Mythic Writers Blog

When I started out, this post was going to be about how we often see mythic elements more in children’s stories than in adult literature. But then I stopped myself. Is this really true? We definitely see a lot of magical elements in children’s stories, but does that necessarily mean that they are mythic in nature? Is something magical automatically something mythic? What exactly makes a story specifically mythic as opposed to just fantasy or fantastical?

It’s really a fine line. Think of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Mythic? I’m not sure. Maybe. Are there any typically mythic elements? Sure—we have wizards and dragons and a werewolf. Those are mythic elements, right? Is that enough to make these mythic fiction stories? No, mythic elements alone don’t make a mythic fiction tale.

But there are modern, mundane world elements (you know—Muggles), which is one of the standard elements of a mythic fiction story. Does the combination of mythic elements and modern elements automatically make mythic fiction? Maybe. If so, then Harry Potter seems to fit my broad, sketchy definition of mythic fiction. I’m clearly going to have to work on refining my definition before I can answer all of these questions.

Maybe mythic fiction is more about the meeting of the mundane with the magical. Maybe that element of two worlds colliding is what makes it mythic. We need mythic or archetypal elements—I don’t think we necessarily need specific mythic figures to have a mythic story. And we need the contrast of a “normal” world set against these mythic elements.

Well…This post has veered from its starting point. At least I have a slightly clearer view of what constitutes mythic fiction as separate from fantasy. But I may have created more questions than I’ve answered. That’s all right. For now, I’ll leave it this way. Any input or answers you have will be most welcome. Tell me what you think makes a story mythic fiction. I’d love to hear your ideas as I work to hone my own.