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Calendar of upcoming events

4-6th April 2022: Mentor chats on Twitter (summer programme)
7th-8th April 2022: Mentee application window open (summer programme)
28th April 2022: Mentor-Mentee announcement (summer programme)
7-8th May: Picture Book Weekend (Hub members)
16th May: Novel-in-Development Award closes (Judged by Chloe Seager)

Hub Calendar

Live sessions:
Wednesday 30th March: Picture Book Workshop with Rashmi 8pm
Wednesday 6th April 7pm : Book Club with Melissa Welliver
Wednesday 13th April 6pm: Chapter Book workshop with Emma Finlayson-Palmer
Wed 27th April 8pm: Book Blogging with Jo Clarke

Ask an Agent

Want to get your manuscript noticed by publishing professionals? In WriteMentor's new blog series, we invite leading literary agents to answer quick-fire questions about publishing and submissions, to give children's writers insights and advice about the querying process.

Chloe Seager of Madeleine Milburn shares her insights.

Current hot publishing trend...

Chloe: Everyone still seems to be in the mood for joy. More fun escapism in my inbox, please!

Submission turn on...

Chloe: A one line pitch/hook that makes me desperate to open the attachments.

Submission turn off...

Chloe: Vagueness! The themes of a novel are not the pitch.

Current children's read...

Chloe: Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston.

Biggest submission wish...

Chloe: A genuinely funny, hooky YA rom-com. And anything that surprises me!

Picture Book Weekend

From Pitch to Portfolio

Featuring 3 workshops and 2 panels from 3 of our favourite Picture Book teachers, and agents Alice Williams and Lydia Silver on the portfolio panel, this a weekend NOT to miss!

Free for Hub members, we welcome you to join us for the weekend that goes through every stage of the picture book writing process.

Novel-in-Development Award

“WriteMentor is such an encouraging environment I had no hesitation in entering. I loved that the novel did not have to be complete.”

Amanda Thomas, winner of WriteMentor’s 2020 Novel-in-Development Award

Mentoring

WriteMentor Spark is a monthly, online one-to-one mentoring service. Working with a children’s author, you will receive ongoing developmental editing, writing advice, publishing insights, and direct feedback on your manuscript to help you elevate your writing craft to the next level.

Spark Mentoring is always available if you need extra help or support each month.

Alternatively you can join the waiting list for our group mentoring (PB, MG, YA) here.

If you'd like 1-2-1 PB mentoring, complete this form.

Summer Programme Special

2022 Summer Programme Special - Hints/Tips and FAQs

Rejection Diaries Season 3

Episode 3: The Wait

Final Word

Take a break

Take a break

A lovely person and a terrific writer announced this week they were no longer going to write children's books.

I was incredibly sad to read this and I thought about responding to the person at the time. But I didn't. I completely understood their decision and why they had come to it. I had nothing to add.

I watched the replies flood in:
- don't give up ™️ (you know my views on this - I will discuss below)
- you're an amazing writer
- your stories are incredible
- you will be missed
and many, many more for this gorgeous person.

But I stood back and thought for a while - a couple of days, in fact. And could see myself doing something similar, at least 10 times in the last 15 years. And I put myself back into that mindset.

What is the worst thing someone can say to you when you're totally scunnered with something and don't want to do it anymore? DON'T GIVE UP! ™️

I see that advice thrown around more than show don't tell (also a bit of advice that is often misconstrued) and while always well meaning, telling a person to keep doing something that brings them no joy is ludicrous. If you don't want to do something anymore, stop doing it. No matter how talented you are. Just stop. Take a break or stop completely. But don't tell them to keep going - to me, that's more damaging than helpful.

Respect their decision and let's encourage them to do what does make them happy. Unfortunately the pressure of 'making it' it by signing with a literary agent or publisher has made it a difficult place to be in the children's writing community for a couple of years. Numbers of people writing have swelled. Literary agent numbers (this is my own view, so may not be 100% accurate) appear to have fallen. This has created a mismatch which only further decreases the chances of those querying from being signed up.

BUT, and we always try to be positive with this, it only seems that way if your only objective is to sign with an agent and be published traditionally. This is where we start the uplift.

Who are you writing for? Why are you writing? Imagine a world where no books are published - are you still writing?

The answers to these 3 questions will tell you a lot about yourself and what you're doing. We do this (I hope) because we love storytelling, because we have something to say that kids might find meaningful, or funny, or inspiring. If you're in it to be published (and I mean for YOU to be published) then you're in the wrong place.

We serve as writers for children (it's similar to my role as a teacher - it's not about my teaching, it's about the kids learning) and have an obligation to ensure that's always at the forefront of what we type and what we are aiming for.

This lovely writer I referred to before said something very similar and that's why I bring it to you, this morning, to consider.

So rather than me telling you to write this week, to inspire you to get the words down, why don't we take a break. Take a moment to reflect upon what we're doing and why? Sometime we get so focussed on the outcomes (GUILTY!) that we forget about the why and the who and we can end up making ourselves quite miserable, in a pursuit that's more about us than anything else.

We received quite a horrible email this week from a writer - it shook us all as it had lots of accusations and attacks on our moral, integrity and purpose. But we managed to shake it off as we know what we're doing it meaningful and morally right and it's all aimed at helping all of you write better stories for kids.

We're not perfect but we'll always keep that focus at the forefront.

We won't help everyone reading this newsletter to become a published author - and many of you will stop writing at some point - but we're here to tell you that both are fine. Write for the right reasons. Enjoy the process, forget about outcomes and you'll find this pursuit all the more fulfilling.

And if it sucks for a bit, do take a break. Reflect, reevaluate and return/retire as you see fit.

Sending love to anyone who's struggling with their writing this week. And to those who aren't, use this week to remind yourself why you love what you do - we've gotta be in love with writing to help us through those cloudy days which always come.

Writing can be lonely, but it doesn't need to be.

May the Force be with you!

Stuart, Florianne, Melissa, Sophia and Emily

Copyright © 2022 #WriteMentor - for all writers of children's fiction, All rights reserved.

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