A popular developmental editor and writing coach who has helped hundreds of clients finalize and publish their work, Peter Mountford is the author of the novels A Young Man's Guide to Late Capitalism (2012 Washington State Book Award in fiction), and The Dismal Science (NYT editor’s choice), as well as a collection of short stories, Detonator (silver medal in the 2025 North American Book Awards). His work has appeared in Paris Review, the New York Times (Modern Love), Ploughshares, NYT Magazine, The Atlantic, The Sun, Guernica, and he is a regular contributor to Writer's Digest. He's currently on faculty at UNRT's low-residency MFA program. His former clients and students have published widely and include two recent New York Times bestsellers.
Teaching Style and Philosophy: I believe the best I can do for students is help free them from the tyranny of talent and the whims of inspiration, which are fair-weather friends. Instead, I want you to hone your personal aesthetic, and to develop an authorial voice, and most importantly develop fluency with the elements of craft. One you can control what's happening on the page with ease, producing publishable work is no longer a mysterious fluke, but a familiar and non-scary process.
Website: petermountford.com
