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Monday, May 28, 2012

Inspirations for The Seven Tales of Trinket: Banshees



When I was in fourth grade, I did a report on banshees.  No, I wasn't really a creepy kid...just curious.  I am not certain where I heard about them, actually.  Perhaps an old folktale...or maybe I saw DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE at a tender age (although I don't remember seeing it until it was on HBO and I was in highschool...and that banshee scene is Terrifiying!!) but maybe we went to the movies when I was too little to remember.  Regardless, I was intrigued.

The banshee (or bean sidhe) is a sad creature who roams the night, shrieking and wailing when death is near.  The legends say that if you hear her, death will visit either you or someone you know. They are said to comb their long white hair with silver combs. Most kids would be fine with that amount of information.  But not fourth-grade me.

I couldn't stop thinking about them.  Did they have families?  I mean..how did one get stuck being a banshee?  Were there ever any banshee children?

Eventually, when I was writing Trinket's tale, I knew she would have an encounter with a banshee.  And that it would be kind of scary.



This banshee looks too nice to be the banshee in my book.

Nope...waaaaaaayyyy to frightening.  Great.  Now I am not going to be able to look at my own blog until she scrolls down further on the page.  Just great.

Eh...the face is all wrong, but I love the transparency of her.  Trinket could see through the banshee she meets .
It is interesting to me how the things that fascinated young me keep finding ways to sneak into my books.  Dragons and knights in the GOOD KNIGHT books, now fortune tellers and banshees in THE SEVEN TALES OF TRINKET.  What will be next?  (Oh...and there are SEVEN tales...and I have only told you about two....more to come!)

What inspirations from your childhood keep finding their ways into your writings?

hrh




8 comments:

Myrna Foster said...

I can't wait to read all seven!

Oh! And I love the way your blog looks! :o)

Catherine Denton said...

I love getting teasers!! So excited about your book.
Catherine Denton

Julie Dao said...

Banshees are so delightfully creepy and so underrepresented in fiction! I love hearing about how your childhood writing self and your adult writing self meshed through this topic. Can't wait to read Trinket!

Anonymous said...

Perhaps a combination of the first banshee and the last one might do the trick? I do like the transparency of the last one. That second one makes me think of the grim reaper.

Christina Lee said...

How cool!!!!! I love that your fourth grade self was thinking so hard about it!

BTW, saw all your book at my library and proudly said to some random person--I KNOW HER (yeah, they thought I was weird)!!!

Kelly Polark said...

How creepy! And how intriguing for young readers!! (well, readers of all ages!)

When I was in 4h grade I did a report on gnomes...I wonder if that will find a way into my writing!

Jemi Fraser said...

I like the transparency of the last banshee too. I'd never heard of banshees until I read some of Jack Prelutsky's poems. I THINK it starts...

Baleful banshee
Frail and worn...

I love the imagery in his poems!

storyqueen said...

Myrna-Thank you...more to come, doon.

Catherine-Well, I'm not really a tease, but I cannot resist.

Julie-I think it happens to all of us..those things which impacted us so deeply as children always find their way out in writing.

Suzanne-Yes! Not a fan of the grim reaper!!

Christina-I do that ALL the time. I will say to someone, "Oh, I know her...well, not really KNOW her, but I know her, you know?"

Kelly-Hahahaha! The Rock and Roll Gnome! Can't wait!

Jemi-I love Jack Prelutsky. He came to my school once, long, long ago. His Banshee poem is awesome!