“Very few people can offer both artistic talent and considered, agile guidance. Megan is that rare thing – a highly gifted writer and a talented teacher/mentor.” Tamsin Flower
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“Megan was everything I hoped to find in a mentor. Supporting me through a novel-length project, she consistently pushed me to go deeper in my work — guiding me as I sought a level of richness and nuance that I might not otherwise have found.“ Patrick Christie
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“I found Megan extremely quick to tune into my particular writing style and aims, and to tailor feedback accordingly. She shares her experience with generosity, humour, and sensitivity. I looked forward to our online sessions which were fun, engaging and supportive.” K. Lockwood Jefford
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“From the beginning, Megan helped me see the story I was trying to write, helped me find the thread, the themes, the characters. Her advice has been invaluable and insightful, strong and gentle, and more than I could’ve hoped for. She has made me a better writer and a better editor, and she has given me the tools to keep growing as I keep writing.” Amelia Brown
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“ With Megan as my mentor I always felt encouraged, emboldened, freshly confident and understood, whilst I remained challenged, motivated and able to maintain a forward momentum; to forge my own path. Megan's individual and personal approach always comes back to the notions of quality and integrity in my writing as fundamental. It has been a unique and deeply enriching process at a critical stage of my writing development and one which I would choose to seek out again in future stages of my writing.” Carrie Patten
“Very few people can offer both artistic talent and considered, agile guidance. Megan is that rare thing – a highly gifted writer and a talented teacher/mentor.” Tamsin Flower • “Megan was everything I hoped to find in a mentor. Supporting me through a novel-length project, she consistently pushed me to go deeper in my work — guiding me as I sought a level of richness and nuance that I might not otherwise have found.“ Patrick Christie • “I found Megan extremely quick to tune into my particular writing style and aims, and to tailor feedback accordingly. She shares her experience with generosity, humour, and sensitivity. I looked forward to our online sessions which were fun, engaging and supportive.” K. Lockwood Jefford • “From the beginning, Megan helped me see the story I was trying to write, helped me find the thread, the themes, the characters. Her advice has been invaluable and insightful, strong and gentle, and more than I could’ve hoped for. She has made me a better writer and a better editor, and she has given me the tools to keep growing as I keep writing.” Amelia Brown • “ With Megan as my mentor I always felt encouraged, emboldened, freshly confident and understood, whilst I remained challenged, motivated and able to maintain a forward momentum; to forge my own path. Megan's individual and personal approach always comes back to the notions of quality and integrity in my writing as fundamental. It has been a unique and deeply enriching process at a critical stage of my writing development and one which I would choose to seek out again in future stages of my writing.” Carrie Patten
MENTORING
Writing is hard. It’s not always easy to see what’s in front of you. Having the support of another writer, someone who will ask you questions and encourage you, can make all the difference between a finished and an unfinished project.
I support prose writers across a range of genres and forms including long-form fiction, short stories, memoir, and hybrid narratives. The support I offer is dependent upon the needs of the writer, but typically consists of detailed feedback, one-to-one mentoring, manuscript assessments on full or partial drafts, or a combination of all three.
I can help you learn how to:
Establish an effective and reliable working practice that fits around your schedule and helps you to write freely, regularly, and without pressure (but with ambition)
Research subjects and incorporate that research into your writing in ways that strengthen ideas, plots, and characters
‘See’ your own work and enhance your individual voice
Grow a long-form project from its conception to its completion
My support is process-led and uniquely tailored to each writer.
Many writers I have worked with have gone on to secure places on prestigious Creative Writing courses, find agents and become published, many being short-listed for and winning prizes, including the Encore Award, the East Anglia Book Award, and the V. S. Pritchett Short Story Prize.
I have twenty years’ experience as an editor and creative writing mentor, and I have worked in association with the Ruppin Agency, Curtis Brown Creative, the Literary Consultancy, the University of East Anglia, and Birkbeck University. I am also a Creative Writing tutor for the National Centre for Writing.
See below for testimonials from writers with whom I have previously worked.
For further information including rates, please complete the contact form below.
Now taking bookings from March 2026.
@Ali Smith
TESTIMONIALS
““Embarking on my second novel, I knew I wanted a trusted reader during my drafting process to help me check that the voice, structure and complex plot were coming across the way I hoped. Having someone read your work when it is still very much in progress is a sensitive and tricky thing. You have to find the right reader who will discern and understand your writing style and vision for the book and come alongside you to make the book the best version it can be. Megan very quickly understood what I was trying to achieve and tailored her feedback and ideas around the book’s particular needs. She struck the perfect balance between support and constructive criticism. It was so gratifying when Megan noticed the little details I was placing in my text but she also had an expansive understanding of the text as a whole, its architecture and its big ideas and how the details and the bigger picture would cohere. She confirmed my instincts when things were working well and helped me figure out particular sticky moments in the text when I couldn’t quite figure out how to make it work. Megan is an intelligent, insightful reader with a vast knowledge of literature and a keen understanding of craft. She has been a complete pleasure to write with and I would work with her again in a heartbeat!” ”
“Having Megan as a mentor is like having the smartest, kindest and most astute friend read your work, seeing right through the text to your hidden artist-child soul. We had amazing conversations about process and play, about just living in the most considered and interesting way possible. She encouraged to work to my strengths. And by reading her work and asking about her own rabbit holes, I have been inspired to think more deeply about the projects I have embarked on and to be patient that they will lead me to strange, wonderful places as long as I don’t give up.”
“Megan has been an exceptional guide in the early stages of my novel. She encouraged me to trust my instincts and draft freely, and her steady, generous optimism made the work feel possible rather than overwhelming. She reads with real care, asks the kinds of questions that open doors, and never lets you lose sight of what the book could become. I left every session feeling focused, supported, and eager to get back to the page.”
“Being mentored by Megan was such an inspirational experience. She was so insightful and really got what I was trying to say (even when I wasn’t really sure myself!) I always came away from our sessions feeling full of renewed vigour and enthusiasm even when I thought my well had run dry! She helped me look at my work with fresh eyes. Working under her supervision has taken my writing to another level and, finally, enabled me to bring my novel to its conclusion. Something I thought would never happen! I cannot recommend her highly enough. ”
“Having Megan as a mentor and writing teacher has improved my work enormously. She has given me techniques and approaches that have led to a greater sense of control and awareness in my writing. She is a diligent, demanding and interested mentor who always seeks to both praise and improve. Megan’s sense of humour, her enthusiasm and her intelligence make our online mentoring sessions fly by. Her insights and feedback are thorough and astute, never vague but always based in the nuts and bolts of what is on the page. I have felt my writing improve, have seen it been transformed from one level to another, and to be aware of such an improvement in real time has been a truly exhilarating and enriching experience.
Megan is always positive and encouraging, but she affords me the ultimate compliment which is always to demand more. For a writer who is willing to work, to look deeper at their writing and to action advice, Megan is a terrific mentor and coach. I couldn’t think of working with anyone else. ”
“Working with Megan has been transformative. I’ve been writing for twenty years and I’ve been working on my current project - a novel - for eight years and it is with Megan’s guidance that I have been able to create something that I’m proud of. Megan’s insightful feedback has seen me through huge rewrites, a change in point of view, and big leaps forward in terms of form. Initially, I wanted to work with Megan because of how much I admired her novel ‘Everyone is Watching’. But as the mentoring began, I realised that this process was going to be much better than I had hoped. Megan gave me in-line and narrative comments: the detail and the bigger picture. Her feedback always got to the heart of what I needed to do in order to live up to my hopes for the novel. But she did it very practically - she gave suggestions that worked at the level of craft and she asked questions that resonated with what I wanted for the novel. Along the way, Megan’s reading suggestions have broadened my understanding of contemporary fiction in exciting ways. Megan really listens. Megan brings her own brilliance and experience in writing to the mentoring relationship with generosity and humour. I am profoundly grateful to have worked with her as a mentor.”
“What can I say? Simply put, without Megan, I would not have found the confidence to pursue life as a writer.
Over a twelve-month period, Megan fostered a working relationship built on mutual respect and trust. She had the uncanny knack of knowing what to say when, keeping me on track, enthused and committed to the ‘project’ in hand.
Her observations and in-depth commentary on each submission were underpinned by her considerable talent as a writer, editorial skills and extensive knowledge of contemporary literature (the latter resulting in another full bookcase).
So, if you have the opportunity to be mentored by Megan, grasp it with both hands!”
“So pleased that I came across Megan. Her perspicuity, sensitivity and gentle challenge gave me the confidence not only to hone my voice but to develop an ability to be able to criticise and improve my work. Thank you so much.”
“Initially I had reservations about signing up. I dithered for quite a while. Could I produce 10,000 words every 2 months? Could I afford the fees? Would the benefits of the mentoring be sufficiently tangible to justify the cost?
For anyone else who is dithering, I can answer thus: I did manage to fulfil the submission requirements and undoubtedly wrote more than I would have done without the pressure of justifying the financial outlay. The benefits were indeed tangible: detailed line edits on my submissions and an insightful written overview each time; a critical mind following the work through significant stages of development. Knowing that I can return to these at any point in the future gives me deep reassurance.
In the hourly sessions Megan was always positive and curious about where the novel was going, which helped me gauge structure and reader response. She also sometimes suggested new directions for the work which I had not previously considered. The sessions were enjoyable as well as creatively productive – the best kind of learning.”
“Megan’s feedback offers the perfect balance of detailed, constructive criticism combined with genuine encouragement. I could not have wished for a better mentor.”
“I enjoyed every moment of working with Megan. She challenged me to adopt new approaches to writing which, whilst daunting, have undoubtedly improved my work. In particular, the in person sessions I had with Megan were invaluable. Simply discussing my book with Megan and hearing her interpretation of it, helped to unlock new ideas which have improved it immeasurably.
With Megan’s help, I have been able to write the novel I always hoped was within me. In short, working with Megan was one of the best things I have ever done.”
“Megan is a wonderful mentor. I have loved every part of the mentoring process and come out of it a more confident writer. She is an insightful reader and the comments I received in my feedback were always exactly what I needed to hear. Her feedback gave me the confidence to keep going, but also to keep improving. I think Megan knew more about what I was trying to do than I did, and from the beginning had such enthusiasm and energy for the novel I was trying to write. I looked forward to every session because each one filled me with inspiration and I went back to my novel with a clear idea of where to go next, and most of all the confidence that I could do it. Megan is also great company and each hour’s session was invaluable – I have learned so much in such a short time. When I started, I was struggling to make time to write and pretty sure anything I did write was terrible. Having finished the mentoring sessions, I’m determined to get this novel finished, however many drafts that takes. I would recommend Megan to anyone who is trying to write. ”
“Very few people can offer both artistic talent and considered, agile guidance. Megan is that rare thing – a highly gifted writer and a talented teacher/mentor.”
“Megan was everything I hoped to find in a mentor. Supporting me through a novel-length project, she consistently pushed me to go deeper in my work — guiding me as I sought a level of richness and nuance that I might not otherwise have found.
Not only did I feel that Megan was genuinely invested in my work, at times I felt as though she could see more clearly what I was trying to achieve than I could myself. Her feedback was always both constructive and supportive — leaving me enthused to get back to writing after each of our tutorials.
There’s no question that Megan enabled me to produce some of my best writing to date. I will certainly seek her guidance again and would advise her mentoring to anyone that is looking to take their writing to the next level.”
“From the beginning, Megan helped me see the story I was trying to write, helped me find the thread, the themes, the characters. Her advice has been invaluable and insightful, strong and gentle, and more than I could’ve hoped for. She has made me a better writer and a better editor, and she has given me the tools to keep growing as I keep writing.”
““I worked on my debut collection of short stories with Megan as a mentor for a year from July 2021 to July 2022. It’s been an enormously rich and rewarding experience.
Megan draws on her wealth of experience as a writer, reader, and teacher/mentor. She’s reliable and very well-organised: together we drew up a brief list of goals to facilitate priorities and focus for mentoring. She also provided thoughtful, detailed written feedback on my submissions before our ‘face-to-face’ online sessions, thereby allowing space to read, digest and reflect on her comments. These written reports also provide an invaluable record to refer back to once mentoring sessions end.
I found Megan extremely quick to tune into my particular writing style and aims, and to tailor feedback accordingly. She shares her experience with generosity, humour, and sensitivity. I looked forward to our online sessions which were fun, engaging and supportive.
In my work with Megan, I’ve established my reading and writing practice more firmly, gained a deeper understanding of my strengths and weaknesses as a writer, and feel ready to take new creative risks with the form.”
“Megan Bradbury was my mentor during the National Centre for Writing’s Escalator 2020 scheme. Throughout a really difficult year, Megan kept me writing. Her belief in both my vision and voice nurtured my confidence, going on to open so many doors. I am truly grateful for having such an approachable, insightful, and open-minded mentor. Her feedback was invaluable to the shape of my novel-in-progress as well as my growth as a writer.”
“I hugely enjoyed working with Megan. I always looked forward to our mentoring sessions and I came away feeling positive and inspired. I certainly gained in confidence during the process of working with her. She is knowledgeable, approachable and empathetic.”
“I submitted my draft first novel to Megan on 18 April 2020 and received my feedback on 17 May, exactly as promised. The feedback included both a summary document and a detailed, page-by-page annotation of my entire text. I found her comments both insightful and very helpful. They have certainly given me a steer on where I take this narrative next, and will also feed into the second book of the series which is currently part drafted.
I would heartily recommend Megan if you are genuinely looking to find ways to improve both your writing generally and a specific text. You may not agree with every individual comment – as tastes differ, in my view that is expecting too much. But she will make you look at your writing differently and you will see new things as a result of her feedback.”
“Megan mentored me for nine months on the Escalator Talent Development Scheme and during this time has conducted close editorial reading of all the writing I have submitted to her. Her feedback is precise, constructive, insightful and intuitive. Megan has not imposed her will on my writing, nor tried to bend or shape it to fit her mould. She has identified its strengths and has encouraged its uniqueness. We have approached my writing as art and Megan has helped me to define and articulate my thought processes.
I needed Megan as a sounding board and to be able to hear my thoughts out loud; to speak them rather than simply write them, and to do so in a safe, creative, non-judgemental space. I’ve been able to play with definitions of myself, better understand my choices and see routes through, even at the most subtle editorial stage. Her support has always been in the context of the professional world of writing with all its potential strategies of approach, so that I have an eye on the bigger picture for the collection of stories I have been working on.
Megan has never at any stage simply told me what I want to hear, but has been mindful to tell me what I need to hear in relation to my writing. Because of this trust and respect established early on, I have had complete faith in the mentor/mentee process.
With Megan as my mentor I always felt encouraged, emboldened, freshly confident and understood, whilst I remained challenged, motivated and able to maintain a forward momentum; to forge my own path. Megan’s individual and personal approach always comes back to the notions of quality and integrity in my writing as fundamental. It has been a unique and deeply enriching process at a critical stage of my writing development and one which I would choose to seek out again in future stages of my writing.”
CONTACT