Question: Reflect on how your experience of creating a myth differs
from and/ or enhances the study of myth? What did you learn from this experience that you could use
in your future teaching?
I think that creating a myth was a really interesting experience
and one that would be an awesome experience for any student. The idea of
writing fiction can be a little scary for someone who has never done it before.
Myth offers a selection of archetypal characters and situations that make the
writing process a bit easier. This is why I think it is a good exercise for
students. One can be creative while still having something familiar to branch
off from. Personally, I found writing a myth really fun. Much like with the
poem exercise that we did, I wanted to follow the traditional conventions of
writing a myth to see if I could execute it properly. I think that rules can be
a good thing when it comes to writing because they give you a direction to go
in. Yes free writes are nice, but eventually people have to practice writing
with a certain audience and purpose in mind. Whether one is writing a business
letter, or a story, there has to be some guidelines to go by so it does not
become a big mess.
I found that the
traditional rules of myth still leave you a lot of room to play.
I have always
been found of Celtic mythology, I even took a class in it even though it was not required for my degree. Thus, I went with the Celtic/Welsh mythological goddess figure known as Rhiannon. Rhiannon was of
course made famous by the Stevie Nicks song, but my love for her goes beyond
that. (Though I do dig the Stevie Nicks song). I like that she is a strong, clever character more than a typical nurturing
earth mother type. Since my group is presenting on the trickster character, I
put Rhiannon in a tricky situation since I have some background in those.
I have not
had a chance to write creatively in awhile, so I was surprised when the story
just kind of started flowing. I used to write creatively for pleasure all the
time, but I am so busy these days I never get a chance. Overall, I really enjoyed this experience.
I do agree that idea of writing fiction can be a little scary for someone who had never done it before. I never considered myself creative and writing my own work has always been a taunting task for me. But at the same time, I feel like the beauty of writing fiction is that there are no rules and limitations, which means you can come up with any idea you’d like. It really is about how well you incorporate your own thoughts and ideas and turning that into a story. It will definitely help students to explore their creativity. Although there are times that you need to follow rules in writing like you said, creating your own myth gives you a chance to escape out of that boundary and let your imagination take over. However, once again, being creative is not as easy as it sounds, and it will be hard and scary to the students who have never done it before.
ReplyDeleteDear Colette,
ReplyDeleteI think that you are the type of person that strives on guidelines. You make a really good point that there is a time and place for when rules and directions are important. I just think so far, that all of the work you have composed came out really well and showcased your talents and strengths with the direction of those guidelines. I looked at the website you created, as well as the poem you recited in class. You did a really good job. Other people don’t always succeed when they follow the rules. For this project, I had to do a lot of research too. I wanted to make sure that the setting of my story was historically accurate and not ignorant to the culture. In this case, this was important for me. I’m glad I’m not the only person in the class that had this tactic. I felt like I was over-thinking it but in the end I was still really happy with the end-result.
Colette,
ReplyDeleteYour take on comparing the myth making process to the poetry one was amusing to read. I never figured to put the two hand in hand since they are each so different, but it does make sense. Your point of view on the creative aspect was something I highlighted as noteworthy, and I can see the impact this might have in a classroom. I also loved the Stevie Nicks reference, it’s been awhile since I listened to anything outside of Edge of Seventeen or I Can’t Wait, and comparing her work to the specific myth you chose was kind of enlightening. I personally think that the reason we study and focus so hard on the rules is because we need to know when to bend and break them, and that’s just something adults don’t tell their kids and students but I find it to be true. Even when it comes to the rulebook of English, rules are nice as you mention for structure, but knowing when to twist them with a specific purpose or for hammering a very specific message in a unique way is all the better. To each their own. Anyways, I did enjoy your post!
I agree with you that writing a myth can be a positive experience for any student. The familiarity of mixing up a certain set of character archetypes and situations is often great at familiarizing students with the conventions of writing fiction. Definitely a great tool to use to teach younger students about creative writing or the conventions of fiction story telling. I like stevie nicks and haven't heard of this song you are talking about so i will have to look into it as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that writing a myth can be a positive experience for any student. The familiarity of mixing up a certain set of character archetypes and situations is often great at familiarizing students with the conventions of writing fiction. Definitely a great tool to use to teach younger students about creative writing or the conventions of fiction story telling. I like stevie nicks and haven't heard of this song you are talking about so i will have to look into it as well.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe bit you said about it being interesting that there can be plenty of room for creativity, I enjoyed that part as well. With these type of creative pieces, I usually do stream of consciousness writing, with the focus of my subject being my main focus. When you mentioned needing guidelines, that was a surprise to me, glad there are people who enjoy that aspect of the education system. I personally, enjoy "big messes" that's usually where I start when I begin writing any piece. Within the chaos of it all I find order, it's quite peaceful. The orderly, aligned, and no crease type of work seems depressing. However, there must be a method to each person's type of madness so there lies some sort of order within their disorder. Stevie Nick's "Rhiannon" is one of my top listened to songs, especially because I watch "American Horror Story" TV series, and they played Rhiannon and incorporated witchcraft. Had no idea the song was inspired by a Celtic mythology my mind has been blown (just now). I am now starting to write for pleasure and I'm sure you will be able to soon enough. Your views on mythology was a nice read. Enjoyed it to the fulles
ReplyDeleteThe bit you said about it being interesting that there can be plenty of room for creativity, I enjoyed that part as well. With these type of creative pieces, I usually do stream of consciousness writing, with the focus of my subject being my main focus. When you mentioned needing guidelines, that was a surprise to me, glad there are people who enjoy that aspect of the education system. I personally, enjoy "big messes" that's usually where I start when I begin writing any piece. Within the chaos of it all I find order, it's quite peaceful. The orderly, aligned, and no crease type of work seems depressing. However, there must be a method to each person's type of madness so there lies some sort of order within their disorder. Stevie Nick's "Rhiannon" is one of my top listened to songs, especially because I watch "American Horror Story" TV series, and they played Rhiannon and incorporated witchcraft. Had no idea the song was inspired by a Celtic mythology my mind has been blown (just now). I am now starting to write for pleasure and I'm sure you will be able to soon enough. Your views on mythology was a nice read. Enjoyed it to the fulles
ReplyDelete