Northern Beaches tutor in Creative Writing, English, English Literature, Essay Writing, Reading

Working With Children Check no: WWC1293942E

Thank you for considering me as a tutor for your young writer or learner! I offer a friendly, child-safe, nurturing space within which to develop their creative thinking and appreciation. As a multi-award-winning author, I love empowering students with greater confidence in their current abilities, arming them with enhanced literacy skills, and enabling them to cultivate their own unique form of self-expression. As a mum of two STEM kids (not that they're kids anymore!), I also love helping those who struggle with English (or even hate the subject), yet need good marks to facilitate their future careers. Either way, my tutoring is all about advancing imaginative thinking, creative engagement, and new technical skills.

My only requirement is that students have to want a tutor. Whether it’s to improve their creative writing, essay writing, or literary analysis abilities, I can help them improve their performance – but only if they want to be there. See ‘Is My Child Ready For Tutoring?’ below.

1. Group Workshops

For tutoring in groups, please see my Talks page. I teach all kinds of workshops in schools, libraries, writing groups and other venues. Sessions can be face-to-face or virtual (delivered via online video conferencing such as Skype, FaceTime, Teams or Zoom). If you’d like me to teach your group, for a few hours or a full day, please send your organisation contact this link and ask them to get in touch for a quote: http://zenashapter.com/talks/.

2. One-on-One Creative Writing Tutoring

Whether your young writer already has a passion for words, or they’re completely new to writing as a creative pursuit or task, my creative writing opportunities are all about expanding and enhancing individual creativity with words.

– Rockface Challenges (for those starting out): My Rockface Challenges are ideal for any young writer seeking inspiration and to extend themselves outside of the classroom, such as during school holidays or over the weekend. Rockface Challenges are personalised, completely tailored to your young writer’s specific interests and current abilities – once you tell me what they like to do at home and at school, I devise a variety of bespoke writing challenges for them to choose between. They pick a challenge and write a response, then I review their work and send them detailed but easy-to-understand feedback, telling them what they’re doing right and what they need to do to take their writing to the next level. I also offer the additional opportunity for students to revise their work and resend to me for another round of feedback. We can do rounds of feedback until it’s perfect if you like!

– Cut & Polish (for those developing written drafts): For young writers who are already writing their own stories, we arrange developmental sessions with a focus on identifying personal goals and how to achieve them, enhancing technical skills, self-authenticity, originality, fluency and expression, all while developing a personal stylistic form and evoking divergent thinking. We recognise that creative writing can have amazingly positive impacts on intellectual, emotional, social, and interpersonal development, so we preserve passion for writing above all else. Creativity is a joyful activity that lifts the spirit. I also offer the additional opportunity for developmental students to arrange occasional video conferencing sessions, if an exploratory process is needed to stretch idea generation or innovate with problem-solving. Please note that scheduled video conferencing sessions are charged on a non-refundable time basis, because I set aside time for your booked slot and refuse other work for that period, so if you cancel a session for any reason I am unable to refund or reschedule. You are of course welcome to make another booking. In the highly unlikely event that I have to cancel a pre-booked video conferencing session for any reason, however, I will of course refund the cost of that cancelled session in full.

– Windowfront (for those polishing written drafts): For young writers who would like to publish their work, I edit their words structurally and line-by-line, acting as a ‘translator’ between what they intend and the meaning readers actually receive. We look at industry-standard formatting and styles, and whatever else needs to be done to produce a professional polished result. As an award-winning editor and book creator, I have many practical solutions and considerations to share. There are testimonials and more details about my extensive editorial experience on my Editing Services page.

– How to Book (for everyone): If your young writer would enjoy or benefit from any of the above options, please get in touch with their age, school year, interests, writing intentions, and how much time you’d like me to spend on your child. Sessions are booked on a casual basis, as they are generally delivered via ‘marked up’ documents exchanged by email or Google docs according to the student’s needs. My hourly rates are below.

3. One-on-One Casual English Tutoring

PLEASE NOTE: Due to high demand I am currently fully booked for *regular* tutoring sessions, but am still available for casual tutoring as set out below, and my daughter takes on other regular tutoring clients using all my methods (she was 9th in the state in English Advanced in 2024, with an ATAR of 98.25, now in her 2nd year at UNSW). Her hourly rate is approximately half of mine, and she takes on students currently in Years 9-12.

Casual tutoring is for young learners who need a boost with school exams or assessments. We focus on comprehension, textual analysis, clarity of expression, use of sophisticated phraseology, exposing students to more advanced texts, predicting possible exam curve-balls, and bridging any gaps in classroom learning, enabling them to achieve higher marks.

As required, I can assist with:

• creating imaginative, discursive or persuasive writing, • preparing students for unseen reading section questions, or
• polishing draft essays ready for assessments or exams.

Your young learner can either send me work they’ve already completed for a deeper individualised review, or I can send them an essay question, creative writing stimulus, or reading section questions, which they attempt then submit for detailed comment and further expert guidance. The turnaround for this assistance is usually a few working days (not weekends!), as it is generally delivered via ‘marked up’ documents exchanged by email or Google docs according to the student’s needs. If you’d like to give your young learner this extra help, please get in touch with their age, school year, assistance required, and how much time you’d like me to spend on your child. My hourly rates are below.

Is My Child Ready For Tutoring?

Students are ready for tutoring when they look forward to receiving and completing tutor assignments, and are disappointed if they have to miss out. They want all the help they can get to progress themselves and they value tutoring as a tool to get them where they know they need or want to be. If this doesn’t sound like your child, consider pressing pause on tutoring for now – you’d be welcome to come back to me later when they’re more ready. Otherwise there is a risk that they will start to see tutoring as a drag and, when they need it the most, they won’t be receptive to it. I have plenty of HSC English students who come to me in their final years of high school, and I can help get them up to speed in that time if they’re hungry for it. Hunger is the key – it’s important not to underestimate it!

My Qualifications & Hourly Rate

I went to a selective high school in England (Bournemouth Grammar School for Girls), where I achieved three ‘A’ grades in English, Biology, and History A-Levels, as well as a distinction in RSA Information Technology. Australians, please note that an ‘A’ was the highest grade possible in England at that time, and students generally only took three subjects. I then went to the University of Birmingham where I read English Literature, as well as taking two minors in Psychology and Media & Cultural Studies, awarding me a 2:1 Bachelor of Arts with General Honours. I also have two postgraduate UK legal diplomas, am a fully qualified UK solicitor (specialising in intellectual property), have an Australian postgraduate certificate in trade mark law, and I am a fully qualified Australian trade mark attorney. However, I left my legal career to dedicate my life to an innate and soulful love of words. Over the years, I have taken a bazillion creative writing courses, have won over a dozen national creative writing competitions, have creative work published commercially all over the world, and I am award-winning editor and writing mentor. I now judge writing competitions for both adults and young writers. My hourly rates are as follows:

Years 9-10: $135 per hour
Year 11: $140 per hour
Year 12: $145 per hour

I Also Teach Adults!

A writer myself, I read extremely widely and enjoy: thrillers, crime, horror, science fiction, fantasy, women’s fiction, romance, dystopia, young adult, children’s, memoir, history, science and biographies! I have many interests – health, lifestyle, economics, the future, technology, nature. I also have many qualifications – I love learning! I’m also a keen traveller and have been to almost fifty countries, all across North, South and Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. I’m an advocate for inclusive creativity and have founded many community creativity projects. I’m open-minded and nurturing. For more on my work with adults, click here: http://zenashapter.com/creative-support/

Contact

Experience

Zena has been inspiring writers and teaching them about their craft since 1991, when she started a weekly writers’ group for creative teenagers. She’s worked with words ever since, and in the publishing industry since 1996. She’s now a writing mentor, editor, layout designer and book creator, short story judge, creative writing tutor, HSC English tutor, and Service NSW Creative Kids Provider. With a BA(Hons) in English Literature, she’s also an author herself, who has won over a dozen national writing awards. Zena loves sharing her experience of creativity with readers, aspiring writers, fans of any age, and young writers seeking to extend themselves. She’s also an inclusive creativity advocate, having founded and led accessible community creativity projects for writers such as the ‘Art & Words Project’ and the award-winning Northern Beaches Writers’ Group, where she guides members in the completion of their individual writing projects on a monthly basis. Whether it’s a room packed of listeners, an intimate group, or private one-on-one tutoring, Zena can grab your attention, demystify your understanding, and replace it with clarity of vision. She has a passion for words and their power to connect.

Qualifications

I went to a selective high school in England (Bournemouth Grammar School for Girls), where I got three ‘A’s in my English, Biology, and History A-Levels, as well as a distinction in RSA Information Technology. Australians, please note that an ‘A’ was the highest grade possible in England at that time, and that students generally only took three subjects. I then went to the University of Birmingham where I read English Literature, as well as taking two minors in Psychology and Media & Cultural Studies, awarding me a 2:1 Bachelor of Arts with General Honours. I also have two postgraduate UK legal diplomas, am a fully qualified UK solicitor (specialising in intellectual property), have an Australian postgraduate certificate in trade mark law, and I am a fully qualified Australian trade mark attorney. On top of all that, I have taken a bazillion creative writing courses, have won over a dozen national creative writing competitions, have creative work published commercially all over the world, and I am award-winning editor and writing mentor. I now judge writing competitions for both adults and young writers.

I have taught at: Writing NSW, the Society of Women Writers NSW, the Fellowship of Australian Writers, the Mid North Coast Writers Centre, Mosman Community College, Northern Beaches Community College, Sydney’s Freecon, Conflux, Natcon, Carers Australia NSW, the Belong Club, the Bridge Housing Scholarship, the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild, Mosman Council, Northern Beaches Council, and various high schools around Sydney.

Rates

NOTE: Please double-check website for up-to-date rates: www.zenashapter.com/tutoring/

Casual Tutoring
Years 9-10: $135 per hour
Year 11: $140 per hour
Year 12: $145 per hour

Gender

Female

Registered

Joined Tutor Finder on 21-Apr-2020 (updated profile on 01-May-2026)