Having been both a writing mentor and a beneficiary of the
gift of mentoring, I’d love to share what a mentor is,
what role one plays, how to find one, and how to accept the generous guidance
offered by one.
A mentor is a trusted guide, one more experienced than you,
one that has a level of success beyond yours, and one who can counsel you in
developing your writing and your marketing.
Some “mentors” are hired. In my opinion, they are more accurately called writing coaches. Though I’m
a coach and editor and believe whole-heartedly there is a place for such
professionals, I’ve been lucky enough to mentor and to be mentored without
money being involved. There’s tremendous
satisfaction and appreciation in simply helping and being helped.
Before you seek a mentor, there are some things you should
be aware of. Mentee etiquette. Test yourself to see if you have the right
personality makeup and the right attitude going in.
A Good Mentee
-
Is
prepared to receive a wide range of advice
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Welcomes
potential for growth rather than feeling demoralized by critique
-
Always
keeps control of his ideas and writing
-
Doesn’t
slavishly follow every suggestion or lose his vision
-
Respects
the mentor’s time
-
Doesn’t
expect line edits from a mentor, instead seeks more global advice
-
Receives
feedback gracefully
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Doesn’t
expect the mentor to do all the work
-
Reads
suggested books
-
Is
professional with a winning attitude
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Avoids
asking questions he could find answers for; does his research first
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Also
does her due diligence in finding a critique group/critique partner/beta reader
-
Lets the
mentor know his feedback is helpful
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Sends a
gift and a copy of his book or article the mentor helped with
-
When
ready, pays it forward to other writers
In the next post, I’ll address what a good mentor is and how
to find one. In the meantime remember:
seek feedback from admired sources but don’t allow your voice to be combed out
of your work.
