truth, legend, myth and other realities

As a little girl, I read fairy tales and believed they were true.

As a teen, I read mythology stories and believed they were not true.

As a young woman, I read world history and believed it to be true.

As a mature woman, I believe all of it but none of it to be the truth as it is given.

To me, history and myths recorded through the annals of time are intertwined.  For most of us, as we turn from small imaginative children into grown-up "reasonable" people, we come to accept that certain stories belong in "mythology" lessons and others are in "history" class.  Some are fiction, others fact and never the twain shall meet.  But, for most of us, there comes a time when questions arise about these hard drawn lines in the sand.

In my imagination, many lines are blurred regarding these matters; many legends hold more weight with me than most historical accounts.  There are clues all around for a fantasy writer to explore.  But even if one does believe in dragons,  I suppose it's best to keep such topics out of social conversation... unless you don't mind being labeled as "going round the twist"...

Personally, I don't mind much at all.

entering the unknown



Writing fantasy fiction is all about entering an unknown world.  There are no limits as to how the world is structured, who inhabits it, what they wear and eat {or don't wear/eat} and what their lives are like.  These unknown worlds find their way into my mind through various means.

I had the great fortune of living in Ireland for a while and, as a native New Yorker, was indeed entering an unknown world.  Yes, it had been over a decade since I'd departed from city life, but the Emerald Isle was quite an eye opener. 

Staying just down the road from Newgrange {pictured above}, I was awestruck by such an incredibly magical and mysterious site.  Entering the grounds, let alone the chamber itself, was one of those spine-tingling experiences that I'll never forget. 

At five thousand years old, Newgrange and the surrounding carved stones brought me straight into a fantasy story.  Who were these people and what were they like?  Everything was foreign and fascinating {and gorgeously green and round} and, personally, I never wanted to leave.

Particularly because Newgrange was built with intention for "passage", I find places like this very inspiring when writing fantasy fiction; rarely am I concerned with normal life as we know it.  My imaginings of another world flourish when I visit the unknown of this one... either in person or by looking at certain photographs/art, or by reading history and lore.  For me, it wasn't until I visited the British Isles that I truly felt the possibility for magic to occur -- in the past, in the present day, and hopefully in times to come.

photo:  yourirish.com

magical horse

As I continue in my own writing endeavors, I thought I'd share some artistic depictions of various magical horses.  Above is a tragic scene titled Unicorn in Captivity, one of the many famous tapestries in a series, which can be found here on wikimedia.

On a happier note, this is another classic, titled Virgin and Unicorn by Domenico Zampieri.  A common theme has portrayed young women with unicorns, which often symbolized both virility and purity.

Another glorious magical horse being, the pegasus, is shown here by Odilon Redon.  He painted more than one work of this magnificent creature so I'll enter two, again courtesy of wikimedia.

In closing {for now -- there are many more 'fantastic' images I'd like to share in future} here is a "plain ole" horse... because they, too, are magical beyond belief {and click to enlarge the photo, it is truly amazing - courtesy of wallpaper-s.org}



stories of redemption

I love developing a character.  

It begins with a fleeting image in my mind, asking questions:  a figure standing in protest {of what?}... or walking, deep in thought {about what?}... or gazing nervously out a window {why?} in an unfamiliar realm {where?}...

Some of these figures will be courageous "good guys", some will be supporting characters that fulfill a certain purpose and/or symbol, some will be "baddies".  But my favorite character to write tells a story of redemption.

Severus Snape has already been written and to me he was the quintessential {pun intended for HP-symbolism fans} redemptive character.  Starting out as the victim of a troubled childhood, yet knowing what love and being loved felt like, he took a series of wrong turns and fell in with the worst of the worst.  After his actions cost him the only thing he truly wanted, with catastrophic results, he devotes himself to making things right as best he can.

In this world there are many sources of inspiration for a story of redemption.  With so much evil around us, I find it comforting to create characters who can find it in their heart to have a change of heart before it's too late.



photo:  wikimedia / Dori

finding our voice in symbols

Sometimes words can be a burden.  I know, not a statement one would expect on a writers' blog, eh?  Well I believe it's true; for me, rather than explaining something in minute detail, using symbols to illustrate a message is often times far more pleasing and effective.

My mind works quite easily in the world of symbolism.  Metaphors, similes, allegories, I love them all and utilize them as much as possible.  Particularly because my writing style is rather simplistic -- meaning I don't go out of my way to use words I wouldn't say in everyday speech -- symbols are a way for my stories to gain depth and complexity.

Over the years of studying symbols, I have found that many are misused to the point where I best not include them in my writing.  An extreme example of distortion would be the swastika but there are many grey areas with various symbols having very different meanings at different times, places and cultures in history.  Having been a Harry Potter fanatic for several years {which has now subsided} I found the series to be an excellent example of the many shades of grey and how symbols might be used and/or misused.  So I try to be quite selective and do my homework. 

Whether animal, vegetable, mineral, geometry or anything in between, the world is chock full of symbols at a writer's disposal.  The style in which we get our message, or question, across has limitless possibilities when explored through the filter of symbolism.

photo:  wikimedia / Mehmet Karatay