Mentorships, Grants, and Fellowships

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No, not that fellowship. I’m talking about the one you apply for, to get some sort of assistance for your writing. I’ve applied for all three over the years, and paid for a mentorship through Highlights Foundation last summer- conveniently called Summer Camp. That experience was amazing, and I’d love to do it again.

That’s not what this post is all about, though. It’s about applying. There’s a poetry fellowship I’ve been wanting to apply for, and finally did last night. But I did something so unwriterly that I had to make up a word for it (it’s back there- unwriterly). What did I do?

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Well, I wrote it, checked for spelling and grammar mistakes, and sent it in. As is. Was I happy with what I sent? Yes! I wrote with heart and humor, something I want all my writing to show. Okay, if you’ve read my ooolllddd IG posts, you know my poetry doesn’t really have humor, but it does have heart- even if it’s dark.

I loved what I wrote. I researched the fellowship. I read and reread the information about it from the hosts. How I wrote it was how they wrote their informational post. Humorous, but with heart.

I don’t do that for each of the grants, fellowships, and mentorships I’ve applied for. I do make sure they have heart and humor, but I don’t just write and go- I take my time with them, edit, choose my words carefully. I’ll be curious to see how it goes. I have a mentorship I’m applying for as well, but those questions have been ruminating in my head for a while, and will come out carefully.

But, I make sure I don’t lose myself.

Have you applied for any grants, fellowships, or mentorships? How do you write for them?