334. Rescuing Reluctant Writers: Brave Writer Online Classes
Brave Writer
Julie Bogart and Melissa Wiley
4.8 • 927 Ratings
🗓️ 8 April 2026
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What if an online writing class didn’t mean Zoom fatigue, rigid schedules, or one more thing to manage?
In this episode, Melissa Wiley talks with Kirsten Merryman about what makes Brave Writer’s online classes so different: asynchronous discussions, text-based coaching, warm instructor feedback, and a structure that makes room for all kinds of learners. We explore how real writing growth happens, why parents learn right alongside their kids, and which classes might be the best fit for your family, from Story Switcheroo to Essay Prep, Gamers Write, and Media Literacy.
Kirsten Merryman is Brave Writer’s Vice President of Operations and former director of online classes. She is also a longtime homeschooler, writing coach, and curriculum creator who has helped shape Brave Writer’s approach to supporting both parents and young writers.
Join us to discover how writing support can feel personal, practical, and surprisingly freeing.
Resources:
- Explore our upcoming Brave Writer class schedule
- Got questions about classes? Reach out to us at help@bravewriter.com
- Find our favorite books for kids and parents in the Brave Writer Book Shop
- Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
- Purchase Julie’s newest book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
- Find community at the Brave Learner Home
- Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
- Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
- Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
- Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
- Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
- Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to media@bravewriter.com
Connect with Julie:
- Instagram: @juliebravewriter
- Threads: @juliebravewriter
- Bluesky: @bravewriter.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter
Connect with Melissa:
- Website: melissawiley.com
- Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
- Instagram: @melissawileybooks
- Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social
Produced by NOVA
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Looking for a great math program? |
| 0:03.0 | CTC Math provides online video tutorials that make learning math easy and effective |
| 0:10.0 | by using creative graphics and animation that are sure to grab and keep your child's attention. |
| 0:16.0 | Here's a great testimonial from Lori. |
| 0:19.0 | She said one day my 10-year-old was in tears over math. |
| 0:23.7 | I tried my best to help, but I ended up in tears as well. |
| 0:27.7 | That very night, I received an email offer for CTC Math. |
| 0:32.1 | The following Monday, we reviewed the curriculum together. |
| 0:35.8 | She was willing to give it a shot, and we have never looked back. |
| 0:39.3 | Start your free trial today by visiting ctcmath.com. |
| 0:48.3 | Welcome back, everyone, to the Brave Writer podcast, where we offer professional development for parent educators. |
| 0:57.9 | I am Melissa Wiley, and my co-host, Julie Bogart, is away this week. |
| 1:03.0 | So in her absence, I am joined by Kirsten Merriman, the Brave Rider Vice President of Operations, |
| 1:10.7 | and former director of Brave Writer's online classes, |
| 1:15.8 | which is what we're going to talk about today. I'm really excited, Kirsten, to have you here and to get to |
| 1:20.7 | dive into the world of our classes. I can't wait. So excited that you were able to join me for |
| 1:26.9 | this conversation. So I think we'll |
| 1:29.7 | just start by giving a little bit of information about what is the Brave Writer online class wing. |
| 1:37.9 | Right. So, you know, if you've been around the internet at all since 2020, you'll have noticed |
| 1:43.5 | that online classes abound, right? |
| 1:45.8 | There are so many ways that kids learn online these days. Zoom seems to be a very popular |
| 1:53.2 | facet of them, and we all have experience now with these online classes. But Brave Rider actually |
... |
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