Beacon Hill

Not posted in a few days! Here are a few photos from my trip to Beacon Hill in Leicester, from when I was researching the Coritani tribe. Maybe they will spark ideas for a setting?

 

 

Colours

Here's a little something from my Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols about colours and their meanings. It might spark a theme for a story or a character associated with that colour. Some of the symbol meanings might take you by surprise!

Black
Night, the absence of light, mourning, sobriety, denial, authority, perfection and purity, maturity and wisdom

Blue
Truth and the interllect, wisdom, loyalty, chastity, peace, piety and contemplation, spirituality, eternity

Brown
Poverty, humility, practicality

Grey
Sobriety, steadiness, modesty

Green
New life, resurrection, hope, the sea, fertility and regeneration, recyling, environmental awareness, a lucky colour, an unlucky colour

Motley
Wealth, a chameleon personality

Orange
Balance between spirit and sexuality, fertility and yet virginity, energy, the Sun, like yellow orange is belived to be an appitite stimulant

Pink
Feminity, innocence, good health, love, patience

Purple
Royalty and pomp, power, wealth, majesty

Red
itality and life-force, fire, the Sun, the South, blood, good luck and prosperity, power and authority, masculine energy, war and anger, passion, energy, sexuality

Saffron
Spirituality, holiness, good fortune

Violet
Knowledge and intelligence, piety, sobriety, humility, temperance, peace and spirituality

White
Purity, virginity, death and rebirth, a beginning and an end, in the Far East, mourning

Yellow
The Sun, power, authority, the intellect and intuition, goodness, light, life, truth, immortality, endurance, the Empire and fertility [China], cowardice, treachery

New Books

Today I decided, against my rapidly decreasing student loan, that I would treat myself to some new books - research books!

The Element Encyclopedia of The Celts
The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures
The Element Encyclopedia of Birthdays
The Element Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Hauntings
The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols

 

 

 

 

 

I'm seriously looking forward to pouring through these! Especially since I've been getting back into my vampire stories!

Beware The Kraken!!!

This isn't really a creative inspiration post,  I just wanted to share with the world how friggin' cute this thing is!

Nrekkvan

Let's say hello to amazing digital artist Nrekkvan from the Czech Republic! He creates incredibly stunning artwork and has a truely unique style that makes me feel like I'm in a completely different world.

http://nrekkvan.deviantart.com/

Here are a few of his creations, but please check out his deviantart page and talk to him yourself.

Dragonrock Valley

Castle Firegaze

Cloudminedesign

I'd like to introduce you to another fantastic artist, Cloudminedesign from the Philippines, who creates beautifully haunting dystopian and futuristic worlds as well as an array of colourful and frightening creatures and characters. If you're a fan of sci-fi then this is the guy to check out!

http://cloudminedesign.deviantart.com/

Here are a few examples of his work, but please check out his deviantart page and talk to the man himself.

City Post

Eat Close Up

Frank Att

Today I bring you the fabulous world of Frank Att! Artist, hobbyist and digital artist from Germany who creates stunningly beautiful scenery and settings that are inspirational. When I look at his work I get a feeling of freedom, and one or two times his work has influenced scenes and settings of my own.

http://frankatt.deviantart.com/

Here are a few examples of his work, but please check out his deviantart page and talk to the man yourself.

One Last Climb

Sky Roots

Fairy Tales

On the subject of Hansel and Gretal, I remembered that a few years ago I did a Fairy Tale themed photoshoot for my friend's art gallery, and during research for it I looked up the original tales.

Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood (also known as Little Red Cap) is a famous fairy tale about a young girl and a big bad wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings. The origins of the story can be traced to versions from various European countries and more than likely proceeding the 17th Century, of which several exist, some significantly different from the current Grimm-inspired version. It was told by French peasants in the 14th Century as well as in Italy where a number of versions exist including La Finta Nonna (The False Grandmother). In most stories Little Red Riding Hood escapes with no help from any male or female characters, instead using her own cunning.

Rapunzel
Rapunzel is a German fairy tale in the collection by the Brothers Grimm, and first published in 1812 as part of 'Children's and Household Tales'. The Grimm's tale is an adaptation of the fairy tale 'Persinette' by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de la Force originally published in 1698. Its plot has been used and parodied in various media and its best know line "Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your hair" is an idiom in popular culture. Rapunzel's story has striking similarities to the 10th Century Persian tale of Rudaba included in the epic poem 'Shahnameh' by Ferdowsi. Rudaba offers to let down her hair from her tower to let her lover Zal climb up to her. Some elements of the story might also have originally been based upon the tale of Saint Barbara, who was aid to have been locked in a tower by her father.

Cinderella
Cinderella or The Little Glass Slipper is a folk tale embodying a myth element of unjust oppression and triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune. The word 'cinderella' has come to mean 'one whose attributes are unrecognised'. The still popular story of Cinderella continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending plot elements. The ancient Greek historian Strabo recorded in the First Century the tale of Rhodopis who lived in the Greek colony of Navcratis in Ancient Egypt. It is often considered the oldest known version of the story.

The Frog Princess
Also known as The Frog Prince, it is a fairy tale best known through the Brothers Grimm's written version; traditionally it is the first story in their collection. In the tale, a spoiled princess reluctantly befriends a frog who magically transforms into a handsome prince. Although in modern versions the transformation is invariably triggered by the princess kissing the frog, in the original Grimm version the frog's spell was broken when the princess threw him against a wall in disgust. In other early versions it was sufficient for the frog to spent the night on the princess' pillow.

Treacle Moon

My boyfriend ran me a bath this evening because I seem to have caught a cold from somewhere and my face feels like it's falling off, and he used the new limited edition Treacle Moon; Warm Cinnamon Nights. Now if you haven't heard of the Treacle Moon products, this is what they have to say for themselves:

Treacle Moon is simply "yummy'itious" ... what else can we say... "ooohhhh that's lovely" kind of fragrances, gorgeous formulations that make your skin feel really good and a design that sits with pride in your bathroom.

What I love about the products is that they have short little stories on the bottles that feel very magical and dream-like, and I read them every time I have a bath.

That Vanilla Moment
My moment of sweet calm... just to think with carefree abandon about... maybe I won't tell you she said shyly, some things are not for sharing.

Lovely Mint Story
The mint amused her... its sweet scent tickled her nose, taking her thoughts to a garden where lilac hens in sparkling wellingtons picnicked in the moonlight.

The Raspberry Kiss
I think this must be love... she smiled at her secret, put the letter in an envelope and enclosed a daisy chain from the meadow where she sat.

One Ginger Morning
Wakey wakey duvet princess... with a gentle yawn she stretched and captured her dream... still warm... today seemed full of endless promise.

My Coconut Island
I'm going to a faraway place she said... just for a while... her toes wiggled in the warm sand and a silly seagull laughed and danced in the sweet wind.

Those Lemonade Days
That warm sunny feeling... you know the one... when for no proper reason your tummy just goes all weird and you grin like a silly hen.

Her Mango Thoughts
Something about mango made the girl see the magic in everytrhing... its happy scent filled her heart with invisible sunshine.

Iced Strawberry Dream
The balmy scent kissed her nose, she closed her eyes and imagined softly striped lawns where ladies in bonnets sipped tea in the cool shade.

Limited Edition: Warm Cinnamon Nights
She watched the ice flowers on the window pane fade... her eyes slowly closed in the cinnamon scented bubbles and the soft darkness told stories to the laughing moon.

Even if these products don't inspire stories, they smell good enough to eat and leave your skin feelings soft.

The Coritani Tribe

The thing about inspiration is that it can strike in the randomist of places. For example, for our Exploring Creative Writing assignment we had to research the history of Leicester. To begin with I was unsure what I would find, as most people were researching the Victorian period and the first and second World Wars and those periods don't interest me as much as, for instance, the Egyptians or pirates. However I was pleasently surprised.

I went all the way back to the first century, where I discovered that the whole of Leicestershire, stretching from Charnwood Forest to the Valley of the Soar in Staffordshire, was covered in trackless forests. It was inhabited by a Celtic tribe called the Coritani, who ruled Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Rutland and Northamptonshire.

They were bordered by the Brigantes to the North, the Cornovii to the West, the Dobunni and Catuvellauni to the South and the Iceni to the East and their capital was called Ratae Corieltauvorum, which is today's Leicester.

I then researched life in the first century, in the Iron Age, and I visited Beacon Hill in Leicester as it is the sight of a Bronze Age fort that the Coritani inhabited for a short while.

So why not research your hometown, or a place that interests you? Go right back to the very first century and look at how it was born, who inhabited it, how they lived. You might just find something that sparks inspiration for a story!

Hansel and Gretal

If you're a fan of fairy tales or the original Grimm tales then you'll love these two movies coming out: 'Hansel and Gretal: Witch Hunters' and 'Hansel and Gretal Get Baked'.

Hansel and Gretal: Witch Hunters
In this spin on the fairy tale, Hansel and Gretal are now bounty hunters who track down and kill witches all over the world. As the fabled Blood Moon approaches, the siblings encounter a new form of evil that might hold the secret to their past. (imdb.com)

Hansel: Jeremy Renner
Gretal: Gemma Arterton

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Hansel and Gretal Get Baked
A brother and sister battle a witch who lures teenagers into her suburban home with her special brand of marijuana where she then proceeds to kill and eat them to maintain her youth and beauty. (imdb.com)

Hansel: Michael Welch
Gretal: Molly C. Quinn

Director: Duane Journey

'City of Bones' by Cassandra Clare

This is book one in The Mortal Instruments series, 'City of Bones' by Cassandra Clare. I decided to read the book after stumbling across the trailer on imdb.com, because it looked exactly like the kind of story I would enjoy, and though I am only a few chapters in I highly recommend it.

Clary Fray is seething things: vampires in Brooklyn and werewolves in Manhattan. Irresistably drawn towards a group of sexy demon hunters, Clary encounters the dark side of New York City - and the dangers of forbidden love.

Here's the trailer.

Hello everyone!

Hello everyone, and welcome to my little slice of randomness!

You have somehow fallen down the rabbit hole and made your way through oblivion only to end up in my neck of the woods! Not to be alarmed however! The people here are friendly and they don't always bite (I've been training them, you see) so why don't you stick around and see what you can find that takes your fancy?

There's tea and cake for those who want it, and inspiration from far and wide as I continue on my journey around the world collecting anything that sparks the creative juices and gives birth to a story.

Hopefully I'll see you around!