NANOWRIMO B/V: Riley and Deac

November is almost over and I'm behind in the NaNoBlog!

Ok, fine, not really, but I should have posted about NaNo last week but was so crazed I forgot, so this week y'all get a twofer because--I'm awesome. Yeah.

The leading lady in any show I write tends to be both a firebrand and have the ability to be vulnerable. Because, let's face it, this two things are built into feminine DNA and there's nothing we can do about it. That's my opinion, anyway.

When the world does eventually blow up, it's nice to have someone who can always make the day a little brighter, fight for all she's worth, and never ever give up, no matter how much others try to break her.

Yes, that is the type of person Riley is. One of those amazing people who believes in things with every fiber of her being, and will do whatever it takes to do the right thing. And of course, she has to have a celebrity model who can carry that personality out.

Last year, I saw a movie called "Tracers", which was about a heist carried out via parkour. If you know me--or you've read this blog for a while--you know one of my weird obsessions is parkour...probably because I don't have the hand-eye coordination or athletic ability to do it, but whatever.  And one of the stars in this movie was Marie Avergapolous:
                                                                  

 Truthfully, I really wish I could see more of her work(I know she's in "The 100", but I mean things besides that). She has the ability to be fierce, fun, and fiery, yet also vulnerable when the occasion called for it. In other words, the perfect fit for Riley.

Besides a friend(Riley) the other thing a protagonist inevitably has is a mentor. Someone who can tell it like it is, and has seen what's happened--or what's going to happen--and prep the protagonist for whatever's to come(thank you Joseph Campbell). In the case of "B/V", he also has a dry sense of humor and a streak of sarcasm a mile wide. I'll even admit there are pieces of his persona that belong to some of my relatives, which adds to the fun. His name is Deac, and he's also one of my personal favorite characters.

So who's the best celebrity candidate to portray this character in my head? Actually, it wasn't that difficult to figure out; because about the time I pulled "B/V" out of my head and began putting it on paper a film got released, with an actor I had never heard of before. This film was actually this guy's film debut. He blew people away--and not just because of who he's related to. Who is this guy?  O'Shea Jackson Jr.

 

                                                                         Deac has been hurt in more ways than one. He's lost people, so he's ultra protective of those he's still got. The one thing he has no doubt about is the hatred be feels for the Agency who started tagging people in the first place.  Sarcasm is his defense mechanism along with dry humor. Based on what I've already seen, there's not doubt in my mind this guy could pull off Deac--if, that is, pigs could fly and he'd ever say yes. A girl can dream, right?

NANOWRIMO B/V: Jason

Those of you who have followed me for a while know what this means. Every NaNo, I get to share with y'all the celeb models I have in my head for each character. Because that happens to be my writer's quirk.

At the center of every story, you have the protagonist--the one who asks the questions and is a conduit for the readers and the audience members. Jason has grown up in a world where every thought, action and word is known by the Agency. Jason is actually being trained as an Agent, but he has questions that aren't answered by the Agency, so they'll have to be answered by someone else.

Once upon a time, I saw a film called ATL. It was your typical coming of age story, and being a sucker for these kind of things, of course I bought it. In this film, there was an actor--who is also a singer(and married to a singer). ATL was his first film, followed by According to Greta and....MOCKINGJAY. Know who it is yet? Does this help?

                                                      

This is Evan Ross. And yes, he's the perfect match for Jason. He's fiery, he's got that awesome glare down, and, his smile isn't too bad either. Plus, I'd love to see him with the rest of my cast--which is forthcoming. I promise!

NaNoWriTakeover: 2017: B/V

IIIIIIIT'S NANO TIME, Y'ALL!!!!

                                                         

What with being and adult with and adult life and all, this poor little blog has been neglected, except during NaNo time. This year, I also find myself in an interesting position: I'm a little bit cheating. Yes, yes, I know that NaNo is supposed to be written completely from scratch, but:

A) I  have this habit of "half-finishing" things that lie untouched for eons; and sooner or later I have to finish them and, 

B) Last year my life was so crazed I didn't even do a NaNo--or rather, I did, but I never posted about it.

Back in college, I overheard an interesting conversation between three friends of mine: one was a political science major; one a history major; the third was--well, he was someone with interesting ideas. PolySci was writing a paper about government officials and power (I forget exactly what) and she was asking History for advice on the paper--and Interesting Idea and I were eavesdropping. The gist of the conversation went something like this:

Hist: It’s kind of terrifying, the lengths officials--or anybody really--will go to assert their power.

PolySci: You know, if someone really wanted to takeover the US right now, they’d start                              

   with technology and social media. You take that over and everybody’s in trouble.

Interesting Idea: OR they could get rid of technology altogether--put it inside people;

            because you can’t hack human beings as easily as you can hack into

            technology.

PolySci: Can they can do that?

History:  What if they could?

Interesting Idea: Then the world as we know it would come to an end.

Me: That’s creepy.

Me: (That’s an interesting idea!)

Me: (That’s a VERY interesting idea)

Me: puts idea in back of head, then plays with it off and on for the next five years

Me(flashforward to 2016): Finally puts idea on paper and submits it to short play festival

Here's the REALLY interesting part--it JUST KEPT GOING!!!! I could not get the story out of my head! By the time the short version had premiered, my "long version" was just over ninety pages--granted, they were rough pages, but still! 

                                                   

That is what I will be sharing with you this time around--I can honestly say it's one of the most interesting pieces I've ever written(see conversation above). And because this is what I do every time I have a new project, y'all get to see the character sketches and tidbits that went into this thing.

The project for NaNoWriMo 2017:

B/V 

ILA

"Guess what, Grandma? You're a widow!"

I know, not the most tactful thing to say. But at the age of six, tact was not my thing. Sitting at the bar in my great grandma's kitchen, all I was currently thinking about was a fact I'd figured out all by myself. And I know she knew what I meant, because she smiled at me:

"Yes, that's right. I am a widow. Can you spell 'widow'?"

I scrunched up my face, trying to figure out the longest word I'd ever have to spell. Already I had spelled "cake", "spoon", and "sink". Grandma was waiting patiently.

"W...I...D..." My mind blanked, and Grandma stopped what she was doing and looked right at me, and sounded the word out:

"Wuh-id-ow."

"W-I-D-O-W!!!!!"

And she smiled at me. "Widow. That's very good." Coming from her, that was high praise. That's the kind of person my Grandma Ila was.

I remember a woman who found over one thousand names for family history with microfilm because she knew how important it was.

I remember picking apples and raspberries in her garden(and eating them). I remember just sitting and listening to one of her many stories about her childhood.

I remember a woman who came and took care of me and my siblings not once, but three times--each time one of my brothers were born--and stayed as long as we needed her to.

I remember one of the best days of the week was when Grandma came to bring us groceries--bread, milk, eggs, salad, whatever we needed when we needed it. And she would always call to see what she needed.

I remember a woman who threw huge birthday parties for everyone who had a birthday that month. Parties with more people than could possibly fit crowded in her kitchen singing happy birthday to everyone who happened to have a birthday that month.

I remember the room in her house where I first saw "Return of the Jedi" with a bunch of my second cousins, and later babbling to her about the "teddy bears" and the "laser swords"; and even though I'm sure she didn't exactly know what I was talking about, Grandma Ila listened to every word.

I remember the Christmas Nativity that was done every single year in her living room--and the Christmas I was finally allowed to play Mary--and the first year I was actually genuinely happy to get socks and underwear from her. Not a Christmas went by without getting underwear and socks from Grandma--and always just when I needed new ones.

I remember a woman who was always smiling, always generous, and who--no matter how old she got--could still touch her toes.

You are a beautiful woman Grandma Ila. I love you. I miss you.

Locksley of Sherwood: Combat Soundtrack

Most of you know by now, I have music for everything when I write.  This time around, as you have seen, I have individual soundtracks for characters, theme, whatever. I also have a "combat soundtrack",  because, well--it's Robin Hood. What Robin Hood Story doesn't have combat in there somewhere(rhetorical question)? So here's what I listen to when it's time to characters to kick some you-know-what:

Night of the Hunter-30 Seconds to Mars

I LUV 30 Seconds to Mars. Like, a lot. And for some reason this song has me seeing two people(I'll let you guess who) go at each other, swords flying and all that stuff.

Fortune Days-The Glitch Mob

Ok, yes, there is a lot of Glitch Mob on this soundtrack, but a) every soundtrack needs a couple of instrumental songs on it somewhere; and b) this song gives me great pictures in my head of Lockley and co fighting off the baddies in a castle corridor or forest clearing or whatever.

Mind of a Beast-The Glitch Mob

Yes. More Glitch Mob. This is one of the Final Hero vs. Villain numbers that are always present in all good stories. I'll let you guess which one. 

My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark(Light 'Em Up)-Fallout Boy

For those who follow this blog on a regular basis, yes, this is a repeat from a previous soundtrack, but I'm allowed repeats 😏 This is the second Final Hero vs Villain Fight--and it's the opposite Hero/Villain from the previous song(and again, you can guess which Hero/Villain I am referring to).

There are more, but those are the ones that made it to the Final soundtrack. Cause a playwright's gott have her inspiration, right?

Locksley of Sherwood: Theme Soundtrack

Every story has to have theme, yes? Well, my theme always has music. Not only do I have soundtracks for characters(as y'all have seen countless times), I also have soundtracks for the theme of the piece I happen to be writing.

Funny thing is, "theme music" is particularly evocative of a specific character or event. It's more like the feeling or lyrics of the song(s) that speak to me when I write the particular story. It's what I hear if there was to be a trailer, or promo, or tv spot, or whatever.

Obviously, some of these are a teeny weeny bit of a stretch, but I like the feeling the song evokes, so it stays. Here's a couple of my favorites:

"Don't Let me Down" Chainsmokers

I have the awesome trailer image in my head whenever I hear this song. One of those slo-mo-characters-lloking-all-BadA-type of images. 

"World of Stone",  Blackmore's Night

"Bring to me all of my arrows/bring to me my crossbow too." If that ain't a Robin Hood song, I don't know what is. 

"All For One", Blackmore's Night

Yes, another Blackmore's Night. But it's the theme of Lockley's band, so....

"Ghost of a Rose", Blackmore's Night

If Elodie and Will had  a "couples song" this would be it. Maybe during their own TV Spot or summat. 

"Believe in Me" Blackmore's Night

And if Will and Elodie get a couples song, then Lockley and Marion do too. And yes, it's Blackmore's Night. 

"Blackbird" Noni

Ravina's "TV Spot" song. I'd kill to sing like Gugu M'batha Raw, just saying. Also, shameless plug: "Beyond the Lights" is an AH-MAY-ZING film(Netflix it if you don't believe me). 

"Born This Way" Bear and a Banjo

I happen to be one of those people who LOVED the "Roots" re-boot--so much so that I bought it on Release Day. The lyrics of this song are perfect for the outlaws; plus, it's fun to blues dance to 😏

"Army of One" Coldplay

Because at one point or another, there is always one character who has to do something on his/her own. That's why it's called a Low Point. 

"Home" One Direction

I like happy endings tied up in a bow sometimes, so I pick this as an "end credits" song. Don't judge--it works.

Locksley of Sherwood: Allies and Enemies

Robin Hood always has his nemesis--and often more than one. In this particular incarnation, he has three-- and two of them are ones that every Robin Hood aficionado is familiar with.

First, there's Guy of Gisbourne. Traditionally, he is Robin Hood's ultimate nemesis--a bounty hunter who is usually in the pay of the Sheriff of Nottingham(my favorite portrayals of this character have been done by Basil Rathbone and Richard Armitage. Google them, I'll wait...). Sometimes, he is also given Robin Hood's title--Earl of Huntingdon--when Robin is made an outlaw. This is the case in my version. Gisbourn is the Earl of Huntingdon, and also Ravenna's father. He returns to Nottingham to a)root out the latest Locksley spy(which I will talk about later; and b) marry Ravenna off to the Sheriff of Nottingham. Gisbourne was a tough character for me to figure out. While he's still a  sly, calculating jackass too prideful for his own good, he's been softened a tiny bit by fatherhood(he cares about his kids maybe 2% more than he does about himself, as they're actually great to use as pawns in order to win this little game he's always playing) and he knows all of Locksley's tricks, which is unhelpful, but also really fun! The celebrity who has the honor of portraying him in my head is:
                                                           

Adam Croasdell.  He's in the CW's "Reign" and I'm not gonna lie, that show is my guilty pleasure and I kind of really like the way he looks and I also love his voice. Like, a lot. He can play both the harder as softer sides of a character, and he can be sympathetic even when we as the viewers hate his guts--which, in my opinion, take talent. The song I hear when I write Gisbourne? This one( I wish I could find something that wasn't a cover, but I can't, so..):

Speaking of hating guts, here's the next enemy that Locksley and co. have to deal with: Josse DeClaire, the Sheriff of Nottingham.  DeClaire is younger, angrier, and more rash than Gisbourn--and he's a snake. He's also Cassian's nemesis. In my head, he's:
                                                            
Toby Kebbell, aka Koba(Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), aka Massala(Ben-Hur; I don't care, that movie was FABO; go away). He's played villains, and anti-heroes, and his accent is killer, so I know I'd love to hear it whether he's spitting venom at Cassian(which he does), or trying to seduce Ravenna(which, again, he does--Ew. Ew, ew, ew). This song is GREAT for DeClaire's personality:

Also, I know he's willing to undergo combat training(see Ben-Hur/Apes for refrences), so there's no problem there. Plus, a "Spider-Man" vs "Massala" fight? Yes, please! Especially if this was playing the background:

If there's one of the badies I hate writing though(even if it's necessary--grrrr) it's the third of the enemies of Locksley and Cassian. I hate him. He's a weasel. His name is Etienne Malbete and he's a mercenary hired by King John to assist DeClaire to maintain order in Nottingham. This makes casting difficult, because I don't really want to hate the person who portrays this character. But, needs must, and when I finally got around to it, I realized that my choice was perfect:
                                                           

This is Rossif Sutherland, and yes, he's also from "Reign". He's also been in a couple of Candian indies which I've seen clips of, and he's played villain/anti-heroes in this indies and is utterly brilliant and can do this thing with his voice that just makes him sound--icky. I know he can play a weasel. Plus, he knows how to sneer. And Etienne sneers a lot. His theme song? This one:

Right, so much for the villains. In the Robin Hood legends, Robin Hood has scores of allies, named and unnamed. So too, in my version, Locksley has allies. The first is  not in the original story. He is Gisbourn's son, and his name is Tarquin. Tarquin is supportive of Locksley's cause and can't stand DeClaire. He's also got a snarky mouth--another tendency I have with my male characters. And this is the beautiful face that fills my head when I write Tarquin:
                                                               
Yeah. That's Rob Stark(Game of Thrones), aka Prince Kit(Cinderella), aka Richard Madden. He's also Scottish, which is one of the reasons I love listening to him talk. And I know he can pull off the snarky sarcastic bits of Tarquin's character. AND, I love the idea of his being related to Adam Croasdell; don't ask me why. For some reason, Tarquin's got an "Angels and Airwaves" vibe. Hence his theme:

Locksley's second ally is one y'all are familiar with: Friar Tuck.  According to tradition, Tuck is a Friar/Lay Brother/Churchman, who assists Robin and his Merry Men in various capacities, depending on the storyline that is chosen(my personal fav is the "fighting friar" portrayed by David Harewood from the BBC version). However, in MY version, Friar Tuck isn't a person at all. "Friar Tuck" is a pseudonym for the spy in Nottingham. Someone who reports all his findings to Locksley; someone Cassian found in London and recruited; someone Gisbourn, DeClaire and Etienne all want dead.

Who is he?
                                                                 

I'm not going to tell you.

A writer has to keep some plot spoilers to herself. 😜

Locksley of Sherwood: My Lady--In Honor of Valentine's Day

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY DARLING PEOPLE!!!!!!

In honor of this day, Imma share another tidbit of "Locksley of Sherwood" with y'all. One of the archetypal plot points of the Robin Hood legend is that of LUV!!!! And my adaption is no different--there is romance in this story, and not just between Marion and Locksley. Let me introduce you to the two lovely ladies that will be swept off their feet in Nottingham.

Locksley and Marion have a son. Locksley's nemesis Guy of Gisbourn has a daughter--Ravina(more on Gisbourn coming soon). Ravina is fierce and fiery--and has caught Cassian's eye. She's grown up in London, and is affianced to the Sheriff of Nottingham, but that doesn't mean she's meek and easily cowed.   I think of her a little bit as a snarkier "Junior Marion". And in my head, she looks like this lovely lady:
                 

                               
This is Rose Williams, from the tv show "Reign".  She's amazing. I love her ability to portray an ingenue, or someone who can look after herself, but still get swept off her feet. And I'm not going to lie, I love her theme song:

The second lovely lady is a Romani and a healer who lives in Nottingham, and is called Tirzah. Her personality is a tiny bit rougher around the edges. And she has caught the eye of  Jean-Luc.  This is who's playing Tirzah in my head:

                                               
Holliday Granger, aka the step-sister from "Cinderella", aka Estella from "great Expectations, aka Bonnie from A&E/HISTORY's "Bonnie and Clyde". Gorgeous, sassy, and phenomenal. Tirzah can take the heat and give it and she's so great with Jean-Luc. And yes, she has a song:

Also, because there are couples, there are couples songs. I know, I'm a soft hearted little mushy romantic whatever. I happen to like making up "Love Soundtracks" for my couples; and since this is the Day of Hearts, here are the songs I have come up with for these couples:

Cassian and Ravenna

Jean-Luc and Tirzah

Bonus: Both Couples, because why not?!

And there you have it, the Ladies of Sherwood--my Valentine's Day presi to you all. You're welcome!

Locksley of Sherwood: The Extended Family

In the throes of research I made another discovery.

Will Scarlett is also known as "Will Scathelocke".

And "Scathelocke" means "lock smasher".

Which means Will, Robin Hood's second-in-command, could have been a very passionate, hot-headed, impetuous little--person. And so much fun to write.

In some versions of the Robin Hood tale, Will is related to Robin Hood in one way or another(his cousin, his nephew, his half-brother--thank you Kevin Costner, Alan Rickman and Christian Slater for that one), and this particular re-incarnation is no exception--he's Locksley's older brother.

And of course, because Locksley and Will are related, the celebrity models in my head have to look related in one way or another too, yes? Yes.  AND he has to have the ability to play both the passionate and the mellower side of Will's nature--which was actually easier to find than I thought. The delightful European male who has the honor or portraying will in my head is:
                                                        
Colin Morgan. Those of you who are as obsessed with BBC costume dramas and the like will recognize this gorgeous Irish man from the films "The Huntsman: Winter's War" and "Testament of Youth"; and also as the title character in "Merlin"(which, by the way, is one of the BEST adaptions of the Arthur story I've ever seen, and not just because of the eye candy 😏😛) with Santiago Cabrera(Lancelot). No, this was not intentional casting, just interesting. And I think this song is perfect for his personality:

Because this is a sequel and Locksley and Marion are married, why not have the same thing happen to Will? And to make it even more interesting, why not make Will's wife, Elodie, a former assassin and yes, there is an very interesting story to how they got together, and one day I'll write it).

Here's the thing: because Will is so much of a firebrand(and also because Marion is Locksley's equal), the actress who gets to portray Elodie has to be someone who could hold her own no matter what and be as compatible to Will as Marion is to Locksley. Someone who looks likes this:
                                                                   
Ladies and gents, this is Lea Seydoux--aka the lastest "Bond Girl"(she was in "Spectre", with Daniel Craig), and also the fabulous Belle from "La Belle et La Bete"(also staring Vincent Cassel from "Shrek", Black Swan" and "Ocean's Thirteen"; and released in 2014). She's from France(I'd kill for her accent, no joke); and from her other work I already know she can portray someone hold her own and she doesn't take crap from anyone.  In other words, an excellent companion/wife for Will. Also, her theme song is in French(and I suppose it's also kinda Marion's song as well). For those who don't speak French, "F.T.T.: Femme Tout Terrain" means "girl's territory".

Robin Hood can't be Robin Hood without Little John, so of course in my version there is a "Little John". Only he's not a "giant". He's Will's oldest son, Jean-Luc; and his mother calls him "Petit Jean". Jean=John and therefore Petit Jean=Little John. You're welcome. Jean-Luc has inherited Will's suspicion of everyone and is constantly butting heads with Cassian(I LUV writing those parts!)

Casting Jean-Luc was harder than I thought; and I'm not gonna lie he changed several times. The guy who finally won is someone I've seen play characters both sinister and romantic and I love to hear the sound of his voice.

This is Harry Richardson. He's currently in BBC's "Poldark" and he was in Julian Fellowes' "Doctor Thorne". He can spit venom or wax poetic or just walk into a room and steal the scene with his presence(and I love me some actors who can draw attention by just standing still). In other words, Jean-Luc to a tea, as is this song:

Summer 2019 Update:  Celebrity Models change, and I recently saw an adaption of the novel "Ophelia", which had yet another model for Jean-Luc:

This is Devon Terrell, who also had the title role of young Barack Obama in the film "Barry". He's the current model, but this might change again, because it happens.

Will and Elodie's younger daughter happens to fulfill two things: this other tendency I have as a writer--to create a character that's just plain adorable, and wouldn't harm a fly--unless she had to; and allowing me to put an incarnation of Alan-a-Dale(the fun-loving, happy-go-lucky minstrel of Robin Hood stories)  and Much the Miller's son into this awesome story. Only in this instance, her name isn't Alan-a-Dale or Much(well, unless it's Jean-Luc talking to her). It's Braelyn.

Because Braelyn is adorable and innocent and has that awesome Scathelock/Locksley fire I needed someone who could embody all that. Someone who looks adorable but can bite if provoked. Someone like this:

                                                             
Saoirse Ronan, from "Hanna", and "Brooklyn" and "City of Ember". She's fierce, she's fiery, she's more than capable of holding her own, and she's so freakin adorable . And this is Braelyn's song:

And there you have it: Locksley's extended family. More Character Models and Tidbits coming soon....

Locksley of Sherwood: Family Portrait

As I get into the first round of revisions on "Locksley of Sherwood"(aka the Robin Hood play), little tidbits have hit my muse en masse and they're fighting to get out, so here goes the first round.

Y'all have probably noticed by now that I celeb cast everything, and write to soundtracks; and this is no different. I guess it sort of helps that several of the characters this time around are people every Anglophile/Robin Hood fan is familiar with, so I don't really have to give too much backstory on Robin and Marion: the Outlaw, his Ladylove and--in the case of this story--the Outlaw's Son--or as Gisbourn calls them, the Wolf's Head, his She-Wolf and his Louveteau[which is French for Wolf Cub].

                                                         

What I CAN do is give you a glimpse of the awesome faces in my head right now; and this time they come complete with their own theme songs.

To start, I blame BBC's Musketeers.

Why? Because the celebrity models for Locksley and Marion are in this show. Shameless plug: if you haven't seen this show HULU IT NOW because....WOW!!!!! I'll wait.....

In my head, at least, the Outlaw has to look the part(because in Perfect Writer's Pipe Dream World, you can make this kind of thing happen). Locksley is swashbuckling, debonair, cocky-as-all-get-out. But in this case, he's also a dad; and the picture in my head needed to fit that image. I needed someone who looks like this:

This is Santiago Cabrera, aka Lancelot from "Merlin", aka Aramis from "Musketeers". Does he or does he not look like a cocky outlaw? I think he does. AND he has a theme song:

 Marion has gone from the Great Lady in the Castle to the Wife of a The Outlaw and Queen of Sherwood Forest(yes, I said QUEEN). As such, she can hold her own as well as Locksley can, and has attitude to boot, but she can be syrupy sweet and loving when the occasion calls for it.

This gorgeous woman is Maimie McCoy aka Milady from "Musketeers". This woman can hold her own and has a bark that's equal to her bite(plus, she's GORGEOUS). This is what I hear whenever Marion's on the scene:

As this is a sequel, not an origin story, in this version Robin and Marion have offspring. And this offspring's name is Cassian. Cassian was an interesting surprise. He's grown up in a Hero's Shadow(literally) and is cocky and feisty and well-- kind of a brat. An endearing brat; but still a brat. Cassian is still trying to figure out who he is, while also living under the delusion that because he's Robin Hood's son, he's more or less untouchable. And the adorable person who has the honor of playing Cassian in my head is:

Tom Holland. I saw him in "In the Heart of the Sea", and in "The Lost City of Z", but what makes me really happy is that he's the new Spider-Man! And he's cocky, and cute and everything that the son-of-a-hero needs to be. My little muse has no problem seeing this face when I think about Cassian. And it helps when I have this song to help illustrate his personality:

So yeah. That's the first of the deluge of tidbits running around in my head. Back to the Writing 

Cave, and Revisions.......

Name of the Game: New Pet Project!!!!

Whelp.

It's February.

Which means I have abandoned this poor little blog for three months.

Not without good reason, though. I've been out of town and out of the country and--ok, living in the Writing Cave. And the result is something I can and will be talking about for--a longish time, cause this makes me so SO EXCITED?!?!?!  Ready? Indulge me:

I’ve always loved the story of Robin Hood. As of right now, I’ve read every single novel adaption(that I can get my hands on, anyway); seen every single film adaption(yes, even the Alan Rickman version--because, really, who can resist watching Alan friggin Rickman!!!!), and all three seasons of the BBC shows(1980s and 2000s); and the story never gets old.

It does, however, get formulaic. Maybe it has something to do with the deluge of films that Hollywood is currently releasing, or maybe it’s re-reading some of my favorite Robin Hood tales, but I’m seeing a disturbing trend in every Robin Hood tale so far: the majority of them are “Origin Stories”.

Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good Origin Story, but there is a point where even the most beloved of these classic characters get pounded into the ground with “origin”.

On a whim, I Googled every single Robin Hood adaption I could think of just to see if this trend was actually true. Want to know how many Robin Hood stories out there are not Origin Stories(that I could find, anyway)?

Three.

I KNOW!?!?!?!

So, instead of an origin story, I wrote a sequel! And I love it!

And because I can't keep it to myself, I'm going to be sharing tidbits with y'all. Since I hate keeping things I'm excited about to myself!!!! You can find all my tidbits here.