Want to write a kick-ass novel based on mythology? Do these things.

Characters from ‘Sinners’

Recently I have been to the World Book fair 2018 at New Delhi to talk about my new book and how to write mytho-fiction.

Below is a summary of what I have talked about, for the benefit of other writers who are interested in writing mytho-fiction in the Indian literary market.

1) Rethink the Genre

The first things that come to mind when we think of mytho-fiction are re-imaginings and re-tellings - the same stories in a different language, a different setting or a different era, in a different sense of realism etc.

For example, the Amish school takes older epics and gives them a historical fiction vibe, rooting them in reality. Ashok Banker tells Ramayana as it is, just in better writing. But we need to understand that mytho-fiction doesn’t just have to be re-tellings and re-imaginings. We can tell new and original stories based on these stories, these settings and these characters. We can take these concepts and make them our own by telling entirely new and engaging stories that interact with these concepts. We can either use these tropes, subvert them , turn them on their head or play with them.

Don’t be chained by what has come before. These stories and settings should be a platform to say new and interesting things. Everyone who first hears of my first novel Vajra, immediately concludes that it’s a retelling of the myth of Indra but it is not. It’s a sci-fi novel which also explores the themes from the story of Indra. My new book, which is part one of a trilogy called ‘Sinners’ takes its premise from the myth of Kalki but immediately veers off into telling a character driven story set in post-apocalyptic India. The myth of kalki is an interesting vehicle to tell this unique story. This is not the story of Kalki. This is the story of people who have to deal with a grounded and dark world in which the myth of kalki becomes reality.

So don’t be confined by what you think the genre has to offer. Do not be cornered by what currently is selling or what the current authors are doing. There is a lot to explore. Be original and be bold. Tell the story that only you can tell.

2) Skip the lectures

One of the biggest pitfalls of mythological fiction is the flawed exposition — long walls of text in which a character explains all the information that the author has accumulated over his/her research — a lecture on the mythological and spiritual leanings of the author. Avoid this as much as possible.

Not only is this patronizing, but also inherently uninteresting and takes a reader right out of the book. In real world, there are no random monologues dished out by people to move the plot forward. Always think if a dialogue is plausible in real world. This is something some of the best writers always take care of. If you observe good writers like George RR Martin or great film writers like Quentin Tarantino, it’s their dialogues and how they flow that make their writing superior and fresh. Do not lecture your readers. Entertain them. If they want huge info dumps they would be reading non-fiction and not fiction.

3) Plot still matters

Just because you have a good idea or a good mythological source to explore, doesn’t mean you do not care about the actual plot. You are still telling a story and it is your duty to tell the story with a tight plot without holes and with the right pacing, right motivations, dramatic conflict and right payoffs.

You are taking your readers on a journey. You are still the chief navigator and pilot of this journey. Just because you are telling a story based on a source doesn’t mean it will run on auto-pilot. Always care about how you would perceive the story as a reader. Do not become a sellout and compromise on the core themes and what you actually wanted to tell with the story but at the same time remember that you are telling the story to someone and be empathetic about your reader.

4) Trust your readers

Never underestimate the intelligence of your readers. Never doubt or insult your reader’s capability to comprehend your story. Do not dumb down your ideas or story just because you think the audience won’t get it. Never assume that readers don’t want complex stories, don’t want unconventional stories or don’t want intelligent and unique stories.

We have enough authors doing that already. The current crop of books are carefully tailored products pandering to the lowest common denominations among the reading community. Current Indian literature has grown a lot in terms of quantity but at the expense of quality. We always had a great literate history with brilliant literature and poetry. The current state is stagnant, stale and unoriginal compared to our earlier endeavors.

Do not contribute to this vicious cycle of producing mediocrity which would in turn fuel the illusion of demand for mediocrity since readers consume it for the lack of options and which in turn sponsors more mediocrity and ultimately similar mediocrity is created. Never doubt your reader’s ability or taste. Write your best and refuse to dumb it down to pander to anyone.

5) Make your characters real

As much as mythology is about the fantastic and the divine, it is also about the human heart, human traits, flaws, choices and failings. Do not make your characters uni-dimensional, cardboard cutouts without any personality, growth or trials.

Just because you are writing about Gods or mythical beasts, doesn’t mean they are not complex characters. Always remember that your characters need to change during the course of the story. They might grow or fall, live or die. But make sure they are not stagnant. What arcs are you giving your characters? How do their actions and the actions of those around them affect their psyche and their decisions? How does the story change their world view? Make sure your characters behave like real people and not like vehicles for the plot to go from point A to point B.

Any mythological story is ultimately about how the ordinary interacts with the extra-ordinary. If you do not get the ordinary right, the extra-ordinary will only remain a superficial gimmick.

6) Have consequences

This is a key factor that makes or breaks a story. Often in mythological settings, the characters are really powerful. Because of this, authors often make the mistake of making the world and the actions of those in it have no consequences on the overall plot or the main characters. This is bad storytelling.

A good story and a properly realized world should always have consequences. Your protagonist and his band don’t just march into danger or perform heroic world changing deeds without facing any consequences. Everything that happens should alter the world, the setting, the current status quo and the characters in one way or the other.

The action in your story should be fantastic in its execution while very grounded in its aftermath. This is how mythological fiction also becomes good fiction. Without consequences, the story remains a shallow work that doesn’t really say anything. Without consequences, the readers stop caring about the characters or the fate of the world that they inhabit.

These are 6 key ideas to remember when writing a fast paced, action packed mytho-fiction.

My new book —  Sinners: The dawn of Kalki