I've had several people ask me about what a writing mentor does. The idea of having a mentor is simply to have someone who is a bit further down the path than yourself -- someone able to show you how he or she did things, talk about their experiences, perhaps help you make some connections in publishing.
A while back, I put together a list of the thirty things that, as a writing mentor, I've tried to cover in my times with others...
1. The basics of sitting down to write (i.e., have a time, have a place, have a schedule, know what you're writing toward, etc).
2. The goal of writing (1000 salable words per day).
3. Get it down on paper, revise later (don't rewrite your book while you're creating it).
4. Give yourself short assignments (that takes a big writing project and breaks it into bite-sized chunks).
5. The importance of crummy first drafts (if you're not familiar with this, it's the concept that it is easier to revise something than to create it -- so don't worry about the fact that your first draft is awful, just create that awful first draft and you're on your way).
6. Story and plot (in other words, talking through the story to make sure writers understand a story arc, what classic plot lines are, and how to move a plot along).
7. Creating great dialogue.
8. Establishing your setting. (I suppose this includes description and imagery in your writing.)
9. Creating strong characters.
10. Instilling themes, morality, and depth into your fiction (having your characters explore the great questions of life and make decisions that are open to interpretation).
11. Organization (how to organize your writing and your life).
12. How to balance writing, ideas, and platform in your career.
13. Original vs adaptive creativity (the difference between coming up with your own unique idea and revisiting older ideas in a new way).
14. The concept of "voice" (how you sound like yourself in print).
15. Establishing relationships other authors, editors, and collaborators (and possibly helping the protege meet some of the folks in the industry).
16. Getting to know CBA and ABA.
17. How to get the most out of a writers conference (and why it's a good idea to participate).
18. How to create a great proposal.
19. Why you should know publishers, the industry, and market trends.
20. Writing that sells (in other words, "how to sell fiction" and "how to sell nonfiction").
21. Selling your proposal.
22. What do know about literary agents.
23. Career planning for writers.
24. What's in a publishing contract (how to read it, what it means, etc).
25. Negotiations (how to negotiate a contract, what a pre-negotiation is, how to prepare for it).
26. How to market your book.
27. Filling in the financial gaps (every writer has times when the money is lean -- talk to writers about how to manage their spending and saving, as well as explore ways to increase income through small writing projects).
28. Everybody needs a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy (for those not in the know: it's good to have a more experienced person in your life, a fellow writing friend, and someone who you're helping who is not as far along as yourself).
29. A healthy perspective of a writing career (keeping in mind that publishing is not life).
30. A system for working your plan, so that you move forward in your writing and publishing.
Those are the 30 things I came up with to help proteges. Your list will no doubt be different, but having this written down has help me immeasurably. Now when I'm talking with a younger writer, I don't have to recreate the list -- I basically know what I think they'll find important. Hope you find this helpful.
-chip
Wow! Extensive list. I have a few mentors, and while each doesn't cover them all, collectively they hit most on your list.
If I could only pound #3 and #5 into my thick skull, I might get more accomplished each day.
Thanks for the great information.
Posted by: Tracy Ruckman | January 19, 2007 at 02:01 PM
Hi Chip,
This is an awesome list. I'd love to see you blog on one item a day (or week or as you can) in a little more depth. These are excellent. I started to formulate questions for some, but then I realized I was doing it with most of them. So...start with one and I'll check back regulary...lol. No, I really am serious. I'd love to learn more as you have the opportunity to expand on each.
Thank you so much,
Angie Breidenbach
Posted by: Angela Breidenbach | January 20, 2007 at 08:39 PM
Great list. Now, if only a mentor wasn't so difficult to find.
Posted by: Cynthia Hickey | January 22, 2007 at 05:44 AM