ACFW vs Realm Makers (Elizabeth)

Which writer’s conference should you go to this year? American Christian Fiction Writers? Or Realm Makers, the hub for Christian speculative writers? Today, I’d like to compare these two conferences, so we can find out which is the conference for you.

Note: I’ve been to a grand total of two conferences: one ACFW conference and one Realm Makers conference, so I haven’t been able to include as many comparisons as I’d like, since I’m uncertain how similar the conferences are from year to year. As the conferences change, some of the following may be inaccurate.

Size

ACFW: Huge (around 500)

Realm Makers: Medium (around 200)

My critique partner and I were trying to find each other at ACFW, but couldn’t for the first few days. We kept on texting back and forth until we found a snippet of time and a clear hallway to meet in.

At Realm Makers, I easily found all of my critique partners. It’s a sizable conference, but small enough that you can find the people you need to.

While Realm Makers makes it easier to find people, ACFW’s size means that there are more opportunities to meet an agent, author, or writing coach you’ll click with. The appointments themselves offer more opportunities. This year, ACFW has 13 agents available for appointments, while Realm Makers had two, but to be fair only four agents in ACFW are open to speculative.

Formality

ACFW: Formal

Realm Makers: Casual

For ACFW, think business casual to business professional.

For Realm Makers, think casual to business casual.

As a rule of thumb, try to dress at the upper end of the spectrum. At ACFW, I brought two sets of business suits with matching skirts and blazers along with two professional dresses. For Realm Makers, I packed pretty blouses and nice jeans. Even some business casual outfits would be pushing it.

Activities

ACFW: Worship and Market Place Browsing

Realm Makers: Splickety Kick-Off Party Games and Nerf War

I don’t remember how frequently, but at ACFW, there was a part of the conference where everyone gathered in the main room and a worship band played. ACFW also has a marketplace available, which essentially means an area with folding tables where people who have something to offer authors can set-up a stand. Realm Makers did have a bookstore (where they sold gorgeous Elven crowns, which you can see me wearing below with a couple from Star Trek behind me), but it didn’t offer the things that the ACFW market place did, like writing coaches and website design.

The first evening at Realm Makers was the Splickety Kick-Off Party. In one of the games they offered, you had to hold two wooden skewers inside either side of your mouth and move them like chopsticks with your lips to take three marshmallows to a table a few feet away. Then you had to stack the marshmallows on top of each other, so they stayed upright for three seconds. I participated and—unfortunately—lost, due to the fact that one of the competitors was “using his head.” ;) In other words, he mashed the marshmallows together with his forehead.

And the Nerf War. That was definitely one of the highlights. If you go to Realm Makers, take a Nerf gun and Nerf darts—just in case. They’ve had a Nerf War for the past two years, but I’m not completely sure they’ll have one next year. On the last night, I stayed up until 1:30 playing capture the flag. It’s a ridiculous amount of fun. Until you die. Then you have to hang out in the morgue, talking with other dead people and eating brownies. 

An activity that both conferences offer is a costume dinner. At ACFW, you dress according to your genre. For Realm Makers, you dress up as your favorite speculative character or a character that interests you.

And here are a few Realm Makers and ACFW terms translated:

ACFW Continuing Education=Realm Makers Continuing Session

ACFW Workshop=Realm Makers Elective

At ACFW, you specifically sign up for all of your classes. At Realm Makers, you sign up for the Continuing Session and just show up at the electives.

Both offer panels and various appointments with agents and editors. Many appointments offered at Realm Makers were with small publishers.

Both have early bird sessions, while ACFW has a post conference session in addition.

Both offer opportunities to volunteer and have people available to pray for you.

Both have recordings of the conferences. I haven’t listened to the recordings from Realm Makers yet, but judging from the device used to record (a black, plastic recorder), the recording probably won’t be as high quality as the ACFW recording, since they had some sort of recording program connected to the microphones.

After Thomas Locke’s Continuing Session, he asked me which conference I liked better. I couldn’t say then, and I can’t say now. Both have an amazing community and offer amazing opportunities. It simply depends on what you’re trying to get out of the conference. If you want to have as many agent appointments as possible, go to ACFW. Want a more casual environment? Go to Realm Makers. If you write speculative, you’ll obviously find more like-minded people at Realm Makers and more agents/publishers looking for your genre, but the diverse group of authors you’ll meet at ACFW is worth meeting too.

Which writer’s conference would you like to attend? Have you been to an ACFW or Realm Makers writer’s conference?

Thanks for reading!

Elizabeth Newsom

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Relationships Beyond Romance: Top 3 Companions (Hannah)

Hello, and welcome back to the ongoing series Relationships Beyond Romance!  This is the last real post in the series, so if you missed the first few posts, here is a short recap:

1) Overt Friendships are friendships between non-related people that are characterized by positive interactions.

2) Covert Friendships also involve non-related people who genuinely care about each other, but to outsiders, the interactions between the two do not appear friendly because the characters consistently tease each other, compete with each other, or in some other way act unkindly to each other.

3) Parent-Child relationships are the first and most powerful, because they can prepare a child for a bright future or leave deep emotional scars.

4) Siblings have unique relationships.  Although every situation is different, the defining characteristic here is family.  Siblings generally don't choose each other, like friends do.  Whether through birth, marriage, adoption, or other circumstances, siblings are linked together forever through the special bond of family.

5) Sibling groups can be some of the most riveting bonds in fiction, and can even link together several series.

6) Mentors drive the inner growth of the main character and push him to grow and become a better person.

Part Seven: Partners and Companions

Although partners are often friends (overt or covert), their interactions look different because they are framed by a different scenario.  Friends like each other (usually) and will often spend time together because they enjoy each other's company.  While friends are often loyal and would put themselves in great danger for each other, this only occurs in dire circumstances.  Partners and companions, on the other hand, have a relationship that is defined more by what they do than by how much they like each other.  Partners and companions spend large amounts of time together because they are working together to accomplish a goal.

One definition of "companion" is: a person who is frequently in the company of, associates with, or accompanies another.  Whenever I think of a companion, I think of the Fellowship of the Ring from the eponymous book by J.R.R. Tolkien.  In particular, Sam comes to mind as one of the most supportive, loyal, and caring companions I have ever seen.  However, in fantasy, any two or more characters who travel together or work together to accomplish a single goal can be considered companions.  They might be friends, rivals, enemies, or anything else, but at least temporarily, they are companions.

Generally, partners are permanent companions who expect to work together on many similar endeavors over a long period of time.  Companions, like the aforementioned Fellowship of the Ring, stay together as long as the goal has not been accomplished.  Once they have reached the end of their literal or figurative journey, they can go their separate ways.  These heroes often step up to help defeat evil, but once the main villain is defeated, they return to their normal lives.  Partners in fantasy are usually involved in a permanent evil-fighting occupation.  Police, spies, agents, and many more work in teams to fight each new evil as it arises.  These long-term partners often grow close, since they must trust each other with their lives and rely on each other to survive the regular dangerous encounters.

Onward to my Top 3 Partners and Companions!  Beware of spoilers below.

3. Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin (The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis)

This third book in the Chronicles of Narnia series is largely overlooked.  It differs greatly from the rest of the series in that it focuses on an entirely new cast of characters and setting.  Only Aslan is an important recurring character.

Shasta, a slave boy in the land south of Narnia known as Calormen, was sold to a cruel Calormene warlord.  Just before he was taken away, the magnificent horse Bree spoke, and revealed that he too was a slave, kidnapped at birth from Narnia, where talking horses were common.  Bree helped Shasta escape and head north for the land of Narnia.

Aravis, the young Tarkheena (noblewoman), was forced into an arranged marriage to an abominable man.  To avoid this, she and her talking mare Hwin fled from the high life of nobility.  On the way, they fled from a lion attack and met Shasta and Bree.  The four joined together to journey north toward Narnia, the horses' birthplace and a land of freedom for Shasta and Aravis.

Although canonically Shasta and Aravis marry once they reach adulthood, this book focuses on their childhood, therefore avoiding any romantic interaction between the two.  At this point in their lives, I would consider them companions.  They worked together to accomplish the common goal of reaching Narnia and finding freedom, and afterward, they were no longer bound to stay together.

I love the way Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin all have some admirable character qualities, but also must realize their flaws and learn to overcome them.  Aslan, the Christ figure in this series, forced each one to face his or her greatest weakness and choose to follow him instead.  Like a true gentleman, Shasta proved his courage when he defended Aravis from a lion attack.  Aravis herself learned to overcome her arrogance and selfishness in order to be able to care about others.  Bree similarly overcame his pride and found courage instead, and Hwin passed her test of humility as well.  I enjoyed reading about this group because they genuinely cared for each other and were always looking out for each other's best interests.

2. Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins, and the dwarves (The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien)

I know I use Lord of the Rings often as an example for my posts, so this time, I chose to include The Hobbit.  In this case, I am referring specifically to the book version, which (I believe) is better.  After all, the book is always better than the movie.

At the beginning of the book, neither Bilbo nor Thorin were happy with being forced into each other's company by Gandalf.  Thorin, a mighty warrior and dwarf king, viewed Bilbo as weak and simple because of his love for his proper home in the ground, food, tea, pipes, and a simple, quiet life.  Bilbo found Thorin too warlike, arrogant, and brash.  This led to many heated interactions between the two, which reached a head at several important points.  While in Rivendell as guests of the elves, Thorin was in no mood to cooperate with anyone, particularly Bilbo.  Later, the conflict increased again while traveling through Mirkwood and the incident with the elves in Thranduil's kingdom.  Finally, their conflict climaxed when Bilbo took the Arkenstone, Thorin's most treasured possession, and attempted to use it to keep Thorin and the hostile Men of Laketown and Elves of Mirkwood from going to war.  After Thorin was mortally wounded, he finally reconciled with Bilbo, resolving the long conflict.

This book showcases the fascinating tension that can arise from a companionship between two hostile people.  By forcing their heated tempers into the confined space of a traveling party, Tolkien masterfully used this conflict among "good guys" to weave a riveting story.

1. Captain America and Black Widow (Captain America: Winter Soldier, Averngers: Age of Ultron, and Captain America: Civil War)

For those of you who read my "Top 3 Marvel Movies" post, it should come as no surprise that at least one super hero team-up appeared on this list.  There are several important pairs in the series: Iron Man and War Machine/Iron Patriot/Rhodey, Captain America and Bucky, Captain America and Falcon, and Black Widow and Hulk come to mind.  However, I would file the first two under "friendships" and the last one under "romance."  I like the Captain America and Falcon pair (and the original comic version even more so), but it hasn't been developed as well as my favorite: Captain America and Black Widow, or Natasha Romanoff.

Captain America (Cap) and Romanoff are both full-time members of S.H.I.E.L.D. and later the Avengers, so I would consider them partners more than companions.  The true beauty of this relationship comes from their built-in conflict.  Yet, despite their great differences and many disagreements, they grow to have a strong respect for each other that seems mostly absent among the other team members.

Reaching adulthood in the midst of World War II, Captain America was the image of a true, noble hero.  Patriotic, sacrificial, and morally upright, he fought for goodness and freedom.  Even after he was torn from his time and thrust seventy years into the future, he acted selflessly and immediately resumed his quest to make the world a better place.  In contrast, Nathasha Romanoff was a Russian super spy, trained to ignore any moral lines and kill without remorse.  After several years of living this destructive lifestyle, she defected and joined S.H.I.E.L.D., an international peacekeeping force dedicated to dealing with alien and superhuman threats.  Nevertheless, she retained her amoral tactics and tendency toward lethal options.

Cap and Romanoff first met in The Avengers, but had little specific, meaningful interaction with each other.  It wasn't until Captain America: Winter Soldier that we saw their differences cause much conflict.  Nevertheless, they were able to work together to survive the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. and foil the attempted Hydra takeover.  Later, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, they are seen leading the new group of Avengers, presumably together.  In Captain America: Civil War, they found themselves on opposite sides of the main issue: should superheroes be forced to be accountable for the destruction caused while they were attempting to save the world, and should the Avengers submit to an outside authority, who would dictate how and when they would be allowed to operate?  Romanoff reluctantly agreed to the oversight, since she never intended to become a vigilante.  However, Cap initially refused because he felt it would bog the Avengers down in politics when their real job was keeping the world safe.  It quickly turned into a personal issue for him, though, when agreeing to the oversight meant he would have to betray his longtime best friend Bucky.  Cap and Romanoff were on opposite sides throughout most of this movie, but the bond of respect and companionship was clearly strong.  In the end, Romanoff allowed Cap to escape capture, and was consequently labeled a traitor herself.

In my opinion, this partnership combines the desirable elements of Shasta and Aravis, and also Thorin and Bilbo.  The camaraderie and strong friendship keeps them together, but the conflict adds depth, conflict and meaning.  Cap and Romanoff share a difficult relationship because of their diametrically opposed viewpoints, but this only makes it more satisfying when they are able to transcend their differences and remember why they became friends in the first place.

What do you think?

Are you familiar with any of these characters?  In books and movies, do you prefer the teamwork that characterized The Horse and His Boy, the conflict and tension that characterized The Hobbit, or a combination of the two, like what we see in the Marvel movies?  Let us know in the comments!

~ Hannah


Thanks so much for reading!  Next time, I will officially wrap up the Relationships Beyond Romance series with a final Your Turn! post, and I hope you will all come give me your opinion on this blog's first attempt at creating a running series.  If you would like to read the other posts in this series, check out...

Part 1: Overt Friendships
Part 2: Covert Friendships
Part 3: Parent-Child Relationships
Part 4: Siblings
Part 5: Siblings (Again!)
Part 6: Mentors
Part 7: Partners and Companions


Attributions
The Horse and His Boy: http://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1388210968l/84119.jpg
The Hobbit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/The_Hobbit_trilogy_dvd_cover.jpg
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelcinematicuniverse/images/2/26/Cap_2_poster.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140131142227
Captain America: Civil War: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/53/Captain_America_Civil_War_poster.jpg

Your Turn: Story Starter (Erin)

This week, in "Your Turn" I thought we would try a story starter. Do you remember the fun game you would play in school or at parties? One person starts a story, and the next person adds to it. When they pause, the next person adds to it. . . and so on. Let's try it! I will start the story, and in the comments, you can add to it. Be sure to copy and paste the whole story, then add your section. Sections could be anywhere from a sentence to a couple paragraphs. Have fun!

The rain came down in sheets. She walked briskly past the bakery and the bike shop, trying to keep her umbrella over her head. She turned the corner, and suddenly. . . 


Who wants to continue the story? Copy and past it into the comment box. Use ellipses to signal someone else's turn!

Thanks!

Erin 

Attributions: 
https://pixabay.com/en/rain-floor-water-wet-drops-122691/

Lessons Learned: Allergies (Laurie)

I am very fortunate to not have any allergies. Aside from a seasonal runny nose on occasion, I'm good. So the majority of my life, I've been blissfully ignorant of the precautions people with allergies must take just to enjoy normal day-to-day life.

That all changed when my oldest son was 11 months old. As stereotypical first-time parents, we had introduced each new food to him separately to gauge whether he reacted to it. Then one evening we were having breakfast-for-dinner (brinner, as my sister would call it), and he seemed interested in the pancakes, so we let him try one. Later that night, I held him for hours as he threw up every ounce of food in his body.

The pediatrician thought it might be the flu, but when he had the same reaction to scrambled eggs several weeks later, we had to face the facts. Our son was highly allergic to eggs. Blood tests at his next doctor's appointment brought more bad news--he also registered an allergy to peanuts.

It felt like my world had turned upside-down (since I was still nursing him, I had to start avoiding his allergens as well). Suddenly we were carrying EPI pens everywhere we went, my grocery shopping trips took twice as long because I had to read the label of anything I wanted to buy, and eating at restaurants became an enormous hassle trying to figure out what was safe. In addition, I love to bake--how was I supposed to make anything when I couldn't use eggs?

Over time, it's gotten easier. I've become quite adept at reading labels, and in many cases I already know which products he can and can't have. I still manage to bake, I just have to get more creative with my recipes (did you know applesauce or banana can sometimes be used in place of eggs?!). But some things will always be hard. Like telling my son he can't have the cake everyone else is eating at his friend's birthday party. The instant anxiety I feel every time we're at the park and I see a peanut butter sandwich appear at someone's picnic.

I had a few reasons for wanting to post on this topic today. First, I'm so sorry to all of you out there who have to deal with allergies of any kind, especially to food. I get it now. It stinks, and it's so unfair. I am striving to be far more sensitive to other people's health issues now that I've gone through this with my son.

But I also wanted to share a few lessons I've learned through these experiences.

1) I'm not infallible, and I need to forgive myself for my mistakes.

The first few times I slipped up and let my son eat something with egg in it, I wasn't too hard on myself. How was I supposed to know so many random foods contained egg? Now, I feel like I should know better. Usually I'm the "expert" who can help other parents navigate the intricacies of dealing with allergies. But I still mess up. Last year it was Ragu pasta sauce, last week it was marshmallow creme. I know I should check every label just in case, but surviving grocery shopping trips with my two young sons can be a challenge, and sometimes I forget. When I realized my mistake last week, I couldn't stop crying. My son was going to suffer, and it was all my fault. But my husband and son forgave me on the spot. My favorite quote from my son was, "It's not your fault, Mama, it's their fault for putting egg in it." It took me a few days to come to terms with the fact that no matter how long I do this, I'll never be perfect. And I need to be okay with that, because I'm doing the best I can.

2) Sometimes we suffer for a reason.

I took my son to an allergist for the first time last month. They wanted to perform skin tests on his back, which was a traumatic experience for my sensitive little boy. I hated having to hold him down on the table, desperately wishing he could understand why he had to go through this, why it was good for him. As I was telling someone about it later, the analogy stopped me in my tracks. How many times have I gone through a difficult time kicking and screaming (metaphorically, at least some of the time...), only to find later that it needed to happen in order for some greater good to come of it? I could almost picture God at my side during these struggles, wishing I could comprehend the bigger picture and understand why it's something I needed to go through.


Regardless of whether you've had to deal with allergies or not, I hope this has given you some insight and/or inspiration! Do you or any of your family members have allergies? What areas of your life have taught you important lessons?

Thanks for reading!
Laurie

P.S. If you or a family member have an egg or peanut allergy and would like to commiserate or swap recipes, please reach out through my website or message me through Facebook or Twitter!


Attribution:
https://pixabay.com/en/supermarket-shopping-sales-store-435452/

Top 3 Magical Elements in Harry Potter (Laura)

In honor of the recent release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, here are just some of the memorable magical aspects J.K. Rowling created in her classic Harry Potter series. You may notice they are all elements introduced in the first book. They are also some of the tipping points that threw me more and more in love with the story.

3. Sorting Hat

Soon after Harry arrives at Hogwarts for the first time, he meets Ron and Hermione, and they become friends--friends he might not have come to know so well had they not all been placed in the same house together. Of course, that house is Gryffindor, where Harry flourishes both on his own and as part of a group, and it was the magic of the sorting hat that put him there, having taken into consideration his heart, his past, and his decisions.

2. Invisibility Cloak

On Harry's first Christmas morning at Hogwarts, he finds a mysterious gift left for him at the foot of his bed--a cloak of invisibility. When he dons the cloak, often joined by his pals Ron and Hermione, his adventures around Hogwarts take on another element as he can go to forbidden places about the school and grounds, particularly after bedtime hours when the castle is at its most eerie and mysterious. One of the most memorable of these moments for me was Harry's first sneaky excursion in which he visits the restricted section of the library in search of information on Nicolas Flamel, and finds the shrieking book that nearly gives away his cover.


1. Mirror of Erised

Speaking of Harry's excursions with the invisibility cloak, it is while he escapes from Filch and Professor Snape on that first late-night outing that he encounters the Mirror of Erised hidden in an unused classroom. Inside this mirror, which shows the "deepest, most desperate desires of our hearts," Harry sees an image of the deceased family he never knew. Dumbledore, in his wise fashion, warns upon discovering Harry with the mirror one night that it gives "neither knowledge or truth" and that "men have wasted away before it." "It does not do to dwell on dreams," Dumbledore says, "and forget to live..." Dreams are a wonderful thing that inspire, motivate, and even center us. But we may sometimes need the gentle reminder offered so simply and profoundly in this piece of fiction to focus on the hope and possibility of each moment before us, even using the wishes of our hearts and our very character as a guide.

There are so many amazing and meaningful elements in the Harry Potter stories. What are your favorites?


Laura


Attributions
Sorting Hat: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hatstall
Invisibility Cloak: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Cloak_of_Invisibility
Mirror of Erised: http://harrypotter101.wikia.com/wiki/The_Mirror_of_Erised

Blood of Kings Trilogy (By Darkness Hid, To Darkness Fled, From Darkness Won) by Jill Williamson (Elizabeth)

The Blood of Kings trilogy is an epic medieval fantasy tale about Achan Cham, a young man who is a slave, and Vrell Sparrow, a young noblewoman disguised as a boy to avoid a forced marriage. They discover their ability to speak to and hear the minds of others, which is called bloodvoicing, as they battle back the darkness covering half the land of Er’Rets.

After reading about this book in snippets from The First 50 Pages by Jeff Gerke and Storyworld First by Jill Williamson, I knew I had to check it out. Just the concept of bloodvoicing was intriguing. The world is vividly three-dimensional, from its history of the murdered king and queen to the half dead tree in the middle of the land to the Cham, a fire-breathing bear.

Even when he’s nothing more than an abused slave, Achan is noble and honorable, protecting those weaker than himself. His heart is pure and his compassion is astounding. Though he makes several terrible mistakes, giving us a glimpse of his darker side, he never fails to return to Arman, the One God.

Vrell is 17, and her plight caught my interest right away. What would it be like to have to disguise yourself as a 14 year-old boy in order to avoid a miserable marriage? Her situation becomes increasingly precarious and interesting as she eventually joins Achan in his journey. Achan thinks she’s a weakling (since he’s under the impression that she is a he) and sees it as his responsibility to teach her how to fight and wrestle.

Eventually—much to my elation—their relationship does take a turn for the romantic. The romance is most prominent in the second book, but throughout the story, it’s often a huge source of motivation for the two of them, but the book is predominantly a medieval fantasy adventure. Though the romance is present, we don’t see enough of it, in my humble opinion ;) In case you can’t tell, I totally ship them!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and seeing both of the characters grow over the course of the story. It has some wonderful examples of God (or Arman) and His love. (Note: The first book, By Darkness Hid, is free on Kindle!)

Do you like a thread of romance in a story? What are some of your favorite medieval fantasy epics?

Thanks for reading!

Elizabeth Newsom

Relationships Beyond Romance: Mentors (Hannah)

Hello, and welcome back to the ongoing series Relationships Beyond Romance! If you missed the first few posts, here is a short recap:

1) Overt Friendships are friendships between non-related people that are characterized by positive interactions.

2) Covert Friendships also involve non-related people who genuinely care about each other, but to outsiders, the interactions between the two do not appear friendly because the characters consistently tease each other, compete with each other, or in some other way act unkindly to each other.

3) Parent-Child relationships are the first and most powerful, because they can prepare a child for a bright future or leave deep emotional scars.

4) Siblings have unique relationships.  Although every situation is different, the defining characteristic here is family.  Siblings generally don't choose each other, like friends do.  Whether through birth, marriage, adoption, or other circumstances, siblings are linked together forever through the special bond of family.

5) Sibling groups can be some of the most riveting bonds in fiction, and can even link together several series.

Part 6: Mentors

From Gandalf to Obi-Wan Kenobi to Professor Xavier and beyond, mentors are one of the most common of the character archetypes.  They fill a unique and necessary role in fiction, and just like their real-life counterparts, are often instrumental in the personal growth and development of their students.

What is a mentor?

Merriam-Webster defines a mentor as "a trusted counselor or guide; someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person."  In fiction, mentors most often appear in stories featuring a character who is discovering new powers, a hidden destiny, or an inherited legacy or conflict.  These often take the form of "coming of age" stories, as is the case with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Gandalf and Bilbo and Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings), or Professor Xavier and his X-Men (X-Men).  Mentors also feature when the main character must undergo a drastic change, whether it is a change in circumstances or in character.  Examples of this include Genie and Aladdin (Aladdin) and Dr. Erskine and Steve Rogers (Captain America: The First Avenger).

Why are mentors so common in fiction?

Many stories, especially the aforementioned "coming of age" and "change" stories, feature the main character's personal growth. She will learn an important lesson and become a better person because of it.    The mentor often plays a key role in showing the main character the way to improvement.  He is the one with the knowledge, wisdom, and tools that will allow the main character to learn her lesson, defeat the antagonist, and achieve her goal.

Unfortunately, there is a catch in this simple scenario.  In order for the main character to prove her progress, she must show she doesn't need the mentor's help anymore.  Many writers give the main character a chance to act on her own by removing the mentor altogether.  The most well-known and emotional way to accomplish this is to have the mentor die just before the climax.  Gandalf, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Dr. Erskine, and many, many more have perished this way.  It is so common that TV Tropes created a page for it, and hilariously dubbed this phenomenon the Mentor Occupational Hazard.  In other cases, the mentor is simply kidnapped, disappears, or is busy elsewhere, still giving the hero a chance to act on her own.

Whatever happens to the mentor once his role is fulfilled, he is critically important because he often performs the function of an "Impact Character."  The antagonist is responsible for the surface conflict in a story, but the impact character has a deeper function.  The impact character is responsible for the inner conflict that ultimately drives the protagonist to grow or become a better person in some way.  Every story needs an impact character.  Although the impact character isn't always an older and wiser teacher, using a mentor is one of the safest, easiest ways to help guide a protagonist toward truth.

Do you have any examples?

1) Lord of the Rings

It is virtually impossible to talk about famous fictional mentors without mentioning Gandalf the Grey from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.  Gandalf played the role of mentor for both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, as well as many other characters.  In The Hobbit, he is the one who "encouraged" Bilbo to join the adventure in the first place, and consistently helped to guide him as they quested toward the Lonely Mountain.

Later, in The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf was the one who taught Frodo the importance of the One Ring and sent him on his quest to destroy it.  Gandalf accompanied Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship for most of the first book, but was apparently killed in the Mines of Moria by the Balrog, just in time to leave Frodo all on his own for the climax.  Without Gandalf, Frodo was forced to face the corrupted Boromir alone, and ultimately escape with Sam.  Gandalf reappeared in The Two Towers as Gandalf the White, an even more powerful wizard than before.  When Pippin looked into the palantir, Sauron believed Pippin was the hobbit carrying the One Ring.  To protect Pippin, Gandalf kept the hobbit close to him for the rest of the book, until Pippin pledged his service to the Steward of Gondor.

2) Screwtape Letters

In this book by C.S. Lewis, we see an entirely different sort of mentor.  Although most people consider mentors to be good, there are many notable exceptions, including Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Star Wars), Sebastian Shaw (X-Men: First Class), and Screwtape (Screwtape Letters).  Lewis wrote Screwtape Letters as a series of letters from the older, more experienced demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood.  Screwtape advised Wormwood on how to ensure a particular man, known as "The Patient," does not find Christ and therefore eternal salvation.  Lewis used this structure to emphasize different tactics evil forces use to turn us away from God, all through the lens of a unique premise.

Screwtape functioned as a mentor to Wormwood, albeit a terrible one.  Some mentors can be genuinely evil and yet be supportive, wise mentors who prepare their students to excel in the future.  Screwtape was not like this.  He encouraged Wormwood to pursue evil and attempt to bring others down with him, expressed no actual affection for his nephew, and when Wormwood ultimately failed and was condemned to death at the hands of the other demons, Screwtape was the most eager to kill him.   Screwtape is a classic mentor and a fantastic example of exactly what a mentor should not be.

3) The Key of Living Fire

In this third book in the Sword of the Dragon series by Scott Appleton, Specter was guided through his difficult spiritual journey by the great white dragon Albino and the prophet Patient.  In the prologue to the first book, Specter was the leader and mentor for the elite warriors that served Albino, but when they all betrayed him for their own personal gain, Specter grew bitter.  Two of them died immediately, another was later killed by Albino's daughters, but the two remaining warriors turned to dark magic in order to bolster their power.  Specter spent much of The Key of Living Fire chasing his former pupil Auron.  If Auron wouldn't repent of his evil ways, Specter would kill him.  After all, Auron was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocents, and fully intended to continue his rampage of destruction.

Even though Specter was a godly man, he became blinded by his own anger.  His obsession with bringing down his former students consumed him.  Albino was not able to interfere with the situation directly, but he and Patient worked hard to show Specter a better path.  Auron could not be allowed to continue, but if Specter let his anger get out of control, he would no longer be doing God's work.  He needed to remember that God was the ultimate judge, and find the peace that comes with surrender to God's control.  Patient and Albino were devoted mentors to Specter and brought him closer to God even as Specter's own former students followed darkness.

Thanks for reading!

Have you noticed how common mentors are in fiction?  What are some of your favorite mentor relationships?  Do you have a mentor, or are you mentoring someone else?  Let us know in the comments!

~ Hannah


Next time, I will finish up the Relationships Beyond Romance series with a final Top 3s post.  If you would like to read the other posts in this series, check out...

Part 1: Overt Friendships
Part 2: Covert Friendships
Part 3: Parent-Child Relationships
Part 4: Siblings
Part 5: Siblings (Again!)

Part 6: Mentors
Part 7: Partners and Companions

Other Resources
- Dramatica has a comprehensive, in-depth article about the eight major character archetypes.
- K.M.Weiland gives a shorter and more reader-friendly post that covers the same archetypes, plus one more.
- Janice Hardy also complied a list of important characteristics of a mentor.

Attributions
Professor X: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Xav-lopr.png
Obi-Wan Kenobi: http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/4/4e/ObiWanHS-SWE.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/500?cb=20111115052816
Gandalf: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/lotr/images/8/8d/Gandalf-2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130209172436
Screwtape Letters: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81EDnN1NR2L.jpg
The Key of Living Fire: http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344605459l/13185621.jpg