Being a mentee - by Fran Hill
I am learning to be a mentee. As a teacher, I’m used to mentoring others. But this time I'm the one who has to sit down, shut up, listen and learn. I find the sitting down bit the easiest. Q. Why a mentee? A. Earlier this year, I joined a programme run by Writing West Midlands called Room 204. It develops ‘emerging’ writers, offering a year’s training, opportunities and mentoring. Q. Why is it called Room 204? Is it like Room 101 in Orwell’s 1984 with rats and everything? A. Writing West Midlands is run from Room 204 in its office block. There are no rats, although there is a mouse on each office desk. Q. Who is mentoring you? The Room 204 programme offers three meetings with the programme’s director: a writer himself, but also a strong advocate for new writers. Q. Have you had your first meeting? Yes. Meeting 1 took place in a coffee shop, one of those with Pretensions. The milk came in minuscule bottles and the leaf tea was served in a teapot...