Tim Lott
Personal Mentoring for Writers
Novelist and Memoirist
Journalist and Cultural Commentator
Storytelling Teacher
“Shaping a novel chapter by chapter requires complex psychological insight.
Tim Lott possesses that insight”
Robert McKee, author, ‘Story’
“Tim Lott is one of the few novelists who truly understands story structure”
John Yorke, author, ‘Into the Woods’
"At the point that I became stuck with my novel, Tim proved invaluable. He’s perceptive, intuitive and straightforward with an instinctive understanding of how to meld character and plot and get the two aligned. I really appreciated both his empathy and his candidness and couldn’t recommend him more"
Daisy McNally, Author of I SEE THROUGH YOU
"Tim Lott exceeded my expectation of a literary mentor. He is a delight to work with, pushes you beyond your imagined capability and crucially, understands the writer's fear, neurosis, vulnerability, and ambition. Sessions with him are a cross between an Oxbridge tutorial and a therapy session. I felt bereft when my book was finished”
Anna Pasternak, best selling author
"I heartily recommend Tim Lott’s one-to-one mentoring to any aspiring writer. Tim’s invaluable expert advice and ideas have given fresh impetus to my work as a first-time novelist and have guided me in readying my manuscript for submission to an agent"
David Marsh
"I thoroughly looked forward to our meetings which were always enlightening and entertaining. Tim's approach is both analytical and creative. Whatever point you have reached in the writing process, his constructive, generous and insightful expertise will help you navigate your way. I warmly recommend him to every (yes, every) writer"
Alexia Bartlett
Tim has been teaching writing for the last 15 years, as a lecturer, workshop leader and individual mentor. He taught for three years at the Faber Academy, then moved to Guardian Masterclasses where he taught individually and lecturedHe taught creative writing at Brunel University and has lectured at the University of East Anglia, the How To Academy, the Idler Academy and the School of Life. Since Guardian Masterclasses closed at the end of 2023, Tim has worked as a private mentor. His book on creative writing, ‘Yes! No! But Wait’ was published by Swift Press in 2023. He is a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund.
Books
Tim has written eight adult novels, two Young Adult novels, a memoir and book about the craft of novel writing. He is currently published by Scribner and Swift Press.Awards: ‘White City Blue’ won the Whitbread First Novel Award and his memoir, ‘The Scent of Dried Roses won the PEN/Ackerley Award and is now published as a Penguin Modern Classic.‘Rumours of a Hurricane’ was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel of the Year Award and the Encore Award. ‘Fearless’ was longlisted for the Guardian Children’s Book Award.His most recent book ( 2023) was ‘Yes! No! But Wait! The One Thing You Need To Know To Write A Novel’ ( Swift Press ).
The scent of dried roses
"Brilliant"
Hilary Mantel
“To read it is to be spellbound as by a gripping novel”
Ruth Rendell
White city blue
‘"A very funny book..far exceeds the work of Nick Hornby both in intelligence and range"
Daily Telegraph
Rumours of a Hurricane
"The first great novel of the 21st Century"
Tony Parsons
The Last Summer of the Water Strider
“A lovely song of innocence and experience”
The Irish Times
The Love Secrets of Don Juan
"Passionate, witty and tender, relentlessly unswervingly honest"
The Guardian
The Seymour Tapes
"Plots don’t come any tighter..the kind of cunning the best thriller writers manage only rarely"
Daily Telegraph
Fearless
"Powerful, haunting and utterly original…an immediate classic’"
Jacqueline Wilson
when we were rich
"A terrific novel, wickedly sharp, wildly entertaining’"
Deborah Moggach
MENTORING
I offer personal mentoring and editing services for those who wish to develop their fiction and memoir writing skills. I have individually mentored more than 100 writers from all over the world.I cannot guarantee publication or agency as a result of mentoring, but I can guarantee that you write a better manuscript. My key skills are not only that of a teacher, but as a writer. In other words, I won’t merely critique or develop your ideas, but use my own imagination to help find a way forward.I am also unfailingly honest (although also unfailingly empathetic) in my assessments of your writing potential. This cannot be taken for granted – many creative writing teachers are largely there to bolster confidence and underpin motivation. I endeavour to do both these things, but not at the cost of undermining or diluting necessary critical feedback. Such feedback is crucial for any writer truly wishing to develop their abilities.For further information and prices, please visit here
Contact me
To find out more about the work of Tim Lott, or to enquire about mentoring, please fill in the form or email [email protected]
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