#within temptation used to write songs based on fantasy books!!!

[miserywizard]

i love all kamelot albums with tommy but man they really did something with silverthorn that they haven't quite achieved since

[juleswolverton-hyde]

The Raven on Writing

Top o’ the morning, lads and lasses,

It has been a wee while since a post about a specific literary subject was written and since creating this post has been contemplated many times recently, it is perhaps the time to finally write it.

Some of you may wonder how it is the pencil was first picked up or at least be curious as to how it is able to bring fantasies into words in a style that seems to be marked as ‘’quite unusual’’. This is put between quotation marks since this is the polite term of what has been gathered from comments (both positive and negative) on all publishing platforms (AO3 & Tumblr). However, in personal opinion, it is labelled as poetic prose or prosaic poetry reminiscent of the past. Indeed, the tales and the style aim to make the audience remember the great names who have preceded this wee birdy who can never excel them.

Now, how has this rather odd style been gained? How can one create a style at all?

It should be noted that the use of the word ‘odd’ is in comparison to the styles of modern authors.

Kathryn Lasky once said: ‘’I believe that reading widely is the best preparation for writing.’’ It is the manner in which many if not all wordy artists start their literary journeys, allowing themselves to be guided by a skilled author into a world of another’s making. Out of curiosity, the reader might pick up more works from their favourites and create an unconscious liking to the style. Withal, this preference might only become fully known in a creative way upon attempting to put personal fantasies onto paper. These imaginations might be ignited by a disagreement with a scene in the book that could have gone differently or the end is too open and thus begs for a continuation where the original author has left off. Whatever the case, the individual endeavours to make something of their own thanks to the inspiration provided by another’s work.

Certainly, this is essentially true each time a novel project is started since writers tend to follow the principle that originates in Ancient Rome and the Renaissance, namely translatio, imitatio, aemulatio. In other words: translation, imitation, innovation. One might study a language and translate a story they are curious about into their own tongue or find an already existing translation. Afterwards, they might be fascinated with the tale enough that they might try their hand at writing a similar chronicle themselves, imitating the original. A truly radical aspiring novelist will take the original work and give it their own spin.

What if it was Beatrice who had to reach Dante instead of the other way around? What if Athena was not actually raped by Hephaestus but the god was accused of this to worsen his reputation among the Olympians even though she might have actually genuinely fallen in love for the first time?

What if? 

That is the most important question when it comes to writing. Ask it and it will lead to an answer.

Returning to the specified questions above, they particularly pertain to classic literature and mythology which are two of the trademarks that have been absorbed into the pen’s style while reading and following the old law. Admittedly, it was without awareness until the moment of enrolling in university to study English literature and specializing in classic literature and poetry.

And there is the answer as to how this wee birdy writes as if she hails from the sixteenth century or Romantic Age. Major influences and inspirations for the works currently making up the bibliography and the stories yet to tell are: William Wordsworth, William Blake, Shakespeare, John Donne, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Seamus Heaney (a more recent name), Lewis Caroll, Oscar Wilde. In hindsight, the novelists of the Victorian and Late Victorian age alongside the Irish appear to be the greatest influences. 

Regardless, style can also be developed in other ways. At university, it is expected of students to write in formal English. Henceforth, it is not allowed to use first and second person pronouns (I, you) as well as colloquialisms (get, a lot of, thing). Now, there is no shame in admitting the pen is guilty of the latter at times and even of the use of the pronouns nowadays. Yet, both of them are noticeably absent from the works unless there inherently was no other option but to use informal language. The use of I is, personally, still regarded as selfish for the reader might not want to accept the role offered to them by the narrator nor be able to sympathise with the character and their point of view.

Alongside the now innate restrictions on use of language, music is another great source to look for inspiration. Find what it is that makes a song attractive and write a tale about it if there is one to be told. Take a whole album and paint the images the songs conjure. ‘’Spring Remembrance’’ is based on BTS’s Spring Day, ‘’Babel’’ is based on the song with the same name by Mumford and Sons and this is the case as well for ‘’Broken Crown’’. Furthermore, references to various songs are strewn about in the chronicles told thus far. Look at the music by Delain, Within Temptation, Stray Kids, BTS, Linkin Park and Breaking Benjamin to find the obvious clues. However, nowadays, there is also creative fuel to be found in the soundtracks of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and Mumford & Sons’ album Babel.

Last but not least, and unfortunately not everyone has the chance to exploit this means of advancing as an artist, travelling. A couple of true stories might arise in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman, but yours truly has had the lucky opportunity to have seen a lot of the world and continue to journey despite work and education. 

Dear reader, before an untrue maleficent thought finds its way, it should be noted that by no means do I come from money. In the gap year before starting university, I had a fairly bad job at the local train station working shifts from five in the morn till half past one, requiring me to cycle to the city around a quarter past four. The pay was good, but mental wellbeing did not particularly take a turn for the best and the liquor bottles emptied pretty fast, too. Still, it allowed for seeing places that would otherwise have been left undiscovered and hear local myths and legends that could not have been as authentic and credible as when they would be told at a later date on local soil. Working (fortunately under better conditions) alongside studying maintains this Romantic and Byronic lone wolf’s ever-wandering lifestyle and supports the development of a wide view on the world that is at times disconnected from. Notwithstanding, all personal negative implications aside, if there is a chance to go out and explore, please take it for it will allow growth as a person and an artist alike.

A truly last piece of advice: do not be afraid to fail. All arts need to be practised in order to be perfected and even then have to be worked on in order to be made distinct from the rest. The first works will not be the best, but eventually, they will become of better quality if effort is continuously put into the craft.

In sum, look to creative outlets that are nearby such as music and books, the latter remaining the prime source for a proper start on the road to becoming a novelist. Of course, there are other means to gain inspiration such as art and travelling as well as academic education. In the end, there are various manners in which to develop as a distinct wordy artist. However, most of all, do not fear failure. If you fall, get up and try again. Translate, imitate and emulate a personal path in the world and artistic growth will come along naturally. 

Until we speak again.

Forever yours,

The Red Raven

[melissagt]

Tag! Get to Know Me!

I was tagged by @greencrusader13 - thank you!

1. Dogs or Cats?

Meow...

2. YouTube celebrities or normal celebrities?

I’m not big on celebrities...they wipe their asses the same as everybody else and deserve to be able to do that in private. 

3. If you could live anywhere where would that be?

Realistically, my husband and I want to move to New Hampshire, the White Mountains in particular. I’ve always wanted to live in a place where I can drive down Main St. and see a snow-capped mountain, and that’s pretty much the only place in New England you can do that. We don’t want to leave New England because I really do love it up here...in terms of location. Cost of living not so much (we live in Connecticut right now)...hence the realistic move to New Hampshire. 

4. Disney or DreamWorks?

Eh...I’m not so big on this stuff but I guess the answer would be Disney by default since they own like...everything that Amazon doesn’t. 

5. Favorite childhood TV show?

I mean are we talking like toddler stuff like Under the Umbrella Tree or Lamb Chop’s Play-Along? Or are we talking about kids stuff? I grew up with The Smurfs and Thunder Cats and the original Voltron. I’d have to say my favorite though would be the original Duck Tales. Lots of fond memories with that one. 

6. The movie you’re looking forward to most in 2020?

None? Not really big on movies. Looking forward to Picard, though. Can’t wait for that one. 

7. Favorite book you read in 2019?

In all shame I can say that I haven’t read any books recently. I started re-reading A Song of Ice and Fire, though. 

8. Marvel or DC?

I don’t think I’ll ever understand the current comic book obsession. The only Marvel movies I give a half a patoo about are the Guardians of the Galaxy flicks, so I guess those are Marvel. 

9. If you choose Marvel favorite member of the X-Men? If you choose DC favorite Justice League member?

Um, I used to read my brother’s X-Men comic books when we were kids and I remember really liking Storm. 

10. Night or Day?

It really depends. I’m mostly a night owl. 

11. Favorite Pokemon?

Oh good lord. The only ones I really know are Charmander and Pikachu. I guess I’m not cool. 

12. Top 5 bands/artists:

In This Moment

Within Temptation

Five Finger Death Punch

Tove Lo

Thirty Seconds to Mars

13. Top 10 books.

A Song of Ice and Fire (series)

The Lord of the Rings (series)

The Mists of Avalon

The Dragonriders of Pern

The Wheel of Time (series)

The Dark Elf Trilogy (series)

The Icewind Dale Trilogy (series)

The Dragonlance Chronicles (series)

14. Top 4 movies

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Dirty Dancing

Top Gun

The Princess Bride

15. America or Europe?

I’m so not even touching this one. It’s never that simple. Not only are we forgetting about like...three-quarters of the rest of the world, but the grass isn’t always greener either. Everybody has good and bad shit, some more or less than others and in different proportions. It’s just different. 

16. Tumblr or Twitter?

I don’t understand Twitter...I don’t think I ever will. I think I’m too old by a few years, lol. 

17. Favorite vacation destination?

My family never really went on vacations. We had a summer cottage on a lake that my grandfather built in the 50′s that we moved to every summer. Swimming. Fishing. Water skiing. Campfires. Grilling. Picnic Tables. Pig Roasts. I spent my childhood being jealous of kids who got to go on cruises or travel to tropical places instead of being ultra grateful for what I had. I didn’t realize til I was an adult just how fortunate I was. I had an amazing childhood. 

18. Favorite YouTuber?

No?

19. Favorite author ?

George R R Martin. If you paid attention to my book list, you can tell I love high fantasy...and I love Martin’s ability to paint in shades of grey rather than black and white. This translates from his plot to his extremely well-developed characters and I love it. I also love that he’s not afraid to write strong women. A good number of my favorite characters from literature belong to him. 

20. Tea or Coffee?

Both. But I’m really picky about what coffee I’ll drink. 

21. OTP?

It’s really an OT3. My main ship is my SWTOR Sith Inquistor who is with both Andronikos Revel and Theron Shan.  If we’re talking in mainstream media, that ship changes based on what I’m watching. I’ve been binging Suits as of late and totally shipping Harvey and Donna. Like seriously I know it’s going to happen but I can’t wait, haha. I’m on Season 8. 

22. Do you play an instrument/sing ?

I’ve never played an instrument, but I sang in a choir in high school. I can sing on my own, but I’ve always been too self-conscious to do anything more than rocking along in the car. I’ve had people ask for me to sing at weddings and I was like NOOOOOO. 

[paranymf]

Answer 21 questions tag

Tagged by @crazy4dragons (thank you!) rules: answer 21 questions and tag 21 people

Nickname: My friends just call me Soof (I think?), but my mother has a special nickname for me and my sister. Her name is Lydia, which could be shortened to Lyd. Lied (same pronounciation) is Dutch for the word "Song". When we were little, our mother would call us Liedje (Dutch for "little song") & Versje (Dutch for "little poem") and sometimes she still calls us like this.

Zodiac: Capicorn (birthday is 9th of January!)

Height: 1.72m

Last movie I saw: Avengers: Endgame

Last thing I Googled: "Elsa Frozen Fever" 😂 It's a cosplay I am currently working on and I need to check the reference every now and then. Why don't I just download one picture? I forget to do it every time 😅

Favorite musician: Yeah, so, ehm, how do explain this... I don't have a favourite musician. I just jump from genre to genre and I love it all. Every musician I admire did something personal for me. Within Temptation was the first real band I ever obssessed about and I still love their music. Christina Aguilera has so many songs I love and relate to. Hans Zimmer made me fall in love with soundtracks and the power they can give to a movie. Katy Perry, Big Time Rush, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas and many more helped me through my teenage years and the struggles of finding myself and what I want. Honorary mention to John Powell who managed to do what Hans Zimmer did to me with Pirates of the Carribean and take it to another level. Never thought I could love a series of soundtracks more than PotC but John Powell proved me wrong.

Song stuck in my head: None.

Other blogs: None. I already stress out about my personal insta and my cosplay insta, so I am going to keep it easy here, Haha.

Followers: I don't keep track, but just saw it's 18. Just started with Tumblr so yeah 😅

Following: Apparently 216

Amount of sleep: Night premiere of Endgame disrupted my sleep yesterday, but my average is about 7-8 hours.

Lucky numbers: Ever since Harry Potter (the books) announced that 7 is the most powerful and magical number, I just keep saying my lucky number is 7

Dream job: I would love to be a costume designer for theatre and films. And combine that with a writing career and a Bed&Breakfast. (I always aim for the impossible lol.)

What am I wearing: Sketchers, skinny jeans, a sleeveless top with little purple hearts on it and MY BRAND NEW CAPTAIN MARVEL SWEATER

Favorite food: Anything with cheese is heaven for me, but I have a soft spot for cinnamon rolls

Language: Dutch, English and my LinkedIn still says Latin, but I don't know if that's accurate anymore lol

Can I play an instrument: Yes, I play piano! And I sing, but that's not an official instrument...?

Favorite song: Same answer as favourite musician: please dont make me choose! I have different playlists for different moods.

Random fact: I started writing when I was around 11/12 years old (23 now). I started with little stories, most of them historical based (something with a destined love story in around the 1600s -I dont know the details anymore- and a revenge story about a village on the border of the Roman Empire being destroyed, but one boy survives and becomes this archery prodigy who kills every Roman who dares to cross the border and helps the villages that are being threathened by the Romans. I never finished them, sadly. I actually still want to write the last story again, someday.) Around 12/13 I started with fanfiction, but only little stories from Harry Potter and, in Dutch. I was 14 when I started my first big multi-chapter fic. I was active on a Dutch website, but they didn't have any Jily (shipname for James Potter & Lily Evans) fics, so I started my own. After a year or two I had developed too much as a writer, I didn't like my writing from the beginning of the story, so I started from scratch. And after 115K+ words and 5 years, I finished the story at the age of 19. After that, I got a major writers block (probably caused by a depression) and I stopped writing. But now, having found Tumblr, AO3 and most importantly: the HTTYD fandom, I was inspired to write stories again! And I am so happy that I gave in to the urge, because I am so happy with all the kudos, comments and all the other writers I have found! It's a challenge, because I had to switch to English, but my boyfriend is the kindest for being my own personal beta-reader. Also, because of AO3 I read so much again and I am so happy with that!

Describe yourself in aesthetic things: Idunno what exactly are aesthetic things, but let me try: a measuring tape on a dress form; a cooking knife on a board with a whisk in a bowl; a open book with all kinds of fantasy things coming out of it; a castle in the morning sun; an arch in a garden with blue rain on it; a sofa with a blanket and a very large television with a very expensive sound system and a chaotic mess of papers with a pen next to a laptop.

Tagging: @hiccupfound @alsoaleteia @frosinn @corona-the-nightcutter @tysonrunningfox @martabm90 and yeah 21 people are a lot and I just feel too socially awkward to tag a bunch of people who don't know me lol