LitNet NI Services
Mentoring – Professional Development – Editorial Mentoring
LitNet NI offers mentoring opportunities to writers living in Northern Ireland at key stages in their development.
The scheme provides one-to-one feedback with a tutor who has been specifically chosen to work with your style of writing. LitNet NI works with a professional team of highly skilled editors, agents and writers – including Moyra Donaldson, Chris Dolan, Fraser Ross Associates, Fionnuala McGoldrick and Garrett Carr. Mentoring can focus on any aspect of the writing, for example, editorial techniques, using creative writing in the classroom, transition to writing for radio and television.
Mentoring: How to Apply
You will be asked to apply in writing, outlining why you think mentoring would be right for you, along with a synopsis of your work and the area in which you wish to be mentored. You will be asked for a CV and about what you hope to achieve at the end of the mentoring process.
LitNet NI provides contracts for mentees and mentors and acts as a mediator throughout the process.
If you would like further information or to discuss the possibility of being mentored please contact us.
Mentoring: Case Study
Poet, Lynne Edgar, was LitNet NI’s first mentee. Lynne says: “I had been writing poetry for some years and had been encouraged by the feedback of others, but still felt I had much to learn. I lacked direction and a clear notion of my ability as a writer. The mentoring scheme was an ideal means of tackling these concerns.
Lynne Edgar launches 'Trapeze' (Lapwing 2011)
Toward the end of the sessions I did a close edit, not only of the poems I had written during the first five months of mentoring, but also on poems I had written previously. I was then encouraged to form these poems into a collection and submit them for publication.
The result was more than I dared hope. In October 2011, less than one year after starting out on my mentoring journey, ‘Trapeze’, my first collection, was published by Lapwing, Belfast.
In terms of the success of the project, this was the height, but I believe there was another, equally successful result. Although I recognise that we never stop learning, I now feel my poems are sharper and I feel much more confident about my ability as a writer. The experience was invaluable.”
Professional Development for Literature Practitioners
Professional Development Planning (PDP): LitNet NI offers one to one sessions for individual literature practitioners. This service provides the opportunity for you to examine the direction in which you would like to take your career and develop strategies in order to move closer to where you want to be in professional terms. LitNet NI believes that each writer/literature professional is an individual so can tailor the information sessions to your own needs and background.
and to make myself start on the next step.” PDP participant feedback
Professional development training sessions:
LitNet NI presents a series of PDP and training sessions for anyone working in literature development in Northern Ireland including publishers, festival directors, tutors, cultural leaders, arts officers and librarians. The programme includes:
• Reader Development
• Building your Writing Profile
• Project Management in the Literature Sector
• Making a Living as a Writer
See latest news for details of recent professional development events.
Editorial
LitNet NI provides professional editorial feedback in the following areas:
Proofreading: This service ensures that you produce a manuscript free of errors, including punctuation, spelling, grammatical errors and inconsistencies.
Copyediting: This is a more detailed edit and will include feedback regarding structure, ideas about improving your work and constructive suggestions on how to raise the level of your writing to publishable standard.
Critical Reading: A reader will read your manuscript and write a constructive and thorough critique of your work.
Quotations and agreement of timescales for services are available on request.