Every journey begins somewhere with a mentor. We all remember one of the mentors we met in our lives. Their wisdom and warmth made us feel seen and heard. They showed us the ropes and opened our eyes to new possibilities.
You know you want to write, but you need more support. A writing mentor may be the solution to take you out of this phase, but only if you set clear expectations before you start.
If you are a beginner, there is no rule that you have to work with a writing mentor. You could look for someone who will mentor you in less focused and small ways.
If you desire someone to work with you one-on-one for a long period or on a specific project, you better pay someone to invest their time in you. They will help you reach your goals and maximize your focus. They also keep you accountable and organized and help you learn new skills. In short, they encourage you to do things without fear.
Here, we have mentioned some effective tips for working with mentors.
What Does A Book Writing Mentor Do?
Writing coaches offer customized services depending on your writing goals. Below, you will read about the same of the ways book writing mentor can support you:
1. Brainstorming
A coach can assist you in writing, generating new ideas, writing a book proposal, refining your book idea, and ensuring it fits perfectly with your audience.
2. Creating An Outline
The flow of your book is an important aspect of how readers will contact with your work. It is worth investing your time in it as it will assist in simplifying your book writing procedure.
3. Directing Writer’s Block
As a professional writer, a book coach can share effective tips for overcoming writer’s block and show ways to enhance your writing.
4. Understand The Publishing Procedure
The world of publishing can be tricky for beginning writers, and a book coach can assist you and direct you through your options.
5. Reviewing Your Work
A book coach may not be an experienced editor; they can assist you in making sure your story flows well and even recognize areas where you can go deeper to better get in touch with your audience on an emotional level.
Tips for Working with a Mentor
Here are some exquisite tips that you need to know working with a mentor. Let’s explore these tips in detail:
1. Know What Mentor Is For
You might want a mentor to teach you how to write and what to write, but they may not. They are not going to write things for you. You need to think and write on your own. All they will do is give you the right direction and constructive advice and feedback. Sometimes, it is frustrating, but eventually, the comments are always very useful.
2. It’s Your Choice To Do The Work
It would be your choice how you want your work to be. If you want some of the parts of your story to be serious and others to be humorous, you can do so. Just read similar scripts and communicate with your mentor. He will guide you on how you can add both flavors to your book to make it shine.
3. Get Ready For The Honest Feedback
If you desire to listen only to nice things from people, you can ask your mother. Only your mother can appreciate everything, not the world. Because writing workshops have people who always say how great other people’s ideas are to be deeply unhelpful. Your mentor might be polite with the feedback, but the message should always be crystal clear. A mentor does not do any favors to writers, and it is better to be a bit scared of them.
4. Trust Their Judgment but Know Your Style
When writing a script, there would be some mistakes, according to their mentor. They will eliminate the mistakes. But if they ask you to change the context or the writing style, then you might think about it. If you are writing something like a sitcom and your mentor tells you something, that won’t work. This is probably because it does not work. If you feel like your mentoring is forcing you to take any action you do not agree with, then you have the wrong mentor.
5. Never Take The Help For Granted
Don’t abuse their help and be nice to them. Always understand that they are busy with other work, too. Don’t hassle them, but make it clear that you need their assistance to look at something quickly. They are writers too, and they understand your work with deadlines. Also, you must be respectful of how you communicate with them. In general, writers appreciate good writing and easily get pissed off with typos and other sloppiness.
Furthermore, if you are looking for the best mentor in New Zealand, you can easily find them online. Just keep in mind that you should check their reviews before you decide to work with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you become a good mentor in writing?
A writing mentor does not need all the answers. However, they should be able to assist other writers in overcoming hard obstacles. They should provide comfort and support and lift spirits during hard times. If you are looking forward to becoming a writing mentor, stay humble. It makes no difference how successful you are in your career.
- How do you collaborate when composing a book?
Here’s how to collaborate when writing a book.
★ Think of an idea.
★ Make a proper chapter plan.
★ Decide how you are collaboratively going to write a book.
★ Make your update days so you are not going to wait for months for other people to update.
★ Decide from whose account the book will get published and then start to write.
- Can two authors write a book together?
Yes, for this purpose, the term co-author is used to publish any book written by more than one writer. When it comes to collaborative books, there are various roles you can play. For example, you can be a book owner, co-author, lead author, or any other contributor.
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The Bottom Line
So, this is all about how you can work with a mentor for your book writing. You need to understand your mentor is not going to do writing for you. It is your job, and you have to do it on your own. Your writing feedback is not always going to be easy to take; deal with it gracefully. Above all, if you do not agree with your mentor’s decision and he forces you to do it, then he is not a true mentor.
Showing your writing to the world is an uphill task. Sometimes, hiring someone for it can help you pay attention to your work and stay on track. This could be a valuable investment. Don’t rush your decision; take your time to decide who your mentor will be. Your time of deciding will be worth it when you find the right mentor.