The basic Nine story genre is the
fantasy, which is involved with the supernatural, the representation of imaginary animals, and/or the visualization of dreams. Examples include
The Wizard of Oz,
Alice in Wonderland,
It's a Wonderful Life,
ET: The Extraterrestrial,
Harvey, and
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
Magical realism, another Nine genre, includes stories involved with marvelous and impossible events that occur in what otherwise purports to be a realistic narrative. This category is exemplified by the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez such as
One Hundred Years of Solitude and
Love in the Time of Cholera.
Sword-and-sorcery stories (such as
The Lord of the Rings,
The Hobbit, and
Excalibur) also fall into the Nine genre, as do most
fairy tales (such as "Sleeping Beauty").
The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz, originally a book by L. Frank Baum, is best known in the film version starring Judy Garland. At the beginning of this beloved fantasy story, we see Dorothy living on a farm in Kansas with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. No one has much time for the young girl, and she is left to her own devices. She daydreams about a fantasy place "over the rainbow." A big twister comes up, and she is knocked unconscious by a window frame blown into her bedroom. She dreams the house is lifted from its foundation by the wind and lands in Oz.
Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, appears and says Dorothy has freed the Munchkins from the Wicked Witch of the East, who was crushed under Dorothy's house when it landed.
The Wicked Witch of the West appears and wants her dead sister's ruby slippers. When Glinda arranges for the slippers, which have magical powers, to go to Dorothy, the Wicked Witch vows revenge.
Dorothy wants to get home, and Glinda advises her to walk to Oz and consult the Wizard. On the road Dorothy acquires three companions: a Scarecrow (Seven) who hopes the Wizard will be able to give him some brains, a Tin Woodsman (Two) who wants the Wizard to give him a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Six), who hopes to acquire some courage.
They survive several attempts by the Wicked Witch to destroy them, arrive at the Emerald City, and finally get into the chamber of the Wizard, whom no one has ever seen. There is a big stage effect of smoke, and they hear the impressive voice of the Wizard telling them that before he will grant their wishes they must prove their worthiness by bringing him the broomstick of the Wicked Witch.
They go into the enchanted forest, and the Wicked Witch instructs her army of winged monkeys to bring back Dorothy and her dog. The Witch still wants the ruby slippers. But they won't come off Dorothy's feet, and the witch decides she'll have to kill Dorothy to get them.
Toto escapes, finds the others in Dorothy's group, and leads them back to the Witch's castle and the room where Dorothy is being held. The Woodsman breaks open the locked door with his ax. But the Witch corners them before they can get out the front door and sets fire to the Scarecrow. Dorothy grabs a bucket of water and throws it on him. In the process, some of the water gets on the Wicked Witch, who melts away.
The four of them go back to the Wizard with her broomstick, and he tells them to come back tomorrow. But Toto pulls aside a curtain, and they see a man running all the machinery that creates the impressive stage effects. They realize the whole thing is an illusion (the Wizard being a Three), and they won't get the things they seek, after all.
But the Wizard gives the Scarecrow a diploma, which attests to his brains, and once he believes he has brains, he does. The Lion, says the Wizard, is suffering from disordered thinking. All he needs to attest to his courage is a medal, and the Wizard produces one. The Tin Woodsman, who needs a heart, is given a testimonial: "A heart is not judged by how much
you love, but by how much you are loved by others." (Which might be the Two's motto.)
The Wizard plans to take Dorothy back to Kansas in the balloon he arrived in years ago. But once they are ready to go, Toto jumps out of the balloon basket, Dorothy runs after him, and the balloon takes off without her.
Dorothy is in despair of ever getting home, but Glinda appears and tells her she has always had the power to go home. All she needs to do is close her eyes, click the heels of her ruby slippers together three times and think three times, "There's no place like home."
She wakes up in her bedroom, thrilled to be home, and vows never to leave again.
Rules of Nine story genres
Here, in summary, are the unwritten rules of Nine story genres, including fantasy, magical realism, sword-and-sorcery stories and fairy tales:
- The Nine protagonist is driven by the need to be connected with familiar people in familiar surroundings.
- The Nine protagonist is underappreciated by herself and by loved ones.
- The Nine protagonist has little ambition beyond survival and "getting home."
- The Nine protagonist never seeks adventure or risk in real life, but has a vivid imagination and enjoys daydreaming.
- Supernatural, magic and/or mystical elements are often important in Nine stories.
- The Nine protagonist responds to events rather than initiating action. • The Nine protagonist's will is tested in the course of the story. Events force her into action and she acquits herself well.
- By the end of the story, the Nine protagonist comes to a new appreciation of home and family. And the Nine is appreciated more fully by others.
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Yes, absolutely nails it to a “T.” This describes what I like so well.
But just as I find Type 4s so attractive, so too do I enjoy artists who are, and what was suggested.
And to a lesser degree, Type 7s, those artists who are, and the described styles.
Cheers,
Ian
