According to a friend of mine, every writer does better at her endeavors if she has people who play four key roles in her life. These roles are Mentor, Cheerleader, Critiquer, and Motivator. Let's take a brief look at these roles:
Mentor - this person gives the writer tools so she can do a better job at writing.
Cheerleader - this person buoys up the writer, telling her she can do it.
Critiquer - this person's role is to keep the writer sharp and examining her work for errors. The Critiquer also gives suggestions for improvement.
Motivator - this person gets the writer past hurdles that come along, such as writer's block, keeping the writer moving and motivated. May be the best at being a sounding board or brainstorming partner.
Sometimes a person may act in more than one role, but usually four people shake out into the roles.
What do you think? Do you agree that these roles are essential to your writing success? Who fills these roles for you? Do you fill one or more of these roles in some other author's life?
This post was first shared with readers on July 29, 2007