The Moon is My Mentor
The Moon is My Mentor
Mentor as character archetype in story theory | Developing an inner mentor | Upcoming dates for creative writing workshops
This week in workshops, we’ve been meeting inner mentors on the page and thinking about mentors in our lives.
For me, it fitted in with the idea of retreat and having a guide for that time as well as thinking about myself as a writing mentor. Someone (thank you, Tamara) in my workshops also pointed out that a mentor also fits in with our stories of becoming. They help us along the way to becoming who we are meant to be.
In story theory, a mentor is a character archetype. There are many archetypes, but when talking about story theory, I often reference Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey, which is based on Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with A Thousand Faces.
In this theory, each character in a story has a function to help the main character (or hero) in their journey. The mentor is often someone who has been through the same experiences that the hero is struggling with and can offer some wisdom. The mentor can also offer a quest, lessons, goals and motivation to the main character and pushes them out of their comfort zone.
The mentor possesses knowledge, skills and experience that the hero lacks and could show up as a guide, teacher, parent, coach or therapist. Either way, they make something happen and demand change. As well as wisdom, they will give the hero a gift to help them on their journey.
This is relevant whether we are writing fiction or memoir. Famous story mentors are Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter, Mr Miyagi in Karate Kid and Yoda in Star Wars. But the mentor can be more subtle than that and could take the form of the main character diving deep for inner wisdom. I find that developing a connection to the idea of an inner mentor is a useful idea for cultivating self-compassion.
Earlier this year, I realised I had unwittingly written fictional mentors as characters in an unfinished novel. And last night, I was reluctantly getting changed for my bouldering women’s group. My clothes were in heaps, I couldn’t find what I wanted to wear and I could have been very easily persuaded to watch tv instead. But then, I looked up and there was the full moon, large and round and low in the sky, hazed by a thin gauze of cloud. I had this sudden thought… the moon is my mentor…and it felt easier to leave my house after dark.
I have been neglecting my relationship with the moon this year and yet, it keeps showing up for me. Bright and light and reassuring, shifting from time to time in both shape and position, enough to keep it interesting but not too much. It reminded me of a conversation I had a few years ago with a coach. I want you to be your own cheerleader, she said to me. So I began to think about that and it was one of the things that has led me to the work of developing a more compassionate inner voice. Work that I continued with my letters from the moon practice during last year’s Moonpause project.
So this morning, following yesterday’s support group on Zoom for My Book Writing Adventure, I wrote a dialogue with the moon and included the questions (which are my gentle daily intention for the next couple of weeks): What can I do for my creativity today? and What can I do for my book today?
I have a fairly full day planned so the answers were tiny things - “rest” and “open Ulysses and write one sentence”.
What is the best advice a mentor has given you?
Reply to this email or let me know in the comments.
Creative Writing Workshops with me (Mel Parks)
Online
Tuesday afternoons on Zoom (2-3pm UK time)
£8 per month or £80 per year with a paid Awen Substack subscription.
You can come to as many as you are able to. The new season began on Tuesday 10 September 2-3pm (UK time) but you can join in at anytime.
If you are not able to subscribe (or don’t want to!), then please email me for alternative ways to join.
Online
My Book Writing Adventure - Support Group on Zoom
For paid subscribers:
All UK time and planned to coincide with the full moon
2024
Friday 15 November | 10-11am
Sunday 15 December | 4-5pm
2025
Monday 13 January | 9-10am
Wednesday 12 February | 1-2pm
Friday 14 March | 10-11am
In person
Becoming a Writer
Monthly Tuesday evenings in East Grinstead (7-9pm)
A monthly creative writing workshop for beginners. Plenty of fun writing prompts, games and activities to get your creative juices flowing.
Each session costs £30.
In person
Storying Ourselves in Nature | A Creative Writing Day at Emerson College, Forest Row, Sussex.
Saturday 9 November
In person
Silent Book Club
Thursday 7 November | 2-4pm
Emerson College Cafe
Sunday 8 December | 1.30 - 3.30pm
The Bookshop, East Grinstead High Street
Until next time…
Mel- I really love this idea of moon as the mentor. It really brings the natural world in with great ownership on the relationship. But more importantly, because the moon always shows up every night, even when it's cloudy. So it's really up to us how the relationship unravels. A great description of a very important part of our day.