Win a writing mentorship from Lis McDermott. Lis will offer her time for at least a year, or over if it takes longer. She doesn’t like to set an exact time, because of each writer’s individual needs. The joy of mentoring for Lis is to help people on their journey, to write their book, helping them to get their work into being publication-ready.
She helps writers to move forward, depending on where they are when she initially meets them – this can mean, from a very early point where they require help to plan and organize their writing, or they may have written quite a large part of their book, but have lost their way.
Working with writers, Lis will look at grammar, punctuation, language, use of words, and organizing writing into a shape. Make sure that what you write makes sense to people other than you. Lis will talk about the use of description, dialogue, and characters. She works hard to give positive, though where needed, carefully worded, critical advice. Her aim is to encourage people because we all have lapses in confidence at some point, so she is there as a listening ear they can continually turn to when needed. When making comments, she always keeps in mind it is your story, with her aim to ensure you are able to tell that story in the best way.
How The Mentorship Works:
Lis has an initial session, either face to face, or online to determine where you are in the writing process. Then she will discuss how you will move forward.
Generally, writers send Lis their writing, which she reads and assesses. She offers advice and feedback, providing a feedback sheet about any issues that are noticed. This is usually done as an online meeting, so that’s she can explain her comments, and you can talk about them.
Following on from this, she asks writers to write the next part which they send, Lis then reviews and edits as needed. For some writers they send her chapters each month, some send them more frequently, and others less frequently, depending on their lifestyles and the time they can give to writing. Lis is always available at the end of an email, and people can contact her in other ways too.
Working in this way, when the manuscript is finished, both Lis and the writer have a final read through and edit. Before this point, she will have talked to the writer about how they want to publish their book, and Lis has publishers (both Indie and hybrid), which she can assist them to contact and make their submission. However, Lis cannot guarantee to arrange publishing services.
About Lis McDermott
Lis worked in education for 34 years, latterly as a schools’ adviser, where she mentored many teachers. During that time, she co-published a music scheme for primary teachers, which was traditionally published by Nelson. In 2014, Lis published her first business book, then in 2017 a book of short stories, followed in 2018 by an autobiography, a book of poetry, and since then, she has published four more poetry books. In all, a total of eleven books. Her debut novel, “He is Not Worthy” (contemporary fiction), was published in May 2022.
Last year she set up an online poetry group, and an anthology of poems by the group, written during our first year, has just been published.
Lis started mentoring writers in 2019, and has been mentoring privately and for Silverwood Publishing since 2020.
Presently, she is presently mentoring ten writers. Two of her previous mentees published their books last year, and books of another two will be published at the beginning of 2023. Two authors, have second books they are writing and continue to be mentored by Lis. Their books cross genres. The majority of people Lis has worked with and currently works with are writing their memoirs, and two of them are writing fictional stories.
Prize Value: £1,500
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