Testimonials
Website Design
When I finished my novel, I thought the hardest part was behind me. But it was clear that the next hurdle, finding an agent, was a daunting task. Fortunately, Chris Daley helped me craft a winning query letter, through a few meetings and some masterful editing, that got me an excellent agent which led to a big five deal.
As the novel neared publication, there was only one place to turn for a website! Chris “got” the vibe of the book, but also understood how important it was that my academic work was showcased. She also patiently walked me through how to update the site on my own. I’m thrilled with the result. —Jennifer N. Brown, author of The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton
It was such a delight to work with Chris Daley on my author website. She was exceptionally creative and patient, devising several great potential strategies and designs until we chose one that would be the most effective aesthetically and commercially. She was wonderful to communicate with, and she even scheduled an hour-long meeting to talk through the process of using Squarespace so that I could make changes myself. I love my beautiful new website! —Lan Samantha Chang, author of Hunger and The Family Chao
I enjoyed working with Chris immensely. She has a great eye for design and wonderful taste. Importantly, she was easy and fun to work with. From the outset, it was clear that Chris understood just what a working writer wants and needs in a website, which is rare. Plus, she was helpful as I debated various images and design elements. She was patient—yet pushed me forward—when my natural aversion to new technology reared its head. She was human and kind. My new website is exactly what I wanted; Chris breathed life into a partially formed vision. I highly recommend Chris Daley. —Heather Beasley Doyle, journalist
Chris was patient with me as I assembled the information to launch this new chapter in my writing and life. I am a Gen-Xer with, shall we say, limited technical expertise, so I am very grateful to Chris for her guidance. She understood right away what sort of look, feel, and organization I wanted for the site. If you’re looking for a new site yourself, I can’t recommend her highly enough. —Susan Rukeyser, author of The Worst Kind of Girl
The website looks great! Friends have actually called me on the phone to compliment it! —Catherine Julia Carberry, writer
Chris designed a beautiful writing website for me. Since she’s also a writer, her insights were spot on! She was patient and collaborative by taking the time to show me how to make my own updates. I highly recommend her! —Andrea Tate, writer
I’m so grateful to Chris for designing my website so beautifully. I’m so pleased with it on every level. Chris honored my vision and created an outstanding landing page around a photograph commissioned for the site. It exceeded my wildest dreams. Friends who have visited my new website consistently praise its artistry. Here are a few comments I’ve received: stunning, sophisticated, beautiful, love the visuals and colors, brilliant, captures your spirit. —Judy Bolton-Fasman, Asylum: A Memoir of Family Secrets
Working with Chris was a delight. She transformed my visions and ideas into a gorgeous, easy-to-navigate website that I absolutely love. She’s a dynamic collaborator, a consummate professional, and a visionary herself who works with you to create magic on the web. I’m so glad I found her! Very highly recommended. —Ruth Knafo Setton, author of The Road to Fez
I've worked with Chris Daley twice. The first time I provided all the visual images and ideas for the site and the results were pretty good. The second time I gave her only a broad sense of what I was looking for and let her handle the rest—and the results were WAAY better. I heartily recommend Chris to any writer looking to create a new website or refresh a tired old one. —Michael Bourne, author of We Bring You an Hour of Darkness and Blithedale Canyon
Chris is awesome. She made a daunting project accessible and I so appreciate her thoughtfulness, patience, and willingness to think through something until it felt like "me." —Kaile Shilling, writer and nonprofit consultant
A BIG thanks to my incredible web designer, Chris Daley. She did great work quickly—all for a very affordable price. The site is gorgeous and easy to navigate. My publisher loves it (did a happy dance upon seeing it, saying it was one of the best author pages she had ever seen). She has a sharp eye, selected a creative color palette and responded quickly to every suggestion I had. I cannot thank her enough for her excellent work. —Jo Napolitano, The School I Deserve: Six Young Refugees and Their Fight for Equality in Trump’s America
Chris was such a pleasure to work with—smart, accommodating, and the finished website looks terrific. She understood exactly what I was trying to achieve (even when I couldn’t clearly articulate it!) and managed to translate my thoughts into a beautiful, intuitive, and easily maintained website. Much recommended! —Janelle Brown, Pretty Things
Chris Daley is amazing—her sense of design, creativity, and breadth of artistic knowledge are top-notch. She's a great communicator, an innovative troubleshooter, and a wonderful collaborator. —Mary Otis, Burst & Yes, Yes, Cherries
Chris Daley has a beautiful aesthetic, natural intuition, and efficient implementation. My site came together fast, and it looks fantastic!
—Rhodi Hawk, This Town Won’t Tell
Chris is a miracle-worker and a consummate professional. I asked around the Los Angeles writing community for recommendations for a website designer. One name—Chris Daley—kept coming up. Working with Chris has been a pleasure. My new website is visually stunning and easy to navigate. At every point, if I had questions or suggestions, she responded promptly. I recommend Chris with enthusiasm. Engage her services! You will be delighted with the website she designs for you. —Mary Jane Myers, Curious Affairs: Ordinary Women, Peculiar Tales
Chris is the ultimate professional when it comes to web design. She marries creativity to content and produces designs that hit on all fronts: dynamic, informative, inspired, and easily navigable. Her ideas were on point and her delivery timely. —Ivy Pochoda, Skid Row Zine
Chris Daley really is a master of website design. Working with her was a delight! After listening to my vision for the website, she talked through templates with me and quickly created a website that I love beyond my wildest dreams. She has the eye and design skills of an artist, and is also incredibly talented and reliable. I cannot recommend her highly enough. —Mary Pauline Lowry, The Roxy Letters
Chris has transformed my drab starter website into a dynamic—and beautiful—one that better captures me and highlights my work. She was enthusiastic, patient, and competent. Couldn’t ask for more! —Hilary Nelson Jacobs, writer
When I decided that it was time for a website, Chris Daley was the first person that came to mind. I had taken a few classes with her through Writing Workshops LA back in the day, and religiously read her Submission Sunday Substack.
She has her ear closely pressed to the literary world and I trust her guidance and instinct. I had been hesitating about reaching out because I don’t have any books published yet…but only days after contacting Chris, my debut poetry chapbook was picked up for publication! It felt like the universe’s way of telling me that I was moving in the right direction.
Chris worked with me—a not very tech-savvy person—patiently and kindly. She was always quick to respond to last minute edits and additions. She is very easy to collaborate with because she is so naturally intuitive. Chris was able to bring my gothic punk rock fantasy website to life in a very classy way. I officially feel like the real deal. Imposter syndrome be damned! —Tiffany Promise, writer
Chris designed a stylish and very modern website for our small business. She worked quickly, with great attention to detail and created a site that we are proud to send our customers too. It was also great knowing that we had a professional writer and editor proofing all our content! —Patti Denham, Owner, Morgan Insurance Services
Chris was super patient and responsive, and the website looks very professional! —Danit Brown, author of Television for Women and Ask for a Convertible
As an independent scholar without access to a university website and limited technological skills of my own, I was very happy to find Chris through a friend’s recommendation. The resulting website includes all the academic information that I wanted to make available about my publications and interests. She was great to work with, incorporated my preferred images and color scheme, and has been responsive to minor issues. In the first year after my site was activated, I have heard from folks who found me that way, which was exactly my reason for making my own site. Success! —Kathleen Sheldon, historian
Chris created an easily navigable, very professional author site. It showcases my new book with an attractive splashy landing page that allows any visitors to find all they need to know about me. She was a joy to work with and went the extra mile to make sure anyone could find me on the web for teaching, writing, or appearances. Now that the site is live, and my book is out there in the world, I know folks who liked Alterations can find the rest of my books and shorter works, all of which look mighty tantalizing on the site. I know I can adjust the site to change and grow as my writing and publishing does. —Kate Maruyama, author of Alterations and Harrowgate
Editing & Coaching
I was in a crunch to get a small piece edited and proofed very quickly for a last minute deadline. Chris saved me with a quick turnaround and with editing that was precise, clear, and very helpful. Her keen eye made it easy for me to tighten up all the loose threads, and I appreciated the copy editing notes she gave about the piece, which made it easier for me to clarify what I was trying to get across. She was a lifesaver. —Cecil Castellucci, author of The Plain Janes, The Year of the Beasts, and Odd Duck
The project Chris helped me with will be published in Fall 2022. She gave the manuscript a close read and offered thoughtful edits. The book definitely benefited from taking a more braided approach, and I have Chris to thank! —Elizabeth Hall
I've made more progress with Chris Daley as my mentor/coach than I have in any other writing class I've taken. The opportunity to work one on one with her provides the structure and insight I need to keep my writing on track. During our first meeting she helped me find an organizing principle for my memoir and I went off to continue writing with a new energy and excitement. Her edits and suggestions leave my voice intact but give my writing greater clarity. She's warm and funny and I always look forward to our in person meetings. I can very clearly see myself finishing a first draft while working with her, where I couldn't have envisioned that before. —Leah Dieterich, Vanishing Twins (Soft Skull)
Chris's thoughtful editing brought some much needed clarity to two academic articles that were then successfully published in peer-reviewed journals. Her work helped to refine the flow of the story and made the article more readable to those both in the field and outside it. It even made more sense to me! In an entirely different realm, she recently brought a steely gleam to marketing material that I'm confident will be just as effective and successful. Insightful, professional, and trained in multiple disciplines. It's a good thing she's not a cage fighter. But she is an excellent editor. Highly recommended.
—Stephen Immerwahr, Research Scientist (NYC Department of Health)
I have worked with Chris for over a year now to help me polish stories for the various story-telling shows around Los Angeles. Recently, she helped me do a quick revision (two day turnaround time!) on a story that I told at The Mint, and the story was so well received that it was selected to be included in an anthology. She actually helped me get published! She revises with respect to your unique voice and edits with a keen eye, so that you are communicating your story clearly and concisely. Wordcraft is such a great service, because sometimes you don't want to rely on friends or family to learn if what you are writing comes across. You need a dispassionate professional to help you mold that message so it reaches a wider audience. I will be using Wordcraft again in the future, and I am grateful for them! —Janie Haddad Tompkins, Regular Show, Modern Family, and Janie & Aaron Does Hollywood
I first learned about Chris from a valued friend and fellow writer, who took her workshop on memoir writing. Based on my friend's recommendation, I reached out to Chris to edit the manuscript for my third YA novel, Knee Deep, before submitting it to publishers. As authors, we all know the currency of a clean manuscript and that is exactly what Chris delivered in a timely fashion. She was terrific to work with and painstakingly accurate with her line edits. I value her professionalism and her keen eye for the details that make stories come alive. —Karol Hoeffner, screenwriter and author of All You've Got, Surf Ed. and Knee Deep
When I finished my novel, I thought the hardest part was behind me. But it was clear that the next hurdle, finding an agent, was a daunting task. Fortunately, Chris Daley helped me craft a winning query letter, through a few meetings and some masterful editing, that got me an excellent agent which led to a big five deal. —Jennifer N. Brown, author of The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton
I signed on with Chris as a coaching client one year ago. We meet for an hour via phone every other week to discuss writing I've sent to her beforehand. Chris has really helped me negotiate my writing and find another voice I wasn't sure I had. She sets a good pace for me—I’m a lazy writer so I need to be pushed but not overwhelmed. I think that my essays have matured through her coaching, and I finally feel like I have pieces that are fresh enough to submit. Thanks, Chris! —Jo LaCoeur, New Orleans, LA
Quick, detailed, and personal editing help. With only one month left before a required start date for my postdoc, Chris Daley came to my rescue by providing a fresh pair of eyes to help edit the text for my dissertation thesis. Within a week, she had read through the several hundred pages of text, catching typos and providing suggestions on how I might more clearly communicate the technical details of my work. Over coffee, she walked me through her comments, line-by-line, to make sure that I understood her editing suggestions. During the crunch time leading up to my oral defense, it was reassuring to have such helpful feedback. —Jasper C. Simon (Department of Biology, Occidental College)
Chris is a capable editor who can parse through complex text and quickly produce clear and focused material. She has consistently taken our interactive web copy aimed at physicians, researchers, and academics and created leaner and more user-friendly text. Her suggestions for layout and copy division across web pages made final site design easier for us all. Highly recommended. —David Jetton, Interactive Web Designer (Eveo.com)
Writing Instruction
I am a high school teacher who prioritizes community building and equitable recognition of students. My values often leave me dissatisfied as a student. In contrast, in the submission seminar—an online class of all places—Chris Daley created a culture in which all of our questions were worthy and everyone was a source of insight. Even as a novice, I felt safe to reveal my needs, and I left assured in my path. I would recommend Chris to any writing student. —Brian Lin, Los Angeles, CA
I entered Chris Daley’s Creative Nonfiction class knowing that I wanted to work on a memoir I’d been thinking about for a long time, but feeling at a bit of a loss about where to start. The reading assignments Chris selected were incredibly helpful – just learning about how other writers have approached the genre was enough to get me started. By the end of the eight weeks I had a good sense of my strengths and areas of focus for improving my work, thanks to Chris’s instruction and feedback. I also met some great people and had fun discussing writerly things with other writerly types. I’m looking forward to the next workshop. —Sara Campbell, Atlanta, GA
I was entirely new to writing when I registered for a creative nonfiction workshop with Chris Daley. Eight weeks later I had a short story which is about to be published. This is a true testament to Chris as an instructor and a coach, as well as source of inspiration for anyone looking to write. Chris’s charm and sense of humor are key to the collaborative atmosphere she creates in her classes. She skillfully facilitates group discussions, so that everyone walks away with new ideas and volumes of helpful feedback on their work. Her reading assignments are always stimulating and relevant, while the writing prompts never fail to challenge you out of your comfort zone. Chris is a fantastic editor and a kind soul who genuinely wants you to succeed as a writer. I cannot wait for the next class with her. —Elina Gorelik, Los Angeles, CA
Moving to Los Angeles can be a lonely experience. You are never sure where to go to find support and guidance in your art, especially writing. Writing itself is a lonely pursuit, however, by chance I found myself in Chris Daley’s Creative Nonfiction Beginning class and I was forever uplifted. Not only did the environment of the class feel intimate and sincere, but constructive. Chris embodies what writing teachers should be: a balance of ease and drive. The class has the ease of comfortability to be yourself and be open, but also the drive and strictness to keep you on track and find your direction. I’m on my third class with Chris and now pursuing my first nonfiction book. She will be listed on my dedication page; it’s the least I can do to express my gratitude. —Andrea Dandino, Los Angeles, CA
I have been studying with Chris Daley for the past half year and have just re-upped for another class. Her creative nonfiction class (essays/memoirs) has been instrumental in pushing my work further. Chris creates an environment that feels both safe and challenging. One of my pet peeves is when a class is “soft” and everything turned in gets met with unconditional praise. I always feel like I’ve wasted my money and could have simply asked my mom to read the piece! That said, I’m not a glutton for punishment either. Chris’s style is honest and supportive. You get real feedback and the inspiration to take it to the next level. This class is a hidden gem. —Angela Espinosa, Los Angeles, CA
Chris’s workshops are a perfect mix of intellectual rigor, inspiration and fun. She looks out for her writers, fosters a generous atmosphere, and exposes us to a lot of great reading. These are the best writing classes I’ve taken in Los Angeles. —Kristen Havens, Los Angeles, CA
If you've been putting off writing and want to produce more work, these courses will hold you accountable. After taking courses with both Chris Daley and Neela Banerjee, I generated forty new pages of prose and improved them through workshop discussions and feedback. I used that work as part of my MFA application portfolio and now I'm attending a fully funded program in fiction writing! I can't imagine being here without Chris's and Neela's guidance. I'd highly recommend taking a course.—Ryan Bedsaul, Los Angeles, CA
I was led to Chris Daley's advanced creative nonfiction workshop by a lucky string of events and it has activated my writing life. Chris's teaching style is direct, insightful, and kind. Like the best demanding teacher you've ever had, she expects thorough participation in each of her carefully crafted class segments—and she gets it from all of her students. I'm writing more than I ever have in my life, and I'm addicted to spending Wednesday nights with this inspiring group. The discipline of reading the assigned texts and each other's work, as well as a writing a short piece to read aloud each week, has cranked up my writing to a new level. —Joyce Salter,
Los Angeles, CA
Finding an environment that is at once nurturing and challenging is almost as important to the writing process as actually sitting down in front of the computer. Writing is hard, finding inspiration is hard, honing your voice is hard, and doing it all on your own is lonely… but as it turns out, it doesn’t have to be. You may not think you need a class to write, but I guarantee the process will be far more enjoyable if you take the creative nonfiction class. You will discover so much more about yourself as a writer, especially with a teacher like Chris Daley pushing you to explore and play. She creates a safe place for us to try and fail, learn from it, and then try again and grow. Everyone has a natural voice, but a class like this, with a teacher like Chris, will help you not only sharpen what is best about your unique voice but also explore new styles that could potentially open you up to whole new worlds as a writer. Unless you’re illiterate, you probably don’t need a class to learn how to write, but you really should consider this class if you want to learn how to be a writer. —Emma Fletcher, Los Angeles, CA
Chris Daley has the ability to coax her students’ pieces from inception through revision to final draft, and then tell you exactly where you can submit them. Chris is able to verbalize details from a student’s writing that may be from three revisions earlier. I love how she has designed these one-page writing assignments that manage to be as encouraging as they are challenging. I have been taking Chris’s class every session since I met her almost two years ago. I know for a fact that my fellow advanced nonfiction classmates consider Chris’s class, as I do, to be a driving force in the progress of their writing.
Oh, and I also love how Chris loves LA, particularly the vibrant literary culture of which she is an important part. She is a working writer and writing professor who moderates multiple panels at the LA Times Festival of Books; she is a judge for the 2014 LA Times Book Prize for Fiction and First Fiction categories, and she is the co-founder of WordCraft, a writing consulting collective in LA. Yet with all that going on, her written critiques of students' work read like she has gone over them three or four times. She also has a great sense of humor, a great asset in a teacher of creative nonfiction. —Terrance Flynn, Claremont, CA
Chris Daley's nonfiction class was a transformative experience for me. Chris's readings, discussion and critiques are carefully chosen to spark new thoughts and approaches. Chris is funny and relaxed but at the same time serious and professional. I walked into the class and knew immediately that I was in good hands. In only eight weeks, she helped me see nonfiction in general and my writing in particular in an entirely new light. If you want to learn, laugh, think, feel, and grow as a person and a writer, sign up with Chris. —Joy Allen, Los Angeles, CA
I love Chris and her class. She’s warm and highly intelligent, thoughtful and thought provoking. I started her class two sessions ago with no previous writing experience and only an idea. As I now enter my third session I am close to completing my first long form composition, a one man show. She helped to give form and guidance to my fledgling thoughts and motivated without judgment, all while fostering a supportive atmosphere that is often filled with laughter. —Gregory Thirloway, Los Angeles, CA
Enrolling in Chris Daley's nonfiction class was the best decision I made once I moved to Los Angeles. Her class unquestionably propelled my writing to a higher level. My choice in WWLA manifested from all the great testimonials, professional communication, and a gut feeling that her class would stimulate my creative process. Chris' intimate classroom setting, required reading, and class structure showed me she was an organized professional. She layered topics to build a collated, macroscopic platform to understand the craft of writing better, but each teaching concept could still be teased apart, skillfully standing on its own. Her assignments improved my writing every week, and I created the best work I had known. I always received quality feedback in a collaborative forum. Chris possesses a gift for editing, regardless of your writing style. She created a safe, supportive environment to grow, and shared her relaxed candor through every class. I had a great time! Given that, this class requires work and committment. If you're interested in participating, Chris' class is a great place to learn. —Elizabeth Vereshko, Los Angeles, CA
Chris Daley knows what is going on. After taking several classes at UCLA, I was fed up with the epic commute and the exorbitant prices. I was thrilled to find WWLA and specifically Chris Daley. I had the good fortune of taking a creative nonfiction class with her. The readings she assigned were instrumental in forming a new and deeper understanding of the craft. Her critiques of work in class are honest and thoughtful and she delivers them with kid gloves. I am looking forward to taking more classes with Chris and trying out other teachers at WWLA. I am so happy I found this incredible resource for writers in Los Angeles. —Hope Moore, Los Angeles, CA
