Fiction Writing Certificate alum Tamika Thompson has had a string of successes since graduating. Of her achievements Tamika says, “Since completing the program, I have had several stories published, some of which I workshopped in class with Stephen Cooper and Reyna Grande. My recent sales include a speculative story, “Bridget Has Disappeared,” to science fiction magazine Interzone, a short story, “I Am Goddess,” to a horror anthology published by Sinister Smile Press, a novella, Salamander Justice, coming this fall from horror publisher Madness Heart Press, and my debut short story collection, Unshod, Cackling, and Naked to Unnerving Books, with a January 2023 release date.”
Of her experience in the Writers’ Program she says, “I came to UCLA Extension having already attained a Master of Arts in Journalism and with several years of experience working in that field. The Writers’ Program helped me to make the transition from creative non-fiction to fiction, work on my craft, and better understand the process of getting work published. I had several accomplished and thoughtful instructors whose lessons inform my writing journey today: Alison Singh Gee, Samantha Dunn, and Norman Kolpas for non-fiction; Ian Randall Wilson, Stephen Cooper, Reyna Grande, and Mark Sarvas for fiction. I advise anyone interested in novel writing to take a class with Mark Sarvas. He not only teaches craft in a digestible way, but his students also walk away knowing how to read like a writer, how to revise their own work, and how to be a valuable workshop participant.”
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