How our creative writing mentoring works

This programme overview walks you through the structure behind our creative writing mentoring. Over six weeks, you’ll meet regularly with a published author for one-to-one conversations, practical exercises, and focused feedback tailored to your goals and current work-in-progress.

Each week has a clear theme and set of outcomes, so you always know what you are working on and why. The spotlight stays on you, your writing, and the next small step forward – not on rigid rules or overwhelming theory.

Week-by-week programme overview

The creative writing mentoring unfolds over six themed weeks. Here’s what you can expect at each stage:

1. Week 1 · Welcome, goals & writing identity

   You’ll start by getting to know your mentor and talking about your current writing – or the ideas you’d like to explore. Together you’ll identify your strengths, challenges, and 2–3 realistic goals for the programme.

   You may:

   • Describe your work-in-progress or brainstorm ideas if you’re starting from scratch.
   • Talk about what feels easy, what feels tricky, and where you’d like support.
   • Agree on how you’ll communicate between sessions and what you’ll bring next time.

2. Week 2 · Story foundations

   This week focuses on the core of your project – the bones of your story, poem, or memoir piece. You’ll work out what the piece is really about and how its main elements connect.

   You might explore questions such as:

   • Who is the main character and what do they want?
   • What stands in their way, and what is the emotional heart of the story?
   • For poetry or memoir: what themes, images, or central moments are emerging?

3. Week 3 · Voice & style

   Here you’ll play with voice – the way you tell the story. Through short, low-pressure exercises, you’ll experiment with tone, perspective, rhythm, and imagery to see what feels most “like you”.

   You may:

   • Write the same object or moment in different tones (serious, funny, mysterious, poetic).
   • Rewrite a small section from a different point of view.
   • Identify a page or paragraph that feels especially close to your natural voice.

4. Week 4 · Editing & craft development

   This week introduces practical editing strategies that you can apply to any future work. You and your mentor will look at a short section together and make tangible improvements in real time.

   Focus areas can include:

   • Clarifying the purpose of a scene or stanza.
   • Sharpening sentences, verbs, and imagery.
   • Improving pacing, flow, and emotional clarity.

5. Week 5 · Deep-dive feedback session

   Before this session, your mentor will have read a piece of your work and written a focused response (around 300–500 words). This week is dedicated to unpacking that feedback together.

   You’ll look at:

   • What’s working well and what feels unique about your writing.
   • Specific opportunities to strengthen clarity, imagery, structure, or character.
   • Examples on the page that show how small edits can create a bigger impact.

6. Week 6 · Showcase preparation & next steps

   In the final week, you’ll polish a short extract or piece – something you may choose to share at an optional showcase or simply keep as a milestone for yourself.

   You’ll also create a realistic next-steps plan, which might involve finishing a draft, starting a new project, setting a writing routine, or exploring submission routes for your work.

Throughout the six weeks, the emphasis stays on gradual growth: small, meaningful shifts in how you think about your writing, how you approach the page, and how you edit your own work.

What you can expect to take away

By the end of the programme, you’ll not only have a stronger piece of writing – you’ll also have a clearer understanding of how you work as a writer and how to keep developing after the mentoring ends.

Ready to join the programme?

If this programme overview resonates with where you are in your writing journey, we’d love to hear from you. You don’t need a finished manuscript – just curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to explore your work in conversation with a mentor.