My most important mentors have been women. When I look back over my school, career, and now writing lives, I’ve had the privilege of being surrounded by smart, accomplished women who taught me the necessary skills to succeed. They didn’t just share their technical knowledge, they also imparted essential life lessons like the importance of humility, diligence, perseverance, and taking pride in my work. Their impact helped shape who I am and made me a better woman.
Often in popular culture, the mentor character is male. In many cases this works, particularly with a male protagonist. Who could ever quibble with JK Rowling’s perfect pairing of Harry Potter with Professor Dumbledore? Not me. Or how about Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and Dr. Brunner/Chiron? Or Roald Dahl’s match up of Charlie and Willy Wonka? These relationships are essential to the hero achieving his journey.
But what about the heroine? Who does she typically learn from?
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