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[aetherscribe-blog]

Mimetic Circulation

How to turn Gods and Heroes into Myths.

   Have you ever read a book or watched a movie where there is some kind of legendary figure - let’s say a God of Destruction who wants to destroy the world, right? The writer clearly intended for this story to be a sweeping epic where the gods in their story are similar to that of actual myth and yet, this God of Destruction just feels like a guy who has godly powers? This god feels more like a character and less like a Myth.

   Recently I was looking around for inspiration for more stories and ideas, and I stumbled across the theory of Mimetic Circulation. This was the generation-long game of Telephone that people have played in history, using anything from religion to folk heroes as the prop of this action. So how exactly does it work? And how can it be incorporated into your writing?

   One day in Ancient Greece, somebody came up with an idea through philosophy that the world and everything must have been created by a superior race of beings, which he called the Gods. One day, when lightning cracked the sky, the people of Greece fearfully decided that it was one of the Gods, Zeus, that was angry with them. Another day, when they got a bountiful harvest, they decided through grateful assumption that it had been the Goddess of Harvest, Demeter, that had been pleased with their worship and granted the harvest to them. This is an example of how something as plain as generic gods turned into the Greek Pantheon - through the mental portrayal of the people who worshipped them. Whether through fear, joy or bewilderment, all it takes is one individual who had a new experience and the courage to speak out about it to mentally project how they see the Gods onto other people’s consciousness. Then, it begins again.

   It’s this long chain of mental projection, or Mimetic Circulation, that really adds richness to any culture that has mythological ties. This is also the reason why myths aren’t being made to this day, because it takes generations of people to turn a belief into a myth. And so I hear many of you asking me just how exactly this can be used in your stories when you do not have generations of people on hand? Well you do - you have characters and a rich setting to work with. But there is another way as well.

   I’ve written about H.P. Lovecraft before on this blog and it’s no surprise to anybody that he is one of my favourite writers of all time. He created his pantheon of indifferent Elder Gods, such as Yog-Sothoth, Cthulhu and Dagon, and yet we can tell these gods aren’t just tangible entities - these are nightmarish deities spawned in the mind of one man. But how? Well, that is because H.P. Lovecraft was a very insecure and unstable individual who had a very traumatic childhood and early life. On top of that, his gods kept reappearing within his fiction. An example of this is Dagon, who appeared in the story based after his name, Dagon, where he simply appeared as a sea monster of terrifying proportions. In later work, however, Dagon reappears in The Shadow over Innsmouth as more of a deity or empowered being. This happens because Lovecraft kept circulating Dagon through different stories and, because of his neuroses, fears, xenophobia and (unfortunately) racism, every time he invoked Dagon or any other of his gods within his story, he would mentally project them with a new layer of horror or revulsion. His Mythos continues to go through this Mimetic Circulation to this day every time another writer, filmmaker or artist portrays the Lovecraft Mythos in their work, adding their own layer with their own mental projection.

   So how exactly is this useful? Well, it is useful especially to you fantasy writers out there who have legendary heroes or powerful gods, but they never seem to be mythical enough to the point of invincible intangibility. Instead, try to ask yourself - why is your benevolent god seen by humans as a nice god? Why do they see the evil one as a malevolent force? Gods will be seen and portrayed differently in a world bathed in peace to that of a world shrouded in fear.

   I hope this was useful or even at least interesting to anybody out there reading! If you have any questions regarding fictional writing or just about anything at all really, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and I’ll truly be happy to help! Happy writing!

- CR

[marshmclaren]

Tagged by @aetherscribe

Rules: Tag 10 followers you’d really like to know better.

Name: Sarah

Nickname(s): None sadly although when people want to annoy me or it’s my dad it’s Sarah beara

Gender: Female

Sign: Aries

Height: 5’6

Sexuality:

Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff

Average hours of sleep: lately it’s been 9 lol high school drains you mentally and physically

Dog or cat person: HOW DO I CHOSE JUST ONE!?

Why I made a tumblr: out of all platforms of social media, this is where I feel most comfortable posting my writing and posting about stuff I like. I have free range to write/post/be creative and I love and value that so much. And honestly there’s a lot more interaction between people who have same interests as me.

Thank you so much for tagging me!! It meant a lot to me!

I am now tagging @fantasticslytherpuff @percyleoironmanlover and anyone else who would love to be tagged!!!

[givology]

By Hope Gillette, Saludify    The benefits of growing up bilingual are many, and now new data further deconstructs the process that makes bilingual children so remarkable. According to research presented in the International Journal of Bilingualism, not only do bilingual children have anenhanced ability to process sounds, therefore accelerating their learning capabilities, but they also use [...]

Bilingual children have a dual-process mind and lower stress levels? Via @AetherScribe

[aetherscribe-blog]

Regarding NaNoWriMo, and an Unexpected Amount of Followers!

   As many of you wacky writers may know, we are on the precipice of NaNoWriMo. I plan on taking part of it this year and, unlike many other writers out there, I’m locked, loaded and incredibly excited as I have been planning this story for near enough a year in anticipation.

   However, with NaNoWriMo happening, I may understandably neglect the blog for a month whilst writing the story. I still plan to put a “First Lines of Books” out every day of the month as well as post regular updates regarding my progress in NaNoWriMo word count. Please, feel free to ask me any questions that need to be asked and whilst I may not answer them as quickly as usual, know that they will be answered! I understand that NaNoWriMo is a trying time for writers out there and I shall be here to help however possible!

   On another far more amazing subject, I have just recently hit 50 followers for the Aetherscribe blog! I remember back when I was amazed at having just one follower!

   That’s right, I’m looking at you, @marshmclaren! :D

   But in all seriousness, thank you all so much for following me! I hope my answers and blogs continue to be helpful or at least interesting and entertaining!

Thank you all again and happy writing!

- CR

[kittypotter16]

Dementor: Are you the wind? Woman: AARRGH! Dementor: Because I’m totally blown away by you. Woman: AAARRGH! *runs away* Dementor 2: Told you that was a bad idea.

(I go a bit nuts with the power of tagging now and then :’) (my pissy computer doesn't let me divide dialogue into separate lines - sorry)

@lttleslytherin @hermione-who @findyourpenguin @hooked-onabook @logarithmicpanda @great-were-all-bloody-inpired @snuffles-puff @storyquipster @intriguedfemale @the-forest-library @saphiraaaaaaa @youdontunderstandmyinsanity @promptograf @pastel-hearts14 @treflev @rumpykamon @ravingsofarandomer @mr-yesbody @twentyoneredsocks @lilyntlrs @aetherscribe @aswaterinlungs @vasilinaorlova @elisalromagnoli @bestcommas @szejna-blog @holzfaellerjoe @avantika-writes @jovialx @dementorskiss @dementor @dementorkissmycooch @dementorsatemysoup @dementorsandchocolate @funny-thing-s @fandom-imagines-forever @shysempi12 @delvinjoe @fireofdelmare @hectic-writer @what-is-pizza @kiwibumblebee @eddiekaspbraklovesboys @frank-iero-is-taller-than-me @kiwibumblebee @olympic-fangirl

[kittypotter16]

When You Have Writers Block And You Are Going To Make Damn Sure They Know

‘Earlier I heard a strange revving sound. Maybe it was you, trying to neatly escape on a Segway. Well, that ain’t happening, because you have a whole page of exposition to get through.’

Me, in my English exam :’) 

(really went for it with the tags on this one... :’)

@writerintraining-us @writer-not-yet @writer-or-whatever @logarithmicpanda @treflev @hooked-onabook @rumpykamon @saphiraaaaaaa @findyourpenguin @hermione-who @sarcastic-smart-person @carolynkat @miraculouslydottedcat @writersnoonereads @writer-girl-16 @writer-girl-16 @thehonestauthor @i-wrotethisforme @caitlingermain @lets-get-fictional @elvenkiing @it-is-always-4am @aetherscribe @i-am-really-sorry @everydayatleast @wordsnstuff @elisalromagnoli @writingismyescapenow @promptsonpaper @satiricalwords @theycallitmovingon @docrtrina @ambigousfern @thebeginningwriter @k-m-brown @ink-trails @fandom-imagines-forever @lilyntlrs @delvinjoe @fireofdelmare @olympic-fangirl @shysempi12 

[kittypotter16]

5 of Draco’s Freudian Slips

So, I thought this would be a fun one to write since I accidentally wrote a stellar example of Draco trying to be Lucius, and epically failing whilst revealing his gay-ness at the same time. For the record, I have no problem with gay-ness (I am bi!) I just find this stuff a laugh to write.

‘Believe me, take absolutely no pleasure in being inside you. Your school! I take absolutely no pleasure in being inside your school!’

‘My Father thinks you won’t last 10 minutes in this tournament. I. I think you won’t cost 5.’

‘Oh yeah, she was dead before you I could wipe the come off your chin!’ 

‘I won’t flirt, Father, there’s no need with these people.’

‘Oh no, Potter! You’ve got yourself a girlfriend!’

@hooked-onabook @hermione-who @sarcastic-smart-person @treflev @rumpykamon @saphiraaaaaaa @findyourpenguin @what-is-pizza @snuffles-puff @lilyntlrs @aetherscribe @fandom-imagines-forever