Lena Nelson Dooley. . .
A  multi-published author in women’s Christian fiction, a mentor, the leader of a weekly critique group in her home, and Vice-president of DFW Ready Writers (a Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW)). She speaks at seminars, workshops, conferences, retreats, and group meetings, on the craft of writing and also Biblical faith-based teaching.

Along with her busy schedule, Lena is an active member of her church, but also finds time to be a loving wife, mother, grandmother and, although she is way too young to lay claim to it, is also a great-grandmother.

This terrific woman dabbles in a little bit of everything, but I believe Lena’s true passion, besides the love for her heavenly Father and family, is writing. Lena has graciously agreed to answer a few questions, in particular, dealing with the mentoring aspect of her life.

To begin with Lena, thank you for agreeing to this interview. I know you have many good things to offer to my readers.

I'm sure everyone would like to know how long have you been writing and how many of your books have been published to date?

God told me to become a professional writer in May of 1984. I had always written, but just not professionally. Visitors to my blog can read all about how God told me to do this on the bottom of the main page of my web site www.lenanelsondooley.com.

My eighteenth book release will be in September 2008.

What would you say is the catalyst that started you on the road to writing?

I never realized that everyone didn’t write, until I married a man who didn’t read or write. He wasn’t illiterate; he just didn’t like to do either one. Now he reads, but he still doesn’t write. I’ve always written—long letters, journaling, programs that we needed for any group I was in, play or sketch scripts. Then in an earthshaking event (for me at least), God changed the course of my life, as I mentioned before.

Once you realized you were called to write, how long did it take before you became a published author?

After the aforementioned event, I wrote my first novel, which I finished in January 1985. It wasn’t published until 1992. During that time, I submitted it many places and learned from each rejection. I was not going to give up until I had as many rejections as Gone With the Wind. Someone had erroneously told me that she had 18 or 19 rejections. I didn’t reach that number. Then after I sold the first book, it took me ten years before the second one came out. In the meantime, I wrote a lot of things, many of them curriculum for several companies and denominations.

Lena, I know you were proud and honored when you won the Mentor of the Year Award at the 2006 ACFW Conference. Not many lay claim to such a mark of respect for service to others. Among your long list of kudos and accomplishments, I will add you are a gracious person to open your home weekly to those trying to further their writing careers. From my personal experience, you are patient, knowledgeable, and good at what you do. I would like to ask you a few questions that may encourage other published authors to become mentors.

When was the first time you mentored another writer and why did you decide to mentor?

I had been on the faculty of the Fine Arts Academy in Bedford. I taught a twelve-hour course. During the final session, we planned the first critique group, and we met at the church. Later, we moved the critique group to my home, and it’s been meeting for well over 15 years. The first person who became published after I mentored her was Pamela Griffin. And I actually started mentoring her one-on-one before she started coming to the critique group.

One of my real joys this year is the number of people I’ve mentored who’ve had their first book release.

As for why—as I was learning about writing, God had someone in place to help me each time I needed it. I wanted to help others along the road.

That is an excellent reason to volunteer your time. What, besides the desire to learn the craft of writing, do you require of those under your tutelage?

Do I really require anything? That we’re kind to each other. That we really care. That we accept the differences in the kinds of stories we each write.

Yes, I believe you have hit upon the basics of a good critique group and mentoring session. Do you learn from those you teach, and if so, what?

I don’t suppose I’ll ever stop learning. At least, I hope not. And having the fresh perspectives from those who attend sharpens my skills every week. I don’t necessarily take everything that’s mentioned and apply it to the story, but I listen and consider. I would say that I probably use at least 80-85 percent of what they say.

Would you encourage other authors to become mentors? If so, what advice would you offer other potential mentors of how to begin? What would you caution them about mentoring?

Yes, every author should have those who lift her or him up, other people that he or she lifts up.

One caution would be to be careful of your time. Seek God about how you should proceed. What works for me might not be right for you, and you might be surprised by what God wants you to do. One night, I felt the Lord telling me to anoint those who were in attendance with oil. We come from several denominations, and I didn’t know how that would be received, but I asked if they wanted me to do it. That night was a real highlight with God showing all of us something different.

Another caution: Remember that people are at various levels in their writing. I had one person who came across as very mature, but I was wrong. He wasn’t ready for the depth I was calling him to. He never came back. So be careful not to hurt the really tender ones.

Unrelated to mentoring, my next question is for the newbie or unpublished writer reading this interview. If there were only one concept you could impart to a would-be writer, what would that one thing be?

Seek God first about your story. Really listen to Him.

And last, but not least. We know that the next Lena Nelson Dooley story will show up on the shelves in September 2008, but what is the title?

My next release is The Best Medicine, which is part of the novella collection Snowbound Colorado Christmas. This collection is set in Colorado 1913, the year that a major blizzard covered the state.

Lena, I want to say a special thanks to you for your interview and candid answers. I sincerely appreciate the time you have taken from your busy writing schedule. We have all learned from your informative and candid answers on mentoring. I hope that other published authors reading this will offer their expertise to struggling writers on their road to success. There are many who could benefit from a mentor as kind and gracious as you are.

I know many of you would like to become better acquainted with Lena. For more information about her and her books go to http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/. You will also find information of how you can arrange for Lena to come and speak at your group function. At http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com, Lena offers interviews with other authors and generally a monthly give-away contest of the featured author’s book.

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