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?
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.
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. 😜
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!
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....
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
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.
