I am in the process of creating a most exciting forthcoming project for the follow up to my current short story available for sale, Again: From Gatekeeper to Earth Walk Departure. It is another Mow Yen story and it expands the world which she is currently incarnated in- the 3.51 dimension of Earth.
In this story we see how the Champion of Gaia, Mow Yen, goes around her sponsor and snag herself a mentor. None other than Sun Wukong; China's famous Demon Monkey King born from a Stone Mountain and key participant in the Journey to the West in order to retrieve some Buddhist scriptures for translation. This is the one and same young monkey who named himself, "Great Sage Equal to Heaven." So I'm tinkering with something that is honored, tried, and true. This is a challenging project because my story, Monkey God and His Protege, tells how Mow Yen and Sun Wukong became spiritual partners and friends until the day that Wukong leaves his body to be reincarnated again. I understand that I must be respectful of this beloved character. I'm doing my research and I swear to do right by the Monkey King (God in my story.) He is a key character in the Chronicles of Mow Yen and will be in the novels as a mentor/wise sage until he passes. His role will follow that of mentor in the Hero's Journey championed by Joseph Campbell. I envision this Monkey God as being the Monkey King after he has matured and aged like fine wine. He was already known as an example of "pursuing your dreams and ambitions, in the face of numerous obstacles and challenges; and only with cleverness, determination, and courage will one be able to overcome them to achieve success." Now he will be seen passing this knowledge on to next generation. I'll do right, promise. Thanks for Listening! Sabrina Louise Andielle
0 Comments
Well, I've been at this Visionary Fiction thing for about eight months now; trust me, it's truly an emerging genre I've latched on to. As I've spent weeks and months so far searching, not only to put my work in a knowledgeable position where I am comparing other writers and titles to myself to, but to also get a feel for what readers of the genre want, I'm finding that there are only a handful of successful, working writers engaged in this art form. But what Visionary Fiction lacks in numbers she makes up for in creativity, heart, and determination.
In the spring of 1968, Joseph Campbell learned that a mental disorder that affect more people than we would like was also an inward journey that could be closely associated with the hero journey as he so deemed the process. The illness I'm speaking on is Schizophrenia. I know a thing or two about this illness that affect the thinking as well as produces audio and visual hallucinations. It is a disease that can be related to the shaman's initiation and for some stricken with the dis-order it presents a chance to give something to the world, if it's just a well adjusted child or a friendly face that knows there is more to this world than what meets the eye.
In Lady Agape & The New Dimension, Agape has to deal with the illness on both sides of the spectrum. First her father is in the mental hospital due to schizophrenia and has been in and out of them since his wife died. Agape was just a child of 12 when this all started; so she know no stigma around the illness that affect her by handle. In the first chapter I have her visit the mental hospital where her father is dealing with visual hallucinations and I show how a loving family member interact with the dis-eased one. I wanted to show the family's side- even if just briefly. The rest of the story Agape has to deal with the antagonist, Nancy Stone, who is triggered by the illness after killing her entire family (as in parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews) and two voices arise to help her navigate through the mess she's created. My dealings with Nancy is more in depth with the illness as she is separated from her self and decide to continue walking with her illusions. I mean this was a strong young woman that had everything going for her until greed convinces her to murder. If coming too (as all with the dis-ease does from time to time) and realizing what you've done to that which you love and knowing that you must now deal with the consequences doesn't make her you separate from yourself again I don't know what will. That is, unless you're a natural born killer which Nancy is not. Afterwards she is initiated. Her initiation involves the conflict between her and the protagonist, Lady Agape, who is an unseen ancestor in this dimension- another voice, another shadow. Nancy makes it through on the other side, even with the voices and the sights. And like it or not she becomes Queen; which is her return. (But that's not the end of Nancy's Journey.) When I was brainstorming the story of Lady Agape, I knew that I wanted to deal with this mental illness and show at least two of the many sides of it. As the story continue to manifest from a private idea to a thing that can be shared, I see that even with a antagonist that has schizophrenia there is still much wiggle room left. But I can only put so much into one story. The thing I hope most is that I do the illness some honor and explain what it's like for some to the best of my ability. I see them as the brave ones who are called to take the journey of the hero by having a mind considered to need medicine in order to operate when in reality the medicine only present an obstacle at best and prevention of potential at worst. That is until the patient becomes stabilize and the medicine makes no difference because the journey has been taken, the lesson has been learned, and chemicals have been altered. For the shaman that means acceptance of who they are, that is the ultimate return that is the ultimate healing. You go shaman! In an era when all journeys are inward, maybe we all suffer from schizophrenia or at least the lucky ones. -Thanks for listening There is one thing that has been a constant in my life since I was a young girl and that is story.
I've just gotten to the point where I can recognize the parts, you know, seeing the steps to a books creation. With the formula memorized and assimilated, I figured I would only have to plug in my original parts (as original as I can get in today's era) thereby producing a good piece of story; but eve with this information there was still something missing . . . heart/passion or as JC call it divine bliss. Well, the more I read of Campbell the more I understand why a writer of myth does what she does and how the finish product is to look if it's done correctly. Meaning, I have my bliss now thanks to him and my window to the world of creating myth/story has been opened wide. That's why I have to give a shout out to Joseph Campbell. There are others with their theory of the hero's journey, but no one did it like Campbell. In all respect I had to bless my website with a mention to him. -Sabrina Holloway |
AuthorOne of those writer folk telling stories, reviewing the writer's adventure, and presenting the hero's journey. All wrapped in Spirit, the Kingdom of God, the Sanatana Dharma, the Tao, the Way, or the Absolute. Archives
February 2020
Categories
All
|