You see, 1K is a very short story. It's more like a scene. I had to adjust my thinking to get my head around that first. Then I had to chose a topic. Myra suggested I make it something associated with my Sons series. Since I eat, drink, sleep, and breathe the Sons, I agreed, but because my series is still unfolding, choosing one Son to highlight soon became an issue. So for the last week, I've been mulling over ideas as I finished Blood Spirit and published Vampire Dreams Revamped.
Nothing came to me that I loved a ton until last night. I blame the alcohol. Well, actually, I thank the alcohol. :) Through the haze of a few beers, I found my way over to Pinterest and began looking at pictures. I should have been writing, but Pinterest was calling me. I guess I should thank Pinterest too since I found my inspiration over there...with the alcohol, of course. (Don't want to slight any of the muses.)
There, in that sea of hot, shirtless men and desserts (I have friends on there who have the most delicious taste in both!) I saw this picture on my mythology board:
The image is of Hades and Persephone. Hades is often seen as an old, shriveled up god stuck in the bowels of the Earth or thought of as the guy in the Clash of The Titans movie (Ralph Fiennes did a great job with him, BTW). This picture, however, shows a different side of the god of the Underworld and his stolen wife.
The story of Hades and Persephone has always intrigued me. Hades, one of the three ruling males in the Olympians, seems to play the part of aggrieved brother-turned-unhappy-ruler of the realm of the dead. His brother Zeus tricked him out of his birthright, so while his youngest sibling gets to rule the world and have sex with anyone he chooses, Hades is stuck underground with the dead and no damn woman, goddess or otherwise, wants to hang out there. So he stalks Persephone, the goddess of Spring and other fine, dainty things and grabs her, forcing her to live with him in the Underworld.
Artists have given their take on the abduction of Persephone by Hades (sometimes called the Rape of Persephone), but the most famous is probably this sculpture:
So, with the romantic and classical images in my mind, I began to have ideas about what my short could be about. What if I wrote about Hades? I'd still be writing something concerning my Sons series since Hades is the father of Macaria, the goddess of the blessed death and the mother of the vampire race, and will make his appearance in the storyline soon.
In a flash, I had an idea and had about 300 words written. The short involves Hades but with a different woman. I'm giving him a sensuality that fits in with my Sons series, and his story has a really sexy feel to it. My goal is to stay on the cleaner side of erotic since those are the guidelines for the magazine, but the short will give readers an interesting look at the god of the Underworld and another goddess (who I'll leave as a mystery, for now).
I hope to have the story finished for this weekend so my editor can give it the "red pen" treatment and then it's just a matter of revising and sending it off. Here's to hoping your week is going well too!
5 comments:
loved your blog, its very intriguing you picking him. ive got a little soft spot for hades. thank you for your tantalizing teasing tidbit. it could be anybody. i wonder if its diana. cant wait know for more. keep up the good work.
That sounds so interesting. I always loved mythology, especially Greek mythology. I remember going to the library and reading about Pandora, and Icarus, and Narcissus. I loved reading all those short stories. They always have some kind of lesson. I hope you post the short for us. Have a great day:)
I consider Persephone on of "my" goddesses, so I'm always intrigued by the softer, more romantic/sensual side of Hades. I like Nigel Spivey's take in his book 'Songs of Bronze:' Hades went to Persephone's father, Zeus, and asked his permission to marry her, so his taking of Persephone is an acceptable form of arranged marriage. Spivey's Hades is almost a little bashful when he hands Persephone the pomegranate, and she's charmed. When Zeus visits to see how the arranged marriage is going, he finds the god and goddess sitting on adjoining thrones, holding hands.
In classical Greek myth, Persephone held the key to reincarnation, and sometimes in our modern retellings of the myths, we forget that she wasn't a damsel in distress - Persephone was a powerful goddess. Some ancient people believed Persephone was their savior as fervently as modern Christians believe Jesus is theirs. It would be a mistake to reduce her to the role of victim.
So I like that you've chosen Hades as a hero, Gabrielle. I didn't know he was played by Ralph Fiennes. Ralph Fiennes kinda scares me after that whole Amon Goeth/Voldemort thing, but if I can remember back to his role as Heathcliff in 'Wuthering Heights,' I can remember the sensual side of Ralph Fiennes when I picture him as Hades.
Thanks Julie and Nicole! I've always loved mythology too. :)
Hi Erin,
Thanks for stopping by! I think the modern retelling of Persephone, particularly in neopagan beliefs, puts her more in charge because as a female deity, she may have had power over growth and reincarnation, but she was no match for a male god like Hades. She wasn't so much victim as much as simply a lesser deity in a patriarchal society.
Unfortunately, you won't find much sensuality in Fiennes' Hades. It's more evil than anything else. And while I do agree with the Voldemort thing, Fiennes as Goeth had an odd layered appeal, not because the real life character had any but because of the actor. Not a man I'd want to meet, but certainly not as cartoonishly evil as Voldemort. And I'm still one of those people who believes the Oscar was stolen from him that year. No way Tommy Lee Jones was better as that cop and his doghouse, henhouse, outhouse schtick than Fiennes as Amon Goeth. No way. LOL
Post a Comment