Myth

Well friends, this is it. We’ve reached the final week of our series. So, I’ve picked out there very important topics, and two of which you might not have thought of right away, when I first started this series. Surprise topics are great, aren’t they?

Why do we need…

Mythoi?

Now, just in case you’re wondering, mythoi are basically mythologies, stories, things that we can build off in stories—and no, not just in fantasy stories. Mythology actually plays a large part in nonfictional stories as well as fictional ones, and they really do a lot for making a story seem that much more real, if I’m being honest.

From the point of view of a reader…

Mythology is a form of detail that we don’t get a ton of in most stories these days. I really like when it’s one of the first things defined, or when it’s the vein that’s holding a story together. Myths and legends can really play a huge role in how stories play out. Like with Ted Dekker’s Circle series, there’s the histories that run a huge vein through the whole series and link it all together, but no one can really prove that it’s happened. That, to me, is a huge draw for reading a story. I have a hard time putting books like that down.

From the point of view of a writer…

Take the Druid Novels, for instance. They all have a running theme, a running mythos, and if you’re paying close attention, you’ll notice that the same mythos is running through every book in a different way. That, to me, is the whole fun of mythology. It’s great to play around with, to tweak to suit your needs, or even to create to formulate your story. Whatever you’re doing with it, as long as you think it through all the way (preferably before you start writing), you’ll have potential for a really great story.

From the point of view of an editor…

If you can create your own mythos, and make it as seamless and fluid as your story needs it to be, you’ll impress every editor who reads it. Even if your story isn’t one that we want to work with, you’ll still impress—and that’s a good thing to do. If we like you but we don’t want to edit your work, chances are we know another editor who would be better. And if you’re using an actual mythology in your story, one that exists in the real world, then I want to see that you’re an actual authority on it. Do your research. Write it well. You’ll impress just as much as someone who made up the whole thing.

Myths are a part of life, aren’t they?

[love]

{Rani Divine}