Sunday, September 15, 2019

Storybook Plan

Storybook Theme: 

In many (read: nearly every single one) of Marie de France's lais, infidelity/adultery is a present theme, but often it is something which is presented as neutral or even positive. I am considering taking this theme but altering it to show the negative side of infidelity, perhaps by adding or emphasizing negative consequences for those in the story who partake in it, or by including some of the stories which already have negative consequences but focusing more on them. Or, I could take another route and explore what these stories would look like if the infidelity never occurs, which might be interesting as well. So, I guess my theme would be the wrong of infidelity, or something along those lines. (That said, there's a chance I may choose to go with a different theme, in which case I will probably choose either the influence of the supernatural/mystical on the stories of Marie de France, or on the inclusion of nature in her stories.)

Story Styles:

I'm really not sure what story style(s) I'll end up using yet. I'm kind of notoriously indecisive, and it's difficult for me to choose exactly how I want to write my story before I actually sit down to write it. That said, there are a few things that I will most likely do. First, I'll probably keep a similar tone to the originals, which remind me of a troubadour's tales. They have a very magical, fairytale feel to them, and I'd like to capture that in my own writing. Consequently, I want to be sure to maintain the supernatural/magical elements that Marie de France uses - werewolves, magical ships, talking animals, etc. In fact, writing this has sparked an idea: I may actually create my stories as though they were being told by a troubadour or bard, and have that be an overarching idea that runs through all the stories. Just an idea, though, which I will likely toy around with for awhile before deciding for sure.

Story Possibilities:

For now, this will be the same as the ones I mentioned in my last project post, as I have yet to narrow it down (and, actually, am struggling greatly not to enlarge it instead! - there may end up being an inclusion of a fable as well or in place of one of these). So, the possibilities so far remain: Guigemar, Lanval, Les Deux Amants, Bisclavret, and Le Fresne.

Source for Story Possibilities:
The five stories I have mentioned above can be found here, though I may split them up and use separate sources later on, if I can find a translation I prefer, or I may just use the original French for my own purposes.

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