Speculative Literature Foundation’s Mentorship Program

Posted on July 11, 2006    Posted by John Scalzi      5 Comments

So, I’m going to be part of the Speculative Literature Foundation’s mentorship program for this fall (it actually runs from August 1 to October 31). What this means is that I’ll be talking shop about writing and the publishing industry directly (via e-mail) with a small group of novice writers. I will be joined in this task by fellow writers Leah Cutter, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, Jenn Reese and Ben Rosenbaum, all of whom will be mentoring their own small group of writers.

If this sounds like something you might want to be a part of, I’ve included the SLF’s full press release for the mentorship program behind the cut, where you can find the complete information on the author participants and also how to apply. Be aware that if you are accepted, there is a fee for participating, but the fee is awfully modest ($30 at most) and I suspect you’ll get rather more than $30 worth of advice and information from any of the mentors, including me. Hey, I don’t skimp. The deadline for applications is July 25, however. So snap to it.

Also, feel free to pass this info around; I’m sure the SLF won’t mind.

SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES FALL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

The Speculative Literature Foundation (SLF) announces the second session of its mentorship program. The program will take place August 1 through October 31, 2006. Participants will be able to gain valuable advice in the areas of business and craft from accomplished professional writers willing to share their experience. They will not be critiquing mentee work, but will be talking about the nuts and bolts
of writing.

This session’s mentors include Leah Cutter, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, Jenn Reese, Ben Rosenbaum, and John Scalzi.

Leah R Cutter is the author of three historical fantasy novels as well as several fantasy, science fiction and horror short stories. Her most recent novel is The Jaguar and the Wolf (Roc 2005). She’s lived all over the world, including Hungary and Taiwan, and now resides in Seattle, WA with her cat and many books. She supports herself and her writing habit by doing technical writing for a California-based software company. Her website appears at http://www.leahcutter.com.

Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu ‘s first novel, Zahrah the Windseeker, was published in 2005 by Houghton Mifflin. It will be published in Nigeria in 2007 by Kachifo Ltd. Her second novel, Ejii the Shadow Speaker, will be published by Hyperion Books for Children in 2007. Her short story, The Chaos Magician’s Mega Chemistry Set will be published in Space and Time Magazine’s 100th issue in 2006. Nnedi is currently finishing her PhD in English at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She is also a graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop (2001).

Jenn Reese lives in Los Angeles, where she studies martial arts, plays strategy games, and sits in traffic. She’s a 1999 Clarion workshop survivor and her stories have appeared in Polyphony, Flytrap, and various DAW anthologies, as well as online at Strange Horizons and Lone Star Stories. Her first novel, Jade Tiger, is forthcoming from Juno Books. Her website appears at http://www.jennreese.com.

Ben Rosenbaum has been a finalist for the Nebula, Hugo, and Sturgeon awards. His stories have appeared in Asimov’s, F&SF, Harper’s, Nature, McSweeney’s, YBSF, YBFH, and other publications.

John Scalzi is the author of 10 books, including the Hugo-nominated Old Man’s War and its sequel The Ghost Brigades, the astronomy handbook The Rough Guide to the Universe , and the best-selling Book of the Dumb humor series. His work has also appeared in various newspapers and magazines, including the Washington Post , the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Dayton Daily News, Jungle magazine, the Official US PlayStation Magazine and others. Scalzi Consulting, his writing/editing shop, consults for online and financial institutions such as AOL, Network Solutions, US Trust and Oppenheimer Funds. He enjoys pie.

We are accepting a maximum number of 25 applicants, as each of the five mentors will receive five mentees. If you are accepted, we’ll ask you for a $15-$30 fee for participation in the three month program. The fee (as with all our fees) is sliding-scale; pay what you can afford. Fees go directly to supporting other SLF programs, such as our travel and older writers’ grants.

To apply, please send a one-page bio and personal statement that includes an assessment of your writing experience and what you would like to get from a mentorship as an attached Word .doc or .rtf (Rich Text Format) file to mentorship@speclit.org. This will serve as your introduction to your mentor and the group, if you are selected for the program. Also, indicate if you have a preference for a particular mentor (preferences are not guaranteed, however). There is no fee for application or participation in the program.

Applications are due by midnight, July 25th, 2006

For more information, visit our mentorship website at http://www.speculativeliterature.org/Programs/Mentorship.php or email PR contact Ashley Gronek at press@speculativeliterature.org

Thank you!