What The Lion King Taught Me About Writing
I did a post a while ago about what the Beast taught me about alpha males. From that post sprung a Beauty and the Beast themed book (Hajar’s Hidden Legacy, Jan 2012).
Today I went and saw The Lion King in theaters with my five year old son. I remembered going to see it when I was around eight, and it brought back so many fun memories for me.
Also, as an adult whose seen the movie (a kajillion times, conservatively) this time I noticed some things I hadn’t before, and I thought I would share them!
I’ll start off with the character of Simba. He’s a bit selfish, a lot entitled. He’s a bit like some of our very favorite alpha heroes. He’s the future king, and he knows it. Of course, a traumatic event alters him forever, and what does he do? He runs from it. Like many alpha males, he puts on a front that shows him as cool, relaxed and over it.
It’s only when he faces his past that he can move forward, and assume his true position in life.
This follows the path a lot of our characters, heroes specifically, have to take. In the pivotal moment, where Simba is moving past his conflict, he says ‘I know what I have to do, but that means facing my past.’
That’s a very clear, verbally stated point of resolution. At a certain point, our characters have to reach that conclusion. The realization of what’s holding them back, and finding their way forward. (though it doesn’t have to be so bluntly stated!)
In the character of Mufasa, you have that sort of ever confident, laid back alpha male. Mufasa is at ease with himself and his power. He’s another sort of alpha. Of course, I can’t pinpoint Mufasa having an internal conflict (clearly his was resolved as he was living his HEA until the unfortunate wildebeest incident!) but if I were to assign him some deep dark past, I would assume he was the type who would conceal it. Not beneath the sort of it’s all good, playboy demeanor of a Simba, but that sort of dominant, straight talking bluntness that comes from the sort of man who’s done a lot of living and maybe seen to much. (but that, of course, is conjecture! LOL)
Then there’s the storytelling. It begins with Simba being held out off of Pride Rock, and all of the animals watching him as he’s presented to the world. It ends with Simba’s son being presented in the same way.
After everything takes place, after the world falls apart and is put back together again, things go full circle.
One of my books begins with the heroine, buttoned up and concealed by her makeup and well-fitting clothes, the things she used to keep people at a distance. It ends in the hero’s office with her discarding all of those clothes, all of those walls. It’s that sort of circular image, though not as literal as what you find in a cartoon.
I was struck by the brilliance of The Lion King again today, and I feel like it gave me a lot to think about in regards to writing, storytelling and character.
Have any unlikely sources taught given you a light bulb moment?
Comments
7 Responses | TrackBack URL | Comments Feed
Now you’ve opened a can of worms. I cannot tell you how much I have loathed the Lion King over the last few years. It was my son’s favourite film and he made me watch it every day for years and years and years. These days you’d have to tie me to the chair to make me even think about watching it. However, having read your blog I’m going to have to dig out the video, that’s how long ago it was, and re-evaluate everything. Darn you Maisey Yates.
Aww…eek, Karen. If it’s so bad, just go ahead and read my post! LOL. I get an eye twitch when Word World comes on sometimes, but I’m mean and won’t let my kids watch things that drive me totally insane.
Great post, Maisey. I look at films totally differently now, can see all the ‘moments’, the character arcs, goals and motivations etc, etc. Anyway, the one film I saw recently-ish that made me have a lightbulb about conflict and the layers of it was Inception. Delving into that guy’s memory of his father was like excavating all the different layers to a character’s conflict. Was awesome! 🙂
You know Mrs Yates it’s kinda scarey how our brains are in sync sometimes because my last post was about the movie Mulan! I love the movie even though I haven’t watched it in ages but I did have a very good think about what was keeping the two main characters apart and how that affects them. So if writing about the Beast inspired Hajar’s Hidden Legacy does that mean we can look forward to seeing a bit of Simbar or Mufasa in the new duets you’re writing?
Oh yeah, Jackie, Inception was very interesting conflict-wise! BUT DID IT STOP SPINNING?
Elissa, I must read your post! I love Mulan! And you know, there was a bit of Simba in Hot Rod. The devil may care exterior hiding all of his scars…
I love the Lion King 🙂 Great post, Maisey.
Yay! Thanks, Lacey!