Creating the myth

Why do some stories capture our imaginations, while others don't? Why do some heroes inspire while others annoy? Linda Seger has an idea about that and she shares her formulas for creating heroes that people love in this selection Creating the Myth from Making a Good Script Great.


To begin Seger describes the myth as, "the story beneath the story". Despite cultural back grounds and geographical separation, the myth is universal. It speaks to us all on the most basic human levels. A good story be it a movie, comic, or book will incorporate the different aspects of myths.


The central and most important part of all myths is the hero. After all without Jason there would be no reason for the Argonauts to set sail. Without the hero there is no story. Seger has a formula form making heroes. In a nut shell Seger's formula is to first introduce the hero before he is a hero, in his average surroundings. This is so that we can sympathise with the pre-hero. Next introduce something wild into the hero's mundane life, and give his something to fight for too. Now we the audience get to sit back and watch the pre-hero blossom into a eral hero.

The introduction of the hero as just another average Jo is very important; its part of the reason why we care so much about the hero. They are a direct reflection of us, they could have been us. By watching our once normal heroes do great things, we realize that we to can do great things. That's why Spiderman is a better hero that Superman. We can all relate to Peter Parker in a way that we never could to Clark Kent. Its also why Batman is a better hero that Wounder woman. Even though Bruce Wane is an over achieving rich boy we appreciate is lack of super powers. Wounder Woman on the other hand is totally alien. Not many of us share the experience of growing up on an island with a bunch of Amazons.

There are two types of myth searching and healing. In the old myths that involve a search there is always something to go get. Some very physicalobject that must be attained. A lot of modern day comics still involve the search myth but instead of the exterior physical object, they are searching for an intangible idea. They wish to rid the city of crime, this is something that is an interior search. The second myth is the healing myth where the hero starts out broken and the trials he faces heal him. Love is a strong force in the healing myth. The Punisher is a good example of a broken hero in a healing myth. It this type of myth is not the heroes average Jo background the we sympathise with its his hurt and loss. After all if you can make the Punisher cry about his girlfriend, then maby you don't need to feel so bad about shedding tears for your own hurt. Just please refrain form blowing John Travolta up.

The formula is not set in stone, and there are good stories out there that may only contain small amounts of it, but that's sort of the point. Seger is not asking us to just keep remaking the same old myhts. She is offering a way to make an ok story great, by giving it more depth and meaning.