Archetypes in Fiction

Today was a very stressful day. *sad face* Had to go to court to finalize an adoption (awesome!), but got like fifty phone calls in between, and when I came home, I had a virtual Mount Everest of laundry (which I have yet to tackle....hence the blogging....ahem...).

But! On a brighter note, I am going to take my sons on a date to see Red Riding Hood before it leaves the theaters. Anyone seen it? Any good? Wait, don't tell, because I'm planning on seeing it anyway.

Which brings me to my post topic. Archetypes in fiction. See, every good fairytale is really just a take on one of the basic archetypes out there. Anyone every read any of Joseph Campbell's works or Women Who Run With the Wolves? If not, check 'em out. Really good stuff. Growing up, (and heck, even as an adult), I am a little wee bit embarrassed by listing reading as one of my hobbies. Because, let's face it, to the outside world (aka non-readers or writers), that doesn't sound very. . . cool.

But in our defense, if you've read a little Freud or Campbell, I have come to the notion that we as human beings read stories, listen to stories, as a way to connect with ourselves and the world around us. When we read, we are working though our issues, learning, and hopefully growing.

Some of my favorite classics are The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Chronicles of Narina, The Black Cauldron, Harry Potter--so it comes as no surprise that my current MS is basically a"hero's journey"--it's a storyline to which I'm always drawn. And everyone knows that the typical Romeo/Juliet storyline continues to thrill, with each and every new generation that comes along (loved Simone Elkeles' take on that with Perfect Chemistry.)

Anyway, so the next time someone makes you feel bad for reading, tell them to mind their own business. You're working.