Writing Coach In a Box: Card Twelve.

With how much work we had to do with the house renovations we had to do, I lost the box of Writing Coach cards. It’s been a while, but I did find them! And I can finally move on to Card Twelve.

This card is called “Learn from your mentor.” You know the tropes revolving around the wiser, possibly older character that comes alongside the main character in stories as a support system in one way or another. Usually they’re more experienced in the types of situations your protagonist is getting into. The card specifically mentions Gandalf or Haymitch as good examples of the mentor character. I can think of others, like Black Canary in Young Justice or Nancy Thompson in Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors. Or Benoit Blanc in any of the Knives Out movies. (Usually because he’s not the main focal point of the movies.)

As with most of the other cards, this card comes material that accompanies the card concept. This card has nine things a good mentor can do for you as a writer. And I have thoughts!

• They can save your protagonist, but only early on. – Yeah, depending on the kind of story you’re writing, having your mentor/guardian character be this protective lethal force can really help you set up your main character. It gives you a chance to show your readers why your main character, and by extension the readers themselves, look up (or should look up) to them. The most important part to this is making a compelling mentor who showcases immense strength and wisdom during a heroic rescue.
• They can fill the backstory. – Mentor characters also tend to be a good outlet for delivering exposition to the main character. But also, don’t dump all your information at once. Some fictional mentors share bits and pieces of information over time. Some don’t even drop any exposition for one reason or another. Maybe the exposition comes from other characters who discuss your mentor character.
• They can teach your protagonist crucial skills. – Whether it’s magic, or sleight of hand, mentors usually take the role of teacher as well where they either actively guide the main character through each skill and trial, like a Jedi Master would a padawan. Or they may guide more with words of advice, take any victor that would mentor a tribute for the Hunger Games. And what qualifies as a crucial skill can be let up to you as the writer.
• Their goals can conflict with the protagonists. – On one hand, we know that not everyone will have the same goals and interests. Sure, maybe their base plans align. But ideologies can sometimes clash. Motivations may not always work together. Even if crucial skills are taught, the protagonist may not even accept or use them, opting for a different means. It also goes to show, that a good mentor doesn’t always have a good student. You do not have to have your main character follow your mentor’s example.
• They can give your protagonist confidence and inner strength. – Especially when all seems lost. You know the kind. Supportive and encouraging, even when they’re not around. Sometimes thinking of someone who was an influence on you can change your outlook on the situation. Christianity throws around the WWJD acronym (though they don’t seem to practically use it.) You can have your character ask themselves “what would they do in this situation?” or “Gosh, (Insert Mentor name) would be so disappointed.” Anything that gives them a chance to think back on the things they learned from their mentor.
• They can drive your protagonists mad. – No influential figure in your life is going to be perfect. A perfect character with no flaws or problems is not going to be as fun to engage with. Give them something about them that makes your main character steamed. Do they always control the conversation? Do they always pick on the main character’s every flaw even when they’re not even doing anything incorrect? Maybe they’re voice is a bit grating? Maybe they have a chipper attitude that seems a little too chipper and it gets on your protagonist’s nerves. These tensions can add a little spice to the interactions and cause some possibly entertaining or catastrophic tension.
• They can turn out to be a hidden antagonist. – We all know that I am working on a slasher novel. This is always going to be an option for me. It’s predictable. It’s cheesy. It’s been done over and over again. But have you considered that with the right story, and a lot of love and care, you can make a mentor antagonist hit hard. This point kind of goes along with the “Conflicting Goals” part of this post.
• They can deliver the moral of the tale. – This mostly seems to apply best with children’s literature. Stories of perserverance or following instructions. Things that get kids listening and help teach them certain values. Your mentor character can be the outlet of the concept you’re wanting to teach. And your protagonist can either follow the advice and show that it’s good to listen to their mentor, or not follow the advice and be an example. — Honestly, I do think this one may not apply to the story I am using as a basis for these posts.
• They can be sacrificed by you. – That’s right folks. You too can take the good ol’ fashion “Kill your mentor character to progress the story!” route in your stories. In all seriousness, I think sacrificing your mentor character is a bit overdone, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Sometimes a mentor dying does push a character in the right direction for the plot. Just be sparing with it. You don’t want to always use your mentor as just a plot device. They have just as much agency in your story as the main character.

So, what does this mean for Charlie and the counselors and staff of Sapphire Springs? Obviously, the easiest choice for a standout mentor could be Head Counselor Micheal. But as head counselor, he may not be someone that Charlie sees around the camp. Same thing goes for his wife Carol Ann. His twin sister Shannon or maybe one of the three love-interests I picked could do the trick? The idea of it is to have someone who is helpful and influential, but a source of possible suspicion to the audience. It is a slasher after all.

Technically, since it’s a summer camp and it’s Charlie’s first year… Anyone with any experience at the camp (or with romance) could really fall into the mentor role. So maybe there could be multiple mentor-like characters for Charlie to look up to?

This post took so long to write. I am so sorry. One because I lost the fucking cards, and two because of how hard it’s been to just sit down and write this. I promise, I’ll be better with these cards. It’s been fun.

I have been wanting to do another Q&A on this blog. So if you’re reading and you’re interested, drop a question or two in the comments or send it to me in any of my DMs if you know me like that.