Background, Vision, and Testimonials

About Me

I have a Master of Arts in Fiction Writing from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Publication Design (creative writing and graphic design) from University of Baltimore, and a Bachelor of English from Roanoke College. I work as a Professor of English at a community college in Maryland, where I’ve taught creative writing and served as the faculty advisor for the Hedge Apple literary magazine for 15 years. I remain active in a variety of writing communities, and I love working with creative writers of all ages, backgrounds, and interests.

My personal writing genres range the whole way from horror to children’s books, from fiction to poetry, and everything in between. My work has appeared in Bartleby Snopes, PANK, Literary Mama, Scissors & Spackle, and elsewhere. I’ve written and self-published several children’s books. Subsequently, the City of Hagerstown, MD, commissioned me to write a children’s book about the bear sculpture in City Park, which they distributed to all the first graders in the county.

How Proof Rock Can Help You

All creative writers, but especially long-form writers, need forward-looking guidance, manageable deadlines, supportive feedback, and an understanding of the intersection of living and writing. My editorial relationships are sustainable safe places for writers to use as needed throughout the years, and my group classes seek to create community and connection while we move toward project-centered goals and mastery of techniques.

For me, the processes of living and writing intertwine, informing each other in beautiful ways. I’d be honored to help you create the path and communities that will allow you to thrive during your journey.

Testimonials

Through direct, supportive feedback, Amanda helped me see my memoir’s strengths and weaknesses. From both my questions and her breadth of knowledge, she suggested thematic improvements and greater exploration of character development, helping me better manage my plotline. Over the course of 12 weeks, I went from a series of jumbled scenes to a completed outline with a future writing plan. Her developmental editing gave me the tools to write the structural support of my memoir. 

–Laura Jeu, Seattle, WA

Amanda has been my primary writing coach for nearly 15 years and 20+ published pieces. I’m pleased to say that my success as a novelist is coming to fruition because of her classes and coaching. Thanks Amanda!

–Lisa Andrews, Chapel Hill, NC

Amanda has an uncanny knack for grasping what a writer is trying to achieve and knowing how to help those ideas germinate. Her depth of experience, her knowledge of available resources, and her skill at guiding me to develop my own unique writing style promoted a trusting relationship that only deepened as I learned more with each interaction. By the time I finished my memoir, I felt as if I had completed a full semester of creative writing with Amanda.

–Barbara Craig, Penn Yan, NY

Amanda is a fantastic resource both as a developmental writer and as a creative writing educator. I’ve taken multiple workshops with Amanda over the better part of the last couple decades and not only has she helped me refine my craft but she has been essential in keeping the artist in me alive. Amanda has always been an honest source of creative wisdom, critique, and support and I would recommend her services in a heartbeat.

–John Little, Hagerstown, MD

I saw that Amanda Hart Miller was offering her editing services and I thought it was wonderful, because I knew Amanda and that she was a smart, kind, supportive person. I knew she had years of experience as a Professor. I had already written  a novella and I was stuck for years waiting to edit it. I felt sure I needed to publish it, but I just didn’t know where to go. Amanda was the push and support I needed to see the process through. Her encouragement and efficient guidance got me across the finish line and I can now say I am a self-published author. I highly recommend her to any aspiring writer needing the technical and professional support to publish.

–Philip Shaer, Hagerstown, MD