Para-“normal” Becomes Mainstream

There was a time when ghosts, vampires and werewolves were not cool, at least not outside of a slumber party movie marathon, but now the abundance of paranormal “genre” fair available on mainstream cable programming is staggering.

The unbelievable popularity of vampires, ghost hunters, and zombies in popular series and reality TV has propelled what was once a guilty pleasure into a national pastime.  The Walking Dead is on AMC and reruns play regularly on network channels.  Supernatural is alive and still surprising us with fresh episodes.  Turn to Destination America or any number of other cable channels to find programs about paranormal encounters.

Why are we so drawn to these shows?

Humans have always been fascinated by things that scare us.  Stories have been told about the supernatural for centuries, myths about vampires and ghosts have existed throughout human history.  Some of these stories were most likely attempts to explain the mysterious, the unknown, but their presence shows that humans have always had wonderful imaginations.

Like ghost stories told around a campfire, paranormal and horror stories delight us.  It’s okay to be scared when we know deep down the monsters won’t really harm us, so we can simply enjoy the thrill.  As long as we know that when the show is over we can turn on the lights and everything will be normal again, we’re fine.

When was the last time you watched a TV show, or a movie, or read a book that scared you?  This holiday weekend, after the celebrations and fireworks, and before it’s time to go back to work, make time to pull out a flashlight and a blanket to hide under, and let yourself be scared.  Turn on the TV, tell the kids your old favorite ghost stories, and don’t forget to turn out the lights.  Enjoy!

Happy Independence Day!

Amy

Photo credit: Samet Kilic via Source / CC BY-SA

Dad’s Impact, Part 2: The Absence of a Father-Figure/The Birth of a Supervillain?

The darkest villains and most evil tyrants of fiction all have one thing in common-they all have a backstory, an origin, and those most usually begin the events of their childhoods.   There are those who are bereft of any parental guidance and those who have it but from improper or merely fallible sources.  Is this lack what causes them to become as they are?  How might their stories change if someone had loved them, disciplined them?

Sometimes even good parents make mistakes.  If Odin had been honest with him, would Loki have turned traitor?  By all accounts Odin treated his adopted son Loki just as well as he did his own son Thor.  He was a good father and a good man, but he failed to tell Loki the truth of his origin, that he was born a Frost-Giant, the natural enemies of the Asgardians.  If Odin had been more honest with Loki, would Loki have felt the need to take control of Asgard away from his father and brother?  Would he have joined forces with evil to take over the Earth?  Would an entire chain of events not be set off which would lead to Freya’s death and a war between worlds?

A mentor with bad intentions can warp a young mind.  Would Darth Vader have turned to the Dark Side if Palpatine had not influenced him?  Anakin Skywalker had Obi-wan as a mentor and friend, but he was persuaded to turn away from him and the Jedi Order through the manipulations of the Sith Lord.  Palpatine garnered Anakin’s admiration and trust, offering him a sympathetic ear and an outlet for his raw anger that he did not find in the life of the Jedi.  Anakin gave into temptation, and allowed Palpatine to twist his mind against everything he had been taught and held to be true.  He betrayed everyone he knew and loved, because of the influence of a poor role model.

Any father might have been better than no father at all.  Would Voldemort have become a dark lord if his father had been in his life?  As anyone who is familiar with J.K. Rowling’s work would know, Tom Riddle hated muggles in part because his muggle father abandoned his mother before he was born.  If Tom Riddle, Sr. had stayed in the picture, would Voldemort have even existed?  Would he have turned to evil if he never went to that orphanage?  If Dumbledore had been more aware or more proactive in his induction to the wizarding world, would Riddle have abandoned his plans for domination?  Of course, if any of these things had happened Rowling would be telling a far different story, but one wonders, could Riddle’s character have been changed for the better if he had any parental guidance at all?

Of course, all of these events are fictional and speculative, but the point is this-fathers, while not ultimately responsible for their children’s actions, have the responsibility to guide them to the best of their abilities, and to help them make the best choices for their lives.  Guiding a child is a sacred trust, because who knows what he or she may grow up to be.

Thanks for reading,

Amy

Dad’s Impact on Future Superheroes, Part 1

Since today is a special day for fathers everywhere, I wanted to discuss a topic that is near and dear to the heart of every male interested in sci-fi or fantasy fandom-the importance of a father figure in a young hero or villain’s life.  Every future main character has an origin, and often times the presence, or lack thereof, of a father/mentor makes all the difference in the path they take.  Heroes thrive best when they have the support of a father.

Every hero needs guidance to reach their potential.  Whether they receive this guidance from a father, another relative, or an unrelated mentor, the presence of a dad helps the young person develop their potential for good.  Superman, A.K.A. Clark Kent or Kal-El, had not only his adopted father, Jonathan Kent, but also the recorded memories of his birth father Jor-El to influence his moral development.  Without these important figures in his life, he may not have developed both the compassion, and the sense of responsibility, to take his place in the pantheon of superheroes.

Every young hero needs someone to rebel against, and be held accountable by.  Peter Parker might never have decided to become a hero in the first place had he not seen his Uncle die, thanks to a criminal he chose not to catch.  If his Uncle Ben had not taught him responsibility of power, and then reiterated his words in a ghostly dream, Spiderman might have turned in his costume before he made any kind of difference in the world.  And if not for mentorship offered by the deceitful and manic Green Goblin (Spiderman, 2002), he would never have developed his passion for justice over personal gain.

Every young hero needs to see their mentor fall or fail, so they can learn to stand on their own.  The hardest part about growing up, and not just for heroes, is learning to see our parents as human and fallible.  There comes a time when we must accept that they are not perfect, and make mistakes, and that we have to hold on to our principles and duties despite these illusion-shattering revelations.

Luke Skywalker was mentored by Ben Kenobi, who had taught him that his father had been a Jedi Knight.  Ben’s omission of Anakin’s fate could have been Luke’s turning point when he discovered the truth, but he had grown into a man with resolve, and ultimately not only stayed on the light side but led his father back as well.  He had learned from examples both good and bad, and was ready to make his own choices.

These are only examples of what can happen to a potential hero who benefits from the mentorship of a father or father figure.  However, the absence of a father can have just as big an impact of the development of character, and I’ll discuss this in Part 2 of this post, Dad’s Impact on Future Supervillains.

Thanks for reading,

Amy

Wanted: Life Experience

Without a doubt when we require a medical procedure or maintenance to our homes or cars, most of us would immediately choose the most qualified person to help us.  Fresh enthusiasm and youthful optimism are wonderful, but not substitutes for wisdom garnered from real life experience.  And yet, every trusted professional started out as a beginner at some point in his career.  These future experts had to learn their craft, perhaps from books or from other mentors, but also through skill acquired over time.

As writers, we need personal experience to draw on to describe a scene, an activity, an emotion to our readers, but for those of us especially who write fantasy or sci-fi, it is sometimes impossible to gain true familiarity with our subjects.  So how do we achieve necessary experience in our field?  While we can and do use our imaginations to fuel our work, we need to do more than dream life, we must also live it.

While we cannot interview elves or fly around the galaxy, we can apply other skills to our writing to lend realism to the pages.  We can allow a character to demonstrate our expertise in the kitchen, the garden, or under the hood of a car.  We can study fencing or martial arts and let our characters show their knowledge in what we’ve learned.

If our characters are not quite human, we can still use our daily interactions with people around us to fuel emotions in scenes with aliens or fairies.  We can take scenery from our favorite locale and tweak it to give an otherworldly experience.  The more detail about anything and everything, from situations to settings, from physical traits to emotions that we include enriches the world of our characters and makes them more real for our audiences.

Sometimes in order to write we have to go out into nature, or to a shopping mall, or to a party, or any situation where we can observe, interact with, feel or live something other than the keyboard or notebook.  It doesn’t matter if what goes on the page actually resembles our everyday lives or just includes thoughts inspired by our activities, so long as we apply our observations and interactions.

I hope you all live something this week that is worth writing about.

Amy

Life Lessons from a Family Reunion

This week my husband and I took a few days off to travel back to where our life together started.  We were able to spend some time with my family who still live in Tennessee, as well as a number of other relatives who travelled from various locales for a family get-together.  As we crossed state lines and helped prepare food to share with the extended clan, I took a few moments to reflect on why gatherings of this type are sometimes difficult, but oh-so necessary.

• When families are divided by distance, it is easy to forget that we are not alone. Whether we are separated by geography or philosophy, there are people out there who share our DNA, with whom we have a common history, and who can understand us in ways no one else can.  It is necessary sometimes, in the busyness of everyday life, to remember we have that connection, and it is usually as easy to access as picking up a phone or connecting to Skype.
• When attending reunions, there may be an awkward moment when confronted with a relative you’re not sure you remember. We all change with time, and those who are far apart may not be aware of the changes.  This is becoming less difficult all the time thanks to social media, but the key to overcoming any embarrassment is to embrace the chance to become acquainted all over again.
• It’s always sad to think about the family members who were at the last reunion, but could not make the current one. Of course, family members may choose not to attend for their own reasons, but sometimes cannot come due to situations beyond their control-illness, military duty, or even death.  Those are the absences we feel most keenly.  We need to appreciate the family we can greet in person, and share thoughts of those that are absent, but still in our hearts.
• Why we should always try to attend: family accepts us as we are. Families are rarely perfect, but even if we don’t always get along, even if we argue or have different values or lifestyles, there is a connection that cannot be duplicated in any other way.  We may have to endure teasing, or endless questions or differences of opinion, but at the end of the day they will always matter, and we will always desire that closeness.

I hope you choose to embrace the next chance you have to gather with those you call family.

Thanks for reading,

Amy

Fireworks

Though summer doesn’t officially begin for three more weeks, Memorial Day weekend kicks off the season in style.  One of the favorite things about this time of year for kids, and those who are forever young at heart, is the explosion of small containers of explosives mixed with rainbow hues to create a visual masterpiece against the night sky.

What always attracted me to fireworks shows when I was young was not the noise-in fact I often stood to watch them with my hands firmly over my ears-or the crowds, or the thrill of being outside far later than I was usually allowed.  What I enjoyed most was the surprise that came when a firework bloomed into full color, or multiple colors.  As a spectator I never knew what would appear next, but waited in intense anticipation.

Fireworks can mean more than just a breathtaking image-a firework is a moment of inspiration, of imagination, of fruition of a dream.  Fireworks can symbolize that impulse that drives us forward to explore and accomplish more than we ever thought possible.

As writers when fireworks, or inspiration, strikes at our hearts as we sit at the keyboard or take an old-fashioned notebook out into nature, we never know what form it may take.  We don’t know the exact moment it will come either; we can only hope that when it hits us we will recognize it for what it is, and have some means of preserving the thought on hand.  We live to see the next group of fireworks, and let it lead us into the next paragraph, the next chapter, and the next completed manuscript.

Here’s hoping your supply of fireworks is plentiful this summer, and as you enjoy the visual display that you also find the keys to unlocking a dream you had forgotten or never realized you could achieve.

Happy Memorial Day! everyone.

Amy

The “Empty Nest” Doesn’t Have to Be

This weekend my husband and I said goodbye to our daughter after an extended visit for what is going to be a three-month long absence.  This is not the first time it’s been just the two of us, but the house feels strangely lonely after having her here, back in her old room.  The reality of parents of adult children is this; nothing seems the same when the kids are gone, and then things are slightly out of sync when they do visit.   Then when they leave again everything is once more out of balance, while we adjust to the new reality.

This adjustment process is something most parents will eventually contend with, and there are various methods of coping, or not coping, with the fact that our children are adults and leading their own lives.  This does not mean parents should mourn the end of an era, though.  I’d much rather embrace the change in our lifestyles, and find new activities and interests to fill the time we used to spend in the queue waiting to drop off kids for school, or waiting for the  game or concert to start or be over so we could get them fed and ready to start the next day.

For me, having grown children has been an opportunity to express some parts of myself I had to repress when I was busy being mom full time.  My daughter especially encourages her dad and me to get out and try new things, though she does think we’re weird when we post pictures of ourselves at concerts on Facebook.

Funny thing is, I have more in common with my kids now than when they were younger.  We bonded with the kids over Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, and now we share copies of the Marvel heroes movies and hold screenings for Star Trek and classic sci-fi movies that are being remade (in abundance right now) in our family room.

My son has become interested in a number of shows, thanks to Netflix and Amazon Prime, which I once watched after he was in bed at night, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  It’s funny, now, that we can discuss the final season and how the spinoff came full circle back into the finale story line.

I am still a mom, and that’s not going to end any time soon.  That doesn’t mean I can’t spread my wings a little, and embrace being me, now that I have more free time, and still be a friend and mentor to my adult children.  I am proud to say I’m a fan girl in my own right, and just as likely to find a new obsession these days as they are.   Of course, someday I’d like to be the grandma who shares superheroes and space battles with her grandkids.

Thanks for reading,

Amy

Thanks to Those Who Call Us Mom

Today is a day set aside to celebrate the mothers in our lives, but I wanted to take a moment to remember the reason we achieve that title-our kids.  Moms are privileged to inspire and sometimes enable our children’s dreams.  We have the joy of encouraging them to seek to fulfill those dreams, be they realistic or as far away as the stars.  Even if we gripe about driving them to and from practice day after day or standing in line at midnight releases to get that next book they just have to have, we still choose to do so.

A mom is the one who most often takes the kids to that one-time only appearance at the mall.  Traditionally it is Mom who gets to see those puppy dog eyes and their best “please” whenever the newest, best action figure comes out or the movie they just have to see comes to the theatre.  Of course, Dad does his part too, but usually Mom still makes it happen.

As moms we get to facilitate our kids’ love for all things of fandom, because we love our children.  Some moms are fangirls in their own right, of course, and actually enjoy reading books like Twilight and going to the movies just as much as their daughters.  Other moms, while having no interest in fantasy and sci-fi themselves, willingly tolerate and even participate as a means of bonding with their exuberant children.

My own mother never showed more than a passing interest in any superhero when I was growing up, but she bought me the Wonder Woman Underoos and lunchbox I asked for, because she understood that roleplay and fantasy were normal, and even healthy for a child’s development.  Later she indulged my children in Power Rangers and Harry Potter simply because she could.

I did some of that indulging myself, in my children’s early years, but as they grew I was lucky enough to find fandoms where I could share in my kids’ enthusiasm.  (It’s still much more permissible to be an adult, female fan of certain things if you’re sharing the experience with your kids.)  Now that my kids are grown, though, we continue to share interest in certain fan activities, and I’ve watched to my joy my kids take an interest in “retro” things I enjoyed at their age and younger.  Who expected cult classic movies from Carrie to Ghostbusters to be remade?  And who expected shows like Dr. Who would still be going strong, over 50 years after its original broadcast?

So today I’m grateful for the chance I’ve had to be a mom to two wonderful, thoughtful children.  I appreciate the fact that they both took time from their busy schedules to remember me today.  I’m glad for all the fun and mutual interests we have shared, and will continue to share in the future.  After all, they’ll both be home next weekend and we have a Captain America movie to see together.

Hope you all have enjoyed the day!

Amy

When it’s Time (to make a Change)

Change is inevitable, in our own lives as well as in the lives of all our favorite fictional characters.  Sometimes we wish to see a change; we seek it out, we embrace it when it comes.  Other times, we would rather avoid change, prevent it, ignore or deny it.  We may find a way to delay it or alter it for a time, but in the end change will come.

Change can be positive; it can mean a new friendship, or a new love.  Who doesn’t get excited when the hero(s) falls in love?  It’s romantic to watch, not quite as euphoric as experiencing it ourselves, but still causes us to leave the theatre with a sense of completeness for the expected happily ever after.  Of course, the beginning of a relationship is only the first step in one of life’s most altering experiences.

Change can bring an alliance of former enemies, a “joining of forces,” an arrangement that benefits multiple parties.  Such disparate personalities as the cast of any superhero group movie ever made points out to us the benefits of partnership.  Such change is not always easy; it would be unrealistic and just plain boring to watch if it was, but what about life that is worthwhile comes to us without expending some sort of effort?

Change can also be negative or hurtful; it can mean a separation of friends, the end of an era or alliance, the death of a mentor.  The fallout from a fight between friends can be harmful to all involved, whether emotionally or even physically.  We hope we never seek to do harm to those we have called friends, but unfortunately history bears witness to the fact that conflicts sometimes escalate out of control, when cool heads and common values fail to inspire us enough.

Have you ever noticed how many father-figures don’t survive until the end of the story to witness how their child/protégé achieves success?  From Simba the Lion King to Luke Skywalker, the loss of a mentor is used as a catalyst to help along the hero’s development.  These losses are something we have no desire to experience in our own lives, and find painful even to watch on screen.   We only hope that when we must experience such misfortunes that we emulate our heroes and embrace the new understanding or maturity that follows.

Change can most certainly be painful, but we must realize that just as it is inevitable it is necessary.  Everyone undergoes change, because without it, we cannot grow or truly live; we cannot even become older or die.  The most we can hope for is to seek to continually improve ourselves, mentally, physically, and spiritually, either because of or in spite of the changes that come our way.  Here’s to meeting change head on, and striving for grace and wisdom in all we do.

Amy

What do Heroes Do When They Run out of Milk?

Have you ever thought about your favorite action, sci-fi or otherworldly hero taking the time to perform a totally mundane task, such as picking up a gallon of milk or the dry-cleaning?  These are moments we wouldn’t really want to see on the screen or in a comic, in fact we would most likely feel cheated if we did, but they have to happen, right?

Sure, some few heroes are rich enough to have a butler (Batman); but for the most part they all have a home or lair that needs maintenance, transportation that requires fuel, clothes or costumes that get dirty and physical needs like food and sleep that require attention.  The only time we might witness any of these actions taking place is in a montage after said home or vehicle is destroyed.

Can you imagine a costumed hero stopping at a convenience store on the way home from saving the world?  The store clerk would probably give them whatever for free, or at least ask for a USIE (that’s a group selfie for readers over thirty, I looked it up).  More likely, the hero would go in disguise, like celebrities who wear sunglasses and baseball hats to confuse tabloid photographers.

Of course, some heroes have established alternate identities that are supposedly ordinary people, where they can perform all there ordinary tasks without fear of recognition, and others simply live isolated lives when they’re not rescuing strangers.  Superman doesn’t need to worry about mundane tasks; he has Clark Kent to do them for him.  The Cullen family lives in an isolated house so no one notices they never eat.

Other heroes, the ones without superpowers or fancy costumes, tend to their needs between paperwork at the police station or on coffee breaks at the hospital.  They live in ordinary homes, and they blend in so well with regular society that no one comments when they go out in public and run normal errands.  The fact that they don’t garner attention everywhere they go does not make them any less heroic than their brethren in tights, in fact, sometimes quite the opposite.  The quiet, unexpected heroes are the ones that we are mostly likely to meet outside of a movie theatre or comic book shop.

Heroes give us hope, and an ideal to aspire to.  Whether we want to be heroes ourselves, or just meet one in person, we cannot deny we love our heroes as much as we depend on them to always save the day.  Here’s hoping we can always find a hero when we truly need one, and that our heroes have time to live a life that is larger than their next rescue.

Amy