Rap or Romantic?
I have been given 5 lines in this exercise which I must try to guess whether they are excerpts from Rap songs or from Romantic poems.
Her untimely exit from her, heavenly body – Romantic
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion – Rap
Victims of worldly ways, memories stays engraved – Rap
A dead bird flying through a broken sky – Rap
Drive my dead thoughts over the universe – Romantic
The Changing Face of Poetry
I’ve never been a fan of poetry, so I find answering the question of whether I prefer the modernist or postmodernist forms quite hard to answer. In school we were made to read a set list of poems and then analyse them to such an extent that all enjoyment was sucked from the exercise and we all groaned at the mere mention of ‘Poetry Lesson’. I think the only poetry I’ve looked at willingly since then has been the wording of ‘The Gruffalo’!
From the example of a fractured poem that the textbook gave me and the description of it as ‘downbeat, austere and gloomy’, I do not believe that I would be a fan of the modernist style.
For this exercise I am to read extracts from three poems; ‘The Herefordshire Landscape’ by Elizabeth Browning, ‘Slough’ by John Betjeman and ‘The Lost Land’ by Eavan Boland.
I am then to answer the following questions;
Which one…
‘The Herefordshire Landscape’ by Elizabeth Browning.
This is my choice for ‘Which one purely evokes a sense of place?’. I chose this because within the excerpt there are only descriptions of sights and smells which relate to the subject.
‘Slough’ by John Betjeman
This is my choice for ‘Which one makes a social comment about progress and place?’. I chose this because within the excerpt there are several refences t the social situation at the time. It is clear that it is set during the war whilst Slough was being bombed. The food convoys were being attacked by the enemy so the country was highly reliant on preserved food. Living under conditions such as these affects peoples mental health which is being alluded to with the last line ‘tinned minds, tinned breath’.
‘The Lost Land’ by Eavan Boland
This is my choice for ‘Which one speaks about place in relation to identity and exile’. I chose this because of the language used by the poet. The excerpt speaks of leaving a loved land, of comparisons between that land and family.
In this exercise I am to think of as many character archetypes as possible, I am then to research to find out some more.
Initial archetypes that I came up with.
I found a surprising amount of character archetype examples when I started to research the topic.
Oxford Dictionaries definition is that “an archetype is ‘a very typical example of a certain person or thing”
Initially I found this table of 12 common archetypes from writerswrite.co.za.
Writers Write. (2019). Welcome to Writers Write – Writers Write. [online] Available at: https://writerswrite.co.za/ [Accessed 18 Jul. 2019].
The article then went on to further break down the 12 archetypes into ego types, self types and soul types.
The Four Ego Archetypes
1. The Innocent
Motto: Free to be you and me
Core desire: to get to paradise
Goal: to be happy
Greatest fear: to be punished for doing something bad or wrong
Strategy: to do things right
Weakness: boring for all their naive innocence
Talent: faith and optimism
The Innocent is also known as the: utopian, traditionalist, naive, mystic, saint, romantic, dreamer.
Examples of The Innocent that I could think of; Nancy(Oliver Twist), Mrs Barnum (The Greatest Showman), Neville Longbottom (Harry Potter)
2. The Orphan/Regular Guy or Gal
Motto: All men and women are created equal
Core Desire: connecting with others
Goal: to belong
Greatest fear: to be left out or to stand out from the crowd
Strategy: develop ordinary solid virtues, be down to earth, the common
touch
Weakness: losing one’s own self in an effort to blend in or for the
sake of superficial relationships
Talent: realism, empathy, lack of pretence
The Regular Person is also known as the: good old boy, everyman, the person next door, the realist, the working stiff, the solid citizen, the good neighbour, the silent majority.
Examples of The Orphan/ Regular Guy or Gal that I could think of; Ron Weasley (Harry Potter), Superintendent Hastings (Line of Duty), Robin Ellacourt (Cormoran Strike books)
3. The Hero
Motto: Where there’s a will, there’s a way
Core desire: to prove one’s worth through courageous acts
Goal: expert mastery in a way that improves the world
Greatest fear: weakness, vulnerability, being a “chicken”
Strategy: to be as strong and competent as possible
Weakness: arrogance, always needing another battle to fight
Talent: competence and courage
The Hero is also known as the: warrior, crusader, rescuer, superhero, the soldier, dragon slayer, the winner and the team player.
Examples of The Hero that I could think of; Rob Stark (Game of Thrones), Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinders), Simba (The Lion King), Harry Potter (Potter franchise)
4. The Caregiver
Motto: Love your neighbour as yourself
Core desire: to protect and care for others
Goal: to help others
Greatest fear: selfishness and ingratitude
Strategy: doing things for others
Weakness: martyrdom and being exploited
Talent: compassion, generosity
The Caregiver is also known as the: saint, altruist, parent, helper, supporter.
Examples of the Caregiver that I could think of; Sybil Ramsbottom (Discworld series), Molly (Rivers of London series), Alfred the butler (Batman)
The Four Soul Archetypes
5. The Explorer
Motto: Don’t fence me in
Core desire: the freedom to find out who you are through exploring
the world
Goal: to experience a better, more authentic, more fulfilling life
Biggest fear: getting trapped, conformity, and inner emptiness
Strategy: journey, seeking out and experiencing new things, escape
from boredom
Weakness: aimless wandering, becoming a misfit
Talent: autonomy, ambition, being true to one’s soul
The Explorer is also known as the: seeker, iconoclast, wanderer, individualist, pilgrim.
Examples of the Explorer that I could think of; Neo (The Matrix), Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love), Jon Snow (Game of Thrones)
6. The Rebel
Motto: Rules are made to be broken
Core desire: revenge or revolution
Goal: to overturn what isn’t working
Greatest fear: to be powerless or ineffectual
Strategy: disrupt, destroy, or shock
Weakness: crossing over to the dark side, crime
Talent: outrageousness, radical freedom
The Outlaw is also known as the: rebel, revolutionary, wild man, the misfit, or iconoclast.
Examples of the Rebel that I could think of; all social superheroes ie Batman/Superman, Weasley Twins (Harry Potter), Timone+Pumba (Lion King)
7. The Lover
Motto: You’re the only one
Core desire: intimacy and experience
Goal: being in a relationship with the people, work and
surroundings they love
Greatest fear: being alone, a wallflower, unwanted, unloved
Strategy: to become more and more physically and emotionally attractive
Weakness: outward-directed desire to please others at risk of losing
own identity
Talent: passion, gratitude, appreciation, and commitment
The Lover is also known as the: partner, friend, intimate, enthusiast, sensualist, spouse, team-builder.
Examples of the Lover that I can think of; Romeo+Juliet, Lewis Litt (Suits), Emil (The Toymakers)
8. The Creator
Motto: If you can imagine it, it can be done
Core desire: to create things of enduring value
Goal: to realize a vision
Greatest fear: mediocre vision or execution
Strategy: develop artistic control and skill
Task: to create culture, express own vision
Weakness: perfectionism, bad solutions
Talent: creativity and imagination
The Creator is also known as the: artist, inventor, innovator, musician, writer or dreamer.
Examples of the Creator that I could think of; Kaspar (The Toymakers), Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio character in Inception), Granny Weatherwax (Discworld series)
The Four Self Archetypes
9. The Jester
Motto: You only live once
Core desire: to live in the moment with full enjoyment
Goal: to have a great time and lighten up the world
Greatest fear: being bored or boring others
Strategy: play, make jokes, be funny
Weakness: frivolity, wasting time
Talent: joy
The Jester is also known as the: fool, trickster, joker, practical joker or comedian.
Examples of the Jester that I can think of; Weasley twins (Harry Potter), Nimitz (Honor Harrington series), Jeremy Osbourne (The Peep Show)
10. The Sage
Motto: The truth will set you free
Core desire: to find the truth.
Goal: to use intelligence and analysis to understand the world.
Biggest fear: being duped, misled—or ignorance.
Strategy: seeking out information and knowledge; self-reflection
and understanding thought processes.
Weakness: can study details forever and never act.
Talent: wisdom, intelligence.
The Sage is also known as the: expert, scholar, detective, advisor, thinker, philosopher, academic, researcher, thinker, planner, professional, mentor, teacher, contemplative.
Examples of the Sage that I could think of; Dumbledore (Harry Potter), Cormoran Strike (Cormoran Strike series), Mark Darcy (Bridget Jones Diary)
11. The Magician
Motto: I make things happen.
Core desire: understanding the fundamental laws of the universe
Goal: to make dreams come true
Greatest fear: unintended negative consequences
Strategy: develop a vision and live by it
Weakness: becoming manipulative
Talent: finding win-win solutions
The Magician is also known as the: visionary, catalyst, inventor, charismatic leader, shaman, healer, medicine man.
Examples of the Magician that I could think of; Harvey Spectre (Suits), Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinders), Samuel Vimes (Discworld Series)
12. The Ruler
Motto: Power isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.
Core desire: control
Goal: create a prosperous, successful family or community
Strategy: exercise power
Greatest fear: chaos, being overthrown
Weakness: being authoritarian, unable to delegate
Talent: responsibility, leadership
The Ruler is also known as the: boss, leader, aristocrat, king, queen, politician, role model, manager or administrator.
Note: There are four cardinal orientations: freedom, social, ego, order. The types have a place on these orientations.
Examples of The Ruler that I could think of; Cersei (Game of Thrones), Voldemort (Harry Potter), Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars)
The article then led me to another table with a longer list of Character archetypes.
In total this then gave me quite an extensive list for which I was to then come up with an example for each from an existing story and describe their function whether psychological or dramatic for the next part of the exercise.
The way I am interpreting the function of the character is to think about whether their purpose is merely to add to the action of the moment (dramatic), or if their actions satisfy some expectation of or provoke a reaction within the reader/viewer.
| Archetype | Example | Function |
| Hero | Harry Potter (Harry Potter) | Psychological. For the reader to cheer on to victory. |
| Villain | Voldemort (Harry Potter) | Psychological. For the reader to want to see thwarted by the Hero. |
| Sidekick | Ron Weasley (Harry Potter) | Psychological. To support the Hero, often with their own obstacles to overcome such as Loyalty. |
| Mentor | Obi Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) | Psychological/Dramatic. To guide the Hero on the Quest. Often used as a dramatic object such as a Martyr. |
| Narrator | Narrator in non-fiction | “Often achieves its momentum not just through narrative -but also through the meditative intelligence behind the story” www.thoughtco.com ‘Narrators in Creative Nonfiction’ Accessed 02/06/2019 |
| Collateral Damage | Anyone wearing a red security team vest who goes on an Away Mission in Star Trek | Dramatic. Often nameless victims to add to a body count. |
| Doomed Lover | Bellatrix LeStrange (Harry Potter) | Psychological. Engages with emotions of the reader. |
| Ladies Man | Sir Lancelot | Psychological/Dramatic. Often provides an obstacle for the Hero to overcome. Can also be the basis of a storyline in their own right, for example ‘Redemption’. |
| Ne’er do Well | Mungdungus Fletcher (Harry Potter) | Psychological. Engages with emotions of the reader in negative manner. |
| Creator | Kaspar Goodman (The Toymakers) | Psychological. Engages with the emotions of the reader. Promotes the idea that anything is possible, anything can be created with enough belief. |
| Caregiver | Molly Weasley (Harry Potter) | Psychological. Engages with emotions of the reader in a positive manner. |
| Ruler | Lord Vetenari | Psychological. Wields authority over a situation involving the Hero. |
| Jester | Fred and George Weasley (Harry Potter) | Dramatic. Amusing side-line character with often no substantial contribution to the main plot. |
| Regular Guy/Gal | Dean Thomas (Harry Potter) | Dramatic. Additional low-level character with no substantial plot involvement. |
| Lover | Lavender Brown (Harry Potter) | Dramatic/Psychological. Dependent on their place in the plot. For example, in Wuthering Heights this character archetype has substantial contribution to make and would be more Psychological than Dramatic. |
| Outlaw | Sirius Black (Harry Potter) | Psychological. Engages with the emotions of the reader/viewer often in appositive manner. Outlaws are often pitched as a figure to admire. |
| Magician | Jacques Goodman (The Toymakers) | Dramatic. Has powers beyond that deemed ordinary or explainable by the confines of the story. |
| Innocent | Neville Longbottom (Harry Potter) | Psychological. Can be used as a tool for delivering justice. A champion for the innocent and unsullied. |
| Explorer | Lara Croft | Psychological. Engages with the emotions of the reader who can relate to the urge to explore and adventure into the unknown, often restricted by available resources in the real-world. |
| Rebel | Fred and George Weasley (Harry Potter) | Psychological. Much like ‘Outlaw’. Engages with the emotions of the reader/viewer often in appositive manner. Rebels are often pitched as a figure to admire. |
| Sage | Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter) | Psychological/Dramatic. The wise all-knowing character that assists the Hero with the delivery of warnings/wisdom/information. |
| Analyst | Sherlock Holmes | Psychological. A methodically thinking character that delivers logical explanations for dramatic situations. |
| Anti-hero | Newt Scamander | Psychological. Relatable to a lot of readers. The Hero who is forced into becoming so through situational requirements. |
| Benefactor | Tony Stark | Psychological. A resource character who enables the actions of the Hero. |
| Bully | Dudley Dursley (Harry Potter) | Psychological. A character that will provoke negative reaction in the reader and unite them with the Hero/victim. |
| Beaurocrat | Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) | Undecided. A character designed to follow the rules. Possible use as Psychological when the character is lured into new behaviour? |
| Catalyst | Princess Leah (Star Wars) | Dramatic. A character who is the key to events progressing throughout the plot. |
| Child | Peter Pan | Psycological. Relatable to all readers, everyone can remember the optimism and imagination of youth. |
| Coward | Wormtail (Harry Potter) | Psychological. Stimulates the emotions of the reader in either a positive (redemption/showing courage) or negative (betrayal of the Hero) manner. |
| Curmudgeon | Ebenezer Scrooge | Dramatic. |
| Dreamer | Walter Mitty | Psychological. Engages the positive emotions of the reader. Everyone has a dream that they aspire to accomplish. Empathy with this character is simple. |
| Extraordinary Man | James Bond | Psychological/Dramatic. Engages with the aspirational emotions of the reader. |
| Gossip | Unable to think of one. | Dramatic. Secondary device that can be used in plot progression. |
| Guardian | Newt Scamander (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) | Psychological. Protects the weak, provokes positive reactions from the reader/viewer. |
| Thrill Seeker | Unable to think of one. | Dramatic. |
| Messenger/Herald | ||
| Hermit/Loner | Mad Eye Moody (Harry Potter) | Dramatic |
| Hunter/Predator | Terminator/Alien | Psychological/Dramatic. Archetype that could either be the main focus of a story or a secondary device used to advance the plot. |
| Introvert | Walter Mitty | Psychological. Could be used in an investigation of the psche or used as an ‘Awakening’ storyline. |
| Investigator | Cormoran Strike | Psychological. Often also the Hero. |
| Judge/Mediator | Unable to think of one. | |
| Leader | Margaret Thatcher – The Iron Lady | Psychological. Can be used to show the many different facets required in being an effective leader. |
| Manipulator | Harvey Spectre (Suits) | Psychological. Often relatable to the audience. |
| Martyr | William Wallace – Braveheart | Dramatic. Often a sacrificial character frequently for a noble cause as seen by the character. |
| Masochist | Unable to think of one. | |
| Masquerader | Unable to think of one. | |
| Monster | The Incredible Hulk | Dramatic. Can be good or evil dependant on the storyline. For example, zombies vs Frankenstein. |
| Penitent | Dr Bruce Banner | Psychological. Penitent or remorseful character who wishes to atone for previous actions/constant character flaws. |
| Perfectionist | Unable to think of one. | |
| Pleaser/Show-Off | PT Barnum (The Greatest Showman) | Psychological. Seeks admiration/applause from the masses. |
| Poet | Unable to think of one. | |
| Rogue | Han Solo (Star Wars) | Psychological. Rogues often prove highly relatable. Can be Side-Kicks to the Hero or be of general assistance in the plot. |
| Saboteur/Betrayer | Wormtail (Harry Potter) | Dramatic. Can betray for either redemption back to the side of the good guys or fall victim to greed and betray the Hero. Not often the sole subject of a plot line. |
| Samaritan | Unable to think of one. | |
| Scholar | Unable to think of one. | |
| Sensualist | Christian Grey (50 Shades of Grey) | |
| Slave | Dobby the House Elf (Harry Potter) | Psychological. Can be used to provoke sympathy within the reader/viewer. |
| Survivor | ||
| Sycophant | Bellatrix LeStrange (Harry Potter) | Psychological. Slavish devotion |
| Temptress | The Red Witch Melisandre (Game of Thrones) | Dramatic. A temptation or obstacle for the Hero on the Quest. |
| Thief | Artful Dodger (Oliver Twist) | Dramatic. A character that takes whatever they require for personal gain. Depending on the pitch of the story could be seen in either a positive or negative light. For example in Oliver Twist the Artful Dodger provokes more sympathy than Bill Sykes. |
| Trickster/Jester | Fred and George Weasley (Harry Potter) | Psychological. An archetype that lightens the mood or brings levity to intense situations. |
| Victim | Unable to think of one. | |
| Waif | Puss in Boots (Shrek) | Psychological. Appearing innocent and weak often as a deception. |
Exercise 1 – Choose a novel or a film or a play you love and map it to The Hero’s Journey
I have chosen to use another J.K Rowling creation as I know it quite well, I would have chosen Harry Potter if the course textbook hadn’t used it as an example!
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Act 1
Endangered animal enthusiast and lone wizard, Newt Scamander, The Hero, arrives in New York with a suitcase full of creatures. He travels the world saving endangered animals, restoring them back to their natural environments and gently educating his fellow wizards about them. Carrying out this vocation is hisOrdinary World.
Newt receives his Call To Adventure on the steps of the bank at which the Salem League is protesting against witches. He is asked if he is a seeker after truth, he is further asked to comment on the idea that witches live amongst the normal humans. Newt refuses to answer and makes a hasty exit in pursuit of one of his escaped creatures. This refusal to interact is Newts Refusal Of The Call.
Inside the bank he meets Tina Goldstien (Meeting with the Mentor) who will be Newts guide to wizarding America. He is arrested by Goldstien and taken into MACUSA, Crossing The First Thresholdtowards interacting with other wizards, not just animals.
Act 2
As Newt, Jacob and Goldstien travel New York recapturing his escaped creatures their paths begin to cross with MACUSA’s Augustus Graves. Tests Allies and Enemies.
In his Approach To The Inmost Circle, Newt is questioned by Graves who inadvertently starts to show signs of nefarious intent.
When Creedence is revealed both as the Obscurous and as a scared boy, Newt tries to save him both from self destruction and from the plotting of Graves who wishes to use Creedence as a weapon. Battling Graves for Creedence’s heart is Newts Ordeal.
Towards the end of the battle, Newt is losing and will be killed. Creedence intervenes to save him from Graves and at Newts urging, shows mercy. The saving of Creedence’s soul is Newts initial Reward. Graves is unveiled as villain Grindewald further rehabilitating Newt in the eyes of MACUSA.
Act 3
The Road Back for Newt begins with the thanks of the American MACUSA President. He is able to use one of his creatures to wipe the memory of the city thereby enabling the Resurrectionof the magical worlds shroud of secrecy.
He Returns (to the UK) with the Elixir of the promise of new love.
I am now to use the same stages of A Heroes Journey to create my own story.
Act 1
Ordinary World – A shy bear who is scared of going outside, lives in a playroom.
He likes watching planes through the window, sits in a plane and imagines flying.
Call To Adventure – Invited to a toys picnic in the garden
Refusal of the Call – Says no because scared of outside and doesn’t really know anybody.
Meeting with the Mentor – He meets Bolt the rabbit engineer. Mad Scientist.
Crossing the First Threshold – Leaves his shelf for first time, into Bolts workshop, helps him with inventions?
Act 2
Tests/Allies/Enemies
Approach to the Inmost Circle – Toys picnic gets chased off by cat, cat eats sandwiches. Bear deploys in Bolts plane with Captain Cassidys men, airdrops soldiers to secure picnic area
Ordeal – Plane breaks, too much weight, Bear parachutes out of plane with picnic, as ‘outside’ as outside can be
Reward – Saves the picnic, lands to a heros welcome, realises everyone likes him
Act 3
The Road Back – Toys get found in garden by child, put in cart and taken back inside….literally giving them a lift
Resurrection – New life as Bolts test pilot
Return With the Elixir – No longer scared of outside, dreams of flying now real, lots of new friends
I am currently reading ‘The Fairys Tale’ by F.D Lee.
Of Aristotle’s first four elements, the one which dominates is Plot. It’s a fantasy book in which a cabbage patch fairy wants to earn her promotion to become a fairy godmother, to get there she has to look after the storylines in a series of fairy tales and ensure that they work out as intended. So, essentially, the plot is about plots! The plot of the book is the dominant factor, this is followed by the lead character. So far I have noticed that there are no other particularly well developed characters, just a series of interactions which the lead has in the course of her adventures. The third most dominant element within this book is Spectacle, Thought Diction and Song are certainly present but only at very low levels.
Make a list of everything you’ve read or written or seen or heard in the last 24 hours
What I consider to be stories I have highlighted in bold.
What I consider to be art I have highlighted in italics.
I have read –
I have written –
I have seen –
I have heard –
How do you, personally, define a creative artistic piece of writing?
Until I read the essay by Hazel Smith I would have read this question and thought that it applied only to writing fiction and possibly poetry. Now however I am uncomfortably aware that it probably means something a lot more arty and abstract than I want it too! Because of this my definition is now a little les specific than it would have been.
I define a creative, artistic piece of writing as one in which the author takes the reader away from their current situation and into another moment either remembered or imagined. The words must flow from the page without tripping the eye to allow subconscious transportation.
In this exercise I am to read and take notes on an essay by Hazel Smith from the student website. It is entitled ‘Creative Writing and New Media’ in The Cambridge Companion to Creative Writing.
Notes from the essay –
I think that the implications for creative writing from the digital revolution will be positive and far-reaching. The accessibility to the written word that digital technology provides is massive. A video on YouTube is one of many examples detailing how much education has been improved by the introduction on iPads as teaching aids in South Africa.
I believe that libraries will eventually evolve into places from which you can loan out e-books. Thousands of books can be fitted onto a palm size device and transported across the globe. People will have access to stories and knowledge that may not otherwise have been possible and that is an incredible thing.
I’m a traditional book lover so I hope that they never die out entirely. What’s changed for me personally is that now I only buy books I really love, anything else I download onto my Kindle, this helps save trees and that is something else which makes me happy!
What happens to a story when you take it from its source, make it permanent in print, and disseminate it to a wide audience?
When a story is taken from it’s source it becomes entirely self reliant, it must contain all the context required to make sense if it is to succeed. When a story is limited to word of mouth in a certain area there may be subtleties or nuances that do not need to be explained.
A story made permanent in print now becomes frozen in time and will survive in it’s original form. As time passes language may evolve, everyday routines and activities as referred to in the story will change but the story itself will not. Instead it will become a form of a time capsule for future readers. One example of this could be Pride and Prejudice which is still a popular classic.
When a story is disseminated to a wide audience, particularly far overseas, it carries with it it’s sense of place. It can also then begin to gain mass popularity and traction in the market. One example of this could be the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling, despite being about a boy at school in Scotland they are read worldwide and have been translated into several different languages.
Write a list of implications arising from the printing press. For example, think about who has control/authority over the text, the meaning of the text, and the relationship between the source of the text and it’s recipient.
In this intial exercise I am to write down all the lists that I can think of about why people read and write. I am then to see what I notice about the two lists and if any of the entries are duplicated.
Why people read
Why people write
When looking at my two lists I notice that there are a couple of common factors, entertainment appears on both as does relaxation. I do not think that people are either readers or writers. Everyone is a storyteller of some sort, some people are just better at writing them down than others.
Creative Arts Today 