the material for their own understanding and not for others which significantly increases the students confidence in the subject matter and their desire to learn more.

View Profile

Saniya

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +67 Subjects

I am a recent graduate of Rhodes College, where I received my Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry and English. After graduation, I have remained close to academia by auditing classes in the areas of Anatomy and Physiology, Organ Systems, Histology, Embryology, and Neuroscience.

View Profile

Mati

Calculus Tutor • +37 Subjects

I am currently a high school counselor and the combination of all of my experience gives me a unique window into the world of education and college entrance. My experience, combined with my doctoral degree with a focus on learning disabilities, allows me a varied perspective while working with children. I work with the whole child and pride myself ion being able to meet each of my students where they are while pushing them to achieve more than they ever thought possible. As a mother of two children with dyslexia, I have seen first hand, the frustration and struggles that accompany learning challenges and I am here to help. In addition to my experience in education, I have also been writing for over 30 years and have had articles and poems published in multiple magazines and journals and have co-authored several medical journal articles related to food allergy and bullying and have also published two books about counseling and learning disabilities through Routledge Press.

View Profile

Sarah

Calculus Tutor • +34 Subjects

I am liberal arts trained and excel at connecting concepts across academic disciplines. Hobbies: reading, writing, art, gardening, books, music

View Profile

Jack

AP Calculus AB Tutor • +50 Subjects

I'm a recent grad from Northwestern (B.A. in Theatre and Economics) who loves teaching and learning. I love helping other people achieve their goals and helping students find ways to be their best selves. Excited to meet and work with Chicagoland's students!

View Profile

Hanlu

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +33 Subjects

I'm currently an undergraduate student at Washington University, and have a passion for teaching and working with children. I have experience in working with kids in a variety of settings, and am very approachable and friendly.

View Profile

Kahini

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +67 Subjects

I am currently a neuroscience PhD student at Columbia University. I majored in English and Psychology from Brown University, with a 4.0 and honours in Psychology. Following this, I worked at a lab at UPenn for three years, slowly transitioning to software engineering and computational neuroscience.

View Profile

Dakota

12th Grade math Tutor • +126 Subjects

I am a native Texan now living in NYC. I just finished my Master's degree, and I love food, reading, and travel. I've been working and volunteering as a tutor since my high school days, and I am eager to provide advanced-level assistance to you! I'm a friendly, approachable person who maintains a professional but fun learning atmosphere. And, most importantly, we get hard work done! Hobbies: art, books, travel, reading, cooking, music, writing

View Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Fiction writers often struggle with show-versus-tell—describing scenes and emotions through action and dialogue rather than explanation. Other frequent challenges include developing authentic character voices, maintaining consistent point of view, pacing plot effectively to avoid sagging middles, and creating dialogue that sounds natural while advancing the story. Tutors can help identify which of these elements are holding back your writing and provide targeted feedback on specific passages.

A Fiction Writing tutor can guide you through character development techniques like backstory exploration, motivation mapping, and internal conflict identification. They'll help you move beyond surface-level traits to create characters with contradictions, desires, and realistic flaws. Through analyzing published examples and revising your own work, you'll learn how subtle details—speech patterns, physical gestures, choices under pressure—reveal character more powerfully than direct description.

While there's no single "right" structure, understanding narrative frameworks like the three-act structure, the Hero's Journey, or Save the Cat can provide scaffolding for your plot. A tutor can help you identify where your story's inciting incident, rising action, climax, and resolution should occur, and diagnose pacing problems—like why readers might lose interest in act two. The key is learning which structure serves your specific story, then using it flexibly rather than rigidly.

Voice emerges through consistent choices about word selection, sentence rhythm, perspective, and what you choose to emphasize. A tutor can help you analyze your natural patterns by reading samples of your writing aloud, identifying your strengths (perhaps lyrical description or snappy dialogue), and helping you strengthen weak areas. Reading widely in your genre and studying how published authors construct sentences also trains your ear—tutors can recommend strategic reading paired with revision exercises to accelerate this development.

Revision works best in layers rather than all at once. Start with big-picture concerns: Does the plot serve your theme? Are character arcs satisfying? Then move to scene-level editing: Does each scene have clear purpose and tension? Finally, tackle line-level work: word choice, sentence flow, and grammar. A tutor can teach you this systematic approach and provide detailed feedback on specific sections, helping you distinguish between surface-level fixes and deeper structural problems that need addressing.

Effective dialogue balances realism with purpose—it should reveal character, advance plot, or deepen relationships without feeling like exposition. A tutor can help you identify when dialogue is doing too much work (explaining backstory the reader doesn't need) or too little (characters just chatting without consequence). Techniques like reading dialogue aloud, studying how published authors handle similar scenes, and understanding subtext—what characters want versus what they say—all strengthen this crucial skill.

Not all feedback is equally valuable, and learning to evaluate it is a crucial skill. A tutor can help you distinguish between feedback that identifies real problems in clarity, logic, or craft versus subjective preferences about style or taste. They'll teach you to ask clarifying questions like "What specifically confused you?" and "Does this serve the story's purpose?" rather than accepting every suggestion. This develops your critical judgment and helps you maintain your vision while genuinely improving your work.

Understanding your genre's reader expectations—whether you're writing literary fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, or science fiction—helps you either meet those expectations effectively or subvert them intentionally. A tutor can guide you through strategic reading of published works in your target genre, helping you identify patterns in pacing, character types, plot structure, and thematic concerns. This knowledge becomes your foundation for making informed craft choices rather than accidentally confusing readers or missing opportunities to satisfy genre conventions.

Connect with Fiction Writing Tutors

Get matched with expert tutors in your subject