12-Month Mentorship

Over the course of twelve months, you’ll receive sixteen tailored one hour sessions, as well as written editorial feedback to help you start and/or finish your writing project and become the writer you want to be.

Whether you’re looking for constructive feedback, struggling with motivation, or working on a specific manuscript or project, these sessions are shaped around your goals as a writer.

12-Month Mentoring Program

• Sixteen 60-minute Zoom sessions (spread over 12 months)

• Feedback on up to 100,000 words in total 

• Help structuring or finishing a manuscript

• Long-term creative development

• Ongoing pitch/positioning refinement

• Strategic planning for submission, revision, or completion

• Email support between sessions 

• Accountability and motivation check-ins

• Reading recommendations and writing prompts

• Support through creative blocks

• Advice on securing an agent/getting published

• Access to the Muse Salon, a digital archive of writing prompts, reading recommendations and inspirational essays to support your writing process between sessions

• Tailored Next Steps Plan

Sessions are conducted via video call, scheduled flexibly to suit both our calendars.

Availability: I work with only a small number of mentees each year to ensure each writer receives thoughtful and engaged attention. If you're interested, please book your spot as soon as possible.

About your instructor:

Sophia Hembeck is a writer, visual artist and cultural critic based in Edinburgh. She has authored a trilogy of essay collections: Things I Have Noticed (2020), Things I Have Loved (2023), and Things That Are Different Now (2025).

Hembeck holds a M.A. in Creative Writing (Playwriting & Dramaturgy) from the University of Arts in Berlin and her work delves into themes of love, longing, and self-worth, often exploring the process of finding one's own voice.

In addition to her publications, she offers essay writing classes and writes a weekly Substack newsletter titled The Muse Letter.

She is represented by Zoe Martin from JE Literary Agency in Berlin.

Testimonials: 

“Sophia's class is a breath of fresh air. The sessions are inspiring, nurturing and informative, and her advice is broad (and highly knowledgable) yet tailored to the individual and their specific writing goals. Her enthusiasm for her craft is infectious, and she genuinely wants to see us succeed with our writing. I highly recommend it!”

(Lucy Siddall, currently enrolled in the English autumn/winter class)

“This writing class not only provides a great structure, but also accompanies you in a step-by-step approach through the process of writing. Above all, it helps you to take your ideas and writing plans seriously.”

(Fabian Hartje, currently enrolled in the German autumn/winter class)

“The essay class is a great way to motivate yourself, find a sense of community and get some invaluable insights into the writing process and how others deal with its challenges. I'm glad I am a part of it. Getting to know so many other inspiring writers, each with their own stories to tell, is probably the best bit. I can't wait to read the end result of everyone's labour.”

(Tun de Jong, currently enrolled in the English autumn/winter class)

“I came to Sophia's workshop by way of Instagram and her memoir "Things I have loved", which was a thing I loved! So, I jumped at the chance to join her workshop. I found the first session super informative and generative, particularly the breakdown of different essay structures and ideas for prompts. The second session was amazing; hearing the submissions from the other participants and giving and receiving feedback - was pretty inspiring. I enjoyed the experience so much that I signed up for the June Session: "Writing Our Hearts Out", and June cannot come fast enough. I'd recommend Sophia's workshops to anyone curious about starting a writing practice or to more established writers looking for a welcoming place to exchange ideas.”

(Becky Cawley-Hassall, former student)

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