Six lessons mentoring has taught me 

I’ve been a working novelist a long time. My first book came out in my twenties – a long time ago now – and my last four were published by Penguin Random House. I thought I knew the business: how novels work, how publishing works, how to hook readers. But becoming a mentor was a surprise. I’ve mentored writers of all ages and backgrounds, from the US to the UK to Australia, and six lessons have come up again and again. To my surprise, mentoring has taught me – or reminded me – so much about being a novelist. 

1. No One Is Born a Novelist 

We often talk about people having innate talent, and there’s something to that, but no one is born knowing what it means to be a working novelist. You have to learn two things: how to construct your novel, and what a reader, including agents and editors, will want from it. No one is born a novelist. There are things you can learn, and people who can teach you. 

2. Know Your Market (and Respect It!) 

One thing I say most to new novelists: know your market. Understanding where your book belongs is the smartest strategy. Think like agents and editors think. Research what’s being published in your genre and read hit novels in that area. You’d be amazed how many writers don’t really know their market. Seeing how empowering it is to understand that has made me rethink my own. 

3. The Opening Chapter Is Everything 

I’ll confess something. I didn’t realise how important your opening chapter is until I became a mentor. I knew in theory, but now I see it. (Not least because I also do Jericho’s Agent Submission Pack Reviews, and you really notice it there.) Your first chapter is your big chance. Agents decide within a page or two whether to keep reading – and so will readers. That opening must show who your protagonist is and what kind of world they inhabit, just as it’s about to fall apart. Make sure your opening sizzles. 

4. No, Wait! Character Is Everything 

When talking about novels, we often focus on plot, but it’s great, clear characters that make novels sing. Not their name or hair colour or funny brooch, but who they are deep down. What do they want? What will they learn they wanted all along but didn’t know? And how do you make the reader their confidante? Every novelist needs to get their book to where the character’s desires and needs are central to the reading experience. 

5. Learn to Hear the Music of Your Novel 

Many mentees bring work that feels uneven, and I’ve realised how much novel-writing is about rhythm. A novel is like a symphony: harmonies, instruments, crescendos. Every scene contributes to the whole. You don’t hear it on day one; you find it through writing. This has brought me back to my own work: you can hear the music of your novel – and you must.

6. We All Need Feedback 

I’m in a writing group with other novelists, and I still rely on their feedback. (In fact, I just took my next novel to them.) If you have an honest friend, that might be enough, but often you need a professional ally who will tell you the truth, kindly but clearly. That’s what a mentor does. It’s not just advice; it’s someone on your side in the hardest stage of a novelist’s life: before success. Writing is full of feedback – from agents, editors, reviewers – but it’s at the beginning that it matters most. And here I am, years into a career, still wanting it. Novel-writing begins as a learning process but remains one, and that’s the joy of a long-term career. You never stop learning – or wanting to get better. Put that in your heart, and you won’t go wrong. 

Work one-on-one with Neil Blackmore or any of our expert writing mentors & book coaches. Our mentoring service is like a choose-your-own-adventure for writers. Pick a package that fits your needs, and use your hours however you like. Each package includes your mentor’s reading, editing, and any calls or video chats. Find out more.