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Apply for a Mentorship

For questions about this program, contact program lead Linda Hudson at wits@writers.ns.ca

To be considered for the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program, writers must meet the following criteria.

  • You must be a permanent resident of Nova Scotia, meaning that you have lived in Nova Scotia full-time for at least the past twelve (12) months. (Out-of-province post-secondary students and seasonal residents are ineligible.)
  • You must be an emerging writer in the form of writing for which you seek mentorship, meaning that you have not published a book-length literary project within that form, including all genres and sub-genres within that form and including traditionally published, partner- or hybrid-published, and self-published projects.
    • In the context of the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program, WFNS considers there to be four primary literary forms: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and writing for children or young adults.
    • WFNS reserves the right to determine whether you will benefit from mentorship given your non-book-length (e.g., periodical or anthology) publications and other experience in the form for which you seek mentorship. If you are uncertain of your eligibility, please contact us.
    • If you have published any number of book-length literary projects in forms other than the form for which you seek mentorship, you remain eligible.
  • You must be 19 years of age or older by the current application deadline.
  • You must submit only one application to the current application deadline.

In addition to the above criteria, writers must be available for following program-wide meetings and capstone event.

2026 program-wide meetings:

  • Thursday, Jan 22 (10am – 11am), virtual
  • Thursday, Mar 26 (10am – 11am), virtual
  • Thursday, May 14 (10am – 11am), virtual

2026 capstone event:

  • Celebration of Emerging Writers, Wednesday, June 10 (7pm – 9pm), in-person (Halifax)

Any participant unable to attend the capstone event will be required to submit a pre-recorded video reading in advance.

MacLeod Mentorship application packages must contain all components listed below and must be submitted by the program deadline. Each application package must be submitted as a single digital document (in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format) with a file name as follows: [Your Name] – Mentorship. Incomplete, late, non-digital, or misnamed application packages are ineligible.

A. ‘Cover letter’ up to 1 page in length (single-spaced; in 12-pt Times New Roman or Arial font)

The cover letter is composed of personal responses to the following questions. All questions must be answered within this 1 page, but the length of any particular response is up to you. Start a new paragraph for each response.

  1. Provide an ‘elevator pitch’ for your work-in-progress: identify its form (e.g., fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or writing for children/YA) and any relevant genres or sub-genres, and briefly describe its narrative and/or themes.
  2. How long have you been actively developing your work-in-progress? How many pages have you drafted? How many pages have been through a revision process?
  3. What specific goals do you hope to achieve during the mentorship? What are your most significant creative challenges with your work-in-progress?
  4. How will you prioritize your work-in-progress during the mentorship?

B. Writing sample from the work-in-progress of 8 to 10 pages (double-spaced for prose; in 12-pt Times New Roman or Arial font)

  • Poetry samples may be single- or double-spaced, as suits your intended presentation. Poetry samples may use other fonts only if typeface is integral to the work-in-progress.
  • You may include a description (of up to one additional double-spaced page) summarizing the work-in-progress from which the sample is excerpted and/or providing necessary context for the excerpt. Include any such description at the beginning of the writing sample.

In addition to the application package, the application form will ask whether you belong to an equity-deserving community and whether you hold a Nova Scotia Talent Trust literary scholarship for fall/winter studies.

WFNS reserves at least two literary mentorships each year for writers from equity-deserving communities.

WFNS also reserves at least two literary mentorships each year for recipients of Nova Scotia Talent Trust literary scholarships. If a scholarship holder applies but is not accepted for a MacLeod mentorship, WFNS staff will assist them in identifying and contacting authors who would be suitable to provide a private mentorship.

All applicants will be notified of results by mid December. Please do not inquire about the status of your application during the assessment period.

After applications packages have been processed to ensure they are complete and eligible, they are shared with an independent peer assessment jury (composed of three professional authors contracted by WFNS).

All application packages will be assessed based on the following criteria, weighted equally:

  • the merit of the writing sample,
  • the merit of the proposed writing project, and
  • the applicant’s commitment to the proposed writing project.

The jury’s selection of apprentice writers will be final.

In order to accommodate availability and other logistical factors, the final selection of a mentor for apprentice writer will be made by WFNS staff.

Applications are accepted only through the form at the bottom of this page. Please note that completing the application form is the final step in our recommended application checklist:

  1. Ensure your eligibility.
  2. Ensure your application package is complete and correct. In the event of an error, contact WFNS to explain the issue before submitting a revised application package. No application package or correction can be accepted after the program deadline.
  3. Pay the $50 MacLeod Mentorship application fee. This fee covers most but not all of the assessment costs for each application. As such, this fee cannot be refunded under any circumstance, including incomplete, ineligible, or unsuccessful applications. This fee is $37.50 for those with current WFNS General Membership, which is open to anyone with an interest in creative writing, regardless of writing experience or place of residence.
Pay application fee online

If you are a current General Member, login before checkout to apply your member discount.

To pay fee by phone, call us between 10am and 3pm on weekdays at 902 423 8116 with your credit card details.

To pay fee by mail, send a cheque (payable to “Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia”) post-dated for no later than the application deadline.

  1. Complete and submit the online application form, visible at the bottom of this page when applications are being accepted. After clicking the “Submit application” button, please wait until you see the confirmation message (that your form has been successfully submitted) before exiting this page.

If the application fee presents a barrier, please contact wits@writers.ns.ca before applying. Funds are available to help underwaged writers with application fees.

Applicants to the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program must submit a ‘cover letter’ (i.e., personal responses to questions about their writing) and a writing sample. Beyond submitting both of the necessary documents on time, what can writers do to strengthen their applications?

WFNS staff interviewed some key program participants, whose advice converged in the following five tips.

WFNS’s Program Manager (Arts Education), Linda Hudson, who administers the MacLeod Mentorship Program, emphasized that mentorships are intended for unpublished writers who are ready to make a serious commitment. “The program is for any writer who is working on a manuscript that they would like to take to the next level. The program is very intensive and will require devoting hours to researching, re-writing, editing, and creating new content for their manuscript.”

We also talked to some former peer assessors about what kind of candidate they looked for when assessing applications. Peer assessor Monica Graham summed up the ideal candidate as “a writer with a future who needs guidance.”

Sal Sawler, another former peer assessor, echoed Monica’s remarks, saying that they looked for an applicant’s “dedication to their craft,” for whether “they’ll be willing/able to take constructive criticism,” and for manageable goals. “Once the jury had our shortlist, we narrowed it down more with a few other factors, like whether the person has made room in their life for the mentorship program.”

Sal stressed that apprentice writers should also have room to grow: “Someone who has been through another program and wants to go through the mentorship program just to polish their final draft might have less of a chance [of being accepted] than someone with a rougher draft who hasn’t already had the opportunity to work on it in an established program.”

Bretten Hannam, who participated in the program as an apprentice writer, stressed the importance of setting aside enough time for the application process. He told us he produced “multiple drafts” of his writing sample before the deadline.

Starting the application well before the deadline also gives participants the chance to ask questions about the program. Program Manager Linda Hudson, said that applicants should feel free to get in touch but that they should do so as early as possible. “Don’t leave your questions for the eleventh hour,” she warned, “or they might not get answered.”

Speaking of time management, many respondents agreed that taking time to revise the writing sample multiple times was essential for ensuring its strength. “Quality of writing” was the first thing peer assessor Sal Sawler said they looked for when going over the applications. “For me,” they explained, “a standout application shows that the applicant is taking writing seriously—that they’ve made room in their life for it somehow, and are invested in developing their craft.”

According to peer assessor Monica Graham, “simple writing that says a lot in a few well-chosen words” can help an application stand out. “If someone can read it and internalize the concept or story without having to move their lips or notice individual words, then it may be spot on—depending on the reader!” She qualified this comment: “As you can tell, it’s partly subjective. However, without strong writing skills, there is nothing to be subjective about.”

While it’s important to focus on the bigger picture, our experts also brought up the importance of detail in the application process. Apprentice writer Bretten Hannam advised applicants “to have a very specific goal and timeline [for your project] when submitting. Something that’s ambitious but not outside of the realm of your abilities.” 

Similarly, Program Manager Linda Hudson suggested that applicants take advantage of the cover letter to show how they take their writing seriously, which means providing a detailed plan for the mentorship. “The impression made through the cover letter informs the committee and staff on the individual’s personality and level of commitment. The more individuals can let us know about their plans for the manuscript, how much time they plan to devote to the program, and how they would handle being challenged by their mentor, the better.”

Peer assessor Monica Graham recommended setting aside time to double-check details and proofread the application. “Touch on all the points requested in the application,” she said. “Make the spelling and grammar as perfect as possible. The odd typo is just a typo, but consistently poor skills make me cringe.”

Almost everyone we spoke with advised applicants to let their personalities come through. Peer assessor Monica Graham mentioned that she enjoyed reading “something unique” in a writing sample, whether that be “point of view, protagonist, plot twist, style, or genre.”

“When you write your application don’t forget to add something of yourself,” appentice writer Bretten Hannam advised. “Some heart. It’s easy to answer with proper words and things people might want to hear. But it’s better to speak to who you are. Why this is important to you. What you’re sharing with the world through your own words.”

Extended application deadline: Oct 16, 2025

For MacLeod Mentorships to be undertaken February through May, 2026

Applications will be accepted Sept 17 to Oct 8, 2026

For MacLeod Mentorships to be undertaken in 2027

Application form

Declarations of eligibility

By applying to participate in the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program, you make each of the following declarations:

• I am a permanent resident of Nova Scotia, having lived in Nova Scotia full-time for at least the past twelve (12) months.
• I am an emerging writer in the form of writing for which I seek mentorship, having not published a book-length literary project in this form.
• I am 19 years of age or older.
• This is my only application to the current application deadline.
• If I am selected for a mentorship, I will be available to participate in the 2026 program-wide meetings (conducted virtually on the mornings of Jan 22, Mar 26, and May 14) and the 2026 capstone event (conducted in Halifax on the evening of June 10).

If it is discovered that any of these declarations is false, your application will be ineligible.
WFNS reserves at least two literary mentorships each year for writers from equity-deserving communities. This includes but is not limited to writers who have faced marginalization on the basis of their ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or disability.

WFNS also reserves at least two literary mentorships each year for recipients of Nova Scotia Talent Trust literary scholarships. When scholarship holders are accepted to the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program, they contribute their scholarship amount to the program and WFNS covers the remaining expense of their mentorship.
If the name you commonly use or publish under differs from your legal name, please include your legal name in parentheses—i.e., "Common Name (Legal Name)." If you perform at the Celebration of Emerging Writers, your legal name will be required for honorarium payment.
Must include city/town, province, and postal code.
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload
• Your application package must be a single digital file (.doc or .pdf format) that contains all components identified in the above section "2. Application Package."
• Your application package must use a file name as follows: [Your Name] - Mentorship.
• Incomplete, misnamed, or file-unreadable application packages may be deemed ineligible.
If the form of your work-in-progress is not listed above, please contact wits@writers.ns.ca to ensure its suitability for the program.
Indicate the method by which you paid the Mentorship Program application fee detailed in the above section "4. Application Checklist & Fee." Fee payment must be sent before you submit your application.

For questions or further information, please contact us.
We advise reaching out at least one week before the application deadline.

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Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) uses the following terms to describe writers’ experience levels:

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for children and young adults, and others) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.

The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the above definitions. A workshop’s participants should usually have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop⁠ and is presented with information, strategies, and skills that suit their career stage. 

For “intensive” and “masterclass” workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.

For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.

If you’re uncertain of your experience level with regard to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca