I sat in the rear of my very first conference and admired those on stage. I didn’t want to be in their place, on stage...in the limelight, I wanted to learn from them. Be their friend.
One of those folks I admired from afar was the then director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Yvonne Lehman. She was funny, somewhat curt, and too the point and really, you were good if you could keep up with her when she walked in heels. Yvonne impressed me with her kindness and her genuine desire to see writers progress.
Little did I know that a few years later, I’d be sitting in her home listening to her guide me through a scene in my novel. Nor did I ever dream she would sit by me on a plane and utter the words, “You and I need to begin a mentoring service.”
I’ve often said, that if those 15 years ago, mentoring was offered at a conference, I’d pay the cost to have that one-on-one help. It would have been the most valuable time and well spent money I’d ever invest.
When we began our own conference, the Asheville Christian Writers Conference, we decided mentoring was a must and so we included it as a service, just like critiques and 15-minute appointments. It was amazing to see new writers jump on an hour’s worth of mentoring to learn from those who were already successful in the industry. It has since, begun to grow into other conferences around the country.
What is mentoring? It’s a time to put on your grown-up drawers and prepare to have your work looked at with a fine toothed comb. Mentors will help you with phrasing, plotting, scenes, and dialogue. They will be the open eyes you need when you cannot see what you have missed. A mentor will encourage, be truthful when necessary, and they will be your support system. The key is, being willing to learn and listen – even if the words aren’t words you want to hear.
I recently worked with a woman who after I worked through her chapter, allowed me give her a call. We spent the next hour combing through her work asking questions, clarifying, and rephrasing. Her assignment was to take the information I’d given her and apply. And she did. I couldn’t believe the difference when she returned her WIP. It was amazing. This writer took the information she was given and actually applied it and wow what a difference. Her work went from me not knowing where it was going to having exactly what I needed to make me keep turning the page.
Having a mentor will help you shape your work. There is so much about writing that just isn’t in the books. You learn it from sitting at the feet of those who paved the path. Is it valuable? Oh yes. But only if you are a willing participant. Does it cost you money? Certainly, but it’s an investment in your career not something that is consumable.
How do you choose a mentor? Start with writers whose work you read. Don’t just sit down at a conference and have the person next to you say, “I’m a mentor” and yet they have no experience or published work to offer validity to their claim. Be wise. Do your homework. Choose a mentor who has experience behind their name. Chat with them prior to hiring them to be sure that you mesh. Chemistry is important. Look for someone who understands the genre you are writing. These are all important things when it comes to choosing a mentor. It’s hard to have a children’s writer mentor you in a heavy novel. Again, be wise.
I still love to spend quality time with those who have walked the publishing path ahead of me. I’m never to old or too smart to learn. Wonderful authors are beginning to offer mentoring services and the prices vary depending on what you need. Check them out. If you plan to make a serious career out of writing, then hire a mentor.
You can visit Write Right Author Services with Yvonne Lehman and myself at https://cindysproles.com/writerightauthorservices. There are others, such as Edie Melson, Eva Marie Everson, Eddie Jones, Linda Gilden, and Larry Leech (to name a few) who do amazing mentoring work.
Chosing a mentor is a wise thing. Make the choice and take your work to the next level.
Photos courtesy of pixabay.com, mohamed Hassan & Yerson Retamal
Never Look Back
Cindy Sproles
8/2/2024
Words Have Power
Cindy Sproles
7/12/2024
Those Hallmark Holidays
Cindy Sproles
5/12/2024
Deep and Wide or Sick and Tired?
Cindy Sproles
12/18/2023
What Would Jesus Do?
Cindy Sproles
11/10/2023
Chick, Chick, Chick
Cindy K. Sproles
9/30/2023
In My Inperfections
Cindy K. Sproles
8/27/2023
By the Hair of my Chinny, Chin, Chin
Cindy Sproles
7/21/2023
What Dumb Cluck!
Cindy K. Sproles
6/29/2023
Where to Draw the Line?
Cindy Sproles
4/27/2023
Submit! ME?
Cindy Sproles
4/14/2023
Why Are People So Mean?
Cindy Sproles
3/30/2023
I'm Getting Old
Cindy K. Sproles
3/3/2023
To Hear or Not to Hear
Cindy Sproles
1/28/2023
Happy New Year, Happy New Year News
Cindy Sproles
1/9/2023
Happy Neuter Year
Cindy Sproles
12/31/2022
Facing Reality - Aging Parents, Aging Children
Cindy Sproles
12/30/2022
Word of the Year for 2023
Cindy Sproles
12/24/2022
My Grown Up Christmas List - Three Things to Adulting the Right Way
Cindy Sproles
12/13/2022
Weebles Wobble but They Don't Fall Down
Cindy Sproles
12/6/2022
The Man In the Middle
Cindy Sproles
11/24/2022
Diversity is More Than Color
Cindy K. Sproles
11/14/2022
Love in Motion
Cindy Sproles
11/7/2022
Deadbeat or Deadline
Cindy Sproles
10/31/2022
Backstory - The Reader Doesn't Care!
Cindy Sproles
10/18/2022
The Color of Scared - The Final in Seeking Spiritual Renewal
Cindy Sproles
10/14/2022
The Color of Scared - Second of Three in Seeking Spiritual Freedom from Fear
Cindy Sproles
10/9/2022
The Color of Scared - First of Three in Seeking Spiritual Freedom from Fear
Cindy Sproles
10/3/2022
Fog, Mist, Morning
Cindy Sproles
9/29/2022
From a Rooster to a Hen
Cindy Sproles
9/24/2022
Writing from the Hip
Cindy Sproles
9/19/2022
Soggy Scrubby and the Long Goodbye
Cindy Sproles
9/13/2022
Wramping Up for ACWC
Cindy Sproles
9/10/2022
Rest Not, Want MORE!
Cindy Sproles
9/3/2022
Reality for Me
Cindy Sproles
8/17/2022
The Truth in Publishing
Cindy Sproles
8/11/2022
Beyond
Cindy Sproles
8/4/2022
Working with an Editor
Cindy Sproles
7/7/2022
Two on the Way
Cindy Sproles
2/26/2022
The Party's Overrrrr!
Cindy Sproles
2/22/2022
2022 Encouragement for the Writer
Cindy Sproles
1/4/2022
Every Day is New
Cindy Sproles
1/1/2022
Beginning Anew (An Eldercare Note)
Cindy Sproles
12/31/2021
Five Ways to Kill Your Publishing Opportunity
Cindy Sproles
12/30/2021
A Dollar Wisely Spent
Cindy Sproles
12/28/2021
Silent Night
Cindy Sproles
12/25/2021
Back Pocket Projects
Cindy Sproles
12/21/2021
Things are Back on Track - I think!
Cindy Sproles
12/18/2021
Wonky is Hard
Cindy Sproles
4/25/2021
Present Yourself Approved and Professional
Cindy Sproles
1/28/2021
Integrity - An Authors Valued Trait
Cindy Sproles
1/8/2021
Homonyms – Did You Sea/See Them Their/There?
Cindy Sproles
1/8/2021
Writer Self-Care - Welcome 2021
Cindy Sproles
1/4/2021
Hope in a New Year
Cindy Sproles
1/1/2021
One More Christmas Thought - Taken from ChristianDevotions.US blog
Cindy Sproles
12/25/2020
A Christmas Saga - Joy in the Season
Cindy Sproles
12/24/2020
When Writing Grows Hard
Cindy Sproles
12/22/2020
Permission to Quit - No Way
Cindy Sproles
12/18/2020
The Power of the Pen
Cindy Sproles
12/15/2020
The Good, The Bad, and the Memoir
Cindy Sproles
12/11/2020
The Immeasurable Power in You
Cindy Sproles
12/8/2020
Scratch It Till It Bleeds
Cindy Sproles
12/5/2020
Closing Up Shop - Renting or Selling Our Parent's Home
Cindy Sproles
9/5/2020
Humility in Writing
Cindy Sproles
7/7/2020
Let it Percolate
Cindy Sproles
7/3/2020
Mentoring - A Wise Choice
Cindy Sproles
6/29/2020
Divorce My Words?
Cindy Sproles
6/23/2020
Icy Self-Talk Will Freeze Your Writing
Cindy Sproles
6/19/2020
The Power in You
Cindy Sproles
6/16/2020
Waiting
Cindy Sproles
6/12/2020
Who Really Sells Your Books
Cindy Sproles
6/9/2020
Social Media When You Aren't Social Media Minded
Cindy Sproles
4/20/2020
What Really Is Important
Cindy Sproles
4/12/2020
In the Midst of Chaos
Cindy Sproles
3/17/2020
The Heart of God
Cindy Sproles
2/14/2020
Writing in a Pickle
Cindy Sproles
1/30/2020
The Adult Day Care Alternative
Cindy Sproles
1/23/2020
Social Media Blitz
Cindy Sproles
1/19/2020
The Joys of Aging
Cindy Sproles
12/30/2019
The Reality of Who We Are?
Cindy Sproles
12/22/2019
Publishing Trends
Cindy Sproles
11/30/2019
Be Thankful ANYWAY
Cindy Sproles
11/28/2019
Writing Your Mission Statement
Cindy Sproles
11/19/2019
Perseverance to Write
Cindy
11/16/2019
Common Sense Tips for When You Write
Cindy Sproles
11/9/2019
The Battle is Fought
Cindy
10/15/2019
Twelve Tidbits of Wisdom from Top Christian Writers
Cindy Sproles
10/5/2019
Pray with Fire
Cindy Sproles
10/3/2019
The Easy In
Cindy Sproles
9/24/2019
The Art of Self-Editing
Cindy Sproles
9/10/2019
Questions, Questions
Cindy Sproles
9/6/2019
15-Minute Appointments - Important Networking
Cindy Sproles
9/3/2019
Don't Close Your Eyes - Bob Hostetler
Cindy Sproles
2/5/2019
Love Your Faculty
Cindy Sproles
10/17/2018
Forging Ahead after Rejection
Cindy Sproles
7/17/2018
cindysproles.com Privacy Policy
Cindy Sproles
6/4/2018
Closing Up Shop - Guiding Seniors to Letting Go
Cindy Sproles
4/9/2018
Publishing Naysayers
Cindy Sproles
3/16/2018
In Prayer - I Write
Cindy Sproles
3/3/2018
Keep Them Reading
Cindy Sproles
1/12/2018
Encouraged - Even When . . .
Cindy Sproles
1/2/2018
Christmas Tears
Cindy Sproles
12/18/2017
Holiday Elder Care - Be an Elder Elf
Cindy Sproles
11/12/2017
Grateful for a Dream I Didn't Know I Had
Cindy Sproles
11/9/2017
Keep Them Reading
Cindy Sproles
11/1/2017
Chicken Soup for the Soul - Writer Call Out
Cindy Sproles
10/27/2017
Five Ways to Assure Your Work will Find the Slush Pile
Cindy Sproles
10/24/2017
23rd Psalm Revisited
Cindy Sproles
10/21/2017
Contentment in Writing
Cindy Sproles
10/19/2017
5 Common Sense Tips to Better Writing
Cindy Sproles
10/10/2017
Overshadowed
Cindy Sproles
8/21/2017
Chicken Soup for the Soul Callout - Stories about Love
Cindy Sproles
8/21/2017
Five Keys to Overcoming Rejection
Cindy Sproles
8/12/2017
Writing Call Out - Chicken Soup for the Soul
Cindy Sproles
8/10/2017
When Words of Encouragement Wane
Cindy Sproles
6/28/2017
Writing Truth with Love
Cindy Sproles
1/13/2017
Oh To Be A Writer
Cindy Sproles
1/4/2017
Why Write?
Cindy Sproles
1/1/2017
Scammed
Cindy Sproles
6/21/2016
The Pain of Unsolicited
Cindy Sproles
3/9/2016
Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage
Cindy Sproles
11/21/2015
Thankful Despite . . .
Cindy Sproles
11/20/2015
Stepping Up to Na-No-Wri-Mo
Cindy Sproles
11/16/2015
The Gift of No Gifts
Cindy Sproles
11/2/2015
Writers Be Encouraged
Cindy Sproles
10/15/2015
Keep ‘Em Reading – It’s the Writer’s Responsibility
Cindy Sproles
8/13/2015
Saying Goodbye
Cindy Sproles
7/17/2015
Overcoming the Fear of Writing Failure
Cindy Sproles
7/8/2015
Making the Move – Home to Assisted Living
Cindy Sproles
6/17/2015
I Kid You Not
Cindy Sproles
6/6/2015
Hearing the Call to Foster – Renee McCausey
Cindy Sproles
1/13/2015
Throw Out the Crutches
Cindy Sproles
1/10/2015
So You Were Asked to Be A Beta Reader?
Cindy Sproles
1/10/2015
REJECTIONS – Aaughhh!
Cindy Sproles
1/5/2015
The Bachelor – Stephanie Reed
Cindy Sproles
12/14/2014
The Making of a Servant
Cindy Sproles
11/30/2014
Miracle in a Dry Season Review – Yvonne Lehman
Cindy Sproles
8/27/2014
Write Anyway
Cindy Sproles
8/26/2014
World Blog Tour – Catching Up with Cindy Sproles
Cindy Sproles
7/22/2014
The Progression of Life
Cindy Sproles
7/17/2014
Instrumental Writing Helps – Aaron Gansky
Cindy Sproles
7/4/2014
The Question Saga
Cindy Sproles
6/29/2014
Defy the Night – REVIEW
Cindy Sproles
4/28/2014
When the Work is Hard to Do
Cindy Sproles
4/1/2014
My Heart Belongs to Him
Cindy Sproles
2/14/2014
Review of The Vicar’s Wife
Cindy Sproles
2/2/2014
The In on Self Publishing – Part 2
Cindy Sproles
12/29/2013
The In on Self Publishing – Part 1
Cindy Sproles
12/26/2013
In a Pickle
Cindy Sproles
10/1/2013
Bigger and Better
Cindy Sproles
9/27/2013
Putting SOCIAL back in Media
Cindy Sproles
8/10/2013
After the Conference Ends…
Cindy Sproles
8/8/2013
Here a Tweak, There a Tweak, Everywhere a Tweak, Tweak
Cindy Sproles
8/2/2013
Can You Hear Me Now?
Cindy Sproles
7/23/2013
Golden Years, Cherished Moments
Cindy Sproles
3/20/2013
Broken Heart Syndrome
Cindy Sproles
9/26/2012
What About Our Elders
Cindy Sproles
8/24/2012
A Minute – A Lifetime
Cindy Sproles
8/10/2012
Water, Water – Who’s Got the Water
Cindy Sproles
7/31/2012