Grow Your Writing with S.T.
S.T. Gibson is the #1 Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling author of A DOWRY OF BLOOD and other novels. Her gothic romances and dark fantasy novels have been nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award and a British Fantasy Award, and longlisted for a British Science Fiction Association Award. A graduate of the creative writing program at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and the theological studies program at Princeton Seminary, she currently lives in New York City.
Saint has worked as a writing tutor at the collegiate level, and she’s been on the featured faculty for the Futurescapes Writers’ Workshop two years in a row. She has also taught workshops on querying and the publishing process at various conventions.
WEBSITE: www.stgibson.com
INSTAGRAM: stgibsonauthor
SUBSTACK: https://saint.substack.com/
Work with S.T.
Apply to join the mentor’s small group of writers that they will lead through our unique 12 week mentoring and workshopping program.
Decide if S.T. is Right for You with Our Mentor Interview
What excites you most about writing?
“Writing is the most powerful way I can process my own emotions in a way that cultivates beauty and catharsis, and much of that work is driven by a desire for connection. Telling stories helps me feel connected to all the writers who came before me, and to the readers and other artists who find meaning in my work. It’s also a fantastic way for me to keep my mind sharp and stay curious: my multipassionate academic interests usually end up making it into one of my books!” S.T. said.
What mindset does a writer need to grow?
“In the ideation drafting stage, you’ve got to stay curious about the world, including experiences and places and ideas different from your sphere of immediate familiarity, and you’ve got to have attention to detail. Specificity is the soul of poetry, and detail breathes life into writing. In the revising phase, looking for ways to break out of the assumptions about the way the book “should” go is crucial! Never be afraid to break the mold or get out of the box; that’s where some of your best work lives.”
What three words best describe you as a mentor?
“Empathetic, aspiring, inquisitive.”
What makes a good writing mentor?
“The best writing mentors have the ability to identify the distinctions between the writer’s style, the mentor’s preferences, and all the areas of deepening and growth in between. There’s a real skill to bringing industry insight and personal expertise to someone else’s work while also treating their creative vision as sacred; and it’s something I work to cultivate.”
What is your style of feedback?
“I like to keep feedback direct and actionable, but I also incorporate a lot of questions to curate conversation! I really want to know how the writer hopes their work will land, what they’re excited about, and what they’re struggling with, so I can tailor my feedback to the areas that matter most to them.”
What was the most recent "standout" book you read?
“I just finished reading Chelsea Fagan’s THE HIGH DIVE, and totally loved it. It’s a crushable summer romance with a crystal clear voice, but it also deeply engages with issues around money and class, and with the question of what we owe our families and the people we are in community with. I love swoony sexy romances that make me grin, but also go deep with character and theme work. Perfect balance!”