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4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Not just informative but fun to read Dec 04, 2008
By Sherwood Smith
"sherwood-smith"
I've never been into mythology as a subject of study, so it was a surprise to me that every time I picked up this book to read for five minutes, I got sucked in for half an hour or more. You can open it anywhere, pick up the context fast, and just read.
The book is written in a conversational tone, like talking over a table with someone interesting, rather than the high podium voice of academia.
Sarah Beach packs in an astonishing amount of information. She divides what she calls the grammar of myth into drama (comedy, tragedy), journeys, time, archetypes (including special objects), and popular mythologies. Her examples touch on literature but are drawn most heavily from TV and film--with specific reference, as she rewatched every single example she gives, rather than the vaguely remembered impression. If you know much about popular literature, this book is going to open your eyes to layers of meaning in familiar shows and films.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
The Scribbler's Guide to the Land of Myth: Mystic Motif's for Storytellers Jan 18, 2009
By Brenda Roberts
"author and poet"
The Scribbler's Guide to the Land of Myth: Mystic Motif's for Storytellers author: Sarah Beach ISBN: 978-1-4196-9707-4 2008 Sarah Beach is both a writer and artist. She worked for 18 years on the research team of Jeopardy!. "Unpack the baggage" If you like to tell stories, Miss Beach encourages you to tell it. She says that if you have a story to tell, then there is someone who wants to hear it. This book is written by a Christian author who loves mythology and "the old God and Goddesses". Its a challenging read but worth it. There are tips in here on everything from the history of the myths to how to write about these journeys. The layout of the book is much like a traveler's guide: the sections, Going on the Journey, Transportation, Time of Travel, Local Residents, Landscape and Theme Parks, , tell you how to layout your plans, what techniques to use to get there, the time frame of the story, the population of the story (creation of characters) and then the place and interests of the areas written about. I enjoyed this book tremendously and I can't say that I am "through" reading it. It is a very good tool, I think, for the aspiring writer of which there are several in my circle of friends. ***** available at www.booksurge.com
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Deserves a wide readership Jan 06, 2009
By Avid Reader
"The Scribblers' Guide" is not just for would-be fantasy writers, though wannabes of all ages should own it. It's a lucid introduction for students and teachers to the grand theories of myth--and entertaining as well. Highly recommended.
 Excellent guide to the mythic narrative Sep 20, 2011
By Sean Taylor
The mythic narrative drives all good fiction, from fantasy to literary snobbery. Understanding it and the influence it has on your ability to tell a strong story with compelling characters is the one of the keys to becoming the best writer you can be. I can find no better reference to help you do that than The Scribbler's Guide to the Land of Myth: Mythic Motifs for Storytellers by Sarah Beach. Sarah understands not only the importance of the mythic narrative, but also the components of it better than most.
I would strongly recommend a combo pack of this volume and James Frey's The Key: How to Write Damn Good Fiction Using the Power of Myth as a required reading, one-two punch to take your writing from decent to "damn that's awesome!"
Sarah's done all the hard work for you. All you have to do is reap it.
Invaluable. Feb 02, 2010
By Erik S. Burnham
"Erik Burnham"
"Myth," as author Sarah Beach tells us, "is the language of the human psyche."
This book is the Rosetta stone you need to crack that language. For writers, this is an incredibly useful way to bring your stories into a new league. For readers, it can help unlock new meaning in stories (sometimes, meaning the author may not have even known was there!)
The only thing it hasn't told me, exactly, is why a raven is like a writing desk, but I fully expect a future edition to cover it.
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