How to Create a Mentor: Who It Is, Why They’re Important, and Why They So Often Die

Creating the mentor is an unusual and often puzzling segment in the process of writing fiction.

You have this character who is meant to teach the hero a lesson and teach them how to carry on through the story. They’re secretive about their lives and don’t like talking to Writers. To make things worse, they tend to die off right when you need them to keep your hero from doing something stupid — like storming the castle with three men (Inconceivable!).

So how do you pin down which character is the one you should name the mentor, why does it even matter, and WHY do they so often die off in the hero’s “Black Moment”?

First, find the character who the hero most admires, who they are learning from, or who they respect.

These are often the first signs of having found the character who will be the mentor. The hero leads you straight to a person who they view with more interest than the commonplace allies in their usual crowd.

Let me make one thing clear. Sometimes the hero will hate the mentor and throw a hissy fit when first assigned to work with them.

How do you know this hated person is the mentor and not the villain?

The mentors are will be aware that some people learn best through hard knocks, and will be willing to stick by the hero and help them back onto their feet. A villain won’t do this. A villain will kick the hero when they’re down for the sole purpose of their own motives.

Second, understand the Mentor’s Backstory.

The Mentor’s Backstory is what’s going to explain why the mentor even bothers trying to get past your well-meaning hero’s thick skull.

What did the mentor go through that mirrors your hero’s life or current mission? Where did they mess up, why, and how did it effect them?

Often, the mentor is an older hero who failed, or a repentant villain, helpfully trying to share what they learned while they try to keep the past a secret. At some point, the mentor’s backstory is going to be removed from secrecy and be told to the hero in order to reach them. You need to be ready for this.

Third, inspect the reasons why this character matters to the plot.

In case you haven’t gotten this answer from the Mentor’s Backstory, why does the mentor care about the hero and/or the hero’s goal? Does this character have any past history with the villain? What irritates them about the hero? What about the villain? What do they teach the hero that helps the hero overcome?

These are some starter questions to give you an idea about reasons why your mentor should be important to your plot. If they don’t teach the hero about the main thing that helps the hero overcome, they aren’t a mentor, they’re an ally. Demote them and go back to the drawing board.

Why do mentors often die in stories?

Mentors often die in stories because it’s the easiest way for a writer to push the hero to the point of taking action when all else is lost.

The hero just lost their best friend and teacher and probably to the hands of the villain at that. Maybe they want to honor their fallen teacher, or they’ve learned that acting on something the mentor taught them is more valuable than their initial goal. Whatever it is, they’ve hit rock bottom and they’ve got to climb or die.

The mentor often also dies in an effort to redeem themselves from the mistake they made in the past that caused them to fail. They remember when they hesitated and lunge at the villain, sacrificing themselves to allow the hero to gain the upper hand.

What makes the mentor unique?

The mentor’s backstory, their personality, and their ways of handling the hero are what make them unique.

Consider this: Hannah Allerton is a British privateer. When her lifelong archenemy begins terrorizing the seas, she needs to learn that revenge isn’t going to bring the resolution to the past that she wants.

Her mentor is a spunky pirate captain named Belle. Belle brings her own light frigate Vengeance into pursuit of the flagship St. Helena, luring Hannah and the Nighthawk into a trap.

Once Belle has Hannah where she wants her, she draws alongside and addresses Hannah directly.

“What seek you, Captain Allerton? Your rival?”

“Behold the name of your own ship, Captain. I seek to find Rutley Claridge.”

“Take a piece of wisdom from me. Pursue him, aye, and sink his ship under him, but remove yourself of dreams of killing him hand-to-hand. You will only start a feud.”

Belle is trying to warn Hannah in this scene, but Hannah only sees a pirate trying to protect something they want for their own.

What Belle doesn’t tell Hannah — that Belle is speaking from the realm of toilsome experience — and why she doesn’t tell Hannah — because she sees that Hannah won’t truly learn from mere words — are what reveal Belle’s own unique character.

Brooke Johnson, out.