Author: Smoph

When I first wrote this post, I got to the end and walked away disheartened and depressed. I know we’re all supposed to put our positive out into the world, but the reality is when I laid it all on the table, I was disappointed with my year.

The first post I wrote was lauding all the personal successes I had this year: anything to avoid looking honestly at how this year had been for me as a writer and editor.

If you step back to look at my year, it looks pretty darn good. Adventures in the States, both short breaks and one long holiday, which was incredible. No regrets about the travel; it was an experience I won’t forget. I had two groups of wonderful writer friends who inspired me and gave me great feedback and critiques.I had this novel–I’ve written more of The Whale Singer than any other novel idea I’ve ever had–whose idea and protagonists I loved. I had two polished stories that no one had given me criticism of, but seemed to be in search of the right homes. There were ideas bursting out my ears thanks to my muse with her wanderlust.

SQ Mag had a year of wins. We won the Shadows Award, an award from Australia’s preeminent horror organisation, the Australian Horror Writer’s Association. There were international award wins and recognition from the profession by the selection of SQ Mag stories for Best of Anthologies. We’ve also had some wonderful solicited authors.

The reality is that while there were some amazing happenings this year, my writing has not been at its best. Buoyed by the confidence of placing a story in two anthologies (still proud to have worked with Cameron Trost and Black Beacon Books, and also the team at Phantom Feather Press, Alicia Ponder, Eileen Mueller and Peter Friend), I thought this year might be the time I got cracking.

However, the uncertainties in my life did not add up to a good writing practice. I felt and still feel out of control in my editorial world. My polished stories did not find homes, though one was with a big name publisher for quite a while (I’m looking at that as a pro, that it wasn’t rejected outright, but con, it was still rejected).

As a writer, there were no successes for me this year.

I’m a realist: I know you can’t win all the time, certainly not in most to all of the areas of your life. There is also much that I have to be grateful for.

That didn’t stop it being disheartening. I put a bit of myself in my stories, and I’m a rejection wuss, though am better when it comes with helpful critique from someone genuinely trying to make your work better.

So for 2016, I think my work-to idea is one step at a time.

One step for my own practice and honing my craft.
Another step for doing a little bit at a time, and forgiveness if I didn’t do what I thought I could.
One step forward with a submission at a time.
One step forward with words, a chapter, anything to progress this novel toward the finish line.

And reminding myself, there will be backwards steps too. I might go nowhere, have no more measurable success. But that if I don’t work at anything, there’s no chance my writing will ever go anywhere. And I’m really at my first step, the early stages of any writing career I want to have.

My wish for 2016 for everyone is that there are at least little wins, and enough striving for better to make them feel worthwhile.

Before I tell you about the mentorship opportunity that my headline so simply announces, I feel that I should first tell you about the mentor.

I met Jodi Cleghorn online. It seems that apart from a very rare Canadian opportunity, thanks to one wonderful warm friend (and all three of the girls who I miss very muchly!), that most of my meet and greet of other authors happens online. Lucky for me, I get to meet some fine publishing industry professionals in my role as Editor at SQ Mag. Dan Rabarts introduced me to a group of others, working together on an idea of Jodi’s to help boost productivity, to get down and get more writing done. And boy, did we!

When Jodi has critiqued my work in the past, she seems able to see straight to the heart of a manuscript. She will ask you all the right questions about motivations, where you want that story to go. My work is better for having had her excellent insight.

Jodi tries new ideas, methods, makes connections with others in her field. She’s edited and published anthologies with her publication company, eMergent Publishing, which she’s revitalising with some of the funds from the program. She’s written an excellent guide to being a beta-reader.

Ok, so now that I’ve talked up this excellent writer, let’s talk about the deal. I’ll let Jodi’s own words explain her program, For the Asking:

THE BIRTH OF A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

I’m not the only one who hungers for connection, for support and for the confidence that comes when others invest their belief in you.

I’m also not the only one who is constantly looking to upgrade their skills, deepen their creative connection and seek innovation in story telling.

And surprisingly enough, I’m not the only one looking for creative and sustainable ways of building an art-commerce model of income to support myself – in this case it’s the double whammy of not just funding myself as a writer but also a small press that wants to pay  authors well.

This has culminated in the conception of a mentorship program that draws on my own experiences, skills and accumulated insights. My vision is to be the curator of a supported creative space with the benefits of one-to-one personalised attention and small group interaction.

If you want to know more, head straight over to Jodi’s post detailing the initial offering. I know she will be posting more soon, detailing more of what it will involve.

But you have to apply; there’s a form. Get in soon, Jodi will be choosing a select four by Sunday, the 6th of September to start the following week.

I can honestly say that you won’t regret working with Jodi and her eagle eyes.