Disney announced they are releasing, Mufasa: The Lion King at the end of 2024. December 20th, to be specific. More than thirty years since the first release in this beloved series we are getting the backstory on Mufasa. How did he become one of the greatest leaders of the Pride Lands? Why was Scar so angry and cynical?
I love backstories. They help me understand what to do with the ups and downs of life. The hero’s journey inspires me to keep trying after failure. And I gain insight and empathy for why people have opted for the dark side – grabbing for power or turning away from love.
Since I mostly write personal narrative, backstories remind me to not just tell what I’ve found but show when I’ve been lost.
I think of the time when my daughter was about three-years-old and asked me, “Mama, have you made any mistakes?” And I told her about the time right after I got my driver’s license, when I went too fast around a corner, and rolled the car end over end five times.
When I relayed to my mom that I told that story to my daughter, she laughingly responded with, “THAT was the mistake you went with?” Clearly she thought I should go with something smaller when choosing from my plethora of mistakes.
But I was fascinated about my dad’s stories about trial and tribulation he felt when he went to study in India for two years in his 20’s. The way he talked about loneliness and isolation was genuine. When he described the sadness he felt when his buddy in the program tried to commit suicide it was believable. Who wants a preacher that has never been tested in life? Or a parent for that matter?
My friend, Phil, who climbed and guided mountains for more than 45 years, likes to joke, “Bivouac is French for mistake.” While his translation is a joke, the lesson isn’t, and he didn’t discover it in good weather. He learned it when he was climbing high up on Mt. Everest. He was pummeled by a storm and had to hunker down to survive the night. It’s reassuring to climb with a guide who knows not to make that mistake again!
In a culture where we tend to post our best moments to social media, and sometimes forget how to be vulnerable and authentic enough to talk about our worst, it seems like it falls to writers to remember to include a believable backstory. After all, that’s often how the best kings are made, right?
I’ve published a related story that gives some of my backstory on my personal blog: Writing Last Lines That Count
[By the way, Rebecca from the Fake Flamenco blog has a great post on Heroines/Heroes: 5 Ways Heroines Differ From Heroes.]
My other projects include hosting a podcast that features inspirational creatives and being part of a team that teaches/speaks about corporate creativity. My book about my journey to find what fueled my dad’s indelible spark and twinkle can be found on Amazon: Finding My Father’s Faith.
(featured photo from Pexels)
You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @wynneleon