My own writing JOURNEY began almost 20 years ago with my first Creative Writing class at the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society (AWCS). More courses, lectures, workshops and conferences over the years, along with trial and error, alongside my skilled writing group, the Corner Lot, gaining critiques and critiquing for other, I am now contracted to teach Creative Writing for the AWCS.

My own writing projects include a published series of three Children’s Illustrated Picture books, a complete but unpublished middle grade book, and multiple short stories. In the past I have engaged with fellow writers by supporting and volunteering for When Words Collide. My observational skills have also come in as helpful for reworking resumes, scripts for websites, and in offering professional Manuscript Reviews through the AWCS.

Other writing and reading experiences that have added to my confidence supporting others are as follows:

Many Voices Writing Contest Juror on multiple occasions, providing feedback to burgeoning writers.

“Working with Leesa was genuinely one of the most valuable parts of my revision process. She helped sharpen the clarity, flow, grammar, and overall readability of my manuscript while respecting my voice as a writer. Her feedback was thoughtful and practical. What I appreciated most was Leesa’s ability to identify moments where a reader might stumble or need more clarity. I’d absolutely recommend Leesa to other authors looking for insightful, constructive editorial support and manuscript feedback.”

Mitali Banerjee Ruths (she/her)
Author of The Party Diaries with
an upcoming Simon and Schuster 2026 title.
Jitty and the Machine
@mitaliruths

What Is a Manuscript Review?

As taken from the AWCS website:

The Manuscript Review Service is designed to guide you on the next steps for your manuscript and provide advice. The goal of the manuscript reviewer is to read your manuscript, identify strengths and weaknesses, and suggest what you need next.

Depending on the length of your manuscript, this process can take up to 4-6 weeks for completion for long texts like novels and up to 2 weeks for short bursts like short stories. 

​You should receive a detailed overview of your manuscript, typically ranging from 1 to 10 pages depending on length and complexity. This overview will include strengths, areas for improvement, and suggested next steps.

Note: Sometimes reviews can sting a little. As writers we work so hard on our manuscripts and it’s hard to hear criticism. We recommend that you read the criticism and then sit on it for a few weeks, think about it. Sometimes things that seemed completely off base the first time around, makes way more sense later. 

“Leesa is a careful and insightful reader who provides thoughtful feedback and challenges writers to consider new perspectives in their work.”

“I appreciated the feedback Leesa shared on my story. She provided a number of thoughtful points to consider, and I spent time reflecting on them as I continued revising the piece. I think one of the interesting things about writing is that there can be many valid interpretations of where a piece might go. Ultimately, the writer has to decide what feels most authentic to the work they want to create. That said, I truly valued hearing different perspectives throughout the writing process, and Leesa’s comments were part of that reflection for me.”

Dale Wilson
AWCS Creative Writing Course and Author of the Children’s Illustrated Picture book
A Caw Caw Caw Kind of Day

One Lucky Teddybear books are now available through Amazon.ca

Click the images below to read and see samples of the opening pages. All writing and illustrations are by Leesa.