The submission window for the 2021–2022 SCBWI WWA Mentorship Program is open, and we’re sharing interviews with each of our talented mentors to help prospective mentees get to know them better. Learn more about the mentorship program, including how to apply, here. Deadline: July 30!
I like to mentor because . . .
SCBWI has supported me through my writing and publishing journey, and mentoring is a way I pay that forward. I love collaborating with dedicated writers and helping them take their stories to the next level. The hours I spend reading and analyzing others’ work help me tackle issues in my own stories, so mentoring is a win-win!
What can a mentee expect from your mentorship?
Honesty and compassion. I believe the greatest gift you can give a fellow writer is an honest response to their work. People can’t fix problems hampering their success if no one shows them that a problem exists. So my job is to identify what is and isn’t working as well as opportunities the writer has created in their work, but hasn’t yet taken advantage of.
Honesty has to be balanced with compassion, however. We all struggle to write the book we dream of writing, so I try to be thoughtful in the way I deliver critiques. I am not the Goddess of Great Writing, so I always want the writers I work with to know they can choose to take my advice or set it aside if it doesn’t feel right to them.
What are you working on these days?
I have three published young-adult novels: the dystopian duology A Girl Called Fearless and my recently published suspense novel, What I Want You to See, set in an art institute.
I’ve always been a big nonfiction reader, and during the pandemic I challenged myself to try writing nonfiction. When I read about conservationist Minerva Hoyt, I felt a real connection to her story. Currently, I’m working on a picture-book biography and drafting a book about her for older readers. I always swore I’d never write a picture book so I can’t believe I’m doing this!
What qualities would your ideal mentee have?
A great mentor-mentee relationship is all about fit. I write suspenseful, character-driven stories set in realistic worlds, even if the world is altered. I read contemporary, historical, multicultural, dystopian, thrillers, mystery, and novels-in-verse. I am not a fan of horror and I envy rom-com writers, because romance isn’t my strength.
A mentee who’d enjoy working with me would be someone who loves revision and is galvanized by receiving a challenging critique. They might be someone who knows their story isn’t working, but can’t put their finger on what the problem is, or someone who knows what’s causing them difficulty and is looking for help.
What’s the writing advice you give most often?
I find that most story problems come from writers not using what the character wants as the story’s backbone. Effective stories come from character desire and what a character does to realize their desire. When writers build their stories and link character decision and action to realizing the character’s dream, then they avoid stories that lack tension and stakes, plots that meander, and scenes that fail to move the story forward.
What advice do you give to people receiving critiques?
It’s really hard to be told your story isn’t perfect, but learning how to deal positively with a critique is critical for longterm success as a writer. You may sell a manuscript your writing group praises and your agent adores, but your new editor will ask for at least one, if not two, revisions—even as they insist they love love love your story and feel you’re an amazing writer.
So if you get feedback you don’t like from a mentor, take a breath. You may be disappointed or frustrated, but you are not alone. Many authors cry when they first read their editorial letter. Set the critique aside for a few days and then come back to it. You may find it’s not nearly as negative or overwhelming as you first thought. In fact, the mentor may have pointed out something you knew all along, but hoped to get away with. Even if you don’t exactly like the critique, look for a kernel of truth, because it’s probably there.
Catherine Linka loves when readers confess they stayed up way too late trying to finish her book. She’s the award-winning author of three YA novels, including 2020’s What I Want You to See, the story of an art student so desperate to hold on to her scholarship that she becomes a pawn in a masterful crime. Catherine earned her M.F.A. at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and estimates she’s spent over 300 hours critiquing and being critiqued since her writing journey began. Visit Catherine’s website at www.catherinelinka.com, and visit her on Facebook and Instagram.
Brought to you by Suma Subramaniam and Jenny Tynes, SCBWI WWA Mentorship Program, and Dolores Andral, Pen & Story