Storybook Topic Brainstorm

Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini, Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence, Italy (JoJan Wikimedia)

     

    The first possibility I considered for my storybook is doing creation myths. I've always liked creation myths because they are typically straight to the point and a bit silly. How did the moon come to be? This guy got mad and threw a rock up there and now it's the moon. I don't know if that actually is a story anywhere but it sure does sound like one, right? Obviously, creation myths have a bit more depth and importance than a two line story. However, they're typically easy to boil down and understand for almost anyone. That's the point. They're stories that help explain why the world is the way it is to people. I think that's fun. I'd like to tell my creation myth using a very broad scope. I want to tell the story of how everything came to be. I'd like to do it in a comedic fashion as well. I think no matter what I choose for my topic, I will write it in a comedic fashion. Creation myths lend themselves more to that comedic tone to me because they are so large in scope and often deal with gods or godlike creatures. Big characters means big situations and big situations are always ripe for comedy. For research on this topic, I read the creation myth Wikipedia page and origins of the world and the gods section of the Greek mythology Wikipedia page.

    The second possibility I considered is using tricksters as the basis for my storybook. Like I said, I want to take a comedic approach to my storybook. It's where I feel most comfortable writing. What better character to write a comedy around than a trickster. The best part about a trickster comedy is it's very easy to turn the story into a moral lesson. Does your trickster slyly defeat a dictator and prove the importance of freedom? Does your trickster fail and learn a valuable lesson about hubris? I think a trickster story would just be fun to write above all else. I get to test just how clever I can be and maybe make fun of some aristocrats while I'm at it. For research, I read the Reynard the Fox Wikipedia page, the Nanabozho Wikipedia page and a portion of The OU Trickster.

    I'm a big fan of dragons. A storybook centered around them is not out of the realm of possibility. I have always been fascinated by the fact that across cultures dragons look mostly similar but they're importance and what they're like can vary wildly. In western cultures, dragons are almost always evil, selfish beasts that need to be slain by the heroes. While in Japan and China, dragons are often benevolent creatures that are meant to be honored and celebrated. These dragons may grant wishes or have certain magical powers. Dragons being a staple in the fantasy genre also changed how they are perceived. In almost every fantasy novel, a dragon exists. Sometimes they are an ally, an enemy, a passerby or even a giver of quests. From ancient stories to modern video games, dragons rule the world of fairy tales and fantasy. Maybe I could stretch a bit beyond the folktales and stories of this class and write a storybook based on the Dungeons and Dragons Tiamat, the dragon goddess of greed. I could try to blend this version of Tiamat with the original Babylonian stories. For research, I read sections of the dragon Wikipedia page, the list of dragons in mythology and folklore Wikipedia page and the Tiamat page on the Forgotten Realms wiki.

    My final possibility would be to do a retelling of Perseus's story. I'm fairly familiar with the story of Perseus, but I'm sure I could do with a refresher and some more research. I have a soft spot in my heart for the story of Perseus when it comes to Greek mythology thanks to Rick Riordan. The Percy Jackson series was the set of stories that first made me interested in mythology in general. Since Riordan not only named Perc after Perseus but also took inspiration from Perseus's tales for Percy's adventure, I read about him first when diving into the world of Greek Mythology. I'd like to follow in Riordan's footsteps a bit if I do choose to do a retelling of Perseus. I think I'd like to tell his story in a simplistic and engaging manner. I'd want to write it like an actual storybook, something a child could read and enjoy. I'm not sure if I would try to retell Perseus's entire story or focus on one event like killing Medusa. For research, I read the Perseus Wikipedia page.