When a new or inexperienced writer comes into RWA and a local chapter, s/he has plenty of questions -- everything from how to format a manuscript to whether s/he should write for the contemporary or historical market to how to register for the RWA National Conference.

And once a member becomes RWA-savvy, she may face other challenges, like deciding how to query an agent, whether to quit her day job to write full-time, and the best way to structure her career path.

A mentor can help members less far along the RWA/writing path to integrate more easily into the chapter and the writing life. Several gracious members have volunteered to provide this help, via e-mail exchanges, face-to-face meetings, or in phone conversations.

Mentors are not critique partners, but they can offer their own experience as one example of chapter/RWA membership and writing path. They can also direct newer members to valuable books, web sites, and other resources.

Each mentor has only one mentoree, which keeps the partnership simple and easy to maintain without overloading mentors.