The Plan

Hero of A Thousand Faces was very helpful. Can't follow it rote for rote of course, but it helps reduce to the core of the thing what it is I'm looking for. I'm taking a break for a week (Birthday etc). Then as of Feb 1, I'm going to create my own mythology. An attempt at epic poetry, or at least quasi poetry to describe the creation of the world and the six ages leading up to the current age. That will go on during Feb. After that, in March, I will create the physical world and then begin to create the history of the current age with any lingering remnants of the current world.

Maps

It appears that maps have gone out of style as far as most modern day Fantasy novels are concerned, which is a shame, because I think it helps give a sense of immersion to the reader. I guess it is a cost cutting measure, since, after all, someone has to pay for the maps, but still. A map helps establish the realm to which you invite your reader as a PLACE, helping instill what they speak of in fantastic literature as a "Suspension of Disbelief." This 'suspension of disbelief' allows you to, for a few moments, believe in things like magic, and jedi and the Force or Elves and Hobbits.

A map helps bridge that gap between our world and the realm of the Non Existent.

Even if my map making skills are not superior...I'm going to have a map.

Pantheons

I think different 'generations' of Gods is also an interesting idea. Its certainly done in Mythology, though the question would be just how much out of it the early history really was. I don't want to spend TOO long on it of course since it is the later history that matters, still having a good solid background can make a big deal.

The Great Game

I picture in my mind a great bowl, through which the two great powers, Destiny and Prophesy (and obviously we'll have to give them better names than that) gaze down upon the world, one at a time to see all but to have limits in how they take their actions.

I'm thinking that the first crack at the world was primitive and didn't work, so they started over again, which happened multiple times. But I'm thinking that when they start over, they keep some of the original world and they grow more attached to their creations, thus taking steps to limit their own power lest they be tempted to screw it up again or some such thing.

Of course, that also invites the idea of powers within the world itself.

This is highly useful in the creation of the world, but following the "Hobbit before LOTR", most of this stuff should be entirely in the background, but its very useful right now.

Traditional Vs. Mixed

We just got done watching Eragon and I found it interesting how the movie reflected traditional formulas. Specifically, it rather obviously borrowed from Star Wars and Lord of the Rings...and it did so rather heavily. But both of those works also borrowed from others. Furthermore, as I read, "Hero of a Thousand Faces" I begin to see the merit of the formula. And you have to have the formula pretty down pat before you can break it.

I'm not entirely sure how much of the 'formula' and how much originality I'll put in. I know I completely broke the mold with Gemini: Mask of Three Peoples (No more Time Travel EVER!) and I kind of broke the mold with Micronation. The truth is, I am good at breaking the mold. Originality is my strong point, but too much and quite frankly the audience can't connect with it.

It might be formulaic, but some of my favorite stories include Magician: Apprentice, which starts with two simple peasant boys who become the greatest hero and the greatest wizard in their universe. Ender's Game begins with a small boy who becomes the greatest military mind in History. The peasant that rises to greatness is a foil that is worthy of study, but there are many who hate this kind of thing; some because it has been done BADLY by so many, and some because of what it says. It says that you have to be BORN to greatness, not that you make it on your own.

It certainly is true of fantasy or fantastic science fiction (ie Space Opera) that birthright is a vital component of what makes most heroes special. So how do I bow to the concept of birthright without necessarily emulating it? I don't know, but I do like very much how it matches with the idea of Destiny vs Prophesy.

Great Forces

First, the thought occurs to me that I really have this image in my head of two 'Gods' Destiny and Prophesy fighting this war or game over a world with competing and yet matching agendas. But there has to be a bad guy 'force' for it to really be high Fantasy. Is it Destiny or Prophesy? The other thought that occurs to me, is (and I still have work to do on this part) if they emerge 'from chaos' as described by many mythos (particularly Greek and Norse), what of their failed experiments before they get to the story world itself? After all, while it might be nice to think that such powerful beings could just spontaneously think of things like Cheese and Bricks and Marmosets all at once, I imagine a more logical expression is things like sentience, emotions, and communication, so getting around to actually making a world and such would take a whole lot of time. Time, of course, in such circumstances, being entirely relative.

Unstoppable Force Vs. Immobile Object

One thing that I'm heavily considering including (ie pretty much am) is the idea of a clash between Destiny and Prophesy. The two are always mixed heavily, and I'd like them to actually have tangible mechanics (as known by me).

One idea that occurs to me is that one of the two is omniscient and the other is omnipotent. Now of course, I think I'll have to put a few more limits on this. Absolutes, while interesting, can get acutely ridiculous. For example, technically if one is all powerful, one is all knowing (unless they're a moron) and if someone is all knowing, generally speaking, they're all powerful (at least in my opinion). So the key is a limitation, so that one being would be ALMOST all knowing but only somewhat powerful and the other one would be ALMOST all powerful but only somewhat all knowing.