Mythic Writers Blog

Over the weekend, I went to the Willamette Writers’ Conference. It was wonderful! I had a glorious time and can hardly wait for next year! But I won’t go on about that here—I already wrote about it in my writing blog.

What I will go on about is one of the workshops I was in. It was “Fantasy, Myth and the Reluctant Hero” taught by Maureen Doyle McQuerry, and as you can probably tell by the title, it was about my favorite genre.

This workshop was in my top three favorites, I think, and not just because it’s my favorite subject. Ms. McQuerry is joyfully enthusiastic about mythic fiction; how could I not enjoy 90 minutes with someone so obviously enamored of her subject? She covered the patterns and elements found in mythic fiction, the hero’s journey, the quest, talked about the role of shapeshifters as storytellers, and quoted mythic authors. And she mentioned some books I haven’t read that I now absolutely must read. (Tuck Everlasting for one, which I don’t think I realized was a book.  I knew it was a movie, but I haven’t watched it yet; maybe I would have seen a reference to the book if I had!.  And Maureen McQuerry’s books as well which I’ve referenced below.) If you get the chance to take this workshop, do it. It was so enjoyable and left me feeling so immersed in and in touch with myth and legend and my own writing.

One of the quotes shared with us in the workshop was from the author herself. She has done a much better job than I have yet managed of describing what I usually refer to as homesickness for someplace I’ve never been: “What the best stories awaken in us is yearning and recognition, yearning for something longer ago, further away or yet about to be. Recognition of something we have never met but have always known.” Isn’t it perfect? I feel as if this quote is helping me see the direction I want my writing to go in, and I can’t wait to get on the path! I just hope I can manage to stir that same yearning and recognition in myself and my readers.

So, aside from being newly excited and motivated in my writing, I am also in the beginning stages of making a list of 100 mythic fiction books to read or reread while I’m revamping and rewriting my story (I got the idea from Chapter After Chapter by Heather Sellers, and yes, I will post the list when it’s finished). I am definitely putting McQuerry’s books on this list. I got a chance to look through her newest, Traveler’s Market, before the workshop. It has gorgeous illustrations, and the few paragraphs I read as I flipped through were engaging and well done. I’m really looking forward to reading this, right after I read the first book in the series, Wolfproof.  (These stories include green men and the Wild Hunt and all sorts of wonderful mythic elements–I think they’re going to be fabulous!)

That’s what’s new in my mythic world this week. I’ve also been toying with a crop circle story, so look for a post on crop circles next week. Unless something else sweeps me away before then…