Yesterday, the mentors were announced for Pitch Wars 2019.
For those unfamiliar with Pitch Wars, it is a once-a-year manuscript submission contest. Chosen participants spend six months working through their novels with a trained, professional editor/writer. More often than not, the finished products are picked up for literary agent representation and then publication.
Basically, in my mind, the coolness-factor of the whole thing is right up there with Coachella or a reservation at Frenchette.
As I obsessively perused glanced over the list of participating faculty for this year’s Pitch Wars program, I started thinking a lot about the importance of mentors.
The term ‘mentor’ is actually a homage to the namesake of the advisor to Telemachus in Homer’s Odyssey.
For those who need a quick refresher on their Greek mythology:
Telemachus is the son of Odysseus, who is a focus in both the Illiad and the Odyssey. Odysseus has a fair share of troubles (Trojan War, shipwrecks, Cyclops, possessed Siren sea-nymphs, etc) that keep him away from home for the better part of twenty years. Understandably, his son Telemachus needs some council to figure out how to convince people his father hasn’t died abroad and keep his mother’s skeezy suitors at bay.
You can stop scanning, the history lesson is over.
The point is, the guy who counsels Telemachus through his troubles is named Mentor. Now the word is used in both English and Latin to mean ‘an experienced and trusted advisor’.
Oprah Winfrey (who always claimed Maya Angelou as her mentor) adds on:
“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”
I like this thought because it captures the positive nature of the mentoring relationship. It’s not always an easy relationship, but it’s supportive. A mentor is different than a friend or a colleague or even an idol or a role model. The existence of a mentor in your life suggests that you are getting ready to take on something difficult and try to do it well.
I’ve only been assigned a mentor one time in my life. It was the first year I taught public high school in New York City. My mentor’s name was George Sirrakos. Our mentoring sessions ran the gauntlet: Sometimes George would show me teaching resources and we would review how to complete the state-mandated labs. Sometimes he would sit and listen while I ugly-cried about how hard my day had been.
It was all about balance.
He would tell me when I was doing a good job. Also, he would tell me when I was doing a bad job and how I could get better. It really did allow me to see the hope inside myself (and it also kept me from quitting my job).
It’s an important relationship to be a part of at least once in a lifetime. Off to refine my Pitch Wars application : )
Picture of summer zen for inspiration below.
Banner photo credit: Daiji Umemoto