DURING this time of lockdown caused by the ongoing pandemic, everyone finds that they have a lot of downtime at some point or the other. It is at these times that your most creative side shows itself. Whether you tap into your culinary skills, start gardening or become involved in DIY projects from YouTube, your efforts can really produce some surprising results once productively directed. I, too, have dabbled in hobbies such as painting and cooking over the past few months, surprising myself with the latter because I was never one to enjoy it prior. But while my creativity has been sparked in these areas, I am ashamed to admit that I did not have the same luck with my half-finished novel. That disappointment has led me to wonder whether it is time to once again place myself in the hands of a writing mentor; someone who can review my work and give me a stern, but gentle nudge to get moving again.

As mentioned in a previous article, I once procured the services of a mentor from a man named Jim Parsons — a retired College English Professor — when I was suffering a terrible writer’s block coupled with self-doubt about the initial content of my book. Now that it seems a similar block has returned, I believe that I may need to do so once again.
Why consider a writing mentor?

Every writer needs a mentor at some point or the other. Not many of us are aware of this, and that is why so many talented writers hang up their hats after hitting a stumbling block. The reason I keep going is that I found inspiration from Jim during our mentorship sessions as well as from other writers in the past.

Mentors hold you accountable for your work and keep you in line with deadlines. They will sit with you and map out a course of action on how to move forward and achieve measurable goals with regard to your writing project.

Mentors inspire you through their own work. Whoever you choose should be able to be a good example of where you want to be, or at the very least, should inspire you enough to continue putting effort into your work and moving forward.

Mentors give you honest feedback and encourage fresh ideas. When you are stuck, a mentor will review your work and give you pointers on how you can get out of your rut, oftentimes giving you alternatives and ideas that can help you along the way.
Where necessary, mentors can also provide emotional support. Imagine your mentor as your personal writing counsellor. You have a problem that is affecting you, lay your burden in their lap. Mentors should have the patience to listen and guide you through those problems.

How to choose a mentor
Because of the characteristics I mentioned above, choosing a mentor should not be done lightly. To get worthwhile results, your mentor should be someone who possesses all the things you need to achieve your writing goals, give you honest feedback and to weed through your writing issues.

Your mentor should, therefore, be wise, experienced, compassionate and honest. I would say those are the key characteristics of someone who can get the job done. In whatever field you operate, choose a mentor who is also in that field. Don’t just choose an older person who is kind to you and who will listen. A skills-based mentor should have the relevant abilities needed to help you do the work you set out to do.

Good writing mentors can be found in writing groups. Since Guyana is practically void of such gatherings, your best chance is to join online writing groups or book clubs and network with the people in them. Lots of experienced writers hang around in those places and have a wealth of knowledge about the industry and are even willing to take you on to have a look at your work once you build up the right rapport.

You can also consider an old English teacher or professor. They will already have a familiarity with your work and your potential and will also have an appreciation for what you are doing. If you have access to an editor in your circle, tap into their skills to help you weed through structural errors in your work. Editors are built to critique, so half of your job is finished there already.

Finally, you can even try a paid option. While, traditionally, mentors are usually persons whom you know, mentorship can also be offered as a service by experienced professionals who love the job of working with writers. Moreover, you are guaranteed to get professional, timely and focused feedback on all the things you want to achieve on your project. Jim Parsons’ mentorship was paid and I have no regrets about that. He was able to get me to a place that I would not have been at, had I not engaged him. Perhaps I need to seek him out again.

At varying points of our writing journeys, mentorship is necessary. Never be afraid to ask for help. We get so caught up in our work and then sometimes become wrapped up in crippling fear that we risk losing the passion projects we have worked on for so long. When you realise that you are at this point, try to find that person who will tell you to keep going, then help to show you how.

Interested in contributing to this column on writing? Email me at thewritemind592@gmail.com