One-on-One Instruction in the Craft of Creative Writing
The Saskatchewan Writers' Guild mentorship program allows developing writers (the apprentices) to work in a supportive environment under the guidance of professional writers (the mentors). The mentor provides the apprentice with one-on-one instruction (not editorial services) in the craft of creative writing.
The program runs from January to April each year. In 2025, the program will run from January 1 to April 30 with the Apprentice Reading in early May, cohosted with the Indigenous Mentorship Program.
Applications for the 2025 program are closed
Mentor and Apprentice applications for the 2025 program must be received by Wednesday October 9 by midnight. Applications must be emailed to programs@skwriter.com. Late applications will not be accepted.
Applicants will receive a confirmation of receipt within 2-3 business days. If you do not receive a confirmation, or have questions, please email programs@skwriter.com or call 306-791-7743.
How does the program work?
The program is open to Saskatchewan writers in all genres and is tailored to the apprentice's individual needs. Mentorship pairs are in weekly contact and can communicate through video or phone calls, email or face-to-face meetings. A meeting between the apprentice and mentor at the beginning of the mentorship program is required to establish goals and discuss how each pair will work together. We encourage pairs to meet at least once in person to help establish a working relationship.
The focus of the program is on craft development for apprentices and is a working relationship between a mentor and apprentice based on feedback and instruction. It is not expected that apprentices complete a manuscript by the end of the program (although that sometimes occurs); it may be that apprentices focus on a limited section of their work or previously written material in order to go deeper into it.
At the end of the program, the apprentices give a public reading of their work in May. Mentors and apprentices are expected to attend three virtual meetings during the program with other participants.
Criteria to become an apprentice
Eligible applicants will meet the following criteria:
- a body of work of sufficient quality and quantity to benefit from the program;
- a work in progress when they apply;
- have not published a book (or a book-length manuscript accepted for publication) in the genre in which they wish to apprentice. This includes traditional, hybrid and self-published books. Chapbooks are not considered book-length publications;
- demonstrated their commitment to writing by having participated in some form of formal or informal professional development (e.g. workshops or classes, Manuscript Evaluation Service, working with a Writer-In-Residence, etc.);
- be free to devote a minimum of 20-25 hours per month. As this program offers a rare opportunity for development as a writer, past participants have recommended that future participants consider arranging their schedules so they can devote as much time as possible to it. Some previous apprentices have taken time off work or reduced their working hours in order to do so; and
- Saskatchewan residency and are 19 years of age or older.
To help the SWG support writers of diverse communities and identities, we encourage applicants to self-declare if they identify as a writer who is a member of group(s) experiencing marginalization and underrepresentation. (i.e. Black, Indigenous, or Person of Colour, 2SLGBTQ+, or Disability). Indigenous writers may also apply to the Indigenous Mentorship Program as mentors or apprentices, but will only be accepted into one program.
Previous unsuccessful applicants are welcome to apply again; there is no limit to how many times a writer may apply to this program. Successful apprentices cannot apply to apprentice in the same genre in future years.
Applying to be an apprentice
There is no application form for this program. Please send the following material by email to programs@skwriter.com:
- A cover letter which includes the following information:
- your contact information (including mailing address with postal code, primary phone number and email)
- statement confirming that you are a Saskatchewan resident and will continue to be during the mentorship period (please don't send a photo of your driver's licence) and that you are 19 years or older
- a confirmation that you have no books published or accepted for publication in the genre in which you wish to apprentice
- an explanation of the project you would work on during the mentorship period
- a clear statement of what you hope to achieve through the program (the more specific the better—e.g. better dialogue, more skilful use of imagery)
- a description of how long you have been writing and a summary of your writing activity for the past twelve months
- an outline of past professional development experience
- an explanation of how you like to receive feedback and your experiences in receiving feedback (e.g. working with an editor, coach, writer-in-residence or writing critique group)
- a description of the quantity of material you will have available to work with over the mentorship period (e.g. number of poems written, number of pages already written for a novel)
- an outline of your family, work, educational, and cultural commitments during the time of the program AND how you will make time for the required minimum of 20-25 hours per month for the program while still accommodating them
- A sample of writing that you would like to work on during your mentorship (no longer than ten pages) following these formatting guidelines:
- entries must be primarily in English (non-English words welcome in the content)
- use plain text fonts (i.e. Times New Roman, Arial or Courier) in black
- double-spaced for prose, single or double-spaced for poetry
- if your sample contains multiple pieces of writing (i.e. poem, flash fiction, essay or short story), please ensure each piece of writing starts on a new page. If you are submitting poetry, submit a maximum of ten poems unless the poems are multi-page poems.
- 12-point font
- 1 inch margins
- Page number and title in the header or footer of each page
- Either Word or PDF format is acceptable. Do not send Google docs, links or other formats.
There is no cost to apply and no participation fees. A small travel stipend is available to alleviate travel costs incurred by apprentices.
This is a highly competitive program and not all applicants will be accepted. To help you put forward your best application, here are some helpful tips:
- Please send us your best polished work. This includes both your writing sample and your letter. The presentation of your work matters! Please ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors in your work.
- Your cover letter should help the jury understand why you want to be a part of this program and what you have to learn or benefit from working with a mentor.
- Please take advantage of submitting a full 10 page writing sample; the jury may find it hard to get the best impression of your work in fewer pages. Only 10 pages of your writing will be forwarded to the jury so please do not submit longer writing samples.
- The writing sample submitted must be a part of the project you are describing in your cover letter.
- Please be thorough and honest when sharing your professional development experience and publications.
- Please remember that the intent of the program is to help you improve your writing through instruction and feedback. Writers who are ready to receive feedback on existing work may find more benefit from this program than writers who are early in the writing/creation phase of their writing and are not yet ready for a mentor's feedback or are unwilling to consider feedback on their work.
Criteria to become a mentor
Mentors are required to have the following qualifications:
- possession of a significant body of published work;
- experience as a teacher, workshop leader, mentor, writer in residence, or editor;
- the ability to commit time (15-20 hours per month) during the mentorship period; and
- Saskatchewan residency preferred. Out of province applicants must explain their connections to the Saskatchewan writing community in their application. Limited travel funds are available to pay for travel in Saskatchewan to attend the Apprentice Readings.
Mentors will receive a fee of $2,800 for their participation from Jan 1 to April 30, 2025.
Previous mentors are welcome to apply again.
Applying to be a mentor
There is no application form for this program. Please send the following material by email to programs@skwriter.com:
- A cover letter which includes the following:
- contact information (including mailing address with postal code, primary phone number and email)
- a specification of the type or types of writing you’d be willing to work with
- a brief paragraph explaining why you are interested in the program
- an explanation of what the apprentice could learn from you and your previous experience working as a mentor, teacher or other relevant experience
- confirmation of Saskatchewan residency or an explanation of your connections to the Saskatchewan writing community
- confirmation that you are able to commit the required time to this program
- A CV/literary resume (maximum five pages)
A note about applications
Late applications will not be accepted. The applications of apprentices who have been accepted to the program will be shared with the selected mentor.
A jury of Saskatchewan-based writers decides who is accepted to the program and the matching of mentors with apprentices. Mentor or apprentice requests are not guaranteed. The decisions of the jury will be final. Jurors may choose to not make the entire four matches if they believe there is a lack of suitable candidates.
The results of this competition will be announced in late November.
For more information, please contact:
Program Director
T: 306.791.7743
E: programs@skwriter.com
