Variations on a Theme

I have always, from as far back as I could remember, loved stories. My dad used to say he read to me while I was in the womb. Maybe that's why I have always been obsessed with story telling my entire life. See my mind makes these sometimes what seems like completely random connections from one story to another. I was able to find out motifs, Archetypes, and themes before I even knew what Motifs, Archetypes, and themes were! I knew the hero's cycle before I knew it had a name. In classes I would never really have to read an entire story to know what it was about, or where it was going. I might not know specifics but I knew enough about the flow and progression of most stories that I could wing it fairly easily.

Now that is not to say I didn't read, like I said, I love stories. It doesn't matter if a story takes a typical, or predictable turn, as long as the story is interesting. I do not believe there are any real NEW stories. Every single story out there has been told over and over again. The trick is to tell the same story in a way that still makes it interesting. Reinvent the story. I mean there is a reason the same stories keep getting told over and over again. Stories about love, loss, anger, friendship, betrayal. When told well, the essences of these stories speak to us on a primal level. And when they do that, the story moves us. We find a way to connect to it. Because these stories talk about us. In a good story, there is something that we feel connects us to it. It could be a character, a group, a setting, a situation. What matters is that those stories we love connect with us on a personal level. That is what I look for in a story. I don't care if you are telling me the same stories, so long as you tell me the story in a way that can still make me connect with it. Make me care about this story, make me care about these characters. That's why I love Stephen King as an Author. He just seems to actually breath life into his characters. its... its hard to explain. he makes you feel like the worlds he creates are real.

anyways, that's it for now. i swear my stuff will get better, its the end of the semester, so my brain is not sure if it should slow down or speed up...

King Arthur

Ok so one of the classes I have been taking this semester is a class on Arthurian Mythology. I love all myth, but the Arthur Legend has always had a special place in my heart. I've really enjoyed the different books we have been reading. Even the old proto-texts. Yes I enjoy the mystical/magical stories more than the "Historical" stories. But even the historical stories are still enjoyable in their own right.

We've read several different versions of Le Morte du Artur stories about Gawain, Parcival, Lancelot, and other Knights in Arthur's court. Recently we have started reading modern interpretations of the Arthur stories. In particular, The Once and Future King
and The Mists of Avalon one of the things I've also had to do was read an out of class story and write an essay on it. So I figured, ok, not so bad. It's King Arthur, Camelot, the Roundtable! there have to be TONS of stories written on them. Well, finding stories I would be interested in reading proved to be harder than I thought. Aside from a few modern retellings, and of course stories written in the Romantic, Victorian, and Medieval period, there are very few good adult stories about the Arthur legend. What there are a lot of are a lot of Children and young adult stories about teens and preteens getting sent back in time to King Arthur's court and in the process of finding a way to get back home both sides learn a very valuable lesson about family, or pets or something....

Don't get me wrong, there are some VERY good stories that are geared towards teens and young adults, but resonate to everyone. The Harry Potter series for example. it just seems to me that aside from a handful of stories, the Arthur mythos has been reduced to saturday afternoon specials. I mean this is King Arthur! His story is one the greatest Tragedies ever written! Its not even because of the magic. The magic sword and spells and wizards only add to the story. What's at the core of the story is love, betrayal, and friendship. These were not just Knights working for a king. These were friends, brothers even. They brought peace and prosperity to the world. They had adventures,and traveled the land saving people. But it all came down because, they were not superheroes, they were just human. With Human faults and human failings. Everyone knows how the story ends, but inside, you are hoping that despite everything you know, it will end differently. Yes its true some versions have slightly happier endings than others, but in the end its still the same Arthur and his dreams die. But his memory, his legacy? that lives forever.

So where are all the King Arthur stories? Why are the only stories about this rich mythic legend watered down kiddie books? Maybe I'm too much of a romantic at heart. maybe i expect too much from my stories. Is it too much to want a story that has layers of meaning and I don't know... feeling maybe? This is the king that was, that is, and will be again! the once and future king! The Sleeping king! I mean that aspect of the story alone should spawn a plethora of others! I found this extremely frustrating. I mean reading what I have read, and knowing what I already know, I could come up with a good story. Why hasn't anyone else? So I decided, I WILL. I already have some ideas on where i can take this story. weaving in myth and legend. So, while I am already working on a personal writing project, i think i am going to make this my little side project. A continuation of the Arthur Legend with my own personal twists. maybe no one else but me will read it, whatever it doesn't matter. At the very least, it will be a good writing exercise.