You’ve been toying with the idea of writing a novel of your own for a long time, and you’re finally ready to get serious about becoming a writer. Congratulations!
It’s a truly wonderful feeling when you’ve made the decision to focus on making your dream a reality. It can also feel a bit scary, like standing on the edge of a cliff while looking down into the raging currents of a whirlpool. (I’ll tell you a little secret, that feeling never completely goes away, even once you’ve been published.) So now that you’re serious about working toward a career as an author, be prepared to invest time, energy, effort, and money into your career. Because your dream is worth it.
Q: I’m an aspiring writer. Are you able to mentor me?
I love getting to chat with current and future authors about various literary topics, like the craft and business of writing. And I do occasionally give online and in-person workshops. However, my current schedule doesn’t permit me to do one-on-one mentoring.
Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
Here are some of the things I’ve done that have helped me develop as a writer. These are things I continue to do, because it is always my goal to keep growing and to keep improving as a writer.
If you are ready to focus on becoming a writer, I would encourage you to:
- Join a writer’s group like:
- RWA: https://rwa.org/
- Women’s Fiction Writing Association: https://www.womensfictionwriters.org/
- A local writers’ group (they often meet at libraries, bookstores, or online)
- Attend writing workshops:
- At local library
- RWA.org (You don’t have to be a member and most workshops are inexpensive and online):
- Margie Lawson: https://www.margielawson.com/lawson-writers-academy/
- A few others sites offer free or inexpensive online courses. I’ll update as I think of them.
- Join a program like Jeanne Vita’s Romance Writing Academy that does offer support and mentorship to new writers: https://school.romancewritingacademy.com/home
- Check out the Inclusive Romance Project, run by Kharma Kelly: https://www.inclusiveromanceproject.org/mentoring-program
I hope this helps, as these are the things that really helped me develop as a writer during my career.
Warmest Regards,
Reese