Catching up with 2018 Editor-Writer Mentee Maria Ramos Chertok
Writer Maria Ramos Chertok found a fairy godmother in Editor-Mentor Nan Gatewood Satter, as the recipient of the Adult Fiction Mentorship in The Word's Editor-Writer Mentorship Program. She learned she has a great story... today she shares a bit of how she got there.
1) Which fictional mentor did your Editor-Mentor most channel?
A fairy god mother with a firm hand is the best way I can describe Nan. I had wished for someone to tell me what was needed next and Nan appeared – like a magical apparition.
2) What surprised you about your writing or yourself during your mentorship?
For me, the mentorship is in progress because I still have a big edit to do on my novel. Nan's recommendation was that I take a few classes to shore up on editing skills, which I just completed. I’ll begin the editing in earnest this coming week. So, based on that, what has surprised me most is how hard editing one’s work is and how much I don’t know about editing.
3) On a long day of writing or querying, what sage advice from your Editor-Mentor will be floating around in your mind?
That I have a great story and that I just need to pay attention to the details now so I can get the book ready.
4) Will you share with us what you've been working on? Give us your one-line pitch of your manuscript.
Rosie’s Blues is a novel about a homeless woman who is befriended by a bohemian feminist who runs a shelter and how their connection changes their understanding of love, belonging, and family.
I completely relate to Maria's surprise about how challenging editing can be and how much there is to learn! It's a skill you really have to hone. After a deep editing session, I often need a brain break to clear my head, and sometimes a quick round of something like MeowdoKu Game Online is just the ticket.
Rosie's Blues sounds absolutely captivating! The themes of love, belonging, and family through the lens of a homeless woman and a bohemian feminist are so compelling. When I'm brainstorming visuals for complex character dynamics like that, sometimes a tool like a Zeva AI Image Generator can spark some interesting ideas for mood boards or conceptual art.
Maria's commitment to taking classes and tackling the 'big edit' in earnest is truly inspiring! I can just imagine the long hours she'll be putting in. When I'm dedicating myself to a big project that involves a lot of sitting or moving around the house, I sometimes reach for a knee brace support just to have some extra stability throughout my day.
I love Maria's description of Nan as a 'fairy godmother' – that's such a perfect image for a truly supportive mentor! It reminds me that sometimes, even with creative work, you encounter unexpected formats, like if you're pulling images from a phone for a character mood board. I recently needed to get some HEIC files ready for a video project, and a tool like Heic to MP4 came in super handy.
It's so true what Nan says about paying attention to the details – that's often where the real magic happens in writing. For organizing those detailed notes, especially across different platforms, I often rely on markdown, and a good Markdown Converter For Free makes sure everything stays consistent when I need to share or format.