G is for Gods
I'm going to tell a very, very brief story (no, really, all evidence to the contrary, I promise it'll be short): Once upon a time, I set out to write a magical realism novel, and instead, I wrote Cloudland. Which has some magic in it, yes, but really isn't magical realism at all.
See? SUPER short story. I'm getting better at this brevity thing. Anyway, when I started my current WIP, I thought, "OK, this time I'm really doing magical realism." And as soon as I thought that, I decided that meant that I could have gods as characters. Readers of this blog won't be too surprised by that; I already mentioned both god characters I'll have in previous A to Z posts.
Why? Well, the better question is, why the heck not? This is magical realism: I get to play with reality! I get to have these incredibly powerful beings waltz around Earth, wreaking havoc, breaking hearts, and generally acting like normal human beings who just happen to also be (almost) omnipotent and (nearly) immortal. Oh yes, and incredibly gorgeous.
Now what isn't fun about that?! The only small issue was that I wanted to have each soul reincarnate as a god in one lifetime...which meant that the gods also had to die. Hence the parenthetical modifiers in the previous paragraph. This bothered me for a little while, until I remembered that I'm the writer, and I get to make up the rules. So, in my world, gods can die. It's not easy to kill them, and they won't ever age or die of a disease, but they can (and will) die.
I really love being the writer sometimes...
I'll be curious to see how you have the gods die. :D
ReplyDeleteGorgeous is good. You'll want to think about whom you want Russell Crowe to play when the movie version comes out. He's too jowly to be an Apollo, though...
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how often we start out with one idea and it morphs into another?
ReplyDeleteI played with killing Gods in one of the world's I've written stories in (Aphanasia) it was a lot of fun figuring out the rules -- I'm glad to see you seem to be enjoying the journey as well :)
ReplyDeleteI intend on writing a story with gods in it someday. Just need to create a few languages first. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, Morpheus dies in Sandman, so . . . I enjoy my god characters as well. They're fun to write!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a blast to write! :)
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how you bring death to those powerful beings.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for writing such complexity into your story! "Gods" have always interested me...in all cultures!
ReplyDeleteTerry Pratchett had gods die in Small Gods, this was due to no-one worshiping them any longer. You can do exactly as you like when you write the words so have fun with it.
ReplyDeleteI started a story once using elements from Greek mythology. Writing from the POV of the demigods was the most fun. So much ego and power!! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't touched magical realism so much, but I'm betting I'd love it if I tried. One day, eh?
ReplyDeleteGreek Gods could die, so why not?
ReplyDeleteWhat I love about magical realism is when, as a reader, you don't even notice the magic...it just seems real. Hence: Magical Realism.
ReplyDeleteI love that you are stretching and giving yourself permission to do what you want with your stories.
Leanne Ross ( readfaced.wordpress.com & @LeanneRossRF )
They could die-I think that can happen, like in Star Trek Apollo tried to stay but realized it wasn't a good thing so he faded away. Maybe they think they are regular people and don't realize they are gods.....ooops some bigshots already think they are gods when they are not, never mind:) (think big fat Rob Ford)
ReplyDeleteI think it's completely believable that gods can die. Probably makes them more relateable too.
ReplyDeleteI think gods can die. It will be interesting to read your story. Your posts reveal dedication and passion about this project.
ReplyDeleteYes! Being the writer means you can make the rules on what to write and how to write it! Take that, society!
ReplyDeleteAin't it so much fun? lol! Your ideas are so fanciful that they make me start thinking about ideas for stories that are totally out of my comfort genres. lol! You're inspirational!!
ReplyDeleteDare I say, you can play God with the gods in your story? I know - groan.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. I like where you are going with the letter G.
ReplyDeleteBeing a writer is sort of like being a parent, you make up the rules, it's actually sort of cool..
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