Great question. At times, we all need someone to help us develop our craft, stay focused or push through writer’s block.
Let me guess you have a great idea, but capturing the grandeur in your mind falls flat on the page. Or, you have thousands of tidbits scattered on scraps of paper, but you are unsure how to connect them. Do you need help getting organized? Yes, you might need a writing mentor.
A writing mentor will not do the work for you—ghostwriting is an entirely different skill. But a writing mentor may be just what you need. Your mentor can guide you toward establishing and maintaining a consistent writing habit, starting with proper book planning. After all, your success depends on completing your first draft, navigating the editing process, and polishing your creation for publishing.
You may ask, are writing coaches and mentors worth it?
If time management is your issue, a writing mentor can help you establish clear deadlines and provide constant follow-ups to ensure you don't procrastinate. Whatever we focus on expands. Let your guide ensure your book is getting the attention it needs to move forward. Yes, you might need a writing mentor.
Maybe you are struggling with a mushy middle, or perhaps your project is suffering from idea overload. A writing coach can help spark ideas that create tension with purpose or consolidate the mountain of concepts piling up in your story. Did I mention you might need a writing mentor?
Some writers like to wing it. Let the creative process flow in every direction as they write. Everyone has their approach, but creating a good foundation begins with an outline. If you want to avoid disaster, start with an outline. Without a strategy, you could find yourself in a pantsing situation, which can be a hard habit to break.
Your writing mentor or coach can help you avoid pantsing your way through a book. And if you are unsure what PANTSING is… well… Pantsing refers to sitting down and writing by the seat of your pants, letting it all pour out to see where your creativity takes you. No amount of wishing leads to a well-developed book. The idea is that if you write, eventually the story will magically appear.
Before you go down this road, consider a writing mentor to help you identify the direction of your story. Once you get lost, navigating your way through could be more complicated than then you expect.