Prodigious writing going on at this end - all day Saturday and Sunday - it feels good.
This is a Sunday blog - a real thought drain that you may find very boring.
Heroes, popular ones, that's where my head's at.
More and more of How To Survive Your 20's centres around escaping the matrix (treadmill, system, real life), using the film's own hero Neo as an example of just what is possible once that feat has been achieved - anything.
But how many people will Neo resonate with?
Possibly just the sci fi boffins and film buffs among us... so it's time to diversify from my main hero into other mythological figures who my readers will sympathise with.
20somethings, that is.
All good heroes start at the beginning of their journey / quest / mission as relatively normal folk. Frodo Baggins a case in point. But Frodo is a bad example of a 'hero'. Short, huge ears and with little sex appeal, he ain't for my readers even though personally I consider him one of literature's pluckiest big time heroes. 20somethings don't really dig Tolkien, other than as a Christmas day family flick.
Joseph Campbell comes to mind - deceased obsessor of mythological figures and no less than George Lucas' inspiration behind the green and great Yoda. Yoda is an excellent hero - and one the 20something will strongly identify with - time to watch all 6 parts again, darn. But Campbell believed that everyone had the right to be a hero of some kind. Neo is a case in point - starting out as a lowly IT wizard, he escapes the matrix, defeats the machines and saves the human race. But he doesn't do it for the attention, he reluctantly does it because Morpheus recruits him and he has no choice.
Similarly, if you choose to identify yourself with the warrior Arjuna from the Bhagavad-Gita, it is because that particular hero has found and resonated with you as Neo has with me.
Identifying with a hero is not an inflation of our ego, but rather a realisation that we have much to learn from a particular character.
So it's time to compile a list of heroes that I can draw on to form the ancient wisdom at the core of my book.
Neo and Yoda are great starts. But Morpheus may prove a stronger option than Neo from The Matrix.
Self-help itself has some proper heroes. Lao Tzu rocked with some seriously radical thinking as far back as 5th century BC. Marcus Aurelius said 'accept only that which comes to you woven in the pattern of your destiny' in the 2nd century. Boethius realised the worthlessness of most material things in the 6th.
It is these guys as opposed to the Robin Sharma's and Anthony Robbin's of this world that my readers will dig.
But they need modern counterparts.
The footballer philosopher Eric Cantona could be one of them - but he is French and my primary market is american. They won't get it.
For the time being I am going with Yoda, Morpheus, Li Mu Bai from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and the ancient dudes.
Hmmm. Some real people may prove useful in my search for credibility. But real heroes such as Cantona aren’t mythological... the great things about characters is that they have been created by great minds - thus they always transcend their human counterparts...
George Lucas / Campbell with Yoda. The Wachowski brothers (matrix dudes) with Morpheus and Neo. Ang Lee with Li Mu Bai (from him to gay cowboys? what next? lesbianic Martians?)
So why doesn't the modern world have top quality minds like Lao Tzu, Aurelius and Boethius?
We do. I just haven't been published yet. Actually, I am about to press 'publish', so cancel that.
Discovered is a better word. I haven't been discovered.
It is time, I feel.
My destiny awaits.
I am feeling very strong about this week.
Heroic in fact.
Writing time: Hours and hours and hours
Manifestation: 100% (I’m back.)
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4 comments:
WOW!
The notion of hero is so subjective. For me, I think of Campbell and the Dalai Lama as profound philosophical/spiritual heroes in my life...they transcend religion and inspire me to lead a truly fulfilling life. We are each drawn to different heroes and we rely on those heroes to inspire our individual journeys.
I like where your head is at with this. I'm sure you're already in the process of doing this but I think it would be great to consider what kind of hero you want to be. What legacy do you want to leave? How broad of an audience do you want to appeal to? What specific virtues do you want to strongly embody?
I think that you could even be a channel for heroes...leading 20-somethings to find that hero that specifically inspires them. There is something really powerful about that.
I'm honestly inspired just reading this post. It immediately sent me into reflection about who my heroes are currently (another significant consideration being that our notion of heroes evolves as we do) and why I am not turning to them more frequently.
Oh, and I did pick up The Secret yesterday. I've read some of it and skimmed through other parts. I really do like the central message...very basic but something we constantly need to remind ourselves of...the power we possess over our thoughts and thus, happiness. I'll be honest though, I'm not thrilled about how often money comes up and how they propose that if a person's thoughts are consumed with wealth, it will come. I understand that they do not claim that wealth is fulfilling in itself but more so that a person is capable of achieving what they set their mind to. Still, I couldn't help but be slightly irritated by that.
But I think the idea is a great starting point and very inspirational. I can't help but mention that I feel The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama would be a great following read...for that delves more into happiness and fulfillment. But truly, The Secret is great. Already, yesterday, as a negative thought would creep into my mind, I would immediately eradicate it with something positive, and it worked. I look forward to reading the rest.
Looking forward to hearing about your progress this week...sounds like you are in the zone. Cheers!
hey guys. as usual thanks for your comments.
one thing about the secret, as you have each mentioned the book... i watched it on DVD first - then bought the book, and i have to say the film is so much more impactful. in fact i think the book is weak in comparison. Rhonda Byrne only wrote the book after she had made the film - it was really just lifted out of the script of the film - which in its nature was fairly unscripted as it is essentially a documentary about the law of attraction. The script emerged from whatever the contributors chose to say when byrne filmed them, so the book always feels a little second hand to me. watch the film!
It is a little... over produced though. Quite cheesy in fact, but I guess it appealed to my sunday morning side.
B - re: what type of hero do i wanna be?
I'm gonna think about that and blog it today. it's a tricky one - what the hell do i stand for?! I agree - heroes are so subjective. they reveal much about their disciple.
I guess you're about find out just how narcisistic and vain i really am.
the antiguru... a new breed of teacher.
haha just kidding.
Please don't get me wrong...The Secret is still impactful, despite some of that cheesiness you refer to. Immediately after reading just a few pages, I was compelled to share it with a couple of my siblings who could use the inspiration greatly. I talked to my brother (an aspiring but dejected screenwriter who is also insanely creative) briefly about the book's premise and he immediately seemed inspired and hopeful. And I feel the same.
But, yes, I'll have to check out the movie, as it sounds great!
As far as being narcissistic and vain...I think we all have to be to a healthy degree. I'm sure you have more hero potential than you may be aware of.
And "antiguru" may be exactly the handle you've been looking for! With all the cynicism out there...that may make you wildly successful, although I doubt as fulfilled! :)
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