Mentoring - And Why It's Important to Writers

By Gillian Hamer


Look up ‘mentoring’ in the dictionary and the definition reads: ‘the activity of supporting and advising someone with less experience to help them develop in their work.’

This seems a perfect description. As writers, the thing we lack more than anything in our early days is confidence. How do we know our writing is any good? How do we judge? Who can we compare it to? Who do we ask for feedback? How do we get advice about publication? Within self-publishing the need for support is probably even greater, without an in-house editor or agent to work with, who do we ask for advice?

Our A Time & A Place Boxset

Mentoring can be many different things to many different people, but in writing, the fundamental need of the lonely author is support.

From early on in our incarnation, it was decided that one of our key roles at Triskele Books is to do just that. To use what we have learned over the last decade in our own individual writing journeys (and when you start to list it or visit seminars you soon realise what a huge amount of knowledge you know without even realising!) and hopefully put our skills towards assisting others who are just starting over in their own journey or are have trouble with previous decisions.

Each of us have our own different stories of how mentoring works for us.

Jill Marsh: "My Triskele team-mates have been my mentors for far longer than five years. We first ‘met’ on a peer critique site. Three things stood out – these people were excellent writers, insightful critiquers and extremely supportive individuals.

Under their guidance, my writing has matured. I’ve identified my own bad habits, built my confidence and learned plotting precision. As for getting the work out there, I lean heavily on the various contributory skills of the Triskelites. Mentoring, for me, is a question of sharing our experiences to make unfamiliar territory less daunting and a demonstration of our commitment to helping other writers."

Each of us within Triskele play our parts individually. Jane Dixon-Smith is not only a historical fiction author, but also an award-winning cover designer, who has recently been interviewed on BBC Radio and released a book to assist newbie writers, and is also the editor of literary magazine, Words with Jam. Jill Marsh as part of Nuance Words runs writing events in her home country of Switzerland, and co-produces The Woolf magazine. Catriona Troth is a professional editor, plus our eyes and ears on the ground, assisting with London-based writing events and also works with the Alliance of Independent Authors. Liza Perrat takes part in a writing community in her native France. And I have recently given a talk on ‘cross genre’ novels to a writing group in Birmingham, discussing my route to publication and feel I know a great deal about publishing.

Collectively, we’re massively proud of 'A Pathway To Self-Publishing' – our how to guide to assist writers who may be looking at self-publishing as an option for them.



A Pathway to Self-Publishing

So, for us the next natural step was to launch our Big Five Competition for 2016 #Big5 putting into place the definition of mentoring which seemed perfect to encompass all our ideas. A year working along with five published authors, skilled in areas such as professional editing, professional cover design and formatting, as well as getting the support network and advice that has made Triskele Books so successful.

Is this an offer worth grabbing? Do Triskele have anything worthwhile to offer? Well, from what we have discussed here I believe so!

Certainly life is full of choices. Traditional publishing is still a route for many to pursue, and an option I would encourage for anyone who wants to write and leave everything else to someone else. It has it negatives – the loss of control and speed at which the industry moves, but also doubtless has its positives – assistance with marketing and network opportunities.

Not many of us would be where we are today without some kind of mentoring. For some that may be formal qualifications, for others it might be physical support groups, for others online writing communities.

Personally, my first unofficial mentor would be the first literary agent who saw some spark of ‘something’ in my writing, and helped me develop the rough jumble of ideas I had into the framework of a novel that eventually become ‘Closure.’ Later in my career, I turned to a fellow author, Amanda Hodgkinson, who seemed to connect to my writing and was always supportive but critical to just the right degree. Would I be writing my sixth novel without either of these women? Probably not in all honesty.

But don't just take my word for the importance of mentoring. The judge for our Big Five Competition is Irish crime writer, Sheila Bugler. Soon to publish her third novel with O’Brien Press, her first big break into writing was via a sponsored mentorship scheme, and this was one of the reasons Sheila was so keen to payback her good fortune and judge our competition.

Sheila Bugler

Sheila says: “Early in my writing career I was lucky to win a year’s mentoring with an established crime writer. It was such a great experience. I learned so much about the craft of writing, the genre in which I was writing and what exactly I needed to do to turn my messy first draft into a final version that was good enough for publication. More than anything, though, being mentored have me the confidence to believe in myself and think ‘I can really do this.’ Mentoring is a really great experience and I would recommend it to any aspiring author luck enough to be offered this opportunity.”

The Big Five Competition #Big5 is one hell of an opportunity for one lucky author. If you're an established writer, tell someone who is just starting out or struggling with their writing. If you've been with a small press but are looking at fresh options, see if this is something that fits your needs. And if you have a book in you and want to support to see if it deserves its place on the bookshelf, take the plunge and let us advise you.

It means a lot to us at Triskele Books that we have the knowledge, skills, networks and experience to be able to offer this prize - and we look forward to sharing all of that expertise with one lucky author.

Find out more #Big5 details here

My Top Ten Crime Writing Tips

 By Gillian Hamer

Gillian Hamer has published three cross-genre thriller novels via Triskele Books – The Charter, Closure and Complicit. She is now working on the third book in her Gold Detective series after the successful release of Crimson Shore and False Lights. She's a founder member of Triskele Books and an avid reader of crime novels. 

Here, Gillian imparts advice and tips she has accumulated over more than a decade writing in her favoured genre - for any writers who may be considering trying their luck in the murky world of crime and thrillers.

Knowing your market.

Read widely and varied - by that I'd suggest as many authors as possible, not necessarily as many books. If you’ve read one book by Rankin or McDermid, then move on. Find what else is out there. That means reading the classics but also being aware of current market trends too. For example, I had a meeting with an editor of a major publisher who liked my writing but thought I needed to make my style darker. ‘Read Tess Gerritsen, she said, try Kathy Reichs (both authors I’d never previously read) - those are the writers who are selling now.’ Sample everything out there and see what style suits your writing.

Location.

Not something you may expect in the top ten of my tips on the genre – but I’m a firm believer that getting the setting right and creating a backdrop that stops the reader in their tracks is as important as a strong lead character. Written well, location can become a character in its own right. And I’m not alone in my view. Think of Dick Francis who based all his books around horse racing or Colin Dexter’s use of Oxford as a fabulous backdrop or Ian Rankin’s view of Edinburgh. Try to think of somewhere original. Research or visit the area. Make the reader connect with the place if they know it – or close the book wanting to visit. Having a solid foundation for your crime novel will improve your chances of success.

Conflict, conflict, conflict.

Plot and getting it right are crucial in crime writing, central to that is the subject of conflict. Without conflict there is no crime, in fact without conflict there is no drama in any genre. Always take care to make sure your plot has enough tension and conflict to keep the reader hooked, but also enough breathing spaces to keep the story real. Getting the level of drama in the right place, at the right time, is another consideration when trying to create a plot with tension, twists and turns. You want to amaze the reader, not frustrate them.

Killer Opening.

It is more vital in crime fiction than any other genre to grab the reader's attention during the first page, first paragraph or even the first line. Readers expect shock and awe in the first chapter and they don't want to be disappointed. So, make sure you kick off the book in the means you want to continue.

Killer Ending.

It is also vital to ensure that the reader stays with you for the journey and comes to the end, not only entertained but satisfied with the summary and conclusion. If you're writing a crime series, the best way to ensure your reader reaches for the next book is to ensure you get the end of the previous one right on all counts.

Killer characters.

While plots are crucial to the novel, they can be easily forgettable, and by the nature of crime fiction can often feel very similar. Characters, on the other hand, never leave us: Poirot, Marple, Lecter, Rebus. Characterisation is crucial in crime writing – whether that’s the goodie or the baddie. There are a wealth of new UK writers who have this nailed. Ann Cleeves with Vera for example. A character who shouldn’t work, who we shouldn’t like, and is the antithesis of everything we expect – and yet Cleeves is steadily building mass market popularity. A lesson in how to be different and competent at the same time.

Research your genre.

There's a lot of emphasis on research when writing crime. Whether it be police procedure, medical terminology or historical resources - it's vital you get it right. Credibility can be a huge stumbling block. And whilst, most of us won't know how it feels to be a pathologist or a murderer, being as accurate as possible is vital in keeping the reader's attention. If you want a forensic scientist to excel in their field, for example, and baffle your reader, make sure you study the subject yourself, not simply rely on the Wikipedia. Maybe do a forensic science course as I did. Make sure you sound as much of an expert as your characters. If you don’t get it right, your readers will – and you’ll be caught out.

Pace and Style.

Getting the pace and writing style right is another crucial element. Crime thrillers need to be tightly written, no flowery language to muddy the waters, and as a general rule you can look to reduce your first draft by at least 10%. Be ruthless in your edits. If a scene doesn't move the story on, then cut it, keep the style taut and the pace tight.

Aim for Perfection.

Today, if you have any hope of getting your work noticed, published, acknowledged – it has to be Great (with a capital G!). And that is what you have to aim for no matter how many drafts it takes. Soak up advice, good or bad, and don’t disregard a single opinion until you’ve considered it carefully. Of course, it doesn’t mean every single person who comments on your work is right – but make sure they’re definitely wrong before ignoring any advice.

Practise Makes Perfect.

You learn by experience. The more you write, the better you become. Every chapter, every draft, every novel … you will improve. Think about building your skills, engaging with fellow writers, researching the industry as well as the genre, or maybe getting expert editorial advice. All those things will increase your maturity as a writer and get you one step nearer to establishing your goal. Remember, writing can be a lonely place, but you’re not alone.

And on that note, I’ve asked a few up-and-coming crime writers what their one top crime writing tip would be.

Scene Building … JJ Marsh.

I hate violence. Which is tricky to avoid as a crime writer.
So with a violent scene, I try it both ways.
I write it twice - from victim and perpetrator perspective. Sometimes, even from the POV of an observer.

When I read the whole thing back, my instinct tells me which voice should relate the incident.
It all comes down to the effect I want to have on the reader.

JJ Marsh, author of the Beatrice Stubbs series. 

www.beatrice-stubbs.com

POV … Frances di Plino

When writing your antagonist’s parts of the book, you have to inhabit his or her head to the extent that you understand why they act as they do.

Frances di Plino – author of Bad Moon Rising, Someday Never Comes, Call It Pretending and Looking for a Reason

http://www.francesdiplino.com/

Action … Chris Curran

When you're writing a fight scene or a physical struggle, always act it out.

Chris Curran – author of After the Darkness and Her Turn To Cry.

https://chriscurranauthor.com/

Background … Sheila Bugler

Read as much crime fiction as you possibly can. Understand the different sorts of crime fiction and where your work fits within the genre. Laura Wilson's regular crime round-up in Saturday's Guardian newspaper is a great way of discovering new crime fiction writers.

Sheila Bugler, author of Hunting Shadows, The Waiting Game and All Things Nice
http://sheilabugler.co.uk/

For more ideas and tips on writing crime and thrillers, check out this post on The Writer's Workshop