Why You Should Consider Getting a Writing Mentor

{guest post written by: Mahesh Raj Mohan}

I’ve always liked the concept of a mentor: a sagacious master of an art, craft, or trade who passes knowledge to seekers, students, and adventurers. Bonus points if s/he is a kind person who patiently corrects rookie mistakes and helps an apprentice grow. Teachers usually fill that role for us, as well as parents and siblings, if we’re fortunate.

I’ve been taught by many wise mentors throughout my life. But more importantly, I’ve learned to face several challenges on my own. Getting to a place of self-reliance can be difficult. But I believe that stretching beyond a mentor’s teachings is just as important as finding a mentor.

Writers just starting out (or still in school) can benefit from a mentor. For instance, writers often learn about form, composition, style, and how to tell a story.

Then there comes a time when you have to move beyond a mentor’s advice. For example, it used to be comfortable for me to perform writing and research tasks exactly as I was taught.

After awhile, I wrote faster and more efficiently using some techniques I’d learned on my own. It was also a huge confidence boost.

Trusting our instincts or critical reasoning can be very uncomfortable. We’re usually scared of making mistakes. But even the wisest among us became wise because they made lots of mistakes!

Mentors also have their own biases, so a mentor’s choices or solutions are not always right (or right for you). This also goes for me. I’ve been a mentor to several writers or editors, and I certainly have my own preferences and biases. (Yay, Oxford comma!) But watching former mentees flourish professionally has been tremendously rewarding. And I’ve learned a few things
from them.

As writers or freelance professionals, the most important thing we can do is to think for ourselves. Mentors can guide us on our journeys, but it’s up to us to plot the course.

What about you? Have you had many mentors in your life? Or are you self-taught?

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Mahesh Raj Mohan is a freelance writer/editor based near Portland, Oregon. His reviews have been published by Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper The Oregonian and Hugo-nominated website Strange Horizons. His screenplay, “Indian Errand Day” is a 2011 Kay Snow Award Winner.