One to One Mentoring with Mary Anne Butler

“In a single conversation, she gave me the courage and clarity I needed to move towards my novel’s completion.”
– Courtney Collins, Author of The Burial, a novel – shortlisted for the Vogel, NSW Premier’s Literary Award for New Writing and Stella Prize.

“Working with Mary Anne, I never stop learning about the craft of writing.”
– Dr Leni Shilton, author of verse novels Walking with Camels and Malcolm.

“It is no exaggeration to say that I would not have written any work for theatre that I am proud of without the support and guidance of Mary Anne.”
– Ciella Williams, playwright, Hush

Mary Anne works with writers across all genres including fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry and writing for performance.

Process:
Mary Anne will read 2,000-3,000 words of your work followed by a one-hour meeting to discuss it with you. This will help ascertain:
● What you seek from the mentorship
● The potential length of the mentorship
● Compatibility between mentor and mentee
● Your ideal frequency of mentoring meetings

In some cases, this initial session offers enough feedback for the writer to move ahead on their own. There is no pressure to continue with a mentorship.

For those who do want to move into mentorship, we will create a tailored program that fits with your writing goals. Some writers like intensive mentoring, while others prefer a slower process.

Each mentoring session will incorporate:
● Pre-reading of the work you want to discuss in the session
● An in-depth discussion of your work in progress, including any specific issues you’re wrestling with
● Resources and exercises for you to take away in order to further develop the work at hand, as well strengthening your longer-term writing craft.

Cost for an ongoing mentorship is $100 per hour, which includes Mary Anne’s reading time, note-taking plus a 60 minute zoom discussion. As a rough guide, 10,000 words equates to two hours reading and note-taking, hence 10,000 words and a zoom will come to $300.

After each mentoring session you’ll be provided with a time sheet which clearly records all reading and mentoring hours, so you can keep track of mentoring costs as you go.

All sessions take place via Zoom

Mentoring Testimonials

Mary Anne jolts together the connections in a work that are waiting to happen. It feels like a revelation, the joining of cords to a power grid. She achieves this with a mode of deep listening and inquiry that is generous and precise. In a single conversation, she gave me the courage and clarity I needed to move towards my novel’s completion.

– Courtney Collins, Author is a Sidney Myer Creative Fellow, shortlisted for the Vogel, NSW Premier’s Literary Award for New Writing and Stella Prize.

***

Mary Anne has the ability to look deeply into the writing. She is a brilliant teacher who asks key questions that can take me into the core of my work. Her close reading and insights into my poetry have helped to bring clarity and tightness to my work. Working with Mary Anne, I never stop learning about the craft of writing.

– Dr Leni Shilton, author of verse novels Walking with Camels and Malcolm. Recipient Varuna Dorothy Hewett Fellowship for poetry. Shortlist Canberra Poetry Prize. Judge of the 2020 Stella Prize.

***

Mary Anne Butler’s mentoring sessions offer a unique opportunity to develop work and build your writing muscles, with the guidance of a superbly experienced writer and teacher. Her comprehensive depth of knowledge and respect for the writing process and writers is inspiring. Practical writing exercises, discussion and feedback in a supportive environment, builds confidence and encourages writers to take creative leaps, opening up a delicious world of possibilities for their work.

– Alison Mann, playwright, The Surgeon’s Hands [Playlab Press]

***

Mary Anne Butler is generous and responsive as a mentoring writer. I’ve have worked with her in small groups (ATYP National Studio 2016) and one-on-one (Carclew Fellowship 2018). In each setting she creates a space to develop your own approach and style. The sense of play that forms in her workshops opens up possibilities and propels your writing practice. Mary Anne is pragmatic, she facilitates the act of writing, and provides a set of tools to take into future projects. Importantly, these tools are in your hands. This is an empowering approach, where her teaching and mentorship, above all, is receptive to the individual writer’s interests. I have learned to work from the “inside out”, to listen and respond to the work, and trust my judgement as a playwright. I have developed my craft and the skills and approaches to writing will continue to inform my practice because I gained confidence as a playwright in her workshops.

— Peter Beaglehole, Carclew Playwriting Fellowship, Adelaide

***

When I saw Mary Anne I had several possible television drama ideas swirling around in my head. In choosing a project to focus on, and pour considerable time into, I wanted to be sure I was doing it for the right reasons. Through a strategic and intelligent questioning process, Mary Anne helped me clarify not only what I was interested in, but what would hold my interest longer-term and be an enjoyable and meaningful project to write; a project which is now in development as a TV series. I recommend her story whispering services highly!

– Clare Atkins, writer, script editor, producer, development executive

***

I knew that my manuscript was stuck but I was struggling to pinpoint why. My mentoring session with Mary Anne Butler (as part of the Varuna NT Online Fellowship) gave the clarity my project needed. Mary Anne provided perceptive feedback about what wasn’t working in the manuscript and then workshopped ideas with me about how to strengthen it. Her detailed and specific care for my project reinforced the worth of what I was working on, as well as giving insights on how to hit the standard I want my writing to reach. If you have the opportunity to be mentored by Mary Anne, hop, skip and jump at the chance! Your writing skill and manuscript will significantly improve as a result of her input and wisdom.

– Dave Clark, poet, published in Bramble, Red Room Poetry, Mantissa, Grieve & Pure Slush

***

Hi Mary Anne, I just wanted to say how truly grateful and blown away I was by our session yesterday. Your ability to focus, think on your feet was a triumph to witness. What a brain!

I have done all kinds of courses etc over the years and never has anyone had such an ability to get real work done in such a short period of time. I was buzzing and of course spent an hour in bed when I was trying for an early night madly scribbling versions of my unanswerable question. I’m in your debt. Thanks.

– JAQ – Jacquie Byron, author of Happy Hour

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