The literary era since 1979

The dinner was quite sumptuous, and the next dish would be served immediately after the previous one was finished and left.

Everyone was eating and chatting, and the atmosphere at the table was lively and cheerful. At this moment, Mike suddenly asked:

"Teacher Fang, can you teach me how to write a script?"

"movie script?"

After getting a definite answer, Fang Yan wiped his mouth with a napkin and asked, "Why did you suddenly want to learn how to write a script?"

Luo Diane half-jokingly explained that ever since Mike attended the Golden Globe Awards on his behalf and went on stage to accept the Best Screenplay Award, he might have been inspired and had a growing desire to become a Hollywood screenwriter.

Fangyan asked, “Is that so?”

"I won't deny that there are reasons for this."

Mike admitted it generously.

After all, whether it was the scripts of "Saving Private Ryan" or "Artificial Intelligence", both he and Bai Ruoxue were credited as screenwriters.

Steven Spielberg, Kubrick and others may know that Fangyan was the only one who actually wrote the film, but those who are not aware of the situation may mistakenly believe that they have a share of credit in the film script. As a result, Hollywood film companies, big and small, repeatedly approached Mike to ask for scripts.

"So you're afraid of being exposed."

Bai Ruoxue's mouth corners slightly raised.

"No, no, no, I really want to ask Mr. Fang to teach me how to write a script."

Mike said sincerely that when he has learned enough, he wants to adapt the biography he wrote for his father, "Blood and Sand", into a script.

Luo Dai'an, Bai Ruoxue and others were stunned at first, and then had different expressions, with satisfaction, approval, recognition and so on written on their faces.

"Your filial piety is commendable, but writing a script is not as easy as you think."

Fang Yan nodded and said, "Although you have a certain literary foundation, you don't have any screenwriting foundation or creative experience."

Mike said, "Teacher Fang, I have been studying and catching up on my knowledge of screenwriting!"

"I can attest that he has indeed read a lot of books on screenwriting recently."

Bai Ruoxue echoed, "Even when I was picking you up at the airport, I was still reading The Thousand Faces of the Hero."

"A hero with a thousand faces?"

Fangyan said with interest.

“It is a book on mysticism that traces back stories related to heroic adventures in almost all mythological systems around the world, and then reveals the same heroic archetypes… It is said to have great reference value for religion, anthropology, literature, and film studies.”

Mike gave a brief introduction.

Fangyan said: "Indeed, many movie scripts are actually variations of myths."

Mike was embarrassed and perplexed. Although he could understand every word of "The Hero with a Thousand Faces", he couldn't understand them together:
"Teacher Fang, this book doesn't have an instruction manual like an electrical appliance. I don't know how to use it."

"How about this, you bring me The Hero with a Thousand Faces and the screenwriting guide you usually read."

Fang Yan said, "I'll take them back and have a look at them to see how far you've come in learning about movie script writing."

"Great!"

Mike didn't bother with the last dessert. He hurried upstairs and ran down quickly.

After the party, everyone left and went home happily. Fang Yan took the book and was driven back to the single-courtyard house with Gong Qian by Bai Ruoxue. "Li Zhi and I live on the first floor."

Bai Ruoxue pointed to the two rooms downstairs and said, "Li Zhi has been in San Francisco for the past two days, so the rooms are empty."

Then he pointed to the stairs and said, "Sister Gong Xi, you and Teacher Fang's room is on the second floor. I have already packed it up."

"Thank you for your hard work, Ruoxue."

Just as Bai Ruoxue and Gong Xing were reminiscing about the past in the living room, Fang Yan walked straight into the study.

I saw various business textbooks on the desk, including Bai Ruoxue's and Li Zhi's, neatly stacked in rows.

Fangyan sat on the bench, crossed his legs comfortably, and flipped through "The Hero with a Thousand Faces".

The content is far more complex and diverse than what Mike said, involving comparative religion, comparative literature, anthropology, archaeology, literature, psychology and other disciplines, constructing Campbell's unique mythology system. The core idea is actually -

The myths of different cultures around the world have a universal prototype, which is called the "original myth".

The heroes in myths are basically carved from the same mold. Although the heroes in myths of different eras and nationalities have different appearances, they are actually just variations of the same hero in different cultures and eras.

Moreover, the story patterns of the growth of heroes in myths of different nations can be roughly summarized as departure, enlightenment, test, and return.

Simply put, the "hero" first lives in a safe but monotonous and boring Novice Village, and then suddenly "God will give this man a great responsibility", there is an accidental crisis, event and task, forcing the hero to leave the Novice Village and set off.

For example, Frodo in "The Lord of the Rings" accepted the mission of escorting the ring, and the elves, dwarves and the human king were all bodyguards.

In Journey to the West, Tang Monk seeks Buddhist scriptures, and Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Monk are also bodyguards.

Next, the hero has to go through all kinds of hardships and needs a mentor. The key is "the master leads you to the door, but the practice depends on yourself." In order to promote the progress of practice and witness the results of practice, it is necessary to establish a powerful BOSS for the hero who can stimulate his potential.

Also known as the "Road of Trials", it involves going through layers of challenges and tribulations, defeating the BOSS, reaching the destination, and then getting "various treasures" similar to clearance rewards, including wealth, equipment, and even beauties, and ultimately saving the world and becoming famous.

This is true for The Lion King and Spider-Man.

Perhaps it is more exaggerated to say that the superhero movies in the Marvel Universe are basically "popcorn movies" following this routine. The reason why even Marvel fans gradually stop buying into Marvel movies is not only because of political correctness, but the key is that this heroic routine has been used too frequently and people are sick of it.

Even if it's a full banquet, you can't eat it every day, not to mention that Marvel movies are just a KFC family bucket.

Page after page, Fangyan gradually understood Campbell's concepts of "myth" and "hero".

At this moment, Gong Xing knocked on the door. "Ruoxue made some coffee. Would you like some?"

Fang Yan said, "Okay, I just need to write something, so I'll drink some coffee to wake myself up."

"Didn't you just write 'Major Crime Squad' for 'Mystery World'? Why are you writing again just after arriving in the United States?"

Gong Xing's eyes were filled with pity, "Aren't you afraid of exhausting yourself?"

"It's okay. It won't take much effort."

Fangyan waved his hand.

Gong Xing asked, "What are you going to write this time?"

"Mike wants to be a screenwriter, right? I'm going to write a movie script writing standard for him based on the three-act theory."

Fang Yan said: "There is also "The Hero with a Thousand Faces". He can't handle it. Then I will refine Campbell's ideas and write a user guide to teach him how to write heroic stories, just like I taught him how to breakdance." (End of this chapter)