How a text is written influences what is written. The writing process involves more than grammar and sentence structure. The authors use Laurel Richardson's "writing-story" to discuss the process of writing a dissertation. The authors share how they negotiated the advisor-advisee relationship throughout the dissertation process. Narratives are used to illustrate the differing perceptions experienced and negotiated within the advisor-advisee relationship. Mentoring emerging scholars requires knowledge of the student beyond evaluation of his or her manuscript. Five aspects writing frame the discussion: trust, communication, time, identity, and reflexivity.