Hi Reader,

You want to write something – the next billion-dollar movie, hit TV show, or bestselling novel. Maybe a story so stellar it becomes all three. But you don’t have an idea. And staring at that blinking cursor isn’t helping inspiration strike. The good news is that you don’t have to start from scratch. You can build upon the thousands of stories that have been told before you ever sat down at your computer.

Picking one of your favorite yarns to use as a template for your own project is a time-honored Hollywood tradition. Writers often use templates both as jumping-off points and as a road map. The old adage that “there are no new stories, just new ways of telling them” is true.

You can borrow concepts, character dynamics, or plot structure. If you put your own spin on a template, it’s not stealing; it’s inspiration.

Where do you find this inspiration? Everywhere! All kinds of stories work as templates.

This month we will explore some of my favorites.

Fairy Tales, Myths, & Legends

Fairy tales, myths, & legends are the oldest stories. Many of them were told around campfires before people were reading and writing. They are a wonderful resource for writers. For instance, in Cold Mountain (2003), instead of Odysseus’ journey home after the Trojan War in the Odyssey, we follow the struggle of a Civil War soldier to return to his true love. Fairy tale parody Shrek (2001) borrows liberally from the Arthurian legend Tristan & Isolde. Like Tristan, Shrek falls in love with the princess he is supposed to be escorting to her fiancé. Even old movies used fairy tale plots. In Ball of Fire (1941), stripper Barbara Stanwyck hides out with seven professors, who are standing in for the Seven Dwarves. TV series also raid fairy tales for ideas. “Exile,” an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise (2003), is a version of Beauty & the Beast with a female crew member gradually falling in love with her alien captor.

An updated spin on a classic fairy tale is always popular. In Snow White & the Huntsman (2012), Snow White teams up with the Huntsman to take down the evil queen. She becomes an action hero instead of a victim lying lifeless in a glass coffin, rescued by Prince Charming. Similarly, in Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013), the children have grown up and use their experience to save others from evil witches.

Note: Disney’s live action remakes of their animated movies don’t count because they are telling (relatively) straight versions of the stories instead of using them as inspiration.

Greek and Roman myths are a perennial favorite. The Percy Jackson books and films are about a kid who discovers he is the son of Poseidon. The Netflix series Kaos (2024) sets the Greek myths in a modern day Greece with grocery stores and gas stations. The series changes the myths of Orpheus & Eurydice, Ariadne, and Prometheus, shaping them into a mortals versus Gods conflict with a dark comic tone.

Other mythology can be fodder for your stories. Thor and Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are from Norse mythology.

There are thousands of fairy tales, myths, & legends from cultures all over the world you can mine as inspiration. Do you have a favorite?

Read more fairy tales, myths, and legends:

​Fairy Tale list​

​Greek Myths ​

​Norse Mythology​

Office Hours Reminder

The first office hours will be today, Thursday October 10th 6:00 PM PST! The subject will be writing compelling characters.

To get the Zoom link, please sign up for Writing Compelling Characters here.

The Dialogue Doctor Podcast

This week I talk with my favorite writing teacher, Jeff Elkins, AKA the Dialogue Doctor on his podcast about screenwriting, novel writing, networking at conferences, and how to pitch yourself and your projects.

In Case You Missed It

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​The End is the Beginning​

​How to Find Your Writer's Voice​

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Cheers,

Lindsey

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