The Matrix, Myth, and Me

"Myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human manifestation..." -- Joseph Campbell

I'm about to start reading my new book, The Matrix and Philosophy, and I thought I'd give an insight into a subject that fascinates me in all aspects of my life: myth. I use "myth" here in the academic sense, not the common sense which connotes a story that is fake. There is at least some sort of truth in every way that I use "myth". I find myself drawn to mythology and, in particular, the hero's journey. This applies especially to the messianic figure. These things are a pleasure to see in fiction, no matter the medium, and I feel compelled in some way to include mythology in my own work. Beyond that, however, there are also applications toward everyday living in the real world.

I always had a general affinity for mythic tales and stories told on an epic scale. In fact, The Matrix trilogy is one of my all-time favorites. I find myself to be one of the few people who loved the second and third installments as much as the first. Fortunately, a couple of years ago I found this Essays Collection written by someone who loved The Matrix as much as I did. Even better was the fact that he had a much deeper and more detailed understanding of the philosophical, mythological, and religious concepts & symbolism prevalent throughout the films. I highly recommend his essays, but I suggest an extra cup of coffee or two before reading. It is certainly an impressive synthesis of many of the world's cultures into one grand story.

Through these essays, I was introduced to Joseph Campbell who wrote Hero with a Thousand Faces. He also had a famous interview broadcast on PBS called The Power of Myth. Campbell is most famous for describing the hero's journey, which appears in some way or another across many cultures.

The more I've learned and read, the more enthusiastic I have become. I think it is definitely common to have the need to feel like we are doing something important. I always wanted my writing to feel like it could be something greater than the sum of its parts. Myth is where I get that feeling. So I resolved to fit into some kind of mythic framework. There are many ways to do this, and I expect it to come about naturally. I look forward both to writing straightforward about mythology but also to exploring how common, everyday life can also apply.

JT, the matrix has you.

Dailies

When you don't know what else to write about, write about writing! One of the most difficult things I have found in my writing is not getting inspired, it is managing all the simultaneous inspirations that are always spinning through my head. An overabundance of ideas is both a blessing and a curse. I have numerous examples of great literary visions that stall completely when I put pen to paper.

Getting ideas is fairly predictable for me. Seeing their endpoint in a grand unveiling of storytelling is a most simple matter. It's that tiny part in between that always seems to be a nagging problem. Point A to Point B. The problem with it is that the particular story I'm inspired to write at any given moment is ruled by an ethereal, mysterious, and certainly complex process that I may never understand. So, there are usually around six simultaneous Point A's trying to reach six simultaneous Point B's. Huge problem.

My friends, I believe I have solved my problem thanks to taking a page from film. There are many similarities between literature and film, especially on a philosophical level. Obviously, both require a vision. Both require the ability to take and weave complex elements into a cohesive story. Both need editing, and in my case, self-editing. Both are essentially like sculpture. Their success is in channeling what is basically the madness of creative inspiration into a story understandable beyond the artist himself. So, thanks to film I have a new management strategy for story-writing.

At the end of the day of shooting, a director will usually sit down and watch all of the footage, raw or otherwise, that was shot on that particular day. Intuitively, these collections of footage are called dailies. I, too, have decided to keep a set of dailies for each story that I write. This way I can tell the parts of the story I want when I'm inspired to tell them, and then reassemble them in the main file. If I get stalled while writing in the main file, I can go to the dailies. Or, if one character or part of the story in the dailies stalls, I can stop and move on to another one.

Sometimes, I believe I have a measure of control over my creative abilities that I don't, in fact, have. It is a mistake to think that I can completely direct creative inspiration. But, I believe a strategy like this will allow me to harness it. Who knows? Maybe my productivity will jump up a notch.

Free Will and Roman à Clef

The concept of free will in creative fiction is an intriguing one. Obviously, a character cannot be free in the true, real-world sense. A character is at the mercy of its author's omnipotence. Taking into account the entire body of work, predestination is a very clear force acting on each character. But there are certainly ways of approximating some type of simulated quality of free will. A goal of mine is to somehow free the character as he exists within the world I've created. I do this with originality. I don't use that term to self-congratulate, I mean originality as an artistic device.

Good writing does not employ roman à clef. This describes characters and events in the fiction that are literally one-to-one translations of characters and events in the real world. It is similar to allegory, but more personal to the author. At first, I made exceptions for satire. But even in that case, good satire both comments on and transcends its source material. Now, I am naturally inspired by the people I know & meet, through both their good and bad qualities, and those qualities will surely find their way into my writing. However, my characters deserve more than to be simple composites.

For me, good dynamic characters are persons. I take the inspirations I feel and the composites they derive and throw them into a character, but I feel it is necessary to go beyond that. I want to get to a sense of completion, and I need originality to do it. Each character needs its own genetic makeup.

Through styles, mannerisms, quirks, and temperaments, I can begin to establish identities that separate the characters from any real-world translations. Hopefully, they will reach some sort of individual definition. The characters can never make free choices, but they can be created from a place of freshness. I believe it's a success when they can be defined as well-developed, unique persons. Like us!

The long road to a finished work.

I'm not one to say how writing, or art for that matter, should be done. I can only speak for myself and the methods that work best for me. Many writers work in many ways. Some write from scratch without a notion of what is coming next. Others brainstorm, prewrite, outline, and plan everything out in amazing detail. Many revise and rewrite regardless of method. I would hope that most would agree the method is second to the act of creating something.

Personally, I think an analogy of piloting an airplane (how about an F-16) would be best for my style. I like to take off suddenly and just get up in the air to fly. I probably have no idea where I'm going. Then, once the initial thrill settles, that's when I draw up my flight plan. I'll execute that plan, but I reserve the express right to deviate if I see the need. At last, I lead when I'm good and ready. So the FAA probably wouldn't like that and not too many people would want to ride with me, but it works for my writing style.

There is a cliché of advice that is often said about writing, "Write what you know." I'm really on the fence about it. As far as story elements and the plot go, this phrase is very safe, but for me, writing is where I leave the safe zone. On the other hand, the emotional and thematic content of what I know is easily applicable to an otherworld of fiction.

My writing mostly assumes a good world. It is a complete range of harmony and dissonance that makes things great. And I try to depict that. There must be a complete version that includes pain & suffering, difference, and challenge within the broader picture. In order for this to be authentic, I feel these qualities should be born out of true experiences in my life. This is where a gift can be both a blessing and curse. I'm thankful for the inspiration that strikes. Unfortunately, however, it can come with consequences.

So, I am now on the long road to a finished work. Part of that involves feeling up to writing. My flight plan is set. Now, it's a simple matter of getting to my destination and landing. Let's go there.