Aspiring Author's Club

Course option: Asynchronous with live meetings

Grades: 9th-12th (14+)

Course dates

Summer 2026: June 8-August 7 (Designed for writers who want steady momentum over the summer months while maintaining flexibility.)
Fall: September 1-December 6
Spring (2027): January 11-April 18

Course length: Semester, except Summer 2026

Live sessions: Every other Friday | 2-3 p.m. Eastern | The first meeting of each session focuses on introductions, goal-setting, and community building.

Course size: 6 students

Instructor: Christine Proctor

Cost: $415 per session

More about Christine Proctor

Christine Proctor is an avid reader, lifelong supporter of the English language, and an enthusiastic writing coach. After sixteen years of homeschooling her three sons—now grown and pursuing college and careers—Christine transitioned fully into online teaching, where she brings literature and writing to life for students around the country.

Christine holds a degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina and has professional experience as both a news reporter and a copywriter for a national advertising agency. Teaching writing and analysis was a natural next step. Her years of raising three boys with wide-ranging interests expanded her world beyond reading and writing to include art, music, theater, and sports—experiences that continue to inform her teaching and deepen her perspective.

Before joining Blue Tent Online, Christine led poetry, dramatic writing, and storybook art classes through both the homeschool community and her church. Today, she teaches AP and Honors English to a global student base through Blue Tent, where she also facilitates enrichment offerings such as Creative Writing, Aspiring Authors, Journalism Club, and The Zenned Out Student, a course inspired by Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos’s Happiness Lab.

From the first edits students receive on their work, Christine’s appreciation for clear, effective, and thoughtful communication is evident. Nothing brings her greater satisfaction than helping students discover their own voices and express complex ideas with confidence and precision.

Feedback on Christine Proctor

"It's so sad that this is the last meeting...Time really flies by fast. I felt like this course had just started, but in one blink of an eye, it was already over...This course is by far the best BlueTent course I have ever taken. All of the people here are so nice, and I can express my true feelings without feeling nervous or scared that people will judge or make fun of me. I also made many real, true friends that I can have in my life forever and ever.Thank you Christine for being such a wonderful teacher, you helped me improve. If you compare my work for this class and the work I did for the first time I took this class, there is obviously a big improvement!!!Again, thank you so much!! I will miss this course so so so so much!!"

"This last meet-up, made me a bit sad, because its literally the end of this course. Even though there were times were I felt like I didn't know what to write, or just my stories weren't the best. It was still really fun! Thank you so much, for making this course so enjoyable and I feel like now, I can write better stories than when I first entered!! Thank you so much again, for everything and for helping me throughout my writing journey!!!"

"Probably the most insane thing about these past two semesters is how I almost didn't do this writing class - I almost switched to another one but ended up taking this one. I honestly have no idea where I'd be as a writer without this class, so it's still so crazy to me I almost didn't take it. I just wanted to say THANK YOU so much for being the best writing teacher I've ever had and teaching me and my classmates so much. I'm so grateful to have had this opportunity to go outside of my comfort zone and write things I never would've written otherwise and also to share my work (which I once swore I'd never do LOLL) and get to read everyone else's. My classmates are also the best - we created a group chat and talk to each other sometimes for hours every day. It's the best coincidence ever that we've helped each other become better writers and have also become such great friends. I'M SO SAD CLASS IS ENDINGGG. (But thank you again for teaching this class - I will always remember it!!!"

Course Details

Love writing—but struggle to make consistent time for it?

The Aspiring Authors Club is a supportive, accountability-driven writers’ community for students who are serious about developing a daily writing habit and sharing their work with peers who truly understand the process. Whether students are drafting short stories, novels, poetry, or personal projects, this club helps turn ideas into pages—and pages into progress.

This is not a traditional class. There are no grades, assignments, or deadlines. Instead, students gain something often harder to find: structure, accountability, and an encouraging audience.

How the Club Works

Author Accountability (Daily, but manageable)

Members set a personal daily word-count goal and check in regularly with the group. Goals are flexible and individualized—what matters most is consistency.

If students hit a wall, they can still meet their goals by:

Brainstorming future scenes
Mapping plot or character arcs
Revisiting and revising past work
Offering thoughtful feedback to peers

The focus is on showing up—even on imperfect writing days.

A Note from Christine

This is a club for serious writers—students who are willing to commit to showing up, even on days when inspiration feels far away. Christine’s voice is one among many, offering encouragement, perspective, and accountability drawn from her own writing journey.

Whether publication is a future goal or writing is simply a personal passion, this club exists to provide the structure and community that make steady progress possible.

Format

Live Meetings (Biweekly)

Live sessions are collaborative and encouraging. Activities may include:

Reading excerpts aloud
Receiving group feedback (when requested)
Flash fiction or quick-write challenges
Deep dives into one student’s work
Guest visits from former club members to share their writing journeys

The instructor’s role is that of coach and fellow writer, offering guidance, questions, and encouragement.

Weekly “Show Me” Forums

Each week, students post their writing (daily entries, excerpts, or reflections) and interact with peers. Feedback is always optional and respectful, with an emphasis on encouragement and constructive insight.

Independent Reading (Optional but Encouraged)

Students are encouraged to choose one writing craft book per semester from a curated list. Insights from these readings are shared informally in discussion forums to inspire new strategies and ideas.

Course Goals

By participating in this course, students will:

Establish and maintain a sustainable daily writing habit
Set realistic, personalized writing goals—and follow through on them
Build confidence sharing creative work with a supportive audience
Practice giving and receiving thoughtful, constructive feedback
Develop discipline, stamina, and resilience as writers
Explore revision as a natural and valuable part of the writing process
Experience writing as a meaningful, ongoing practice rather than a one-time assignment