Story and Myth Online Magazine

StoryCraft Writers Software Page | Story and Myth Back Issues
Copyright 1997-2001 Story and Myth
Story and Myth focuses on the Jarvis Method of story structure and development, made popular in the StoryCraftPro line of software products for writers of screenplays and novels.
Volume II, Issue 5 -- May, 1997

Inside This Issue

1 From the editor's desk ...
2 ON THE JARVIS METHOD
Gate Guardians and Shape Changers
3 THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY
4 CHAT ROOM
Chat With Charles Deemer, John Jarvis, and other writers in the Green Room
Compliments of Charles Deemer and StoryCraft, each day and every day!!
5 OUR FEATURE
On Incorporating Mythology into Fantasy,
by Robert Marks
6 FOR YOUNG WRITERS
So You Want to be a Writer, by Dawn Ellis
7 TYPE CASTING:
THE SAINT and BATMAN RETURNS
8 Coming next month...
~ Return to Back-Issues Archives

 


From the Editor's desk ...

In this issue, John Jarvis explains two powerful literary archetypes, the Gate Guardian and the Shape Changer; Gary Kriss's Through a Glass Darkly column offers some thoughts on the power of the Word, and our feature by Robert Marks is an in-depth look at the elements of mythical fantasy. Dawn Ellis discusses what it takes for young adults to become writers. And Type Casting evaluates The Saint and Batman Returns according to the Jarvis Method and StoryCraft.

I'm also delighted to introduce a new service of STORY AND MYTH: a chat room. You can now "talk" directly with Jarvis Method-guru John Jarvis via the Green Room. Established by screenwriter/playwright Charles Deemer (who is also the webmaster of the Screenwriters and Playwrights Home Page), this chat room allows you not only to ask John and Charles about writing, but also to exchange information between many of your fellow StoryCraftNet friends. And since Charles gives out passwords to the room only to persons who are serious about writing, you never have to worry about a lot of idle chatter like you find in many chat rooms. Just click on the link that says "Chat Room" (in the index above), and you'll be on your way.

-- Irwin Berent


On the Jarvis Method

Gate Guardians and Shape Changers

by John Jarvis

A number of writers have asked me to explain more about these two concepts -- Gate Guardians and Shape Changers -- which are discussed in StoryCraftNet and in the StoryCraft software. For a good example, let's look at Star Wars.

A Gate Guardian impedes the Hero from performing his or her task. The stepparents at the beginning of the Star Wars trilogy are good examples of Gate Guardians. They did not want Luke to move from his ordinary existence, the general purpose of the Gate Guardian.

For when Luke goes to fix up R2D2 and sees the partial message from the Princess, he naturally wants to learn more. But he is held back by his stepparents. The Gate Guardians are always an outside influence.

Gate Guardians, though, need not necessarily be in the beginning world of the Hero; in fact, they need not even be human. The Death Star, for example, is a perfect example of a non-human Gate Guardian. So too is the ship that Luke and Han are on that won't move at the speed of light when needed. Another example, this time human, is the Empire's soldiers.

Did I hear someone saying Darth Vadar is a Gate Guardian too? Well, yes and no.

Mr. Vader is a Gate Guardian in the sense that he is an obstacle to Luke. Yet he is also something far more important: a Shape Changer. A Shape Changer is a person who introduces the story's moral element, and often its theme. Since this element is almost always introduced as a challenge, though, it is assigned to the Antagonist, not the Hero. Indeed, one might say that in Theme-Category stories, the Antagonist is always a Shape Changer. What then, you may ask, is such a being? A Shape Changer is anyone, or anything, that moves the Hero from a lower plain to a higher one. For example, in the Empire Strikes Back Luke learns that Vadar is his father. Luke must now wrestle with a far deeper, more fundamental -- more internal -- problem than merely saving the Princess or even just saving the universe from destruction by the Empire. He is suddenly confronted with the problem of Oedipus: do I kill my own father? And is this necessary to live?

In The Return Of The Jedi, we find the writers answering in a resounding "No" -- one can live without such a death, be it internal of external. In short, an affirmative would have allied Luke with the dark side forever. Indeed, Vader says over and over, "You don't know the power of the dark side." At first, I took this statement at face value and was getting rather tired of hearing it. Then I began to think: if the writers mean this in a mythological sense, then it expresses a far more profound truth: very few of us are able to overcome the dark side; we all, in a sense, kill our father or our mother in order to live. That Luke doesn't commit this all-too-human "crime" places Star Wars among crucifixion myths, wherein the "dark side" is cured not by killing the parent but by resigning one's own ego to save the light.

The important point to us as writers, however, is not what Star Wars is philosophically; the important point is that the film introduces the moral element -- the theme -- in the form of the Antagonist. Thus the Antagonist should never be seen as a block in Theme-Category stories, but simply as a dark Hero!

In Action-Category stories, however, the thrust is much different. There, we are not invited to a morality play, but to a play that simply promises us entertainment; and thus the Antagonist is merely a Gate Guardian and the Hero a superhero, such as a great detective, "searcher for the truth," etc. We can easily see how Star Wars might have slipped into this Category. Indeed, it would be squarely in Action if it were not for the depth of Vadar. And so we come to the artistic truth that if it weren't for complex Antagonists, we would not have a complex story, no matter the actions of the Hero.


Through a Glass Darkly

Preach the WORD

by Gary Kriss

Last month, in homage to the title of this column, I talked about the power of words in St. Paul. This month I'd like to focus on the tradition that formed Paul when he was still Saul and that, undoubtedly, shaped his way with words. In short, I'd like to tap into Paul s power source.

First, a little language lesson: In Old Testament Hebrew, dabar means word. And if we're talking power, then dabar is definitely high octane, loaded with all kinds of linguistic additives. For example, dabar also means an action. Indeed, in some biblical references, it's unclear as to how dabar should be translated since "word" and "action" seem synonymous.

Now, since we re being biblical, let's list one of the fundamental commandments -- perhaps the fundamental commandment -- of writing: "show, don't tell" or, put another way, "act, don t recount." Countless generations of writers, real and would-be, have been taught that "saying" and "doing" are two distinct things. It s a convenient, often productive approach. But if one heeds the Old Testament -- a worthy goal even for non-writers -- it's an approach which should be taken with some salt -- less than Lot, but more than a grain.

Words, the Old Testament tells us, don t have potency; they are potency. Go back, for example, to the first Five Books of Moses, the Pentateuch, especially in the wonderful Everett Fox translation which manages to convey, in English, all the flavor and meaning of the original language. This is a translation that begs to be read aloud so that the raw strength of the words can be heard and appreciated. These are not wimpy words. They have muscle. They get things done. After listening to them, you can appreciate why words and actions are, in the Old Testament, inseparable.

Notice something else when you read the Old Testament. The stories are being told, not shown, yet they still grab our attention and totally seize our imagination. Part of it is good plotting, of course. But the other part -- the larger part -- is the power of the words. See for yourself. Turn to Genesis where words created the world. Now that's power! Turn next to Psalms and read how words direct nature. Pretty good, huh? Want more? Go over to Ezekiel and see how words can cause even dry bones to come to life. Case closed.

The Old Testament is a work filled with drama and passion. It puts any of today's best-selling potboilers to shame. But beyond its religious dimension for those who believe, it succeeds as a literary work, even for those who don t believe, because it's a work of and for storytellers. Storytelling is writing s deep archetype. And, in turn, myth is storytelling's deep archetype. Myth. Storytelling. Writing. All three have always relied on words. But not just words. Words plus. Words that are also actions. Words carefully considered so that, when employed, they blur the distinction between showing and telling. Or, to put it more succinctly, dabar.

Paul knew this. It was his heritage. He knew it and he used it. And so can we -- if we remember that we're not simply wordsmiths. No, we're more than that, just like the words we use. It's the something extra that makes us writers.

Now, because dabar teaches us that words are also actions, read the rest of this issue of Story & Myth, then switch over to your word processor and follow Paul's injunction to Timothy: Preach the Word!

 

Our Feature Article

On Incorporating Mythology Into Fantasy

by Robert Marks


In a lecture to the University of St. Andrews in 1939, a professor of Middle English stated that "Fantasy has also an essential drawback: it is difficult to achieve." The professor was named John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, and he would later be known for writing THE LORD OF THE RINGS. His words ring true even today.

Mythical fantasy is one of the faster growing genres today. It was first popularized by Tolkien in the 1950s, and today includes such successful writers as Robert Jordan, Dennis L. McKiernan, Tad Williams, Guy Gavriel Kay, and Terry Goodkind, with more writers trying to join them all the time. The problem is how to write mythical fantasy; it is deceptively difficult.

We are going to examine how mythical fantasy incorporates the mythology into the fiction and why it is vital that this occurs (besides the obvious answer that "it wouldn't be mythical fantasy otherwise"). To begin, we'll need to define what mythical fantasy is.

In his lecture ON FAIRY STORIES, Tolkien defines fantasy as being "with images of things that are not only 'not actually present', but which are indeed not to be found in our primary world at all, or are generally believed not to be found there." This is the realm of the imagination, but fantasy in general can include not just mythical fantasy but all creative fiction, since "things" refers also to events. For example, Tom Clancy's THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER involves events, which are not actually real; there certainly is not a Captain Ramius, and all the events around him must occur in the imagination. The characters are interacting in a world which is similar to our own, but also very different in vital ways. Hence, it is a form of fantasy.

The type of fantasy to which we refer is separate from this. Certainly, we find Clancy's novels exciting, but there is a lack of wonder about Clancy's world. While his characters achieve remarkable things, they do so in a world that is entirely explained. Yet in books such as LORD OF THE RINGS, there is a natural wonder about the world where the events are taking place. This wonder, as we shall see, can be ascribed to magic, either directly or indirectly, and it is a necessity for successful mythical fantasy.

Mythical fantasy has one pre-eminent responsibility: to restore the wonder of the scientifically explained world to the reader's mind. For that reason, proper mythical fantasy requires, firstly, mythology. And since this charge cannot be achieved unless the work of fiction is believable, such fantasy must also have, secondarily, a good dose of reality.

It is the inclusion of reality that makes the suspension of disbelief possible. Any truly successful work must have it, as Tolkien acknowledges in his lecture. All published fantasy worlds have basic laws of physics, which are inviolate: if one drops a rock, the rock always falls down, unless acted upon by an outside force. When these laws are not present, the work of fantasy has drifted entirely to the imagination, and the reader finds it unbelievable. For the same reason, characters in mythical fantasy must act realistically. Readers rarely tolerate any stories--whether fantasy or not--in which, for instance, a dunce is able to solve a problem that requires great intelligence.

In a completely realistic world, though, there is no wonder. As we've already suggested, perhaps the major appeal of mythical fantasy is that it puts back into the world the magical wonder that science has taken out of it. It is, indeed, a prime responsibility of any fantasy writer to restore this wonder to the reader. And the fantasy writer's ideal tool for the job is mythology.

Mythology is a remarkable type of literature, with stories often thousands of years old. These stories have some distinguishing features: first, there are Heroes that have either semi-divine origins or accomplish impossible things. An ordinary man cannot kill Grendel, yet Beowulf kills him with his bare hands; similarly, in Irish mythology, Bran is able to find the mythical island of Manannan, which is hidden from mortal eyes.

Second, there is an element of magic that infuses the entire tale, either directly or indirectly. This magic can take the form of divine interference, as in the VOLSUNGA SAGA, or it can be indirectly infused into the world through a spell or a creature, such as the Dragon in BEOWULF.

In his introduction to VOYAGE OF THE FOX RIDER, Dennis L. McKiernan wrote of the mythical creatures such as Elves and Faeries that "the world is a sadder place without them." This is undeniably true. The masterful fantasy author restores such creatures to their proper place in the imagination of the reader.

Some might argue that a fantasy story can be fantasy without having any mythological components, but I disagree. Robert Jordan's books, for example, have much that is original; yet the magic contained in his books is undeniably mythical. Magic lies at the root of mythology, it is what makes mythology special. Any fantasy novel that uses magic for storytelling, which it must by nature do, is therefore using, in at least the narrow sense, mythology.

How, though, does one successfully inject mythology into one's writing? Somehow the author must adopt a mythology that is recognizable and traditional while, at the same time, wondrous and new. To do so, the author needs to borrow some basic mythological theme that readers can identify with and adapt it to his own story, with a generous mix of reality to give the work credence. Without a proper blend of the mythology and reality, the work fails as mythic fantasy. Ideally, the writer must first present the familiar-sounding mythology, and then temper it with reality contained in the world that the author creates.

At the time of the writing of this article, there is a debate going on within the SF Internet newsgroup over whether Terry Goodkind's books are good fantasy. Goodkind is writing proper mythic fantasy. There is the required element of reality, and there is also a mythical backdrop. The problem, though, with Goodkind's writings, which is easily attributed to the fact that he is a new writer and merely needs to gain more experience, is that the mix of reality and myth is at times inconsistent and that the myth is often unfamiliar. The reader sees the mythical aspects of Goodkind's world, but cannot identify with them. Many of his ideas, such as that of the Mord-Sith, are entirely new to most readers, and, more important, alien to them.

The reader, then, of mythical fantasy requires a mythology that is both new and familiar. For this reason, one cannot simply transplant a mythology into one's writings, it must be adapted. Even Tolkien adapted the Nordic sagas he used for LORD OF THE RINGS; his goal was to tell a new story, not retell an old myth. How well it is adapted will determine the success of any mythical fantasy.

To successfully adapt mythology, therefore, fantasies must include enough of the original saga or myth for readers to "recognize" it. For instance, if one wants to adapt the Irish mythologies of the Tuatha de Danaan (Elves), the Elves cannot suddenly have a complete change in ideology and form, which would warp the mythology beyond recognition. Rather, small alterations in the myths themselves or alterations in the context of the myths will effectively bring newness to the story while preserving the sense of familiarity with the mythology.

At the end of Dennis L. McKiernan's book, VOYAGE OF THE FOX RIDER, an island filled with mages is destroyed by a massive tidal wave caused by black magic. This is an obvious adaptation of the Atlantis myth from Plato, but the context and small details have been changed. The island is still one of great knowledge, but its destruction is to aid an evil God in the War of the Ban. In addition, the inhabitants of the island are called, not Atlanteans, but Pysks, Magicians, and "Hidden Ones; and there is the possibility that many of the Magicians escape. The mythology is familiar to the reader, but also altered so that it is partially original.

In my own book, DEMON'S VENGEANCE, I used as part of the background the war between the Sidhe (Elves) and the Formorians in Irish mythology. I changed several aspects of the war, however. Where the war was fought over territory in Irish myth, the war in my book is a war of annihilation. The mythology is still recognizable, but I have given a new hard edge to it. Tolkien also used this mythology, but in his works (LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION) the war is fought between Morgoth and the Elves over three jewels, called the Silmarils.

Once the mythological background is established, the author's task lies in telling the story. The background itself will affect the story -- adding a harder or softer edge at times -- and bring the world to life. This incorporation of mythology and reality can be a daunting task, and one requiring a great deal of research (I am still collecting books on mythology for my writings). In the end, however, it is a rewarding task for both the reader and the author, as the mythology restores a sense of wonder to our world, if only for a brief moment.

Works Referenced

Tom Clancy: The Hunt for Red October

Terry Goodkind: Wizard's First Rule

Lady Gregory: Lady Gregory's Complete Irish Mythology

Dennis L. McKiernan: Voyage of the Fox Rider

J.R.R. Tolkien: The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays
   The Lord of the Rings
   The Silmarillion

Robert Marks is a student of mediaeval history at Queen's University in Kingston. His first novel, DEMON'S VENGEANCE, comes out Canada-wide in autumn 1998. Mr. Marks is currently working on his second novel, the first part of a trilogy.

Copyright 1997 by Robert Marks. All rights reserved.


Our FOR YOUNG WRITERS

So You Want to be a Writer...

by Dawn Ellis


Easier said than done, my momma always said.

Well, actually, she didn't say that, but it sounds good.

And if it sounds good, write it down!

That's the first step!

Well, not really, but weird little sayings can cause the most amazing inspirations. For instance, I once heard the last half of a joke: It ended with something like, So, he says, At least he didn't show up three minutes earlier. I ended up writing a forty-five page short-story on what would have happened if he HAD shown up three minutes earlier, even though I had no idea what the rest of the joke was about.

In reality, it takes about six steps before most people even begin to write. The REAL first step in writing anything is staring at a blank page in terror for about two hours. (Be sure to let your loved ones know that you intend to write, as Blank Screen Syndrome can be a pretty scary sight to those unfamiliar with the phenomenon.) Then, after having ripped yourself apart from the inside trying to dredge up all the things that might sound good, you leave the desk in disgust (that's the second step). At this point, you will go into the kitchen, drink milk from the carton, come up with a great idea, rush back to the desk, and promptly forget it. That's step three.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth steps are the same as the first, second, and third steps.

I wish I could tell you that you can skip the first step (and the second and the third...), but I can't. It happens to everyone. It has to. It's called paying your dues . (Not to be confused with paying your dues , which refers to updating your subscriptions to this site.)

Once you have a good two days' experience with Blank Screen Syndrome, you re ready to get down to business. In order to get over the initial shock of the white screen, the best advice is simple: write something. It doesn't have to be important. It doesn't even have to have anything to do with the story. Just anything to mar that featureless surface will do. (The most oft-used phrase is, It was a dark and stormy night... , with "Once upon a time..." running a close second) After that, it will take a small amount of work, but the words will begin to flow.

And what if the words DON'T begin to flow? Well, there s an old saying that there's Nothing New Under the Sun. Fortunately, that saying does NOT apply to writing. (I guess the planets in this solar system will be happy to hear that.) In fact, you can use the same plot line fourteen thousand times, and as long as you change the names, places, and incidental interjections, it'll be a new story. Piers Anthony's Xanth Trilogy is an excellent example of this. Look at the same page in any two books from the sixteen or so he s written, and basically the same thing is happening in basically the same way.

It's called a formula.

The Formula is not necessarily a mandatory part of a successful writing career, but it certainly helps. A lot. In fact, there are some formulas that are so successful, they've been around for literally thousands of years and been ripped off over and over and over again.

Ever heard of Hercules, or King Arthur? In Africa, there s a remarkably similar story about a king named Xhango (or Changho) who became a God after he died because he was so amazingly cool. The same goes for Jesus, Krishna, and a couple of others. There s also another well-traveled plot about a Hero that rescues a Damsel in Distress, slaying the Evil Relative/Monster and winning Magical Powers. And then there s the one about two guys walking into a bar...

As long as you can hide the source well enough, you can use any plot you find. The fact of the matter is, no matter where you pulled it from, someone else pulled it from somewhere else first; so don't feel bad about using it. But don't quote someone word for word: That's plagiarism, and it's highly illegal.

Now that you've got something on paper and a brand new -- well, sort of -- plot written, you may sense that something isn't quite right. In fact, you may tend to feel that NOTHING is quite right. (It's called the Oops-I-Think-I-Accidentally-Laid-An-Egg Syndrome.) Fortunately, though, there's an absolutely incredible invention for that malady that has been around almost as long as that "new" plot has been: editing. You know, editing is that thing you do when you go back and read what you've written, then you erase the whole thing and start over because it stinks. Or, editing can be what you do when you decide -- with great humility, of course -- that Tolstoy never said it so well, but you still have to check your spelling because you weren't sure whether your main character was from "Cincinatti" or "Cincinnati" (hint: it's IN the NATIon -- CincINNATI...IN NATIon, get it!?).

So, you've gotten an idea, written it down, edited it, and now it's finished. Now what?

Ooooo, that's a tough one...

You can submit your short stories to magazines. If you read a zine on a regular basis, like Science Fiction Digested or Plum Recipes Monthly , you can probably write a story that would fit there. Think how your story would look alongside all the others, and if it fits, send it off. The worst thing they can say is, No (or perhaps an occasional "YUCK!").

I'll tell you a little secret about submitting stories. If you send a short story to a hard- copy magazine, like Unpopular Science or Heavy Gases , the editor calls all the other magazines in the world and asks them what they know about you. If none of them has ever heard of you (or if they don't know your mom), they'll automatically send you a rejection notice.

You see, it's not that you have to be famous, or infamous, but editors want to know that you've had at least one other thing published before they'll take a chance with your work. (OK, there may be a few kind-hearted editors who'll make an exception, but most of them like to take the safe approach: "If he/she hasn't published anything, he/she might not be a good writer." You'd think they'd simply read what you send and decide whether it was good enough, wouldn't you? Then again, that would take time out of their schedule. Alas, as with everything else in life, reality has to be taken into account. Darn!)

Just ask any professional freelance writer and he/she will probably tell you that he/she has had at least fifty rejections. I'd say that you have to have at least three rejection notices before you can get published anywhere. I m certain that it will be part of the submission process before too long to provide proof of previous rejection. So the sooner you start submitting your stories, the sooner you'll have the requisite number of rejections. And hey, who knows, maybe some of those submissions WON'T be rejected! (SUGGESTION: Don't sit around waiting for an editor to reply before you submit your story elsewhere. Instead, send the story to several editors at once -- but let them know that it's a "multiple submission." Or you may want simply to send each editor a brief letter proposing the story -- that'll save you some time and expense.)

There is a group of renegade publishers who don't require previous rejections, and their "electronic magazines" are great places to get your name out there where you can zoom other people into believing that you are in world-wide distribution, which you sort of will be. Electronic magazines, called e-zines, are the most accessible form of literature (if you have a computer). Usually they are free (so, you won't have anyone complaining about "all the hard-earned money I spent to read this trash!"). Although they won't pay you for your story, thousands and thousands of people will see it. The only drawback is that readers can't take the e-zine with them into the bathroom (unless, of course, they have a toilet-model computer--it's the latest thing, you know).

If you've written a full-length novel, I think you can imagine just how much money it would cost to send off a complete double-spaced copy to every single publishing house that ever printed anything you ever read. (Remember, if you've read a publisher's book and liked it, then lots of others have probably read and liked that publisher's books, too; and if they read and liked those books, they'd probably read and like yours, too. ...Does that make sense?) Instead, just send a synopsis (summary of the story), the first two chapters or so, and a letter begging for their divine and holy attention to your story. Kissing up is always a good idea in the letter.

Of course, you might not be interested in getting published yet. It may be that your only concern is getting an A on your creative-writing assignment, which has to be so incredible that it will pull your grade up from a D in order to keep you from being grounded for the next entire school year. If this is the case, start early, work late, give it all you've got...and pray. And did I mention kissing up?


Type Casting

THE SAINT and BATMAN


This month, we're picking two "summer" films, one a current box-office favorite, the other from a few years back.

The Saint

Element 1. The Story Concept.

The Story Concept SHOULD BE a three- or four-word statement of your story. Right from the outset of the Story Concept, therefore, we find that we're in artistic difficulty; there is an "and" in the Story Concept, namely: "A troubled crime-avenger finds love AND destroys the criminals who are trying to destroy his beloved."

Element 2. The Story Category.

Putting aside the Story Concept for one moment and looking purely at the nature of this Concept, we see that it concentrates on plot; there this story belongs in the Action Category. (This means, of course, that backstory and character arc will not be used to the degree they are used in Theme-Category stories.)

Element 3. The Story Type.

A number of professionals regard this story, The Saint, as a pale copy of the James Bond pictures. The reason for this criticism is not hard to find: from The Saint's Story Concept we see that the authors could not make up their minds where the story's focus should lie. It is obvious the love story was supposed to be the main plot, but this is clumsily interwoven with a second plot, the chase story.

How then can we illustrate the structure of such a story? For the love story creates one type of structure (Love Story Type), and the chase story, another (Chase Story Type). We can't do it and thus we must stop before we begin. One can but wish that those responsible for this confusing story would have done the same.

NOTE: StoryCraft warns against using subplots. Using them has, unfortunately, become a fad. Indeed many writers now seem bent on using subplots simply because they weren't used in the past. But the earlier writers knew very much what they were doing. The so-called classics, after all, were merely the popular stories of their time, which have remained popular. Some try to tell us that there have been unrecognized artists who have not become known till after their death; but research has shown that this idea is simply a convenient fairy tale made up by undiscovered artists to justify their lack of recognition.

Anyway, not to leave the reader frustrated let us demonstrate an Action-Category film that can be illustrated fully.

Batman Returns

Element 1. The Story Concept.

The Story Concept here is much like the one for The Saint, with one major exception: there is no "and." Notice therefore the brevity: "A troubled crime-avenger destroys criminals."

Element 2. The Story Category.

Once again, because the Story Concept shows that the story concentrates on plot, the film belongs in the Action Category (which, of course, affects the development of Hero and Antagonist).

Element 3. The Story Type.

This film fits naturally into the Supernatural Transformation Type, which are generally horror stories.

~ ~ ~ ~

These three preparation steps -- Concept, Category and Type -- give us the foundation of our story. We now need to create the various elements -- the extended premise or World Creation -- of our narrative.

~ ~ ~ ~

Element 4. World Creation.

THE ORDINARY WORLD -- In Batman Returns the Ordinary World shows two worlds: one where a deformed baby is born and then dumped by the parents into a body of water leading to a sewer, another where a greedy millionaire industrialist, Max Schreck, is trying to make Gotham City his own. Here the textural background for the story is set also; for both the Ordinary and the Extraordinary Worlds are set in the same place (Gotham City). (This contrasts with a screenplay like Star Wars, in which Luke's two Worlds are very different.)

THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD -- In the original Batman one part of this world was detailed extensively: namely, the home of Bruce Wayne, his character as both Bruce and Batman, his allies, the Bat cave, and all the various trappings of that place. In Batman Returns the writers created an additional Extraordinary World: in the sewer beneath the streets, where the Penguin lived with his allies. As with the previous story, the writers have outdone themselves here. Indeed, the context of the Extraordinary Worlds is a major part of the appeal of this story.

THE MAIN CHARACTER, OR HERO -- As in all Action- Category stories, the Hero is a superhero. And as in all Supernatural Transformation Story Types, the Hero and the Antagonist are typically reversed. Therefore the Hero is the Penguin. This fact reminds us of another important aspect of writing: the Antagonist is not always the bad guy. The writers have done a wonderful job here of defining the Penguin's character; he really comes alive and is one of the most horrifying characters in recent film memory. Indeed, we would have to go back to Psycho to find a "Hero" more terrifying.

THE HERO'S HELPERS -- The Penguin has a number of "soldiers" in his underworld kingdom; however, the outstanding people who should have been Helpers -- The Catwoman (a.k.a. Selina Kyle) and Max -- at times fill instead the role of Hero, without having any major relationship to the Penguin. This is especially true of the Catwoman.

THE ANTAGONIST -- The Antagonist, then, is Batman. As we proceed through the story, we'll see how he fulfills the role of an Antagonist in a Supernatural Transformation Story Type, which defines Antagonist as a victim.

THE ANTAGONIST'S HELPERS -- Batman/Bruce Wayne is a loner; his only helper is the butler, Alfred.

~ ~ ~ ~

We now come to the doing, the construction of the story itself. So far, we have constructed our story from a brief Concept, put it in a Category for character development, selected its Story Type, and, finally, fleshed out the premise (World Creation). We now have enough information to begin the notes for the structural part of our story. To structure it, we will use Joseph Campbell's 12 stages of a Hero's journey; fine tuning this journey with the story's Category and Type.

~ ~ ~ ~

Element 5. Story-Creation (Structure) Steps

#1: Two Introductions: (1) The "Hero" under a curse; (2) the Antagonist, a victim.

From World Creation: A grim Ordinary World is shown first, providing the "hook" for the story.

Typical of the horror story, the events begin at night. Also typical, our feelings are pushed to the limit: innocence being dumped into the sewer by (the Penguin's) well-to-do parents. In horror stories -- good horror stories -- some sympathy is always generated for the Hero, normally because of some affliction. We are prepared at first to give our sympathy here until the Hero appears as a ruthless Gotham City hood.

In any case, we are now spirited above ground to meet the Antagonist's helpers, Max and his Selina, Selina Kyle.

This step is quite lengthy in Batman Returns. It includes:

  • the interaction between Max and his Selina
  • the appearance of Max in a speech
  • the appearance of the Penguin's men on the streets where the speech is given
  • the appearance of Max before the Penguin, where they decide on common goals
  • the entrance of Selina to her home
  • the return of Selina to the office
  • further interaction between her and Max, ending with his pushing her out of a high window

#2: Hero begging for help from Antagonist (Antagonist, first unsure, decides to help).

Generally, in Action-Category horror pictures, this step is omitted because of the length of Step #1 (sometimes referred to as the prologue). Because this step is missing, there will be an extra step at the end, called the epilogue.

#3: Antagonist warned about Hero.

From World Creation: The Antagonist and his mansion.

Bruce Wayne is sitting alone in a room in the mansion when he sees the call to Batman -- the Bat signal, a spotlight throwing a silhouette of a bat against the sky. This is the point of attack -- that is, the point where Batman is called to meet the Penguin.

#4: Antagonist meeting Hero.

From World Creation: The streets of Gotham City.

We are now in the thick of this comic-book world. Batman saves the day by thwarting the gang's threat.

By the way, a certain piece of action, which will soon become very important, should be mentioned here, Although it does not fit into the structure too well. Batman Returns has a subplot, where Selina turns into Catwoman.

#5: Antagonist seeing Hero under curse for first time.

From World Creation: The Hero's ally, Catwoman.

We are now turned over to the subplot, in which Selina turns into the Catwoman. It's the Catwoman, not the Penguin, who now receives much of our sympathy. The Bat and the Cat are seen together fighting; yet both seem to have a fascination for each other.

NOTE: This subplot does not fit well into the structure. One can sympathize with the producer's wish to show more of Michelle Pfeiffer, but -- let it be said again and again -- subplots seldom if ever work artistically. (Discounting the fact that art was probably the furthest thing from the producer's mind.)

One cannot help but observe how much better this picture would have been if it had turned the subplot into the main plot, and omitted the main business about Max and the Penguin. In short, Catwoman should have been the Hero.

#6: Antagonist's attempts to rid Hero of curse.

From World Creation: The Hero's ally, Catwoman.

Selina reappears as her old self from time to time. Bruce Wayne has her over to his mansion. It is obvious that something is developing between them; it is also obvious that neither person suspects that there is something more to the other person than meets the eye.

#7: Antagonist's attempts to rid Hero of curse -- continued.

From World Creation: The Hero, Penguin.

The Penguin is causing trouble again, and Bruce is called away from his romantic evening to reappear as Batman.

#8: Hero trying to kill Antagonist.

From World Creation: The Batmobile.

The Catwoman, desperately trying to keep her dark side, temporally teams up with the Penguin. Although he is planing to kill Batman by blowing up the Batmobile, she convinces the Penguin to frame Batman instead. (We will later see that killing is not part of her game and that she soon turns to the side of Batman.)

Batman arrives in the Batmobile to restore order. When Batman is diverted away from the Batmobile, members of the Penguin's gang fix the car so that only the Penguin can control it.

Thus, when Batman returns to the car, it is out of control. There now follows a long chase sequence where it appears to the residents and the official of Gotham City that Batman, not the Penguin (who has ingratiated himself to the residents), is the enemy.

#9: Antagonist escaping death.

From World Creation: The Batmobile.

Batman defuses the Batmobile and once more gets it under control.

Meanwhile, in the subplot, the Catwoman watches horrified as the Penguin commits murder. When she expressed her dismay, he attempts to kill her as well.

#10: Antagonist chasing Hero.

From World Creation: The platform in front of City Hall.

The Penguin is giving a speech before a crowd at City Hall (he's running for mayor). Batman is able to find the broadcast frequency of the speech and inject into the speakers not the Penguin's current speech, but one the Penguin made away from the microphones, stating his real intentions. The citizens turn on the Penguin, and he retreats to the sewer forever.

#11: Major fight between Hero and Antagonist.

From World Creation: Max, the Catwoman, Bruce Wayne/Batman, and the Penguin.

But we haven't heard the last from the Penguin. He hatches a sinister plan to capture the first-born children of the great families of Gotham. Max, who is also in on the plan, throws a special party for those families. Bruce Wayne is invited to the party (because of his many children?).

Next, the following events occur in this major step:

  • The Penguin's troops arrive at the party.
  • He announces his plan to capture the children.
  • He takes Max into the sewer.
  • Bruce Wayne leaves the party and reappears as Batman.
  • Batman stops the crooks from taking the children.
  • Enraged, the Penguin sends a group of minor penguins loaded with bombs out into Gotham City to destroy it.
  • They are turned around a signal from Batman and sent back to the sewer.
  • This act all but destroys the poor Penguin.

#12: Death of Hero.

From World Creation: The sewer world.

Meanwhile, Batman has entered the sewer to destroy the rest of the gang. But he is taken out of action. Max fights the Catwoman, pumping her full of enough lead to kill a squadron. Don't worry though! She has unholy strength and so is still able to electrocute Max with the high-power lines that run through the sewer (the Penguin's world being the natural place to string power lines and maintain them?).

Ah, and speaking of the devil, we haven't seen the last of the Penguin. He briefly arises out of the sewer water, makes an attempt to kill Batman again, then falls forever dead.

And so, as all great stories must come to an end, a group of your ordinary run-of-the-mill penguins appear and, side-by-side like pallbearers, bury their Greater Penguin in the sewer's watery depths.

#13: Epilogue.

From World Creation: The streets of Gotham City.

Despite the Catwoman's death from gunfire, Batman is unable to find her corpse where it should be -- with the dead body of Max. Is she still alive? Bruce thinks she is, but where?

As he is driving home that night though Gotham's snow-covered streets, he sees the shadow of a large cat. Stopping the car, he searches, but all he can find is a common alley cat.

Picking it up, he returns to the car and drives home, leaving the world to silence, which it has not had since the picture opened. Yet the dream remains. And in a touch of surrealism, we once again see the Bat signal -- but this time with someone who will always be associated with it.

~ ~ ~

A FINAL NOTE: A number of writers admire the Batman films for their symbolism. Consider, though, that in order to appreciate symbolism, the mind must be able to fasten on a non-historical context: the future, the distant past, or legends and myths. Technically speaking, of course, Batman is set in a fantasy city, but the film looks too much like present-day New York for us to have the contextual psychological distance required for effective symbolism.

-- The Editors

 

Coming Next Month….

We at StoryCraft are excited about a new series beginning next month. A professional fiction writer, Richard Farley, will embark upon a series of essays entitled Music of the Mythospheres. Throughout this series, Mr. Farley will be probing the depths of the past -- science, philosophy, history, myth -- and relating all this to our own times. His first essay will be on our civilization's earliest beginnings.

This series adds another regular on the aesthetic side. The other regular essays in this field are by Gary Kriss, who writes on the magic of words. If you haven't had chance to read his Through a Glass Darkly columns, you are missing something special. And now with Mr. Farley, we have another must read.

What does all this have to do with writing? We, as storytellers, do not exist in a vacuum. Only by understanding our past can we hope to understand our present, which will, again, help us produce the most logical and sensitive stories. This is not an untested idea. I (John Jarvis) have found that students who regularly make A's have a broad education in the humanities.

At the same time, we will still bring you the best technical writing articles. Not only will Story and Myth continue to publish On the Jarvis Method and Type Casting, but we will soon have a list of all the articles relating to screenwriting on the internet (even reviews of our competitors). The reason I am mentioning this exciting addition now is that this list might be ready by next month!


Note: Mr. Farley's latest published short story appears in the Mind's Eye magazine. Check it out at http://tale.com/farley/pic-free.htm


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