Thursday 7 June 2012

Mentors for Horror Writers

I was interested to find out that the Horror Writers Association (HWA) run a mentoring programme. I found about it from a interview with JG Faherty on the Horror on the Installment Plan blog. (You might have to register to view the interview).


And, by the way, Horror on the Installment Plan is  still looking for horror short stories for their themed issues and paying professional rates.


Edmund R. Schubert interviews Steve Savile about the HWA programme. Basically an experienced writer teams up with a less experienced,  affiliate HWA member.


Affiliate membership requirements are sale in horror/dark fantasy of one of the following:
  • Sell one short story of at least 500 words, for payment of at least $25.
  • Sell one non-fiction article, role-playing supplement, comic book script, computer gaming script, or theatrical play for payment of at least $50.
  • Sell one book-length manuscript (40,000 words or more) for payment of at least $200.
  • Sell a screenplay or an option on your existing screenplay for payment of at least $200.
  • Sell three poems for total payment of at least $15.


I'm very tempted. I reckon I qualify for membership. I wonder how much it is? I've always fancied having a mentor.


Has anyone had experience being mentored by another writer?


edited. Here's the membership page for HWA. If you join after July, for half a year, it's only $25.

14 comments:

  1. hmmm...looks interesting to me too. I wouldn't mind having a mentor (no way could I BE the mentor though - I'd mess the poor victim up!) I'll check it out - thanks for posting.

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    1. Glad to pass on the information, Susan.

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    2. Glad to pass on the information, Susan. Let me know if you get a mentor.

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    3. So good, I typed it twice. I don't want to delete, or it looks mysterious.

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  2. Really interesting, and potentially great. Personally I think I've fulfilled a lifetime's quota for mentors, and I'm a little tired of them. I've got mentor fatigue, I guess. It depends on the mentor, I think, and how they approach the task of mentorship.

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    1. oooh, you've had a writing mentor(s) before, Elizabeth? I was imagining that they'd just, well, sort me out a bit. Maybe get me invites to sub to some closed anthologies or get my writing polished to perfection (although, come to think of it, I find it hard to edit a story once it's done).

      I mean I'm quite happy, but there's always room for improvement.

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    2. ... maybe invite me to parties?

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  3. Not me. I like the idea, though--it would be nice to know someone who knows what they're doing.

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  4. I consider my book editor my mentor and her advice has been invaluable.

    I'm not sure you fit the 'less experienced' HWA affiliate member since you've had over 300 sales and are appearing in an anthology with Peter Straub. But I do think that everyone has something to teach and everyone has something to learn.

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    1. I'm glad you've had such a positive experience with your editor,Erin.

      And luckily to be considered active in HWA you've had to make sales at professional level totalling around 7K words. 'Luckily' most of my horror sales have been below the 5 cents a word threshold.

      So I still qualify as less experienced. Hoorah.

      But thanks!

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  5. I've not had the privilege of being mentored, but I've heard it can be a fulfilling experience.

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  6. I have dreamed, and I mean dreamed, of having a mentor. It's have to be someone I really idolized though, I'd have a hard time hanging onto every word of someone I didn't enjoy reading.

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    1. Oooh it's nearly July, so I can join HWA for a bargain price. My expectations are sky-high. Could be due for a fall, wheee!

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