Mentoring

For many years now I have been mentoring individual writers, whether through the Open College of the Arts, various writing websites, the literary organisation Apples & Snakes, or privately. Feedback has been excellent.

I offer this service on an occasional basis, when time permits, so please get in touch first.

There are various ways in which this can be done.

Mentoring on specific projects
I can work with you on a specific project in a way and at a pace that we design together over a number of sessions. Currently, for example, I am working with someone to progress her novel through writer's block, and with a poet by critiquing his poetry in depth, setting deadlines (this seems to be an important aid!), and offering suggestions for development. This work is normally done by email or post.

For a one-off session, I charge £125, (this includes time for me to read and reflect on your work thoroughly, and then write up a report). This covers up to 10,000 words of fiction or up to 10 poems.

Alternatively I can work with you over a period of up to six months (with three months as the minimum). We would do this by post or email, with your submitting to me up to 10,000 words of fiction or up to ten poems each month for some detailed feedback and advice on progressing your work. (In each case I also need your thoughts on what you wish to achieve, and any specific questions; in the case of a novel, it would help to have a summary or outline too.) This kind of one-to-one tutorial might be ideal for someone unable to make the time or financial commitment to such a course as a(n) MA, but with the equivalent input from me. The fee for this is £100 per month with the fee payable in two instalments (I believe this to be highly competitive in comparison with other established mentoring services).

Advice and feedback on longer work-in-progress fiction and poetry (and also creative non-fiction)

If you have completed a novel or other full-length book, I can offer an in-depth appraisal: this service gives you a report of several pages on the strengths and weaknesses of your fiction book, such as character development, plot, dialogue, pacing, style etc. I can also help with constructing a synopsis for a publisher.

If you are a poet, then my comments include a response both to individual poems and to the collection as a whole.

I reserve the right to refuse to work on any manuscript that includes unacceptable levels of violence, or pornography, etcetera; and there may be circumstances in which I am either too busy, or consider that your manuscript needs so much work that you will be wasting your money paying my fee.

NB: I may take up to three months to comment on and return a full-length novel; usually only a month for a poetry manuscript.

PLEASE NOTE that I am not a publisher or agent, so cannot help with getting your novel or poetry collection into print except in terms of broad advice. What I do will enable you to present a much stronger manuscript to an agent or publisher.

Fees for the appraisal service:

       Fiction/non-fiction book
        1-2 page synopsis and up to 50 double-spaced pages £100

        1-2 page synopsis and up to 100 double-spaced pages £175

        1-2 page synopsis and up to 200 double-spaced pages £250

        Manuscripts longer than 200 pages £250 PLUS £1.00 per page thereafter.

        Short Stories
        Up to 3000 words £75

        Each additional 1000 words of the same story (over 3000) £10

        Poetry
        Collections of up to 70 poems: £250

I prefer to receive hard copy, loose leaf, double-spaced single-sided manuscripts with the appropriate postage as SAE, and I like to receive the same document electronically.

You might be able to receive a grant from Arts Council England towards these costs, depending on your writing history.

Just to save you looking back at my credentials: I have a number of books in print, my poetry and short stories have won awards, and I've been tutoring poetry and general creative writing since 1991, and novel-writing for over ten years now (the first course was featured in The Guardian). Many of my students are now in print.

Writing coaching for personal development

I also draw on my counselling training to work with people on life issues using writing as a tool. There is much evidence to support the therapeutic value of writing, both poetry and prose, and my approach includes the transpersonal work of myth, dream and archetype.

I also work with rites of passage, and have a deep interest in and experience of vision/wilderness quest work, personally and as a facilitator.

This kind of work is particularly valuable if you find yourself at a crossroads or threshold in your life.

Coaching will usually happen by email via exercises I set you, but if you live relatively locally we might incorporate one-to-one meeting as well.
       
Once again, please ask.

My fee is £50 for a generous one-and-a-half hour session.