Welcome to the Wellspring Writing Mentorship
Ah, hello. As I live and breathe, it seems–lest my eyes deceive me (or my links are broken)–an intrepid adventure has wandered in our midst. How wonderful, how extraordinary.
You’ve come to the right place.
Come, come. Salutations and welcome to any and all who seek to better their understanding of the craft.
A hearty congratulations are in order, for the decision to invest your energy, your time, and a bit of whatever physical currency you prefer in yourself and ability to communicate.
“You’ve taken your first step into a larger world.”
–Obi-Wan Kenobi
Truly, this is a moment to consider, and one to remember.
In the monomyth, the Campbellian structure of the Hero’s Journey, you’re already advanced a few steps. You’ve heard the Call to Adventure, have found your Mentor, and––with your decision to invest––have accepted that Call and are ready to Cross the First Threshold.
Your Journey is far from over: learning the craft is one of the most beneficial and rewarding undertakings in the world, but it isn’t easy.
There are Trials ahead, to be sure. And the road is neither short nor straight. But it is one I’ve walked many times, and continue to walk each day. I am honored you’ve chosen to walk beside me for a while. I promise the treasure is worth the trip.
Our goal over the next several months will be to get you there. First, we’ll develop practical proficiency, your ability to write well and demonstrate command of the written word. But stopping at conscious competence isn’t enough.
We won’t try for mastery. No. The learning itself will be what’s known as The Ordeal, the central conflict driving the story. And this is a lifelong pursuit.
“We are all apprentices in a craft at which no one ever becomes a master.”
–Hemingway
But one does not need to be a master to make an impact, or more money, or art.
My aim is to get you to a point of artistic awareness––the point at which you begin to see words differently, and the scope of what’s possible is revealed.
This is the Elixir, as Campbell called it. The thing you take with you, allowing you to become better so you can best serve the world.
Nothing in all the world is as potent an Elixir as the written word.
So, then.
Off we go.
Next Steps
An important but overlooked part of the Hero’s Journey is the Approach to the Innermost Cave. This is when the Hero and his Allies prepare for the Ordeal. They sharpen their skills and weapons, stock up on supplies, say tearful goodbyes, and make ready for battle.
In films, this is usually represented in the form of a montage, and so sped through in a relatively short (albeit memorable) time. That shouldn’t diminish its importance. The Approach is one of the most critical pieces of any endeavor.
Taking time to make sure you’re truly prepared for what’s to come is an easy way to sidestep a lot of potential pitfalls.
“If you fail to plan, you can plan to fail.”
–Nearly everyone, but mostly Craig Ballantyne
We’re going to make sure we’re both as prepared as possible.
To that, let’s snap back to reality and get practical.
Before we do anything else, you and I are gonna get on the phone for an intake call and get this party started. On the call, I can really dive in and get a sense for everything. I’d love to know about the way you were actually taught the language (did you learn Grammar, or were you taught Phonics, for example), which informs a lot of where your gaps might be.
The call also helps me take notes on your actual voice and then use it for a baseline to which we want to adapt your writing voice.
Plus, we get all the rapport-building and getting-to-know-you stuff out of the way, so all of our future calls going forward are more productive.
Let’s go ahead and get a call on the books now: just go ahead and schedule using the calendar.
After the call, we have some work to do.
You’ll have a few books to crack open to crack open. I’ll get to work designing your curriculum, as well as your 30-day practice packet.
From there, we’ll begin in earnest.
So, I’ll talk to you on our call. I could not be more excited to get going.