The Importance of Mentors & a Book Review

What is a mentor?  

Merriam-Webster defines it as a trusted counselor or guide, tutor, or coach. 

To take it one step further, I'd say that a writing mentor is a writer and/or author who has experience beyond one's own abilities and expertise. Would you agree? 

I think there are several kinds of mentors. There are those that we have a long term relationship with and others where we gain counsel over short periods of time. Formal or informal, a mentor can offer many benefits, such as:

• Sound advice - Whether for a specific question, genre, or the writer's life in general, they've "been there, done that" and can share time tested counsel and illustrations, lending insight and guidance.
• A good example - They are someone worth emulating, one who possesses credibility and has set a standard worth following.
• An objective opinion - Often we're too close to our own work; a neutral stance offers valuable perspective and feedback.
• Encouragement - Since they've tread where we hope to, they can offer the boost needed to stay the course. This can enhance confidence and productivity.
• A listening ear - Sometimes we just need to talk, no matter where we are on the journey, and a non judgmental ear can help sort things out.

If someone is looking for a writing mentor, where might they find one? 

• Writer's Relief offers a few tips in this post.
• Chip MacGregor shares further insight here. 
• The Write Life discusses options in 5 Reasons You Need a Writing Mentor. 

Other avenues include: 

• Writing groups - Great local and online options are available for all levels.
• Workshops/conferences - Find regional, national, or online webinars in every genre.
• Social media - Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, etc. 
• Writing courses - The right course can be a great source of info and counsel.
• Coaching - Coaches offer customized, one on one interaction.

While having a writing mentor is not a requirement, it can be a great benefit on our journey.  These points illustrate something we probably already know, too. As writing friends, we mentor each other in some way on occasion. So whether we adopt the official title of mentor or not, large or small, our contributions impact others. I think that's a very good thing. :) Thank you all for your part in my writing journey!

My Mentor Story

I met MaryAnn Diorio about 16 years ago through a New Jersey writing group. This lovely and talented author was kind enough to help me get over many "newbie writer" hurdles, lending wisdom, encouragement, and wonderful advice. During this time, I participated in a coaching session she offered by phone, but she graciously answered my questions prior to and after that, and still does to this day.  

Early on she said, "Call yourself a writer." That little piece of advice impacted me greatly. It lent the confidence and vision to move forward into what I felt led to do. MaryAnn was also one of my first editors, signing me on as a contributor to one of her popular newsletters. I am forever grateful that she took time to invest in my life.

Just in case you didn't know, MaryAnn holds a Ph.D. and MFA, and in addition to coaching, she is a teacher, blogger, and author who's written fiction and non fiction books. I recently had the privilege of reading one of her novels and thought I'd share my review here. If you haven't yet read any of her work, I encourage you to do so. :)


Book Review - The Madonna of Pisano by MaryAnn Diorio


Maria Landro harbors a horrible secret, one she dare not share with anyone. Shunned by friends and the community, she works to support her son and help her mother save the family farm. Local priest Don Franco has secrets of his own. Terrified that these secrets will come to light, he builds a complicated web of pride and deceit. Luca Tonneta knows heartache and shame, but also knows the freedom of God’s redeeming power.

As these three Pisano residents’ lives intersect, they learn much about themselves and God’s amazing love and power to heal hearts. From realistic characters to a plot full of heartbreak and secrets, this book offers surprises and a good dose of grace. MaryAnn Diorio capably shares a difficult and intricate story that illustrates challenges that most of us can relate to on some level. This story of forgiveness and redemption held my attention from beginning to end. Two thumbs up!

Do you think mentors are necessary? Has anyone mentored you on your writing journey? Have you mentored anyone? What are you reading this week?

Happy writing,

Karen


Photo credit: Free Images: Benjamin Earwicker

Chocolate Giveaway & Blogoversary Recap

It's been a wonderful 5th Blogoversary Month. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to help me celebrate. I appreciate you all so much! Without you, my blog would be boring.

It's been a busy month! Here is a summary:

On March 3, aka National Grammar Day, we discussed Active versus Passive writing.

The fabulous Robyn Campbell stopped by on March 10 for a fun interview.

Fellow Helping Hands Press author Jen Cudmore shared her thoughts on professional correspondence on March 17. Here's the link if you missed it.

Find March 24th's interview with my writing mentor and friend Dr. MaryAnn Diorio here.

I also made a few appearances:

Celebrating Women's History Month with a post at the Coffeehouse for Writers' Blog.

Stopped by the Wednesday's Writer's Workspace at The Writing Nut.

Visited Gelati's Scoop to discuss The Blogging Code.

Shared poetry writing tips for kids at Carol J. Alexander's Lessons From the Homestead.

The Chocolate Giveaway

What blogoversary is complete without chocolate, right? I knew you'd agree! :)

I will assemble a little custom chocolate package for one follower according to their preference (milk or dark chocolate). Kindly follow the instructions below.

• You must be a GFC (Google Friend Connect follower) and leave your email address with your comment.
• Gain bonus entries (+1 each) by posting this on Facebook, your blog, and/or Twitter. Please total your entries and include links with your comment.
• Open to residents of the United States.
• Deadline to enter is midnight EST Thursday, April 3, 2014. Winner will be chosen by random.org, notified via email, and will have 36 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Join me next week when Jennifer Brown Banks stops by to share her timeless wisdom. Carol J. Alexander visits in April too to discuss her journey to publication.

What have you been celebrating lately? Have a great week!

Happy writing,

Karen :)

Congrats to Medeia Sharif, Robyn Campbell, and Janette Dolores - they are last week's giveaway winners of MaryAnn Diorio's books!

Photo credit #1: Stock Exchange
Photo credit #2: Stock Exchange

Interview with Author MaryAnn Diorio

I am thrilled to host Dr. MaryAnn Diorio for my Good Friends Old and New themed 5th Blogoversary celebration. MaryAnn is an award winning author, novelist, and poet. Her works include A Christmas Homecoming, Selling Yourself on You, and Enslow Publisher's The Student's Guide series that include Herman Melville,  Mark Twain, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. 

MaryAnn was the first writer I connected with in person through the New Jersey Society of Christian Writers. For this super newbie writer back in the 1990's, this was quite exciting. After all, MaryAnn was a real writer, and she was talking to me! She became a wonderful friend, mentor, and a huge influence on my writing. 

MaryAnn has graciously offered to give away three paperback copies of her novel A Christmas Homecoming. Be sure and check out the details after the interview.

Welcome MaryAnn! So glad you could join us. Tell us, when did you know you were a writer? 

Thank you for having me, Karen! I was 30 years old when I knew God had called me to write for Him. Prior to that time, I had been working as a professor of foreign languages, a career I loved. During high school, I had very briefly considered becoming a journalist, but that idea didn’t last long.

When I turned 30, however, I began to have a desire to write. I wasn’t sure if the desire was from God or from my flesh. So I asked God to increase the desire if it was, indeed, from Him or to remove it if it was not from Him. 


Well, the desire increased and became a burning desire to write. So, in faith, I signed up for a workshop at the St. Davids Christian Writers’ Conference. At the time, I had a six-year-old and a two-year-old. Because of a babysitting challenge, I could get away only for one morning of the conference. When I arrived as a “walk-in,” I discovered that there was only one workshop with an opening: the Writing Light Verse workshop taught by Sonia Fries. Since my husband is the funny one in the family, I was not too excited about attending this workshop. But since I had paid to come and since I had traveled two hours, I decided to sit in on the workshop and to make the best of it. While I did enjoy the workshop and learned a few things, I left thinking that I had probably wasted my time since I would never write light verse. I made a good “straight man” by laughing at all of my husband’s jokes, but as for writing something funny myself, it just wasn’t in me.

But God had other plans.

About a week after the workshop, my two little girls got into a big fight. They were in the playroom, and I was in the kitchen washing dishes and trying to decide how to handle the fight. I had just read a parenting book about allowing one’s children to resolve their own conflicts. So I waited a few moments to see how they fared. When the shouting escalated to the highest decibels, I decided to trash the parenting book and pick up my little wooden Italian spaghetti spoon. Armed with my “rod of correction,” I marched toward the playroom.

I carefully listened to each of my daughters’ side of the argument and determined that they both needed a little spanking. So I picked up my younger one first and placed her across my knee. As I raised my hand a few inches to give her a gentle paddling on the bottom, my older daughter began wailing. “Please don’t spank her, Mom. Please don’t spank her.” With hand raised in mid-air, I began to laugh. The child who, five minutes earlier, wanted to kill her baby sister now wanted to protect her from a spanking.

As I laughed I thought, there is a funny poem in all of this. So I dispensed with the spankings, got the situation resolved, and wrote a poem about it.

Novice that I was, I sent the poem to The Saturday Evening Post, the only magazine I knew of that published funny poems. I had no clue that it was nearly impossible for a newbie to get published in this magazine, considered one of the top slicks at the time. But, like the bumble bee who, aerodynamically, cannot fly but flies anyway, I sent the poem with full confidence that it could be published in The Saturday Evening Post. After all, no one ever told me it couldn’t be.

A short while later, I received a letter from The Saturday Evening Post stating that the editor wanted to publish my poem in the magazine’s “Lighter Side” section.

In that moment, I knew God had called me to write. 

Wow, that's exciting! You've written fiction and non fiction - do you prefer one over the other?

I definitely prefer writing fiction over writing non-fiction. I find it to be lots more fun yet more challenging. Also, whereas non-fiction appeals to the intellect, fiction touches the heart and transforms it. Jesus taught in parables for a reason.  

Good point. I hadn't thought about it much but this is true. What aspects of each do you enjoy most?

When writing fiction, I love creating a cast of characters living in a world of my own choosing and who struggle with a faith problem whose resolution will point readers to Christ.

When writing non-fiction, I enjoy conveying Biblical truths that will help set people free. 

How did the NJSCW come about?

The New Jersey Society of Christian Writers (NJSCW) came about as the result of a directive our Lord gave me back in 1992 to start a writers’ organization to educate, equip, and encourage Christian writers living in New Jersey. I headed up NJSCW for 10 years then passed the baton to another director. After a couple of years, she had to step down, so I took over again. We are now in the process of rebuilding our base and expanding throughout the State. 

Once upon a time you shared a piece of advice with me. You said, "Call yourself a writer." Though it was hard, from that time on I did and it did wonders for my confidence and writing journey. What's the best writing advice you've been given?

The advice I gave you is the best advice I’ve been given. I got the advice from Romans 4:17: “God calls those things that are not as though they were.” When I discerned I was called to write, I began calling myself a writer even though, at first, I nearly choked on the words, LOL! But God’s Word is true, and as we decree it, we create the future He has destined for us. 

I am grateful that you encouraged me in that way. It was and still is a blessing. Is there any other advice you'd like to share with us?

Yes. There are many things we could write, but there are only certain things we MUST write. The “must” items are those works God has ordained for us to write. In order, therefore, to know what we must write, we must remain closely connected to Jesus Christ. Our writing will flow out of our abiding in Him. BEING precedes DOING. 

Wonderful and wise words, MaryAnn. Thank you for sharing with us today! :)

Thank you for having me over, Karen!


Find MaryAnn: 

Her website 
Her blog 
Facebook Author Page  
Twitter 

A Sampling of MaryAnn's books:

A Christmas Homecoming - Kindle 

A Christmas Homecoming - Audio version

You Were Made for Greatness

A Student's Guide to Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Student's Guide to Mark Twain

A Student's Guide to Herman Melville

Giveaway Info

What:  Three paperback copies of A Christmas Homecoming

How:

• You must be a GFC (Google Friend Connect) follower and leave your email address with your comment.
• Gain bonus entries (+1 each) by posting this on Facebook, your blog, and/or Twitter. Please total your entries and include links with your comment.
• Open to residents of the United States.
• Deadline to enter is midnight EST Thursday, March 27, 2014. Winner will be chosen by random.org, notified via email, and will have 36 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. 

Who had an influence on your writing? Do you have any questions for MaryAnn?

Happy writing,

Karen 

P.S. Congratulations to Susan J. Reinhardt, the winner of last week's giveaway!

Thursday's This and That

Hope this Thursday finds you well and happy. Thought it was time to share a round of writing goodies. Perhaps something will catch your eye. :)

MaryAnn Diorio was one of the first "official" writers I met through a writing group in New Jersey years ago. Her unfailing support, wisdom, and friendship have been a huge blessing to me. I invite you to check out her blog, where she shares great info, like this Wednesday Wisdom post on making a living from writing.

Historical fiction your thing? Check out David Gillham's 5 Tips for Writing Historical Fiction over at Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents.

Productivity problems? Carol Tice offers help in the form of One Simple Thing. Writers of any genre should be able to implement her handy advice, I'm thinking.

Working at home has its own set of "office" problems to tackle, don't you think? Tiny Twig offers insight on how to get the most out of the day in How to Work From Home.

Do you write for children? Check out the Young Adult Short Story Contest sponsored by Children's Writer. Grand prize is $500, but hurry, deadline to enter is October 31, 2102.

Run across any good resources lately? What are you up to this weekend?

Have a great weekend,

Karen 




Photo credits: Stock Exchange