Rehashing the Classics

The more time you spend reading the work of new writers, the more likely you are to discover that what we read and write falls into a very narrow field.  You may notice that a good many of the new stories you read are about:

• The child who learns that he or she is a princess, a god or a hero
• The person who is spirited into another world to deal with new cultures, and  new people
• The group of people who come together to fight against overwhelming odds as they travel far over a strange landscape
• The man, or woman, who (although a certified crumb) comes to terms with him- or herself, and becomes a better, stronger person.

Oh, and yes, these formats do go on, but that’s not the point.

OK, what IS the point, then?

After you’re read the first dozen or so of these, and trust me, they abound in the published stacks as well as in those of any writing community, you get a feeling for them.  You know the kinds of things the characters are going to go up against.  You understand that a bad guy, or two, needs to turn around and become a friend, and a trusted companion must fall from grace, and become an enemy.  You know that a beloved companion or creature must lie mortally wounded, and say a tearful goodbye, or exact a promise of vengeance.

If we all got together in a room, (and wouldn’t THAT be fun) with two giant blackboards (or green ones, or white), and started listing all the components we’ve seen over and over, we would quickly run out of space.

See, while they are repetitive, there ARE many them.  Or, rather, there are a lot of variations on a theme.  And this is a good thing.

Really.  Think about it for a moment.  Think about the type (or types) of book  you like to read.  Surely you’ve noticed similarities among them.  Maybe you’ve even found books with nearly identical plots (whatever a PLOT is).  Did that stop you from enjoying the book?  I’d guess that in most cases it did not.

What I am getting at is this.  Writing within a genre, one that you know and love, is a great way to grow your craft.

But, you ask, if there are already so many books using these ideas, what chance does MINE have?

Frankly, it has just as good a chance as anyone’s.  Why?  Because we eat them up.  We love those books.  (We do?)  Yes.  Now take a nice, deep, relaxing breath.

OK, THAT said, this does not mean that you shouldn’t go for a new twist, a new way of saying something in a tried and true genre.  Even using a classical line or style, you are bringing your own personality, dreams, desires,  education and sense of mystery into the story.  And that, dear friends, is where the MAGIC is!