Research, Themes and Questions

Right now I am reading "Hero of a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell. Campell's work on Mythology had a very heavy influence on George Lucas when he created Star Wars. And when I say Star Wars, I mean Star Wars IV, the movie that changed everything, the movie that Lucas had something to prove with. Myth also had a heavy influence upon Tolkien, who actually wrote the novel because he wanted something to use for this nifty Elven language he had created.

Gifted authors do research. They learn about the world around them, and they mine the greatest source of fantasy; reality. Having said that, the more I think about it, the more determined I am that I want to create my own world. Mainly because I like making worlds, but I do also think that I should go to the original source as an inspiration. The rules for creating an amazing world and an amazing story aren't identical. There is a lot of overlap, but the best stories have already been told a thousand times. THIS time, I am not going to deliberately break convention by doing something bizarre. THIS time I am going to follow the 'formula' of 'greatness'.

Understand, that this does not mean that I'm going to use a cookie cutter. I think the quote goes, "Stupid authors steal, Great authors are inspired by." As a matter of fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm entirely sure it is a misquote of the original material, but its close enough for you to get the idea. I'm deranaged. I think outside the box. Indeed, as one sibling put it, I destroy the box.

So this time, I'm going to let that subconcious nature work for me and try a more mainstream and sane approach, allowing my unorthydoxy to fill in the details. Still, the key to telling a story from a fresh perspective is IN the details.

I have to find a story that people can relate to (have in this case meaning 'To meet my goal of making it a story people can relate to') without deliberately cramming a moral lesson down their throat. The problem is...I'm a moral person, or at least I try to be. I am DEFINITELY a preach person, and that will come across in anything I write.

Many great novels start with a question. Orson Scott Card, one of my favorite authors, who also happens to be an annoying putz sometimes, is still a master at his craft. He gives a workshop called "1000 ideas in an hour" and the long and the short of it is that you ask lots of questions and then go from there.

This is clearly a good way of doing things, since Ender's Game (which is still my favorite book) came from asking two questions, "What would humanity do if it really ran into Bug Eyed Monsters?" and "What if their response was to look for the next Napoleon when he was only 5?" Followed by, "How far would they be willing to push him and how would he respond?"

Of course, given some of his lackluster stuff in his later years, questions clearly aren't enough. Though I think the real key is, when the inertia of your thinking influences your work to heavily (ie you get to preachy, and to conscious of what you are doing) you end up with the Spruce Goose.

Not all of his later stuff is lackluster. Enchanted is quite brilliant.

Of course, the other voice inside me says, "You only wish you were Orson Scott Card." To which I blithely reply, "Well, not really, but I'd like to have his level of talent."

I'm working on it.

We'll see if this novel gets me closer.