Mentorship

Hi friends,

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about mentorship in the writing community, so I thought I’d share here. Let’s start off by the definition of mentorship.

When I started out writing with the hopes of publication someday, I knew I had a big learning curve ahead of me. I wasn’t in a hurry. I had lots of reading, writing, and studying to do. Much like a pianist first learns fingering, tempo, composition, melody and more, there is much to learn in the craft of writing and storytelling. Yes. I do believe writing and storytelling are two different things, but that will be my next post. For today, I’ll focus on mentoring.

I was a couple years into studying the craft and practicing by writing my attempt at a manuscript. It was a practice piece. Whatever aspect I was studying in the craft—be it pacing, characterization, structure, setting, etc.—I would focus on that element in my practice manuscript. By the end, you can imagine the mess of a manuscript I had, but I was able to see over time how my writing improved.

Though, the greatest improvement came when I started working with my mentor. She was my favorite author and I so wanted to write romantic suspense as well as she did. Not sure I’ll ever live up to that because she’s amazing, but she took me under her wing. She transformed my storytelling. We worked together on three manuscripts and for four years before that third story sold. But it was during the writing of stories that she taught me. She read my work and commented on it directly as I went. By the third manuscript, which ended up being Submerged, she’d put together a full-scale review of the complete story.

Had she not started out with comments throughout, with examples and with craft book suggestions and mini lessons on the craft elements I needed help on, I never would have gotten to the place where she’d read my stories as a whole. I’m honored to say she’s read parts (when I’m flailing on a certain aspect) or the complete manuscript of every novel since.

Not only did she teach me in the craft of writing, but in the publishing industry. Knowing how to submit to agents and editors was a huge part of the process. Knowing what to look for in my first contract, how to move forward as a published author, and how to continually go in the craft were all major lessons that have blessed me to this day.

Being mentored instilled in me the desire to mentor others. I’ve mentored three writers and I’m ecstatic to say they’re all agented today, and the one who was already published before we worked together, is soaring. It’s a joy to watch her fly. I’ve loved the process and the relationships of mentoring so much that I’ve started a mentoring service. If you’re a writer or know a writer who might be interested in mentoring, feel free to use the contact form on my website.

I’ve loved being back with you today!

Reader question: Who has been a mentor in your life? A parenting mentor, spiritual mentor, writing mentor…?

Blessings,

Dani

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Dani Pettrey

Praised by New York Times best-selling author Dee Henderson as "a name to look for in romantic suspense," Dani Pettrey has sold more than half a million copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance.

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