Perhaps you know the stories of Hercules and Zeus, or stories from many other mythological traditions from around the world. These tales explain the reasons for natural events or cultural traditions, or the characters are examples of how one should or should not act. Whether you want to create a true myth or write a fictional story to entertain the public, myths ignite the imagination of the writer and listener.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Finding Ideas
Step 1. Decide what your myth explains
Many myths explain why an event occurs, how something was first created, or why people should behave a certain way. Here are some examples from existing myths:
- Why does the moon wax and wane?
- Why do vultures have bald heads?
- Why do people prepare and eat food in certain ways during some holidays?
Step 2. Think about including a moral
Some myths explain why people should or shouldn't behave a certain way. This may be a straightforward lesson with a moral at the end, but more frequently the reader gets the lesson by seeing good deeds rewarded and evil or foolish ones punished. Here are some ideas you could use as the main element of your work if you like this approach:
- The hero is only successful when he follows the advice of the elders or deities or, alternatively, only when he acts independently.
- The hero must be insightful to be successful, solving problems creatively.
- Some myths also teach that luck may be more important than skills. It can be fun to read about an "ordinary" character being rewarded or a fool who somehow becomes king.
Step 3. Translate your idea into something imaginative
Your myth may be serious or funny, but it has to be about something that doesn't happen in the real world. For example, a volcano could erupt because giants underground leave the barbecue on. A hero may be forced to learn to care for others after an evil snake turns his family into trees.
If you have trouble finding a mythological explanation for your chosen topic, write a list of words that make you think of snow. If you want to explain how a blizzard happens, write "cold, wet, white, snowman, ice cream, clouds". Maybe the snowman lives in the sky and sneezes snow on Earth, or maybe the clouds try to give us ice cream that melts as it comes down
Step 4. Create a hero
Usually the hero of the story is imposing and arouses admiration. However, as mentioned earlier, you can also talk about an ordinary person. Keep these questions in mind as you jot down ideas for your hero:
- Is the hero super strong, super smart, or incredibly talented in a certain field? Some heroes have "super powers", such as archery with perfect aim or the ability to take down people with the wind produced by their breath.
- Why does your hero have these special abilities, if any? Did the gods bless him, did he train hard or was he just born that way? What kind of person would you admire or which one do you think fits best with the real world?
Step 5. Add flaws to your hero
For a good story to succeed, the hero has to make mistakes sometimes. Here are some defects you can choose from and what they would cause:
- The hero is overconfident and ignores advice or refuses an offer of help.
- The hero is greedy and tries to steal or take something that does not belong to him.
- The hero is arrogant and thinks he is better than everyone, even the gods.
Step 6. Find ideas related to magic
Witches, gods, monsters, magical items, and imaginary places make for a funny and exaggerated myth. You can set your myth in ancient Greece and use characters like Hades or the Chimera, or you can invent the characters yourself.
If you have no ideas, read collections of myths or modern books that use mythological characters. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" is a good example
Part 2 of 2: Writing the Myth
Step 1. Write in simple, straightforward language
Myths tell a story directly, as if it were real facts. Avoid long sentences, turns of words and detailed descriptions. Don't include your personal opinion and present everything as fact.
This tends to make the story unfold rather quickly. In one version of the Hercules myth, the hydra is presented, chased and killed in just eight sentences
Step 2. Write in a mythological style
This is easier if you mimic the style of true myths, but you can also easily use the following writing tricks to make your myth sound more traditional:
- Use iconic symbols. These vary in different traditions, but often include the numbers 3 and 7, animals such as the raven or the seal, or characters such as princes or trapped fairies.
- Use the same structure for multiple consecutive sentences. For example: "For seven days he went up to heaven and for seven days he went down to go to Xibalbá; for seven days he was changed into a snake …; for seven days he was turned into an eagle".
- Give the characters short, fitting epithets. This is particularly prevalent in the Greek epic, which often uses epithets that refer to other stories, such as "Athena with flashing eyes" or "Apollo, crowned with laurel twigs".
Step 3. Introduce the setting and the main character
People usually know they are listening to or reading a myth even before they have finished the first two sentences. Here are some ways to accomplish this:
- Set the myth in the distant past or in a distant land. Think of all the stories you know that start with "Once upon a time" "Far, far away" or "Long, long ago".
- Describe the kind of hero people expect in myths. For example, a younger brother, a king or a woodcutter are very common heroes in folk tales. If you prefer more epic myths, start with a famous hero or deity instead.
Step 4. Create a reason why the main character has to do something
You can start by describing the central fact of your story, explaining for example that Prometheus decided to steal fire to give it to men. However, the story will be more interesting if the character has a motivation to behave that way. Here are some examples:
- Prometheus notes that people shiver during the winter and pray for a way to keep warm.
- A queen ignores her ailing subjects. The deities send a plague to her daughter and the queen must learn to help the people in exchange for their help in healing her daughter.
Step 5. Continue the story
The central part of the myth is up to you, and there are no rules to follow. Keep writing the story keeping in mind the phenomenon or morality you are trying to explain. If you get stuck, get the story going in one of these ways:
- Introduce a new character. It can be a deity, a spirit, a talking animal, or a wise old man. This character could describe the next challenge and how to overcome it or give the hero a magical item that he can use later.
- Create a new challenge. When everything seems to be going well again, the hero makes a mistake or a monster arrives to undo what he has done good. This is useful if you want to extend the story.
Step 6. End the myth
Keep writing until you have finished the explanation or until the hero has passed all the challenges and learned his lesson. Myths often end with a sentence that explains why the story relates to the present. Here are some invented examples:
- "And that's why the sun gets hotter and brighter every summer."
- "And since then people have brushed their teeth every night until they shine, so that the goblins who steal their teeth are frightened by their own hideous reflection."
Step 7. Read aloud while correcting
When you think you're almost done, read the myth aloud to yourself or a friend. Some phrases may sound better on paper than not read aloud, and myths are usually written to be shared in the form of oral stories. Review and correct spelling and grammar errors, then have a friend take a second look in case something is missing.
