Mentoring Goes National!

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January is National Mentor Month!  (Insert fanfare!) Do you know someone who could benefit from your talent and/or experience? Remember my mantra? Everyone has something to give, even if they are new to the world of children’s book writing.   Let’s celebrate by visiting the official website for National Mentor Month at http://www.nationalmentoringmonth.org/about_nmm/, making a decision to mentor someone somehow, and telling me about it at [email protected]. Just type, “I’m a new mentor/mentee” in the subject line. I’ll tally the number of new mentor relationships that are born and report on their progress in this blog. 

I’ll go first. I’ve just begun mentoring a totally cool lady in Marquette who among other amazing things, has skiied to the Geographic North Pole and Antartica. She’s ready to tell her stories to children and needs help getting started. One thing I know for sure? This relationship will be an adventure for me. 

Now…Rev your engines and start mentoring!!

Mentor Monday on a Tuesday: The Art of Receiving Critiques

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As part of the Mentor Monday series, I wanted to talk about receiving critiques. Yes, it is hard to give effective critiques (which is a topic for another Mentor Monday) but it can be just as difficult/confusing/frustrating to receive them.

If the critique is positive, you might think: 
Did the reviewer spend enough time with the manuscript? Did she/he miss or gloss over the real problems?
Maybe he/she doesn’t want to hurt my feelings by saying the real truth about it?
Does the reviewer have enough experience/industry knowledge to know if it is technically well-written? Sellable? Appropriate for the intended market?
(It couldn’t be that the manuscript is actually good, for gosh sakes).

If the critique is not positive, you might think:
Did the reviewer spend enough time with the manuscript? Did she/he miss the Newbery goodness of it all due to lack of sleep or their own distractions?
Is professional jealousy an issue? (dare I say it?) 
Is this a reviewer who feels negative comments are necessary for my growth? Or just feels he/she needs to say something negative…
Maybe the reviewer is reacting to something other than the writing — the genre or style, perhaps? (The problem couldn’t be the writing. Heck, no. Not the writing.)

Either way,  you might think:
How much can I rely on this feedback and use it to move the manuscript to the next level?
What do I take from the critique and what do I leave? (This is an important decision whether the reviewers are in the same stage of writing and being published as you or further along. ) 

How do you respond to critiques? A colleague shared her typical reaction:   
1) Denial.
2) Avoidance.
3) Denial.
4) Grudging admission that my colleague’s comments may offer valuable insights.
5) SLOW percolation of ideas.
6) Aha moment.
7) Revision (and significant improvement, thanks to those insightful critiques).
8) Gratitude for everyone’s patience.

Ah, yes. Patiece with the process is key. That’s my take home point for today.  What’s yours?

Puppy Breath #2: Can you say “sassy?”

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How can a 59 day old, 5 pound creature rule the world? (Or at least our household.) Mix one part Tasmanian devil, one part Olympic pace sprinter, and one part manic chewing machine with razor sharp teeth and you get KONA – a minilabradoodle force to reckon with. Be afraid. 

Puppy Breath #1

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If I’m never heard of again in the writing world, it is because Santa brought a puppy to our house on Christmas morning. What was Santa thinking?

Mentor Monday: Andy from Austin Sherrod

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I’ve found ANOTHER friendly and helpful person from Austin:  Andy Sherrod.  He’s shared his insights on being a mentor and a mentee and offers his take on editorial feedback.  Andy is also a go-to guy on the issue of boys’ aliteracy. Even more information about Andy as a writer, writing coach, and public speaker can be found on his website:  http://www.andysherrod.com/Home.php.
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Andy, please share a brief bio of you and your work. 

I came to writing late, 1999 to be exact, when I turned 40.  I write for middle grade and most of that is historical fiction.  The intent of my writing is to take boys back in time to experience history.  I speak to groups about boys’ aversion to volunteer reading and cite research that identifies the literary components of a good boy book.  I hold an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and I wrote my thesis on boys’ aliteracy. 

Why did you decide to become a mentor?

Pure and simple, I love to teach.

How many writers have you officially mentored?

Mentoring is different than just offering a critique, and I’ve done a lot of that.  So really I’ve only officially mentored one person through the Austin Mentoring Program.  But beyond that, I’ve mentored one other.

What strengths do you bring as a mentor?

Because I love to teach, I think I’m patient with people.  That said, I feel I must tell a writer exactly what I see in their manuscripts that need improvement but I can do so in an encouraging fashion.  My philosophy is that anyone who is serious about writing can take a strong critique.  Only pointing out those aspects of a manuscript that are working doesn’t help a writer improve one bit.  Serious writers want serious critiques.  So I give it to them.

Have you been a mentee? If so, what from that experience helps you be the best mentor you can be?

For the two years I studied at Vermont College I was mentored by four fabulous writers.  Uma Krishnaswami, Ellen Howard, Sarah Ellis, and Marion Dane Bauer.  From them I received incredible support for what I was doing well and firm admonition to improve.  I have striven to carry that balance into my own mentoring relationships.

If you could mentor any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

What a great question!  I can think of a host of writers I’d like to be mentored by but the one I think I’d like to actually mentor would be G.A. Henty.  Henty wrote over one hundred historical novels for boys.  His story line seldom changed.  His boy protagonists could have been all the same kid only the name and time in history were changed.  He is a great writer and I would recommend his books to anyone but I think I could have helped him a little with variety.

If you could be mentored by any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

There are so many writers whose work I admire.  Gary Paulsen is my hero.  Gary Schmidt is brilliant.  But I think I’d like to be mentored by C.S. Lewis.  Lewis’s strong Christian faith pervades his work without overwhelming it.  I like that.

Mentor Monday: Kristin Wolden Nitz (currently mentoring Melissa Shanker!)

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I thought it would be fun to hear from Melissa Shanker’s mentor, Kristin Wolden Nitz. Kristin took time out of a tight deadline to answer our questions about mentoring and how important the process has been to her and her writing. She can be found at http://www.kwnitz.com/.  Thanks, Kristin! 

Please share a brief bio of you and your work.

I’ve always written the books that I wanted to read.  That might explain why my credits include a young middle grade contemporary fantasy (SAVING THE GRIFFIN), upper middle grade sports novel (DEFENDING IRENE) and YA mystery (SUSPECT).  My husband and I have moved thirteen or fourteen times since we graduated from Michigan Tech. Currently, we’re in the middle of preparing for our third move to Missouri. 

Why did you decide to become a mentor?

When I heard that the (SCBWI-MI) mentorship was going to be a novel in the next year, I offered to serve as one of the judges. When a friend on Ad-Com asked me if I’d actually BE the mentor it was hard to say no!

How many writers have you officially mentored?

Other than Melissa, I’ve also officially mentored Debra McArthur. She won the Missouri mentorship back in 2003 or 2004.  Unofficially, I’ve offered a lot of encouragement to a number of talented writers.  I also teach for the Institute of Children’s Literature in their beginners and book course.  Often, I feel more like I’m mentoring the novel students rather than overtly teaching them.

Were you part of the decision process for choosing Melissa Shanker as the SCBWI-MI Mentor Award? If so, what about her work made it rise to the top?

Yes.  I had my choice of the top three writers as chosen by the other judges. I bonded with Melissa’s characters almost immediately.  They seemed very real to me.  At the same time, she brought some serious tension to her project.

What strengths do you bring as a mentor?

Well, I have a zeal for making sure that there’s enough conflict and tension in a project since that used to be one of my weaknesses. I also have a pretty good understanding of layering in subplots so that they all come together in a coherent and dramatic way. Finally, I really want to see talented writers succeed.  For that reason, I really have an enthusiasm for nurturing and encouraging them.   

Have you been a mentee? If so, what from that experience helps you be the best mentor you can be?

My writing life changed dramatically when I won a mentorship with noted children’s author Gary L. Blackwood back in 1999.  He helped me understand the importance of conflict in novels.  I would often try to smooth things over for my characters.  Problems would stop before they got started.   I can never pay Gary back.  This is the kind of debt that you can only pay forward.  (Award-winning science fiction author Robert Heinlein came up with this idea decades ago.)

If you could mentor any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

Megan Whalen Turner.  Then I could find out what happens next in her Attolia books. 

If you could be mentored by any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

As much as I adore writers like Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen, they probably wouldn’t be that much help in dealing with current issues in writing.  That’s why I’d have to go with either Lois McMaster Bujold or Elizabeth Peters.  They’re both delightful, generous writers who went through tough times before achieving success. 



Butt-In-Chair is an Occupational Hazard

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Only writers know how many hours we spend on our kiesters doing that thing we love/hate/have to do:  WRITE. The manuscript won’t get done unless we sit down and write it.  Turns out, sitting is bad for us. In addition to weight gain, sciatica, and tennis elbow, now we need to be concerned about cancer. According to THE WEEK magazine (Nov. 25, 2011, pg. 25), “Sitting still for long stretches of time–at work, in the car, or at home–increases your cancer risk, even if you exercise regularly, WebMD.com reports.”  “…Research supports a previous 14 year study that found that six hours of sitting a day increased a woman’s odds of dying in that period by 37 percent, and a man’s by 18 percent, compared with people who sat for half that time.” “…The American Institute of Cancer Research now says it’s crucial that you get up and move at least once an hour.”

So, do what I do. Set an alarm to ring every hour. Get up and move about. Just don’t walk to the fridge…

Mentorship Monday: P.J. Hoover

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P.J. Hoover

Since we are staring the end of 2011 right in the face, it’s time to think about new year’s resolutions. How about this one? “I resolve to get a professional critique on my fantasy novel.” Look no further than P.J. Hoover, a mentor from the great state of Texas. Check her out at http://www.pjhoover.com.
1. Please share a brief bio of you and your work.

P. J. Hoover first fell in love with Greek mythology in sixth grade thanks to the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton. After a fifteen year bout as an electrical engineer designing computer chips for a living, P. J. decided to take her own stab at mythology and started writing books for kids and teens. P. J. is also a member of THE TEXAS SWEETHEARTS & SCOUNDRELS. When not writing, P. J. spends time with her husband and two kids and enjoys practicing Kung Fu, solving Rubik’s cubes, and watching Star Trek. Her first novel for teens, Solstice, takes place in a Global Warming future and explores the parallel world of mythology beside our own. Her middle grade fantasy novels, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, and The Necropolis, chronicle the adventures of a boy who discovers he’s part of two feuding worlds hidden beneath the sea.

2. Why did you decide to become a mentor?

I noticed once my MG trilogy was published, I started getting more and more requests for not only critiques but for advice about the publishing world in general. Part of this was from conference attendance, but also, I made myself known online through my blog and other social marketing media. I’d learned a bunch not only about the pros and cons of publishing with a small press but about networking and marketing, and I was happy to share whatever advice I could. So there was no official starting point, but it was more something I eased myself into.

How many writers have you officially mentored?

Because of the casual nature of so many of the exchanges with other writers I’ve had, there is no official number. I’m happy to answer any email that comes my way if I think in some way my advice will help.

What strengths do you bring as a mentor?

My strengths include publishing with a small press, independently publishing through an agency, and marketing. I love looking at query letters and helping rewrite these into something that will catch an agent’s eye. I’m happy to share what has worked for me in marketing. And, since I enjoy public speaking, I love speaking at conferences and workshops about any of my experiences and skills.

Have you been a mentee? If so, what from that experience helps you be the best mentor you can be?

So many writers have been generous with their knowledge. From writers I’ve met at conferences and workshops, to my editor for my MG series, to my agent and agency, to local Austin authors, I’ve been fortunate in having a wealth of knowledge offered to me that I can then share with others.

If you could mentor any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

Truly, no one comes to mind. I admire so many writers!

If you could be mentored by any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

I’m going to pick Tolkien. It would have been awesome to be mentored by him back when he was alive and working on the Lord of The Rings and the whole world of Middle Earth. That would have been priceless.

Mentorship Monday: Mentor Jessica Lee Anderson from Austin, TX

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This Monday, we take a peek at the other side of the mentor partnership with Jessica Lee Anderson. She’s an accomplished author who  is part of the Avante-Garde  Mentoring Program (http://austinavantmentors.com/) organized by SCBWI-TX, Austin.  This program connects talented mentors with aspiring children’s book writers. Anyone would be lucky to work with Jessica Lee Anderson. Check her out at:   http://www.jessicaleeanderson.com/index.php. 

1. Please share a brief bio of you and your work.

Jessica Lee Anderson is the author of Trudy (winner of the 2005 Milkweed Prize for Children’s Literature), Border Crossing (Quick Picks Nomination), as well as Calli (2011, YALSA’s Readers’ Choice Booklist Nomination). She’s published two nonfiction readers, as well as fiction and nonfiction for a variety of magazines including Highlights for Children. Jessica graduated from Hollins University with a Master of Arts in Children’s Literature, and instructed at the Institute of Children’s Literature for five years. She is a member of The Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels and hopes to be more sweetheart than scoundrel. She lives near Austin, Texas with her husband and two crazy dogs.

2.  Why did you decide to become a mentor?

This has been a natural transition as my background is in education and I’ve always been passionate about helping people.  There are few things quite as exciting and energizing as watching your student or mentee succeed!

3.  How many writers have you officially mentored?

I don’t have an official count, but as a former ICL instructor and an active SCBWI member, I’ve mentored a good number of writers.  In addition, I’ve also helped writers by offering critiques and providing guidance as a member of The Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels.

4.  What strengths do you bring as a mentor?

I like to think of myself as a patient person and also very positive.  This year, I celebrated 10 years in the writing industry, so I hope to have some helpful experience to share as well. 

5.  Have you been a mentee? If so, what from that experience helps you be the best mentor you can be?

I consider myself to be lucky to have had such amazing mentors throughout my writing journey! My mentors have all been models in patience and encouragement—they’ve really set a great example that I hope I can exemplify.

6.  If you could mentor any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

Hmm…there are so many writers I’d love to connect with in any sort of capacity!  Harper Lee ranks right up there for me, especially as there are some projects she set aside indefinitely.

7.  If you could be mentored by any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

I think Shakespeare would have such amazing insights to offer.  I admit I could use plenty of poetic guidance! 

Thank you!