Tag Archives: mythology

creating characters, part 4: story archetypes

In part 3 I described how to start building a character by snapping together 2 different kinds of archetype: a heroic archetype, using the book The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes & Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, … Continue reading

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what does story mean, anyway?

Storytelling became something of a dirty word in the 20th century, at least among writers of serious fiction. It was seen as the concern of lesser, commercial writers. I’m not sure things are changing even now, but in this serious writer’s … Continue reading

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Middle Eastern Mythology by S. H. Hooke

Middle Eastern Mythology by S.H. Hooke My rating: 4 of 5 stars This concise, authoritative text gives an excellent overview of the myths of the ancient Middle East and their interconnections. I bought this little Pelican paperback in January 1986, … Continue reading

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Satan by Jeffrey Burton Russell

Satan: The Early Christian Tradition by Jeffrey Burton Russell My rating: 4 of 5 stars In this second book in the series that began with The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Jeffrey Burton Russell picks up … Continue reading

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The Devil by Jeffrey Burton Russell

The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity by Jeffrey Burton Russell My rating: 4 of 5 stars (I originally posted this review to Amazon.com in April 2008.) Drawing on many different sources, the author suggests how the … Continue reading

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The Orion Mystery by Robert Bauval & Adrian Gilbert

The Orion Mystery: Unlocking the Secrets of the Pyramids by Robert Bauval My rating: 4 of 5 stars My personal introduction to the Great Pyramid of Giza was in January 1982, when I traveled to Egypt. At that time there … Continue reading

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the artist and his doubts

In my life I have struggled to come to terms with the role and value of the writer—the creative artist generally—in the world. I’ve always had a strong creative urge that demanded expression, but when I got to be a … Continue reading

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The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell My rating: 5 of 5 stars One of the most important books of the 20th century, Campbell’s breakout text transformed the word myth from denoting something antique, primitive, and false into … Continue reading

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