My Book of Stories: Write Your Own Myths by Deborah Patterson

My Book of Stories: Write Your Own Myths by Deborah Patterson
Buy My Book of Stories: Write Your Own Myths by Deborah Patterson at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Children's Non-Fiction
Reviewer: John Lloyd
Summary: Not perhaps the most successful book in this colourful and educative series, but with a world of myth to explore, the chance to write from this inspiration is still rife.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 96	Date: September 2016
Publisher: The British Library Publishing Division
ISBN: 9780712356435
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I don't know about you, but as a young child I was always looking ahead, not backwards. Musically, I could bear a few of my older brother's records, but wanted to know what was released next week, never what was in the charts of my parent's era. I think the same would have been said about my reading, and my interests – although that's only to a certain extent. I don't think I'd have thanked you for pointing to my dinosaur books, right next to my space and science fiction shelves, and I think I'd have preferred you to see the latest novel, rather than those books of myths I also enjoyed. Myths? They're, like, old. But they don't need much embellishment to be seen as great fun. The next step, however, to see them as something you yourself could write, well – that's a bit greater. But it's one taken by this book, nevertheless.

This being the fourth in this series I've met, I've long come to known the author's format. She sticks to it here, with four chunky chapters with which to explore her subject, before we're off on many a flight of fancy to create our own mythological fiction. We look at the powers of the gods, so we're asked to write about a battle with fate, or a fun retelling of the Midas myth. Myths have strange animals, so here they are – including, of all things, that long-lost Beowulf sequel, set at a football stadium (well, that's just one suggestion for you). Love comes next, but that's not completely icky, as Demeter needing to be reunited with Persephone is featured, and there are hints to get us writing the latter's thoughts about the arrangement made over her head. Finally, the human heroes get a look in, and both the activities of the he-men and the power of Pandora's determination are involved.

One slight difference with this book is that there was a sense of the author struggling slightly to make her impetus suitably general – to repeat, there was a very firm prompt to have the modern day Grendel return in one of a few places. The imagination of the person using this book isn't going to be restricted at all, but I did not see the open expanse of possibility as in the other brand-new addition to the series, regarding Fairy Tales. I also felt there were fewer launch-pads for your own stories overall, partly because there was more context given regarding myth.

We have always had a smattering of quizzes and puzzles to give us pause and recap while going through these books, but here were several double-page spreads explaining things, too, and conveying elements of myth to us. This could be credited with making the book more educational this time round, only it's not a hugely successful result – we're shot from one area of the world and its myths to another, and while we're shown the connecting things in common we never get much footing on anything before we're away again. So while this tries and perhaps fails to educate about myth, perhaps there is nothing more commendable than being told to reproduce elements of it in your own creativity, and once again that is here. So graphic novels, character invention and design, and most importantly thinking outside the box in regard to what's gone before, are all featured – and once again will fill up many a dull afternoon with inspiration.

I must thank the publishers for my review copy.

How to Write your Best Story Ever! by Christopher Edge will go a great distance to putting the words needed for your stories at your command.

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You can read more book reviews or buy My Book of Stories: Write Your Own Myths by Deborah Patterson at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy My Book of Stories: Write Your Own Myths by Deborah Patterson at Amazon.com.

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