Sisters in Crime, a now global mystery and crime fiction activist and support organization, was founded in 1986 to “promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers.”
I’ve
been a SinC member for twenty years, and I’ve taken their mission statement to
heart. One thing I’ve done to “pay it forward” (or to pay it back) was to
volunteer as a mentor for their SinC Connect Mentoring Program.
This is
my second year serving as a mentor. Although initially I was nervous, I’ve
found the experience to be a joyful one.
My
first mentee was a veteran television producer who was changing tack mid-stream
to develop her new crime writing career. Working with her gave me key insights
into the previously unknown world of television production, TV showrunners,
writers’ rooms, and the development of series for the new streaming services. “Oh,
brave new world that has such people in it!” (William Shakespeare, The
Tempest).
This year’s mentee is a completely different story. A twenty-something woman from Texas, she’s teetering on the idea (and I think the romantic thrill of it, didn’t we all?) of becoming a writer. She’s gotten as far as journaling. She’s considering launching a blog. In our monthly conversations, I’ve been walking her through creative story basics: POV choices, three-act structure, character development, effective dialogue usage. Instead of drafting an overwhelming 85,000 word manuscript, I’ve suggested she start with short stories and flash fiction. She’s been open to my suggestions, but next to her fragile Gen Z newbie hesitation, I feel like a monstrous T-Rex.
During our first few one-a-month calls I felt like I was walking on eggshells. I was working with a newbie! This required delicate handling. A generation separated us and our perspectives. I was terrified I might inadvertenly cause irreversible damage. EEK! What if I screwed her up?
It was paralyzing. Not only did we have different story goals and long-term visions, we had different target audiences. My readership demographic (according to SinC’s Annual Business of Books Survey Report) is older White women living in the Southeastern United States who still use Facebook for their social media. Gen Z uses Instagram (89%), YouTube (84%), and TikTok (82%).
Was my mentoring advice even relevant? Did I offer any modern-day value?
And then, as I got to know her better, our mentoring conversation flipped on its head. I realized that not only was she learning from me, I was learning from her. And what I’ve learned made my characters better.
For instance, my Gen Z characters now actively use slang. I needed to study it, to learn the vocabulary, and the grammar. To learn that ‘Bet’ means ‘Yes’ and that ‘Dope’ or ‘Dank’ means a good thing. The first time I correctly dropped ‘That’s my vibe’ into my conversation, my Gen Z niece’s jaw fell open. Dinosaur, indeed.
Have you ever been a mentor, or a mentee? What did you get from your experience?
As one of the co-leads of the Sisters in Crime mentorship program, I'm delighted this has worked so well for you.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Jim - It's a great program. Thank you for herding the cats for it. Like I noted, both sides get benefits!
DeleteThanks for paying it forward!
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Margaret! I made paying it forward one of my retirement core values along with drinking great coffee and taking lots of trips. Finishing my work-in-progress is also somewhere in there. LOL
DeleteSounds like a wonderful program!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan - SinC Connect is only a few years old, but it's on my annual project renewal list. It takes one hour a month for six months - although the last time I met with my current mentee we went way over the 1-hour time limit because we were having such fun talking about the writing life.
DeleteI'm in my second year as a mentor in SinC Connect, too. And, yes, I'm constantly learning from my mentees. I've not worked (yet) with a rank newbie, but I totally understand your trepidation! I also know you well enough to know your mentee is in good hands.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Annette for the kind words and back at you. It's funny how the more people I mention the SinC Connect program to, the more I find out they're already participating! We have the best, most unselfish community. I'm proud to be a part of it.
DeleteYour time and thoughts mean a lot to the mentees and you are right that it is a two way street of learning.
ReplyDeleteHi Debra - I like how it balances out my writing life. Going over what I've learned in order to share it with someone else seems to activate a different part of my brain - memory versus creativity, maybe? As long as it has something to do with my writing life, it's all good!
DeleteWe learn so much by assisting others. One of the best things about the mystery-writing community is the selfless and generous contributions of so many.
ReplyDeleteI agree! And the longer I'm a member of the community the more I see how much we owe to the writers who came before us - and what we should leave behind as our legacy. Write on!
DeleteWhat a wonderful thing to do, Martha. And brave!
ReplyDeleteHi Kait - I'll admit I was nervous mentoring the first time. I wasn't sure I had anything valuable to share - and until you get to know the mentee, the lesson plan is on the fly. But mentoring a second time confirmed that what I've learned is worth sharing and speaking to a newbie (especially a young one) opens my eyes to the changes in our readership and in publishing in general.
DeleteYou demonstrate mentoring at its best, Martha. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Molly! It's funny how the more I give away the more it returns to me - tenfold. I don't want to imagine how dry and stale my life would be without our community! Who needs to invent interesting characters? Look at the people I work with. HaHa
DeleteThis is my first year serving as a mentor—and to someone considerably younger. It’s a real balancing act of giving guidance and just waiting for the mentee to express a need for help or guidance.
ReplyDelete