Mentorship
I knew I needed help with my writing. I knew I was not telling the story well enough but I did not know how or where to start to improve it. I did not know I needed a mentor until one turned up. A friend of a friend, called Katherine Koller. Katherine is serving as a Writer-in-Residence for The Canadian Authors Association, Alberta Branch. Her writing talents are widespread. She is a playwright, novelist and screenwriter. (www.katherinekoller.ca)
This piece on mentoring is for those new to being mentored, or new to writing, in the hope it provides an idea of how mentoring might help. I know there are different kinds of mentors, and in retrospect, I realise I need a ‘trusted friend’ who listens, explains, and is direct. Katherine is a good match for me.
Here I single out a couple of lessons from our first consultation, which have been helpful. (1) Dimensions of my main character; (2) Use of Adverbs.
Dimensions. Katherine had analysed my story and identified the dimensions of my main character that run along five spectrums. From: silence to finding voice; darkness to light; outsider to insider; student to teacher; poverty to abundance. I was not aware that this was the essence of my story, but it was. I was so busy with my story I did not see these themes. I can now identify others for myself. This strategy helps me develop and string together threads in my story as my main character moves to adulthood.
Adverbs. Who knew adverbs were bad? Seriously? Absolutely not me! I sprinkled adverbs abundantly in my writing. However, when advised, I changed some of my sentences. For example, instead of writing, “He ran quickly...” I now know to find an alternative, such as, “He sped ...” This has made my sentences stronger, active. I admit I struggle, on an ongoing basis, with omitting adverbs and sometimes I find I must rearrange quite a few lines of text to get the flow right. It has been worth the effort.
It has not all been simple and I thank my mentor for hanging in there. It takes me time to be convinced that my way is not the best way, although when I defend my writing method I can often see I am wrong. It takes time to remember all I am taught. Only with the passage of time do some simple techniques become imbedded as habits. And it is not just the feedback that has been important. During the consultations I learned about writing workshops and Script Salon sessions where writers present their work. I begin to feel like part of a writing community. A community that is supportive. Mentoring is a writing-changing experience and I take this opportunity to thank Katherine Koller, again, for her ongoing help, and the Canadian Authors Association for their sponsorship through their Writers-in-Residence program. Canadian Authors Association Alberta Facebook Page