S18:E10: How to Write Mythic Fiction: Stop Borrowing Old Myths and Start Creating New Ones
About this episode
This episode explores how writers can create new mythic fiction by reconnecting with the deeper sources of symbolism and meaning.
What makes a story feel truly mythic? Many writers assume mythic fiction comes from borrowing archetypes, retelling old myths, or layering symbolic imagery into a story. While there is immense value in studying mythology, fairy tales, folklore, and archetypal storytelling traditions, something important has been lost in many modern conversations about mythic fiction. The old myths aren't powerful merely because of their plot structure or symbolism. They are powerful because they emerged from their creator's living relationship with symbol, transformation, mystery, dream, and the deeper psyche. In this episode, I explore: • Why so much modern "mythic storytelling" can feel strangely hollow • The difference between inherited myth and living myth • Why writers often approach archetypes from the outside in • How mythic resonance actually emerges in story • Why mythic storytelling matters during times of cultural transformation • How writers can reconnect to the symbolic imagination itself What if the role of the writer is not simply to preserve mythology, but to participate in it? If you've ever wanted to write stories that feel more resonant, symbolic, emotionally alive, or…
More episodes of Helping Writers Become Authors
- S18:E13: The Psychology of Story Endings (+5 Tips to Write a Truly Satisfying Ending)
- S18:E12: Why We Need Heroic Stories: The Courage We Borrow From Fiction
- S18:E11: How to Write Mythic Fiction: 7 Practices to Reconnect With the Lost Art of Mythmaking
- S18:E09: Thoughts on How the Marketplace Is Shaping the Stories We Tell
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