During period 3, please continue to write your fantasy story drafts.
If you need a plot, try an archetype:
An
archetype--meaning
arche (original) and
type (form) is a pattern that many writers use to pattern their plots. It's helpful for a writer to be familiar with some of the basic plot and character archetypes so that you know what a reader expects in a story.
Archetype, or "original pattern", is a model from which other characters or stories are based.
Archetype is as old as human storytelling and continues throughout contemporary literature (just that you don't always notice it as archetype).
When an author uses an archetype, he is patterning his character(s) or plot after other types of that kind. For example:
character archetypes might include: 1. The hero 2. the protective mother 3. the prostitute with a heart of gold 4. the trickster or 5. the evil or cruel master.
Plot archetype might include: 1. the Rags to Riches plot 2. the Quest 3. Transformation or 4. traditional love story: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back.
There are many, many more. And yes, archetype used too often, can create
stereotypes.
The ones that we will focus on can be used with the Action or Adventure genre. Let's take a look. For each type, jot down some films, books, or stories you have read or watched that fit the archetype.
The Quest
The quest is traditionally a journey about the self.
1. The story starts at Protagonist’s home
2. Protagonist is pushed or spurred into action
3. The decision to ACT leads to the first major event
This first event is called a Motivating Incident
The main character has both:
Intent= to find the goal
motivation=reason for wanting to achieve it
4. The protagonist rarely travels alone; helpful characters aid the protagonist
5. Usually, the quest includes a series of incidents (actions) that help to develop the protagonist
The author must ask: what difficulties would make the most interesting and challenging obstacles for the protagonist.
6 The final act of the story includes a revelation, epiphany, discovery or realization about the main character’s life or personal situation.
7. Often, additional complications arise as a result of the protagonist obtaining his goal.
8. The protagonist usually returns home, making a complete circle. He returns changed, developed.
The Adventure
1. The focus of this plot is on the action (journey), not the person making the journey.
2. Story concerns traveling into an unknown or new place.
3. The hero's goal is never found in the self or at home, but in the new places visited.
4. The Hero must be motivated by someone or something; the intent is not as important as motivation.
5. The Hero doesn't necessarily need to change in any meaningful way by the end of the story.
6. Adventures often include romance (see the Romance plot below).
Romance
• The protagonist falls in love with another character (the object of affection)
• There should always be an obstacle that prevents the object of affection from getting together romantically with the beloved
• The first attempt at romance is always thwarted or delayed and put off
• Characters are often caught up in their personal emotions and problems
• Lovers are tested by a series of problems or conflicts (often from the outside)
• If the love is "forbidden", then the characters also have to come to terms with the society or culture that is preventing them from being together
• Lovers will usually get together at the end of the plot (in forbidden love plots, however, usually they don't)
The Chase
- A protagonist either is chased by some sort of antagonist, or a protagonist is chasing an antagonist--often those accused or suspected of a crime.
- The story involves several near "catches" but eventually ends with the protagonist winning.
The Rescue
- Someone captured might be released by the hero (or the hero escapes). A triangle often forms between the protagonist, the antagonist, and the captured victim. There is usually a big fight at the climax of the story between hero and villain resulting in the freedom of the victim. Slave narratives and the archetype of the princess in the castle fall into this category as well.
Transformation/Coming of Age:
- The protagonist changes internally more than externally
- The focus of the plot is on the change itself; how it happens and how the protagonist reacts to it
- The protagonist moves from one period of their life to another. Example: Adolescence to Adulthood
- The protagonist must learn to understand and cope with this change; conflict arises when the protagonist cannot cope or fails to understand what is happening
- The change or transformation is often gradual
- As a result of the change, usually the protagonist learns something valuable about himself; there is a gain of wisdom but usually at the price of a certain sadness.
One major subtype of the archetypical plot of transformation is the young adult novel/story, also called:
The Bildungsroman.
The
Bildungsroman is a type of story that focuses on the psychological, moral, and social formation of the protagonist (usually a young person) as he or she grows to adulthood.
This type of story was made popular during the period of the German Enlightenment, or during the seventeenth century through the eighteenth (usually ending at the Napoleonic Wars or early nineteenth century). It is still with us today, as most children's literature writers use the pattern somewhere within their stories.
The pattern is as follows:
1. The protagonist grows from child to adult.
Note: this does not always mean growing to legal or mature age--it refers mostly to the psychological state of the child (whose world centers around him/herself) to that of the mature adult (whose world centers around others). Of course, not everyone reaches this state of being just by growing older.
2. The protagonist must have a reason to embark upon his or her "journey of self-discovery." A loss or discontent must, at an early stage, jar him or her away from their home or family setting. In literature, we usually call this the INCITING INCIDENT. It is the event that gets the plot moving along.
3. The process of maturation is long, arduous and usually gradual, involving repeated clashes between the hero's needs and desires and the views and judgments enforced by an unbending social order. Note: this is similar to Sigmund Freud's concept of the pleasure principle versus the reality principle- meaning that a character wants what is desired immediately or will give the greatest satisfaction, but must deal with the concept that "you don't always get what you want." Wise words for any growing or maturing person today.
4. Eventually, the spirit and values of the social order become manifest in the protagonist, who is ultimately accommodated into the society. In other words, the character grows up to become a model character -- one accepted into a specific culture or society.
5. The novel or story ends with the protagonist's self-discovery or awareness of his/her growth and understanding his/her new place or role in society. In other words, there is a realization by the character that he/she has grown up.
An example of the bildungsroman archetype would be:
- Harry Potter in the Harry Potter and the ... series
- David in Montana 1948
- Turtle in The Bean Trees
- Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
There are, of course, thousands of other characters you may be familiar with in books and movies you have read or seen. In your journal make a list of other books you have read that may have been bildungsroman novels.
Metamorphosis: This archetype is similar to transformation archetypes, but differs slightly...)
- The protagonist changes physically (usually as a result of a curse or the character’s hamartia
- Much of the plot deals with the protagonist adjusting to the change
- The point of the plot is to show the process of transformation back to humanity
- The antagonist is the catalyst that propels the protagonist toward release
- The protagonist is usually released at the end of the plot
- The reader learns the reasons for the curse and its root causes
So, if you're scratching around for an idea to move your story along, try picking and choosing one of these typical archetype plots and follow the standard storyline. Feel free to experiment by mixing some of these elements together in a unique magical brew of your own creativity.
Period 4: Legend (film)
Let's view a few short instructional videos regarding your fantasy story projects...
We will be examining the use of archetypes in the film
Legend (1985) by director
Ridley Scott.
To recap, the heroes journey looks like this:
1. Status quo/
call to adventure: a hero is introduced to a problem that needs to be solved.
2. Assistance: a hero gets help from someone wiser or stronger or better than the hero is.
3. Departure: the hero begins his/her quest.
4. Trials: The hero proves his/her mettle by facing and often overcoming a series of increasingly difficult problems.
5. Approach: the hero attempts to thwart or stop the villain. Usually this involves finding the problem and attempting to solve it.
6. Crisis: A turning point for the hero, where the hero faces his/her lowest end--all seems to be lost.
7. Treasure: by surviving the crisis, the hero usually wins some sort of "treasure"--something that makes him/her a better hero.
8. Result: After fighting for his/her life, the hero usually overcomes the antagonist, often using something the villain or antagonist lacks.
9. Return: the hero returns from whence he/she came--this time a better, stronger, wiser person.
10. New Life: the hero takes on the new identity as a hero. Hero may also come 'back to life' after facing his/her biggest challenge.
11. Resolution: the story resolves. The hero is celebrated or acknowledged or fulfilled.
12. Status quo: Back to square one.
All heroes journeys start off in the "normal" world and move through a "special" world. While not all authors will use the heroes journey in the same way, usually, it can be argued, that most stories follow some of the major plot points pretty closely.
Legend (1985) directed by Ridley Scott. Here is some information about the film:
Writer: William Hjorstberg
Cinematography: Alex Thomson
Sound/Music: Jerry Goldsmith (director's cut) or Tangerine Dream (theatrical release)
Special Effects Supervisor: Nick Allder & crew
Characters:
Jack (Tom Cruise)
Lili (Mia Sara)
Darkness (Tim Curry)
Honeythorn Gump (David Bennent)
Screwball (Billy Barty)
Brown Tom (Cork Hubbert)
Oona (Annabelle Lanyon)
Blix (Alice Playten)
Pox (Peter O'Farrell)
Blunder (Kiran Shaw)
Meg Mucklebones (Robert Picardo)
Nell (Tina Martin)
As we watch, examine the film's Heroic journey. Identify the moments for Jack & Lili's heroic journeys and fantasy archetypes (such as the quest, adventure, romance, transformation, or metamorphosis)
HOMEWORK: None. If you did not make much progress on your fantasy story, please continue to write on your own. It will be due the beginning of next week.
