Falling into place

This was a bit of a strange summer for me, with inspiration coming to me through new places and experiences.  

One of those new experiences was trying out the role of mentor. I decided to take part in a mentorship program through the Lake Region Arts Council, working with a high school student on a writing project. Helping a young author develop her voice, particularly a novelist rather than a poet like myself, was an interesting challenge.

It reminded me of some of the things I love about language: the pictures we can create with words and how different they can seem in our heads versus on the page. I know it can be difficult to explain your vision to someone, and even more difficult to accept critique of it.

So, I decided to approach mentoring as though I were the voice of the reader, asking the kind of questions I’ve always wanted to ask my favorite writers as I read their work. It was also a lot of fun to talk to a young writer about this craft, hear her excitement for her story, and help her discover ways to keep growing in writing.

Like many authors and writers, I struggle sometimes with imposter syndrome, so it was strange to have someone looking to me for advice and encouragement. However, it was a good reminder that we don’t always understand how much we’ve learned until we’re asked to share it.

Being a mentor also brought me back to looking more critically at pieces I've written that I’ve grown attached to, and recognizing when they might benefit from another reader’s perspective.

As Fall closes in and I look at creating new work, I hope to carry some of those lessons with me.