Mentors! We love them in real life and we love them in novels. At least I do.
Let’s start with real life. I know from experience that having a mentor is a blessing. There are many areas in which we can have mentors, and sometimes one mentor can fill many roles. It’s great to have someone to turn to for wisdom and guidance. Our spiritual life, our singleness, our marriage, our careers, balancing everything can be overwhelming at times. So having a mentor can be a calming, stabilizing force in our lives.
And so it goes with our heroines. Heros, too. I love it when I’m reading a book and great wisdom and/or advice comes from a mentor. In fiction, as in real life, mentors can be a relative, like a grandma or grandpa, or a friend, or anywhere in between.
People often think of mentors being older, and I feel that is true a lot. People that have more experience and have lived a life that you admire, can be very helpful in dealing with problems, some they may have dealt with personally.
In my life I have a mentor that I met many years ago at a church. We started doing Bible study together. She was, and still is, such a great woman in so many areas in my life. I’ve learned so much from her. I’ve run family scenarios by her, I’ve talked to her about work situations. She can’t always fix every problem, but she does offer advice and wisdom.
I know for me, as an author, I love putting those wise characters in my books. Sometimes mentors are in more than one book if the author is doing a series. Some of my favorite are the matchmaking ‘mentors.’ What fun!
So, what about you? Do you have a mentor? Are you a mentor for someone? Also, how do you feel about mentors in books? I’d love to hear some book recommendations regarding mentors that you’ve loved.
USA Today featured author Lindi Peterson lives in north Georgia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with her husband and a lively array of cats, dogs and birds. She loves sharing life with her family and friends. Her passion for reading led her to writing, and then God spoke words of love into her heart and changed her life forever.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a mentor as such, but I do turn to my mum for advice and guidance in different situations, she is very good at seeing the good in everyone.
I do like the sort of mentor relationship you describe in stories, it can help really understand a character and their motivations more, and the advice received can often be useful in the lives of readers too!
I’ve never really had a mentor, but I could talk to my mom about anything.
Some of Jessie Gussman’s books have a matchmaker in them, from some ladies in the town to a steer (Billy). Sounds crazy, but it’s true. They are so much fun to read.
Hi Lindi! As a pastor’s wife, young mom with 2 sons Eva was my mentor. Eva was 10 years older – a mom, an elementary school principal, deacon’s wife, and active in our church. I was in awe at what she accomplished. Her best advice, when I felt overwhelmed was: take one day – one task at a time. Prioritize. This advice served me well, especially during the sandwich years trying to balance working full time, mom to 3 sons, and being a pastor’s wife (different church). Advice that I shared with women that I mentored over the years.
This retiree enjoys reading CCR that include lovable older Christian women mentoring (caring) newly weds or young moms. Living the Fruits of the Spirit, exemplifying Proverbs 31 and I Corinthians 13. Women not meddling or being busy bodies. Or men mentoring and helping young men. Mentoring rounds out a story / gives depth and portrays realism. Thanks. Enjoy your weekend.
I wish I had a mentor. I think I could benefit from having one but how do you get one? I don’t know of any mentorship programs in the writing groups I belong to and wouldn’t know how to “ask” anyone, either, without it coming off weird. :-)
I could (and did!!) talk to my Mom (and Daddy, too, a lot of times) about anything and everything. I’ve never had a mentor per se, but a lot of people have been there for me at different times of my life. I have tried mentoring other people, just really not sure how well I’ve done, though God knows I was obedient to His leading in it, so I know He can/did/will use it!
Ruthie–Great point–my mom is often the person I turn to when needing advice. Thank you for visiting Inspy!
Bonnie–Yay for moms!! Those books sound fun. :) Thanks for stopping by Inspy!
Renate—Sounds like not only have you had a great mentor, you have passed that along to be a blessing to other young women. I love how you are showing such a Biblical example to those around you. Enjoy your weekend. Thank you for visiting Inspy.
Hi Sophie—Great question! I’ve heard of women asking other women whom they admire–and like in my situation, we were just doing a Bible study together and that’s how I saw her. I don’t think we ever verbally said–mentor, mentee-to each other, but she knew I looked at her as such. Prayer–I’ll be praying-you just never know when and where God will bless you with a Titus woman! Our church also had a mentor program called Flourish. And you know, maybe with all the technology you could have an online mentor—with video calls and such. Keep me posted–again, I’ll be praying!
Trudy–I imagine you are a great mentor!! Your caring nature is sure to bless!!
I love the mentors authors put in books! They often become my fave characters, above even the main characters!!
My Mom was my mentor. She passed away in January. Years ago, we had a mentoring program at our church for adults to mentor children and youth. I have mentored our godchildren who are now adults. I believe everyone should have a mentor in their life whether it be in real life or a book. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
Janet Tronstads Dry Creek books have Mrs Hargraves who is a wonderful mentor. She was often their sunday school teacher when they were kids. But even new people learn she is someone who cares, keeps a confidence and is there as a listening ear and often has great advice without being preachy or domineering. She does it in a quiet way.
Thank you for the prayers and encouragement. :-)
I had a mentor at my first workplace, when I was 18 and a half, may she rest in peace. Virginia was some 5-10 years younger than my mother and she had, at that time, a son in the middle school. She was the translator/ interpreter of Russian, in a time when we had lots of economic connections with the Soviet Union.
Then I would like to mention my literary mentor, a lady writer who just turned 77. She is a prolific writer and the wife of the publisher with whom I had my editorial debut. (And, of course, a few more books at that publishing house). She is the one reading the manuscripts to say what needs improved before publishing, she speaks at the public launching and publishes the book chronicles in literary magazines. And I learnt a lot from her.
At work, I was a mentor too, in various cases – some people still remember me fondly as such. I like mentors in books as well, I do provide some in several of my books.