We all have our heroes, be it real or fictional. But what if you woke up one day and realized you could not recall who your heroes were? You try to summon them but neither name nor image comes to mind.; it is as if the knowledge has been wiped from your brain. You feel as if an essential component of your persona has been stolen and you must, at all costs, get it back. Write the story of your quest to reclaim this lost knowledge. Good luck!
"He watched without moving. The bird was defenseless in the world except for the intensity of its life."This feels like the stuff of haiku to me, hence:
Imagine a curse has been laid upon you; it drains every last bit of your confidence as a writer. Each time you confront the blank page, the horror of having Zero Confidence overwhelms. Write the story of how you regained your confidence (Note: This is, of course, a bit of a paradox, but what the heck!).
Remember,you are writing a fairy tale. For purposes of this anthology, let's borrow/modify a few ideas from Tolkien's On Fairy-Stories. Your tale should include these elements:
Escapism: By this we mean escape from an accursed condition. Each writer should consider the specific nature of the curse that robbed him of his confidence. What elements of the curse is specific to your condition/circumstances as a writer? Why did this curse befall you?
Recovery: In this case, recovery means a return to, and a greater appreciation, of your normal (i.e., mundane) condition as a writer. What is that you (re)discover upon regaining your confidence?
Eucatastrophe: This was Tolkien's term for the sudden, unexpected turn of events that leads to a happy ending. This may be the most challenging aspect of your story, coming up with a turn of events that absolutely makes sense given the context of your writing career.
"This fellow Balzac is a wizard...He touched the head of this mountain girl with an invisible finger, and she was transformed, carried away in a dream. It took her a while to come down to earth."Thus was the reaction of a young Chinese woman, living in a remote village, after reading a passage from Ursule Mirouët by Balzac. I offer this as further proof that story is not magic's by-product.
When Nanashi was five, she was the prettiest girl in her village – then came the night the Golden Dragon caught the falling star. As she watched the spectacle in the night sky, a glowing flake broke loose from the meteorite. It burnt the young girl’s cheek, leaving a horrid scar, tough and red like the skin of the Japanese ogre known as the Oni.Ten years later, the girl who grew up enduring taunts of “Oni Face” sets out to find the Dragon, hers to torture and execute. Then she encounters Okami, the Great Gray Wolf. He brings news of a startling augury linking her to the Sword of the Fallen Star, the very sword forged from the meteorite that burned her face. In Nanashi, the aged and careworn wolf sees a soul consumed by wrath and self-loathing; he offers his friendship, as well as way to find the sword, hoping to sway her from the path of vengeance.Meanwhile, there is another tortured soul who wishes to inflict suffering upon the vainglorious Dragon. It is the embittered Man Crow. In his possession is the Dark Blade, a merciless weapon forged with but one purpose: to challenge the Sword of the Fallen Star in a contest to determine which is the better sword.As for the Golden Dragon, ten years have passed since he inexplicably went missing. Soon he will return with, of all things, a cure for the girl’s scar. His intentions, however, are hardly noble and the gift he brings – that of beauty reclaimed – might be one the Girl with the Oni Face will forever regret.
