 Fantasy: September 23, 2015 Issue [#7227] |
  Fantasy
This week: The Warrior Edited by: Robert Waltz  
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Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
-Sun Tzu
Ideas are the great warriors of the world, and a war that has no idea behind it, is simply a brutality.
-James A. Garfield
I am a Shawnee. My forefathers were warriors. Their son is a warrior. From them, I take my only existence.
-Tecumseh
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We relate to archetypes because they tap into the commonality of the human experience, transcending language and culture to expose deeper truths about who we are.
My goal is to devote a few of these editorials to the use of different archetypes in fantasy literature, starting with what is, perhaps, the oldest, the Warrior.
It's easy enough to come up with examples of this archetype in classic and modern fantasy and science fiction. Most action heroes are incarnations of the Warrior archetype. It really doesn't matter what age or universe the Warrior is in; his or her most notable attributes are physical prowess and skill in combat. Gimli from Lord of the Rings; Jayne Cobb from Firefly; Buffy the Vamipre Slayer; Achilles of the Iliad; and even Superman are but a few examples of this archetype.
This emphasis on the physical does not mean that the Warrior is stupid. On the contrary, the Warrior is necessarily cunning, observant, focused, and often skilled at other arts. While the Warrior is not above subterfuge, when it comes to conflict, she's rather direct: battle skills pitted against battle skills.
As no one can be perfect, all Warriors have at least one weakness. Of course, so do their opponents, and it's the Warrior's job to seek out and exploit that weakness.
But perhaps the most counterintuitive aspect of the Warrior is that the Warrior does not seek battle. Those who fight for the sake of fighting are not Warriors, but brutes or thugs - little better than beasts. No, the first skill of the Warrior isn't fists, swords, guns or laser blasters, but the knowledge of when to fight and, more importantly, when not to fight. A Warrior is always prepared to fight, and may even revel in it - after all, it's what they're good at - but doesn't go beating people up indiscriminately.
We all face opponents in our lives, though most modern problems aren't resolved in combat. And yet, we can all learn from the Warrior, because sometimes, we have to face our enemies - or internal demons - directly and with all the skills at our disposal. |
And some fantasy for you:
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Last time, in "Politics" , I finished up a three-part series of "Things you don't discuss in polite company but it's okay to put in your fantasy stories."
Mummsy  : Oh hey look! You put some Greek into your newsletter. You knew I'd comment on it, didn't you?
It's all Greek to me.
Magicmama  : Taking time to think about politics in your story is very wise. Even if you are doing a realist drama understanding how politics might affect your character can add a new layer of nuance to your story. At the same time it is better to leave out any that could potentially date your piece, perhaps by focusing on your character's local politics.
That being said, I think the only people around that might punch a pregnant woman would be Planned Parenthood...
Depending on the story, of course... if you're writing something set in some amorphous "contemporary time," you can't be too specific, but if you're writing about the 60s, for instance, then you research the politics of the 60s.
Starling  : I really liked this article.... Politics is not something I normally considered I needed to worry about, but since I write mostly Erotica then current laws need to be taken into consideration. Thank you again for making me think about adding another layer to my writing.
Always good to add depth.
That's it for me for September - see you next month! Until then,
DREAM ON!!!
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