Ralph J. Fletcher

Ralph J. Fletcher (born March 17, 1953) is an American writer and educational consultant known for his influential work on the teaching of writing and for his books for children and young adults. He grew up as the oldest of nine children in Marshfield, Massachusetts, and earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1975 and an M.F.A. in writing from Columbia University in 1983. He began his career working in New York City classrooms through the Teachers College Writing Project, supporting teachers' professional development in writing instruction, and from 1985 worked as an educational consultant, becoming widely recognized for helping teachers develop effective writing workshops in the United States and abroad. He lives with his family in New Hampshire and has frequently collaborated with his wife, educator JoAnn Portalupi, on professional books for teachers.

Fletcher has authored numerous professional books for teachers, including Focus Lessons: How Photography Enhances the Teaching of Writing; Guy-Write: What Every Guy Writer Needs to Know; How Writers Work: Finding a Process That Works for You; Joy Write: Cultivating High-Impact, Low-Stakes Writing; Live Writing: Breathing Life into Your Words; Making Nonfiction from Scratch; Mentor Author, Mentor Texts: Short Texts, Craft Notes, and Practical Classroom Uses; Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out; What a Writer Needs, Second Edition; A Writer's Notebook: New and Expanded Edition: Unlocking the Writer within You; Nonfiction Craft Lessons: Teaching Information Writing K-8; Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices; Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8; and Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide. He is also an award-winning author of books for children and young adults, including Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, Spider Boy, and Uncle Daddy.