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So, as I'm gently pondering What to Write Next, there's still this idea in my head about drawing on the mythology of selkies... Possibly for my young-Sherlock-and-Mycroft-mythical-AU idea, or possibly for some original story yet unknown.
Or maybe it won't end up being selkies, maybe I'll try to learn more about Icelandic folklore while I'm there later this summer, and look for inspiration there? Or perhaps something else that I haven't even thought of yet will emerge, as I'm on the lookout for fascinating fantastical creatures?
All I know is that I'm intrigued by the idea of doing something along the lines of the capaill uisce in Maggie Stiefvater's "The Scorpio Races" – drawing on folkloric traditions, but with a modern twist. (Like J. K. Rowling did, too – all those magical beasts, boggarts and hippogriffs and all, she didn't invent those, she drew from existing mythology.) Although, I think I like even more the idea of creatures that are sort-of-human-sort-of-not – like werewolves, or selkies, or even the dragons-that-can-disguise-themselves-as-humans in Rachel Hartman's "Seraphina."
However – as a Rachel Hartman or a Maggie Stiefvater proves – creating a richly imagined and culturally respectful inspired-by-mythology original work doesn't happen overnight. In fact, generally it happens through years of research. (And brainstorming and world-building and trying and failing and trying again...) Which I guess leads me to my question:
Any thoughts about how to go about this sort of research? I don't mean by reading novels, though those could be good too, if they're well and accurately researched. But I'm more thinking nonfiction – actual academic books on the history and traditions and origins of Scandinavian folklore, or maybe Celtic folklore... I would want to get well beyond the superficial read-it-on Wikipedia level – but I'm also not sure how committed I would be to reading dry-as-sandpaper academic texts. Is there nonfiction out there that's engaging? Is there fiction that's so well-researched it could serve as a source to learn from?
What do you do, writer friends??
Or maybe it won't end up being selkies, maybe I'll try to learn more about Icelandic folklore while I'm there later this summer, and look for inspiration there? Or perhaps something else that I haven't even thought of yet will emerge, as I'm on the lookout for fascinating fantastical creatures?
All I know is that I'm intrigued by the idea of doing something along the lines of the capaill uisce in Maggie Stiefvater's "The Scorpio Races" – drawing on folkloric traditions, but with a modern twist. (Like J. K. Rowling did, too – all those magical beasts, boggarts and hippogriffs and all, she didn't invent those, she drew from existing mythology.) Although, I think I like even more the idea of creatures that are sort-of-human-sort-of-not – like werewolves, or selkies, or even the dragons-that-can-disguise-themselves-as-humans in Rachel Hartman's "Seraphina."
However – as a Rachel Hartman or a Maggie Stiefvater proves – creating a richly imagined and culturally respectful inspired-by-mythology original work doesn't happen overnight. In fact, generally it happens through years of research. (And brainstorming and world-building and trying and failing and trying again...) Which I guess leads me to my question:
Any thoughts about how to go about this sort of research? I don't mean by reading novels, though those could be good too, if they're well and accurately researched. But I'm more thinking nonfiction – actual academic books on the history and traditions and origins of Scandinavian folklore, or maybe Celtic folklore... I would want to get well beyond the superficial read-it-on Wikipedia level – but I'm also not sure how committed I would be to reading dry-as-sandpaper academic texts. Is there nonfiction out there that's engaging? Is there fiction that's so well-researched it could serve as a source to learn from?
What do you do, writer friends??
