Chronicles of M
  • Home
  • Current Project(s)
  • Upcoming Events
  • Blog
  • Store

Where weird ideas come from.

9/4/2013

0 Comments

 
The last few times I've posted about my odd ideas, I've been pretty specific about the idea and gave a rundown of how it came to be. Uhler and the 5 stages of zombiness are a good example of this. This post, however, is more on the side of the beginning of the beginning...if that makes sense.

I like to build off of mythology and existing ideas. Not for the sake of stealing them, but because in a strange way, they feel more real than something I could come up with myself. For example, vampires. Vampires are something that the majority of the world has an idea about. It's part of our culture, it's something that takes no explination and is easily digestable to whoever is reading it. It's the same idea as "sampling" in music. Take something everyone's heard, that conveys a feeling and reuse it to bring about that feeling again, but with a new layer added in...hopefully.

I like taking mythology and digging through it. Let's take the vampire example. There are dozens of origins for the vampire they all have simillar characteristics, but still vary greatly from one region to the next. Just off wikipedia, the Greek origin: "The Greeks traditionally believed that a person could become a vrykolakas after death due to a sacrilegious way of life, anexcommunication, a burial in unconsecrated ground, or eating the meat of a sheep which had been wounded by a wolf or a werewolf. Some believed that a werewolf itself could become a powerful vampire after being killed, and would retain the wolf-like fangs, hairy palms, and glowing eyes it formerly possessed." - not the usual origin we hear in the USA!

It's not so much that I pick the most interesting origin and go with it. I prefer to take a oddly logical approach to it. Assuming a vampire is real, why would there be so many different stories of their origins? Are they different subspecies? Is it a series of different curses that result in the same monster? Is it the same origin, but at different stages (as I did with Uhler)...who knows...that's the fun part. I like to take what's available and come up with the most realistic idea I can with what I have. 

The most recent one, and something I'm currently writing, is the legend of the Chupacabra. Don't worry, its not a spoiler. If you follow me on Pinterest, you already know this is coming. It's not so much the origin that I'm concerned with, but how the heck it manages to be seen and yet not been seen. In this world of science, magic, mythology and craziness I've built, how can I make sense of this creature so that it works in the stories, is compelling and somehow believable enough that the reader might go "You know...that is a possibility." Something bizarre that can be made believable is what true thrills and horror is all about. I'm not looking to scare anyone, but if I can get someone to 2nd guess their belief in an obscure idea like the Chupacabra and the rest of you to keep reading, then I've done my job. It's all about you suckers....I mean readers  :P

By the way, the octopus tree in book 3....that was all me and it'll be a much more awesome idea when I build into it. For now, it's just something M has seen and...well...read Hitori when it's published and you'll have a glimpse of what's to come.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2019
    June 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    blog search directory
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Current Project(s)
  • Upcoming Events
  • Blog
  • Store