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Mentoring Magic for Writers’ Success

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Summer is often a season of declining motivation – but for writers, it is a great time to get focused and tap into your creative energy. Let the heat of the sun fuel you! Get focused on your project – or projects. Now is the time.

There is power in action!

– Alexis Marie Chute

Mentoring Magic Alexis Marie Chute writer author coach mentor creativity 2

I’m sure you’ve heard this writing advice: “Get your butt in the chair” – but who said it had to be an office chair? Find a seat outside and enjoy the summer – while chasing your writing dreams.

Get your writing on track with some Mentoring Magic.

I call it MAGIC because there is something wild, powerful, mysterious, and indescribable about the creative spirit. This is a unique and wonderful place to create from – and a place I strive to live in every day. Let me help you get there too.

I would love to help you on your journey of becoming and inhabiting your calling as a writer! I offer creative coaching – but I prefer to call it mentoring. The difference is distinct in my mind.

A COACH is on the sidelines.

A MENTOR is in the thick of it with you.

My goal with Mentoring Magic is to stir the sometimes abstract creative spirit inside of you. I will help you get motivated and cultivate relentless determination. You will focus on where you need to go and what you want to achieve.

I will read your work. This is huge. How can I advise you without knowing your writerly voice and your challenge areas? We will get on the same page – literally – and I will send my notes back to you.

 

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Fantasy Quill ©2011-2016 KippCantDance

 

As writers, it is a tremendous help to have someone who knows the ropes, a fellow writer who can give you the needed edge and competitive advantage in the industry.

Whether you want to pursue writing to heal your heart, or supplement your income, I am the mentor for you.

 

Please email me to book your sessions: info@alexismariechute.com

If this is your first time booking with me, the sessions start in a bundle of three. Each session costs $120 +GST CAN. Three is the magic number so we can really dig into the creative work together.

Click here to read praise from my past mentoring clients.  

Read more about my mentoring by clicking here.

 

Here is another blog posts about Mentoring Magic:

Mentoring for the Modern Writer

 

The Social Media Seesaw for Writers

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Social media is a gift for writers who are now able to directly engage with their readers and promote their work. Yet, it can also become a consuming time-suck and addictive distraction from doing the actual work: writing. It is a hard balance, like the pursuit of all “balance” in life, as to where the line is on how much social networking is really too much.

I myself go back and forth on the social media seesaw, feeling some days like it’s a blessing and others like it’s a curse.

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Here is how I manage the double edged sward of social media and get stuff done:

  1. Make lists. I write out everything that is a priority to complete, which often includes a few social responsibilities of my business, such as blogging and twitter. Then I organize myself and my schedule, taking into consideration the most important tasks that need to be done and how much time everything will take. I keep the lists handy to keep myself on track.
  2. I switch off from social networks and focus on the priorities. When I am writing for a magazine or my current book projects or crunching a deadline on whatever I have on the go, I give it my full attention. My phone is my distraction, so I will lock its screen so I can’t log onto social networks, or leave it in another room. It is so important to give whatever you are doing your undivided attention.
  3. Schedule the social. This has been a wonderful timesaver. I write my blogs, schedule when they will be released and on what social networks I wish to share the posts. This keeps me active on all my social platforms every day, even when I am actually being very unsocial and working on my books. Helpful programs like Tweet Deck and Hootsuite are also great at scheduling ahead of time.

Seesaws can be a lot of fun. The same is true with social networks. You may go back and forth on how much you choose to engage those networks, but your presence there is essential. Figure out how to manage the seesaw and you will set yourself up for success.

Have you Registered for the Words in 3D Conference?

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Writing conferences are amazing. First, you get out of your lonely writing spot and meet other like-minded individuals. Second, it is a focused time to feed your creative soul. I am presenting two workshops at the Words in 3D Conference but I also registered for some sessions to fuel the hungry writer in me.

Words in 3d Conference 2015 Alexis Marie Chute Writer Author

Here is the info about the conference:

Words in 3Dimensions Conference

Three conferences in one: Writing/Editing/Publishing

May 22-24, 2015

Chateau Lacombe Hotel

Edmonton, Alberta

Click here to visit the conference website, review the schedule and register. 

 

Here are my sessions:

How to Take a Picture Worthy of Your Words

Saturday, May 23
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Covering the basics of good photography, including exposure, composition, and technical requirements for different publications, Alexis Marie Chute shares what writers need to know about taking great photos for their projects. This session includes a group brainstorm for attendees’ current projects and recommendations from Alexis Marie on making your photography a stronger statement to support your words.

Saturday, May 23, 2015 – 11:30

Memorable Memoir: Writing Personal Stories

Saturday, May 23
4:00 – 5:15 p.m.

Alexis Marie Chute offers tools and techniques for writing your personal story: removing sentimentality, finding alternatives to strict chronological structure, and building authenticity. Featuring memory recall exercises, this presentation is a must-see for anyone writing personal narratives.

Saturday, May 23, 2015 – 16:00

Blue Pencil Café

“At Blue Pencil Café, conference participants get the opportunity for one-on-one mentoring sessions with experienced writers or editors. Bring a writing sample to review, ask your questions, get advice — the Blue Pencil mentors are here as a resource for you!”

Each session will be 20 minutes long.

Some mentors require writing samples in advance (I do please!).

 

If you are interested in meeting me at the Blue Pencil Café, here is some info about me so we can go into our time together well acquainted:

Alexis Marie Chute

Alexis Marie Chute Headshot - black and white 001 - BLOG SIZE square

BFA, MFA Candidate, Artist & Writer

Alexis Marie Chute is an award winning artist, photographer and writer. She is an Avenue Magazine “Top 40 Under 40” and was named an “Emerging Canadian Photographer” by Photo Life Magazine. She was the 2012/2013 Artist in Residence at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre and her artwork is represented by Method Art Gallery in Scottsdale Arizona and by the AR&S Gallery at the Art Gallery of Alberta. Her writing has been published in the Three Minus One anthology and with the Women’s Art Museum Society of Canada, along with other credits including Today’s Parent, The Times Colonist and Flurt magazine. Her first book, a memoir about motherhood and loss, is forthcoming.

 

I look forward to seeing you at Words in 3D!

 

 

Mentoring Aspiring Writers at the Blue Pencil Cafe

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Not only am I teaching two awesome sessions at the Words in 3 Dimensions Conference May 2015, but I am also mentoring aspiring writers through the Blue Pencil Café. As a part of the conference, writers may send me a few pages of their work and/or questions about the writing life and career. We will get together at a designated time during the conference where I will pack as much mentoring support as I can into a twenty-minute session. If you want to chat with me, make sure to sign up early. I look forward to meeting you!

 

Words in 3 Dimensions 2015

May 22 – 24, 2015

Chateau Lacombe Hotel

Edmonton, Alberta

Registration opens February 1, 2015

 

Blue Pencil Café

Sunday, May 24, 2015

12:00 Noon – 2:00PM

 

Visit the conference schedule by clicking here.

 

Want to know about the two sessions I’m teaching at Words in 3D? Click here to read about:

(1) How to Take a Picture Worthy of Your Words

(2) Memorable Memoir: Writing Personal Stories.