research

Another Week, Another Horse

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Unicorn | Greece

“Dazzling horse with a spiral horn.”

Basic Facts:

  • The unicorn did not come from Greek mythology but rather from Greek literature but has been referred to in ancient myths of India and China.
  • Drinking from the horn of a unicorn can help or protect from stomach trouble, epilepsy, and poison.
  • Inspiration for the description of the unicorn in Ctesia’s work is most likely the Indian rhinoceros.
  • They’re representative of independence and grace.
  • If you come across a unicorn, they’ll always run away. So, no on is going to believe you.

Petrify!

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Medusa | Greece

Basic Facts:

  • What happened after the death of Medusa? Her head was put onto Athena’s shield, the Aegis. The name of the shield has been used in multiple fantasy and video game scenarios characters can equip.
  • Medusa’s image is still used in modern-day culture…anyone ever heard of Versace?
  • Many artists have taken the time to paint Medusa…like Leonardo da Vinci, Benvenuto Cellini, and Hubert Gerhard.
  • Medusa was the only one of her sisters who was not immortal.
  • Although seen as a villain in the stories, Medusa’s image is said to represent large ideas such as philosophy, beauty, art and even feminism.

Fighting Game For Writers!

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We are big advocates for demolishing writer’s block. We’ve talked about a variety of methods, websites, and apps to use against a writer’s worst nightmare. Here is a new one for you: Fighter’s Block.

So, after playing around with the online app for a few levels, I can officially declare this as a fun way to defeat writer’s block. There’s only a select amount of characters you can choose from and there’s only one enemy unlocked but there are little details in the structure and immersion of the game which makes it worthwhile.

Let’s break it down!

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Cute pixel sprites go up against each other in a game that challenges you to write, write, write before your character’s health reaches zero. You start off by choosing your hero (you can choose between Red or Karen, Quin is locked until you reach level 11) and your word goal for that particular level. Once you click fight, the battle has begun.

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You’ll notice the health bar of your character slowly (or quickly) diminishing if you’re not typing. As you write, the character’s health is regenerated and the enemy’s lowers.

To add more flair to your experience, you can customize your fighting background and writing difficulty to challenge yourself. The theme can be changed to different color schemes that can better your playing/writing experience. With the opponent you can easily change its speed and attack which works against you as you’re writing.

Your writing space can also be customized. From font to the display of your text box, this game is perfect for any writer looking for new ways to get back into the swing of things.

A Greek Hybrid

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Chimera | Greece

“Fire-breathing hybridization of a lion, goat, and snake.”

Basic Facts:

  • The chimera is female. Unless you love Greek mythology and knew that already, some may think the chimera is genderless.
  • Offspring of the Chimera are the Sphinx and the Nemeian lion, a huge lion that had an impenetrable hide.
  • She was killed by Bellerophan, a hero sent by a King…what a likely story.
  • Other classical writers thought the Chimera represented a Lycian volcano.
  • If you like constellations, Pegasus and Chimera may have once opposed each other in the stars, but is usually associated with the Capricorn.

Memories

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Inspired by a post found on Pinterest, we’re talking about the good and bad behind utilizing flashbacks in your writing. There’s an art behind it, and always a purpose.

Use a flashback to propel the story. Giving backstory to the plot or character can really help your reader understand and comprehend why the plot is unfolding the way it is or why the character’s personality is molded into the current personality (always in correspondence with the plot.)

Don’t spend too long in the flashback. If you’re wandering around and talking about unnecessary details then you’re spending a whole chapter wasting your reader’s time.

Does the flashback serve the “current” time any justice? If it does, keep it. Like we’ve discussed – use it in conjunction to the story line of your story’s present. The flashback could lose its meaning.

Flashbacks are great for any genre…but our personal favorite is the one that gives you the chills. Adding suspense, chilling clues, a haunting past…makes for a helluva scary tale.memories.gif

Another Mermaid?!

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As a lover of anything ocean-related, it was bound to happen when we would talk about a sea creature we are all familiar with. Let’s jump right in!

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Ceasg | Scotland

“Mermaid that grants three wishes when captured.”

Basic Facts:

  • The ceasg is a fancy (if you’re not Scottish) word for ‘mermaid.’
  • In Gaelic, they’re known as maighdean mhara or maid of the sea.
  • She’s half-woman and half-salmon. But a little different than the long tail, we’re used to seeing.
  • She can get married but she’ll always go back to her first love: the sea. If she bears a male offspring, they’ll usually become a sailor – a damn good one.
  • Defense is needed. It’s simple: don’t acknowledge them, show them respect, no eye contact, and don’t go with them if they ask you to.

Everybody Knows

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One of my personal favorites from Greek Mythology that still resonates in many other cultures even to this day.

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Pegasus | Greece

“Winged stallion that helps heroes conquer deadly foes.”

Basic Facts:

  • Pegasus has a brother! Being born by Medusa, Chrysaor is the brother of Pegasus. With the death of Medusa came two.
  • With its hooves, Pegasus created a spring for Hippocrene (also translated to “horse spring.”)
  • Speaking of translations, Pegasus loosely translates to “spring, well” and includes the origination of Pegasus (location-wise.)
  • A job for the flying horse? Zeus had Pegasus carry his thunderbolts.
  • The image of Pegasus has been used time and time again within logos or emblems.

Tread Lightly

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Recently, we’ve been seeing the writing community discuss the anxieties pertaining to writing minority characters. A lot of authors and writers tread these waters lightly. At the end of the day, when one person writes a race that isn’t their own, it can easily be turned against them. We want to remind that: it is possible to write another race. You shouldn’t feel discouraged!

Don’t ever forget: people are diverse. Not only in skin color but in personal experience. Not one experience will ever be the same. Your character’s bio should have the “deep and complex” experience which helps them grow throughout the duration of the plot. This can easily be influenced by location, demographic, how their family dynamic is built…all those details. Every writer knows this but here’s a friendly reminder…do your research.

One of the biggest concerns is encouraging stereotypes. For anyone, stereotypes in books alter the reality of how we see other races. Take the jokes and heavily controversial bits that you’ve heard out of your writing. Instead, apply the research you’ve done to your racially-diverse characters.

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Keep in mind: you’re not going to please everyone. People will not like your character because it doesn’t reflect their exact life experience. People won’t like the textbook relation of your character to the audience. Your character is your character; they’re an extension of you and your work. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

 

The Three-Headed Hound

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Cerberus | Greece

“Multi-headed hellhound that guards the entrance to the underworld.”

Basic Facts:

  • Prevents the dead from leaving the Underworld.
  • We know the Cerberus as a three-headed dog, but most early depictions show the Cerberus as a regular-sized dog with one to two heads.
  • Described to have a serpent for a tail, snakes protruding from parts of its body, and mostly a hound.
  • Cerberus was rumored to have surfaced on Earth but returned by its own will to the Underworld to serve Hades.
  • Cerberus’ name derived from the Greek word “creoboros,” which translates to “flesh-devouring.“

A Magical Monday

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It’s always fun to do research, especially when writing. So, this Monday, we wanted to do some basic research for you on one of our favorite subjects in the fantasy-world: magic & magic-users.

Since there are so many different classes of magic, we decided to look at titles some of your characters might hold in your story.

  • Wizard: source of magic comes from books, learning, and practices.
  • Warlock: name translates loosely to “truce-breaker” and supposedly gets their power from a higher power (usually seen as an ‘evil’ entity.)
  • Sorcerer: power comes from within; “sors” Latin for “oracular response.”
  • Magician: in the paranormal or fantasy sense, magic is used for ceremonial purposes.
  • Witch: the female “wizard,” essentially.
  • Mage: magic-user but of an academic source.
  • Conjuror: magic used in the creation of objects.
  • Enchanter: magic is used to enhance items or charm people.

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