Meet your mentor!

Sharon Downer

Author, Teacher, and Mythic Foundations Creator

Hi, I’m Sharon—a writer, mentor, and language educator passionate about empowering storytellers and students of English alike. I help aspiring fantasy authors bring their worlds and characters to life through my comprehensive writing mentorship programs, guiding them through the intricacies of worldbuilding, plot design, and character development. With a background in counterterrorism at American Military University and political science at Grand Valley State University, I bring a unique perspective to my work, creating stories that resonate with depth and intrigue. I excelled in my writing courses and genuinely enjoy the process of brainstorming, planning, drafting, editing, and publishing.

For over 25 years I’ve read hundreds of fantasy books and have a sharp understanding about what makes readers tick. I’ve ghostwritten multiple works within different subgenres, beta-read over 20 novels, and edited over 15 published novels by various authors. I occasionally publish non-fiction articles to my Medium page; they’re typically written about random topics that catch my interest. I have a special love for fantasy narratives that take place in a well-developed and diverse fantasy world, and I hungrily consume sagas and series and chronicles of all kinds.

Here is a list of my favorite fantasy series:

• The Bartimaeus Triology, Jonathan Stroud

• The Inheritance Cycle, Christopher Paolini

• World at War, Harry Turtledove

• The Chronicles of Blood and Stone, Robert Newcomb

• Dragonlance: The Chronicles, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

• The Redwall Series, Brian Jacques

• The Depthford Mice Trilogy, Robin Jarvis

• Warrior Cats, Erin Hunter

• Dinotopia, James Gurney, et al.

• Deltora Quest, Emily Rodda

• Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Patricia C. Wrede

• The Sight, David Clement-Davies