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Ophelia-Stornoway
Joined: 16 Aug 2007
Posts: 10
Location: New Zealand
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 Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:24 pm Post subject: A question for Laura |
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Hi there Laura,
I am interested in your views on writing fantasy from a Wiccan perspective. As a non-religious person, I write fantasy as purely that - I see any magical goings-on in my stories as strictly otherworldly and fictional. As a person who makes magic a part of her everyday life, how does that affect how you write and read about "fantasy" stories?
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Laura Stamps
Joined: 24 Jul 2007
Posts: 27
Location: Columbia, SC
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| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, Ophelia!
The short answer is it makes me a very picky writer/reader, for sure (grin)!
AS A WICCAN WRITER:
My novels are full of the real thing, which I mix with little bits of fantasy. My novels are also empowering, so I include lots of empowering principles for women. My readers can take those principles along with the real magickal spells, rituals, and chants from my novels and use them in their own lives. So I always hear comments like:
"I couldn't stop reading your novel."
"I didn't want your novel to end."
"I used a yellow highlighter when I read your novel."
"I put sticky notes on lots of pages."
Those are not the kinds of comments you usually hear from people when they read a novel, but since mine are such a mix I hear them all the time. And when you think about it that is quite an addictive mix, isn't it? Mixing fiction with nonfiction makes for a very informative and entertaining ride. No wonder they never want it to end (grin)!
The fact that I am also an Empath and a Psychic plays an important role in my novels as well. For example, most people think faeries and spirits don't exist, but I can see them in real life. So that means there is more reality in my novels than most non-Pagans realize. I just live in a very different, magickal realm than most people. And that means my spiritual characters (like faeries) are a little different from what you read in fiction, simply because they are real to me. That's fun for me too, as a writer.
AS A WICCAN READER:
When I read urban fantasy I like to see a mix of what is real and what isn't. Jim Butcher and Lilith Saintcrow do a good job of this, because they are Pagan authors, meaning they know which is which.
But as a reader my taste in what I like and don't like to read is absolutely dictated by my faith, which makes me very picky. Most people don't realize Wicca is a peaceful, feminist nature religion. We are what they call "White Witches," and we live very positive lives, spreading positive energy all day in everything we do. So if I find a character abusing animals, or excessive violence or too many horror elements in an urban fantasy novel, I won't finish the book. I would have to say I don't finish 1/3 of the urban fantasy novels I start for just that reason.
And traditional fantasy seems to be worse, so it one of the many reasons why I prefer urban fantasy over traditional fantasy. For example, so many tradtional fantasy novels portray Witches as either evil, which is a boring cliche to real Witches. Or they are always being tortured and/or burned. That wouldn't bother most people, but for many Witches it's a "been there, done that" kind of thing. I have many past life memories of being burned as a Witch. I don't want to have to relive that over and over again in the novels I read, you know?
Hope this answers you question! It was a fun one. If you have more, ask away!
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Laura Stamps
"The Witchery Series" (Magickal Urban Fantasy Novels)
http://www.LauraStamps.blogspot.com (info about my novels)
http://www.OccultFiction.blogspot.com (my Author blog) |
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Michael
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Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 213
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Laura Stamps wrote: | | So if I find a character abusing animals, or excessive violence or too many horror elements in an urban fantasy novel, I won't finish the book. |
Why? If it's because you don't like horror or other dark fiction, I can I understand; after all, we all have our own preferences. But is it because all Witches are necessarily good? Are they even all pantheists, with a belief in karma and the Three-Fold Law?
My book is a dark urban fantasy, and the antagonist is an "evil War Witch," but he isn't the only Witch in the story. The protagonist, Linda, also encounters a man named Shaman and a woman named Psyche, both of whom are eclectic Witches - and they're definitely "good" people. And - I promise - although there are those who want to do it in the story, none of the Witches get burned! 
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Laura Stamps
Joined: 24 Jul 2007
Posts: 27
Location: Columbia, SC
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| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Michael wrote: | | Why? If it's because you don't like horror or other dark fiction, I can I understand; after all, we all have our own preferences. But is it because all Witches are necessarily good? Are they even all pantheists, with a belief in karma and the Three-Fold Law? |
All Wiccans are Witches, but not all Witches are Wiccans.
Wiccans follow two rules: The Wiccan Rede and The Rule of Three. Those two rules make us take responsibility for our actions and keep us on a positive path. Good karma is important to us. To better understand this check out the new post on my blog called "Good Karma & Yule Cards" at http://www.OccultFiction.blogspot.com . I have run into Witches at Pagan forums who look down on Wiccans and call us "wimps," because we follow positive rules and are White Witches. There are great divisions among some of the different kinds of Witches. So mote it be. 
Ophelia had asked about my Wiccan faith, so I am only talking about Wiccans and how my Wiccan faith informs the way I write and what I read. But there are many kinds of Witches out there, among them Black Witches who practice Black Magick. 
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Laura Stamps
"The Witchery Series" (Magickal Urban Fantasy Novels)
http://www.LauraStamps.blogspot.com (info about my novels)
http://www.OccultFiction.blogspot.com (my Author blog) |
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Michael
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Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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Location: Baltimore MD, USA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, I gotcha. Thanks for clearing that up. 
Actually, I do have some understanding of the importance of karma to Wiccans. I studied a bit about it when I was exploring my spirituality, and it appealed to me very much. Because of that self-exploration, although I am not Wiccan, my belief is eclectic and (I would maintain) has always been panenthiestic.
However, since there are all kinds of Witches in real life, wouldn't you expect to see that expressed in works of fiction? What I think I'm getting from you here is that dark fiction just isn't something you enjoy reading, which is perfectly understandable. On the other hand, I can also understand losing appreciation for a work that grossly misrepresents Witches and Witchcraft out of ignorance.
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