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Writing VS Studying a Myth

A myth is a traditional story that typically tells the journey of a god or a hero and they fight cultural beliefs, or against a moral issue.

    The difference between writing and studying a myth is much different than any other work I've had to write.

Starting off with writing.
Writing the myth was so hard. I struggled with the writing style because it is so much different than what I am used to. As controversial as it sounds, I like writing essays. I like writing argumentative text, and I do not mind writing formal texts, such as using scholarly sources. Adapting my argumentative style to a more relaxed, storytelling approach was something I was not ready for. It was different. There were so many moments when I went on useless tangents, delaying the story to insert background information. Then there were also moments where I needed to dig into my creative prowess, but this ship crashed and burned a good number of times…

About reading myths.
Reading myths was much easier. The texts are not too complex, where much analysis is needed, or I have to flip 30 pages to connect the moral; oftentimes, the moral of the story was right under my nose, and I just had to realize it. The ability to tell such a meaningful story, but, for example, using a length constraint, is a crazy skill to have. This is one aspect where I have failed in my writing. I kept finding myself writing too little or way too much, and this balance was what I was looking for. Reading a myth is also a reminder that these stories are timeless, legendary morals. I try to use a strategy when writing my myth. 

Check out my myth! The Glass Cannon


One way I can see this adapted in teaching is by helping students break that anxiety. There have been countless times when anxiety has been debilitating and has prevented student success. The fear of failure is a significant challenge that good teachers can address correctly. The distinction between a good teacher to a teacher in general is that a good teacher addresses this challenge differently, from student to student. 

Comments

  1. Hey Jackie! I think your myth was great. It was informative, it had action, it had a hero’s journey, and some incredible descriptions that really capture the mythological spirit. The final scene in the throne room was so vivid and I want to see this translated to film. From your blog post I can see that creative writing isn’t necessarily your comfort zone, but like every art form it takes practice. You definitely have a unique voice that I would love to hear more of. In all the classes we’ve been in together, I tend to read your work and respond to it because I enjoy it and always want to hear your take on things.
    To respond specifically to your blog post, I agree that myths tend to be pretty cut and dry as far as analysis, and I feel like that’s because the format is usually to answer a specific question. In the creation of a myth, you inherently need a question and the myth itself is the answer. Answers that are ambiguous aren’t great answers, so simplistic myths with a small cast of one dimensional characters tend to be the ones that endure. It can help students see the parts of stories in a much simpler way and be able to break them down and apply what they learn to more complex stories.

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  2. Hi Jackie!
    I really enjoyed reading your response. I think you really captured the essence of the lesson properly! I think it does an excellent job at identifying the need for myths and why they are so embedded in some cultures. I agree with you in regard to writing a myth. I am afraid that I don't have the creativity to write certain things, which is why I always struggled with creative writing assignments or personal ones. I have always been someone who prefers analytical essays or ones that require a well thought out thesis. I was able to read and digest myths a lot better than writing one. It’s a lot easier for me to read one than to create one, but I understand that writing one helps readers identify certain elements that allow a myth to take its shape. I think an assignment like this helps students with finding those elements and seeing where they can take place.
    - Keiry Saravia

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  3. Hi Jackie! I find it so interesting as I read your blog post that you find writing formal essays less challenging than writing the creative myth. Writing essays I feel like can just be demanding and a lot of the times lack creativity for me. I feel like a robot a lot of the time. For my personal experience reading the original myths first in our group projects and becoming familiar with them and bouncing ideas off each other helped me. Writing can be intimidating at times but like anything I believe it to be some what of a muscle? And the more you do it, it will become stronger...which will then become muscle memory. Some things that help me and inspire me with my writing skills are actually listening to music and reading more (shocker!). So perhaps this individual myth was difficult and put you out of your comfort zone, it is only going to make you an even better writer!
    -Sage Ortega

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