Mentoring, Editing & Workshops
I offer advice and editorial help to writers new and advanced.
I’ve always loved to make up characters and places, exploring how their stories unfold. But telling a story is never quite so simple as inventing one, and over the course of three novels and a lot of shorter fiction I’ve learned a great deal about the techniques and disciplines involved.
When writing’s going well it’s something you can get lost in, a liberating flow of words and ideas. Other times it’s like a puzzle, seemingly impossible to solve.
I hold these mentoring sessions and workshops to pass on my experience, to help you understand how to keep your creative fires lit, and how to edit your way past whatever challenges you might be facing in your own writing.
"Ali’s support has been invaluable on my writing project. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and this coupled with his calm, positive approach makes every session stimulating, enjoyable and incredibly useful.
The feedback given is detailed, insightful and practical and I’ve learned so much about character development, the technical elements of plot development and world creation. I can’t recommend Ali’s mentorship programme enough for any aspiring writer!"
- Daniella
How does a mentoring session work?
Before we first meet up, we’ll have a free phone or video call about what writing advice you’re looking for and whether I can help.
Then, if you want to take things further, we’ll arrange a set of sessions that fits around your writing schedule. Their precise contents will vary depending on what you need. They might focus on getting you started and planning out your project. Or they might hone in on a particular issue you’ve been facing, helping you resolve it and move on towards publication.
Editorial Feedback
Most successful writers will tell you that revision is what makes their work so strong, but knowing what to revise and how to make those changes can be difficult when you’re so close to a project.
That’s why getting an editorial perspective can be invaluable. Before each mentoring session, you can send me up to 4,000 words of your writing, which I’ll read and provide you with detailed feedback on. These notes might then serve as the basis for our session’s discussions, or as useful signposts as we address the bigger picture.
How I can help you...
Are you a new writer, eager to bring your words to life?
Maybe you’re figuring out the practicalities of writing. How to develop momentum on a project, or how to plan out and complete a larger work like a novel.
Things we might cover are:
- Creating believable characters.
- Getting your head around story structure.
- Building settings that feel real.
- Developing your voice and style.
- Technical considerations such as point of view and theme.
- Writing exercises and prompts to help you generate and explore your ideas.
Are you a more experienced writer, polishing your work towards publication?
I offer detailed editorial feedback to help pinpoint and address what’s not quite working in your writing. Sometimes those final stages of a project are the trickiest of all.
During our sessions we might:
- Get that difficult finale feeling powerful and satisfying.
- Give that crucial opening all the drama and intrigue it deserves.
- Break down, paragraph by paragraph, line by line, what does and doesn’t work in key chapters.
- Assess the deeper psychologies and motivations of your characters.
- Help you put together the best possible blurb and synopsis so you can send out your work to literary agents and publishers.
Workshops
I offer bespoke creative writing workshops to private groups and organisations. I have taught at colleges and summer schools, festivals, bookshops and museums – both to adults and young people.
Among the workshop topics I can cover are:
- Creativity – where our ideas come from and how to expand them.
- Character Development.
- World-Building.
- Methods of Writing – the where and how of what we write, and the effect that has upon our output.
If you’re interested in organising a workshop, or have a specific topic in mind, please get in touch using the contact form below.
Rates
My mentoring rates are £75 per session, or £70 per session if booked in a block of three or more. Usually we’ll meet online, although on some occasions I can meet in person in Oxford in the UK.
I recommend that we space out your sessions with some regularity, depending on your schedule. This helps give both your project and our discussions some momentum.
Workshop rates vary depending on requirements. If you’re interested in finding out more, please use the contact form below.