The practical application of literary studies in creative writing : an introspective research project

Abstract

The aim of this project is to develop a means of applying literary theory in a practical manner in creative writing. The focus of the project is on characters. The goal is to use literary theoretical texts that discuss characters to develop the characters that I have created in my creative writing. The two academic texts used are “Portraits of Travelers” by Tzvetan Todorov and “Re-visioning the Spider Woman Archetype in Kiss of the Spider Woman” by Mira Wiegmann. The characters that I use in this project are Tristan – a crystal automaton infiltrator – and Oliver Arc – the son of Arachne. The analysis of the academic texts and their usage in the development of my characters uses an introspective research method, specifically narrative sensemaking through autoethnography. The goal of the project is to develop my characters into round characters, a concept coined by E.M. Forster.