Obsessions

Yeah, I'm late.  I'm sorry.  Jenita starts this week's topic.

Hmmm, let's see.

1) Greek mythology.  Shocker much?  It's in my bio.  Check it.  Have I told this story before?  In fourth grade, I checked out D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths.  The rest is history.  Since then, I've gone out and devoured every book and website on Greek mythology ever.  I've also been a fan of Egyptian and Norse mythology, but they've never really captured me the way Greek has.  If there was such a thing as reincarnation, I would have been an Athenian in a past life.  Easy. Funny thing is, I remembered the first book that sparked my imagination, the illustrations, the cover, and even certain sentences word for word (yes, that is how many times I checked it out; the library should have given it to me on a permanent loan), but I could not remember the title. Last winter, when I read Percy Jackson, I was so inspired to figure it out that I spent almost an hour on Amazon pouring through titles of Greek mythology books until I found the right one. Then, I promptly ordered it.  It was like finding a piece of my childhood.  And there it sits on my desk still.  I love it.  Except the one in elementary school was in hardcover.  It's a beautiful book.  

2) Fairytales.  I love fairytale retellings of any kind.  Preferably not modern, though.  My favorite author is Donna Jo Napoli.  She does a lot of this kind of stuff, and she is a stunning writer. She's done Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel (my personal favorite), the little mermaid, Rumpelstiltskin (a close second), Hansel and Gretel, and more that I can't remember.  I very much enjoy a good Beauty and the Beast retelling, since it can be retooled in so many different ways.  Robin McKinley has done two herself: Beauty and Rose Daughter (one of the best B&B retellings ever).  I have personally tried writing Snow White, Rapunzel, and B&B.

3) Villains.  I don't have a true villain in my current novel, only characters who desire the same goal and can't share it.  But one of my great loves in writing is telling a story from the point of view of the villain.  In a sense, making the villain the protagonist.  This is an idea I've played around with many times in fanfiction.  Peter Pettigrew, I did more than once.  Petunia Dursley--I'm had a lot of fun with that one.  My next novel uses someone who is traditionally viewed as a villain for the main character.  She's quite forceful and evil.  Perfect!

Monday: Girl With A Notebook

Tuesday: Sometimes Helpful Nonsense

Wednesday: Flames and Shadows

Thursday: supposedly me, but not really

Friday: Somewhere Nowhere In My Kingdom