July Theme: Let There Be Light

Apologies to the faithful this month may be a little blasphemous

In June, we zipped around the world inspiring stories about people and place:

This month we’re looking above

We’ll take our inspiration from the powerful, mischievous,and inscrutable gods of Old and New. And seeing if these beings of creation can inspire ours.

What was the genesis of this?

This all started for me when I read American Gods.

I’d bumped into Neil Gaiman’s work via Good Omens, but had until recently not read anything of his own works for some unknown, blasphemous reason.

I so made swift amends, and hail Mary, what a good book it was.

Truly inspiring

Both its subtle reimagining and clashing of old and new gods and their mythologies with hints of the cultures that spawned them. All set in a realistic but increasingly magical world.

It got me thinking if I include enough religion or mythology in my own stories, because it’s a wonderful bit of texture and tapestry to a world.

It’s important in our world, it should be important in fictional ones too.

Religion as world-building wallpaper

Gods and their mythologies have shaped human existence since the beginning of time. Explaining the natural world or what is correct and honourable human behaviour

As seen by that culture at that time. Because we all know, a lot of mythology (or fairy tales) doesn’t date very well, relatively speaking.

We should all be so lucky to have a story retold for a thousand years

And every major culture has had their own unique pantheon of gods and goddesses with many famous examples.

• Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, and Apollo are part of the Greek pantheon.
• The Norse gods include Odin, Thor, and Loki.
• The Hindu pantheon includes Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Mythology has been a huge part of many cultures around the world for millennia. Used to teach lessons, entertain, and even explain every natural phenomenon.

And it’s still an active part of our stories today

Like in my daughters’ (and wife’s for some reason) current favourite song from Moana. Where Maui sings in You’re Welcome, about his contributions to her world.

Gods are symbols of aspects of life, and their stories and morals often reflect the values and beliefs of the culture they come from.

Because of this, religion and mythology are a rich source of inspiration. Adding depth and realism for believable and compelling worlds.

With people and cultures that feel ancient, with their own relics and miracles and creation stories. Or stories for explaining why their lives are as they are.

And why they should continue as such.

The hero will inevitably become entwined in the stories of the gods

This interaction makes stories feel real and alive, more relatable and understandable for readers. And full of both resonance and wonder. Perhaps it's the hero that challenges these stories and reshapes how life should be led.

We can reimagine gods as part of our own worlds

For example, they can represent different aspects of the world, such as the sun, the moon, or the stars.

Or different aspects of human life, such as love, wisdom, or war.

Or they can add a sense of mystery or magic to a story.

Each of these beliefs tells us something about the culture and values of the people who hold them.

For example, the Greek gods are often portrayed as being jealous and vengeful, while the Hindu gods are often seen as being wise and benevolent.

Considering the role of religion, culture, beliefs and cultural values and creates a deep source of motivation and character development, plot points and, of course, world-building.

Pick a god and run with it

So this month, I’ll challenge you to pick a side and write a story inspired by one of the many gods of old or new.

Gods that you know of and hopefully some that you don’t. And even a few you might not have considered gods at all.

But if you think about it, you may see that we worship many of them at some point nearly every day.

A Month of Five Fridays

So you can bet your last prayer bead the last week will be a little different.

Don’t sit back and relax; the first prompt is coming up today as well!

Join in and practice in public

Everyone has a story in them. Don’t write by yourself; write with friends.

And if you’re seeing this as an outsider, join us. We’ve got cookies. 🍪