Hey friends! I feel like I can call you guys that a this point. And like any good (or bad) group of friends, I think it's time we talked about that road trip you've always wanted to have. You know the one; at the place you've never been, with the currency system you don't quite understand, and the people whose language you should've learned but never got around to it. But hey, at least you figured out how to ask for the bathroom and the check. And in the end, isn't that what really matters?
My point, and purpose of this post, is to talk about going outside your comfort zone. This might echo some ideas from the Origin Story post but this is more about doing your own thing rather than absorbing entertainment from forces that bank on your nostalgia.
When it comes to creating anything, like art for instance, western culture has a distinct need to do something innovative and original, the likes of which the world has never seen. And that's a great mentality to have however...
I don't mean to step on any dreams (including my own) but part of the reality we live in is that a ton of what we produce today can be traced back to some original rendition thought up long ago, in the before time. Whether it's stories or anything just as creative, it's been done before. But that's not a bad thing, in fact it's pretty impressive. For instance, I once met a girl in college who thought up something incredibly similar to Tron, and another classmate basically invented the Incredibles. Both of them had little to no exposure of the original ideas but thought up the framework all the same. It's like that kid that figures out advanced calculus at the age of five. Sure, we already figured it out but that kid is nothing short of a genius for doing what he did.
If you enter a writing class of some kind you'll more than likely hear the fact that every story has already been told before, we just keep spinning the angles to perceive something new inside it. Or we introduce it with different concepts and values so that our mindsets consider alternative themes or peoples. Some might argue that Snow White and Sleeping Beauty (the Disney versions) outline the same core concept: girl gets put to sleep by witch and is later revived by true love's kiss.
But in my mind, I find the Sleeping Beauty story more interesting because Maleficent comes alive in a way few other early Disney villains ever really accomplished. Even the live action adaption of Sleeping Beauty that came some odd years ago re-titled the film as simply "Maleficent." The writers, producers, and director likely found her presence in the story had the most profound nuance and ran with it.
And likewise, I implore any body wanting to create something even remotely new or innovative to consider going off the beaten path. And the best way to make the most out of that "road trip" is to prepare yourself by asking questions. Where am I going? How long will it take to get there? What needs to be brought and what needs to be left behind? If you're going out of your comfort zone to push some new boundary, make the most of it. Or if you've got in you, create an entirely new comfort zone from scratch.
You can still take inspiration from what's tried and true, because like I say about my stories; they aren't going anywhere. And speaking of my stories (yes, we're at that part now) I want to share with you, a fairy tale I tried to imagine all by my lonesome. About halfway through the original draft, I discovered I accidentally created the framework for a story that was already a classic film. I'll let you guys guess what it is but I hope you enjoy my attempt to go off the beaten path.
Fabled Youth
Hey folks, welcome back, I hoped you enjoyed the read! Like always, if you want to come back to it, that link isn't going anywhere. Alright, last chance to guess what story I accidentally stumbled upon. Got your vote? Great! It's Wizard of Oz. Now I've seen the Wizard of Oz but unlike my other stories, I didn't intend to adapt the story. To be fair, that was in my original version and I've since scrapped that idea to the background of how our cast of characters initially met. North is the equivalent of Dorothy in some ways and he recruits the other seasonal spirits to accompany him in meeting the infamous Dr. Carrier (Oz).
I've since wanted to take the story in bolder directions so they sync up with a coming of age story. In order to really make this distinct, I wanted to answer questions about the collective fairy tale world I've built up. I wanted there to be a fairy tale government so that it could explain how these beings co-exist or how they resist co-existing.
And like North, I wanted to understand what it would take to question the status quo of being a young and bloodied fairy tale character. He wants to take responsibility for his own story but in doing so he is forced to confront the traditional composition of his friends. They're four friends (I use the term loosely on Seth's account) who have banded together because it seems natural. They're the four seasons after all; who better to understand each other then themselves?
Rather than seek a new "wizard" that can take them under their wing, North desires an alternative path. However, doing so requires that he parts from his closest friends and go on a journey of his own. It's not one of his own making but it's one he is called upon to do as part of the deal. North's motivations don't change; he wants a safe place (there's no place like home) for himself and others but indirectly does so through the government.
The obstacles in front of him aren't a wicked witch with flying monkeys but are instead the systematic failings of magical departments. Rather than simply accept his adult reality, North learns to work within the system to get what he wants. This is what I'm talking about when I say we should be asking ourselves questions. If we want to go to new places, we have to flesh them out. If my characters turn right at a fork, I have to know where both roads go. I have to know who built the road and is the road old and rickety. I have to know if the characters would prefer left or right and what that says about them.
It's a lot of work, trust me I know, but it's gotta get done if you want to have your road trip (real or imagined). And ultimately it allowed me to tell a story that the Wizard of Oz didn't. If I can stress anything, it's that amazing things can happen if you spend time exploring someplace new with different people who have different desires. And if at the end of it all, you discover that it wasn't all that different after all, then I consider that an even more important milestone. The merit of a profound thinker is one who considers their opposing argument in a fair context.
Of all the stories out there, thanks for reading mine for however long it took you. If you like what you've heard, follow my blog! If you've got that dream location you've always wanted to visit or if you've accidentally invented the next Big Hero 6 please don't hesitate to post that beautiful comment. We've still got eight more posts like this one (and maybe a special post thrown in here and there) so I hope to see you there!
- Pygmalion
