I want to work one-on-one with an instructor. Would that be the Mentor Program?

Back in 2008, we launched our Mentor Program. And boy did we learn something right away.

“Mentor” is a VERY powerful word.

Maybe it’s because the word connotes seriousness. Sober, important, literary (in our case) endeavors, involving elbow patches and pipes.

That image makes people feel like they’re really going to be taken care of, like they’re going to be welcomed into a dark-wood-paneled professor’s office and invited to learn the mysteries of storytelling at said professor’s knee.

Which, to a degree, is true.

And if that’s what you’re looking for our Mentor Program might be great for you. But maybe we have something else that might be better.

So I thought I’d break the whole one-on-one thing down for y’all to show the whole spectrum of offerings, and help you find the best fit.

In the Mentor Program, you buy a block of 12 or 16 hours, and ‘burn’ those hours in a variety of ways over time. Sure, the mentor reads your work, writes up feedback, meets (or chats) with you about suggestions or to just brainstorm. But expect targeted assignments, too. Reading assignments, writing exercises, whatever the mentor feels will help you move your project forward. And if you’re, say, writing a memoir or a novel and trying to capture, I dunno, a particular character relationship on the page, your mentor might have you watch a movie to inspire your prose. We like it when the Mentorships are creative and multi-medium, and folks dig that, too.

But if you have a draft of a piece—prose or script or poem or whatever—and what you want is feedback, Book or Story Doctoring is often a better choice. Because it’s one-on-one, you’re still getting the deep attention you might like about the word ‘mentor’, but it’s a one-shot deal not the developmental experience of a mentorship. And honestly, could be exactly what you need.

Of course, you can take any of our classes One-on-One, too. Whether it’s a 10-week workshop or a 6-week class, you can have the regularity of weekly meetings and the learning experience of a course curriculum, but tailored to your tastes, interests, and needs. We even offer a 3-hour One-on-One version of our Intensives, which are perfect if you’re in from out of town.

Yup, the word mentor IS power-packed. But you get deep, personalized attention whether you choose the Mentor Program, or another flavor of one-on-one services. There are lots of choices. And I’m here to help laser-in on just which one will help you most. So call!