Cecilia Dominic | Why I write - and read - urban fantasy
December 7, 2013
In a blog
interview recently, someone asked me why I write fantasy. My answer was that
I always wanted the world to be more interesting than it really is. For example,
one autumn morning when I was a child, I looked out to see a leaf that looked
like a little fairy perched on a wind-tossed tree branch. I imagined it was a
tiny gnome hanging on for a wild ride. When I got older and discovered the genre
of urban fantasy, where magical elements are part of ordinary life, I was hooked. As a psychologist, I can't help but ponder the question of why I and others like
fantasy, and especially urban fantasy, from a psychological perspective. There's
definitely the aspect of wanting more magic in life, but I believe it goes
deeper. A lot of the problems people come to me with end up boiling down to how
they handle real or perceived power imbalances, both externally and within
themselves. Urban fantasy is a great way to explore power and how it works - and
could work - in our world. So, with that in mind, here are some reasons I write and read urban fantasy: We want to be magical: I originally proposed this idea to my husband as, "men have always wanted
to be gods." "Yes," he replied, "and to sleep with
goddesses." It's in our culture and perhaps even in our psyche that we'd
love to be more than human. Imagine how much fun it would be to have an edge
getting around everyday annoyances. Traffic? No problem. Just go to the office
telepathically. Mother-in-law won't be nice? That's fine, just string her up
with webs - temporarily, of course. She probably won't mess with you again. We
all have life situations over which we feel powerless, and it's fun to connect
with characters who have more influence like Harry Dresden in Jim Butcher's
Dresden Files series. Observing and experiencing life with/as the VIP: That brings me to my second reason: it's fascinating to think about and watch
how humans interact with beings more powerful than they are. Think about your
average VIP if there is such a thing. Here in Atlanta, we have sports stars and
entertainment industry people. VUP's, or very unimportant people, don't act
normally around them, and the stars often get special treatment. Now extrapolate
that to someone who is magical, perhaps a well-known wizard. The treatment
they'll get will be even better, and it's interesting to watch - and write - how
humans and other paranormal creatures interact with them, especially if they're
in a modern setting. There's often an element of fear, and what that magical VIP
does with it reveals a lot about him or her. If you read carefully, you'll
notice that good guys often try to reduce the intimidation factor while bad guys
cultivate it. Some characters go against that expectation for plot reasons or to
keep others away from them emotionally, and they're really fun to write. We are the underdog and like to see them triumph: A lot of people enjoy watching sports, and if they're viewing a game between
teams they don't really connect with, they'll often root for the underdog.
Everyone has situations in their lives where there's an unfair balance of power,
and a lot of urban fantasy heroes start out with a major disadvantage. At the
beginning of The Mountain's Shadow, my heroine Joanie has just been fired
from her job, and there's a problem of lycanthropic proportions with the
inheritance she's counting on to save her. As the book progresses, she finds out
how it's all connected, and she's in big trouble. To misquote J. R. R. Tolkien,
one may not simply hide from a powerful adversary, and one cannot simply make
your team beat the reigning national champion (unless you're an Auburn fan), but
hey, at least I know Joanie has a fighting chance, and I can vicariously
experience her victory. Consequences, what consequences? Speaking of vicarious experience... Many of our cultural myths and fairy tales
teach the lesson that grasping too much at divine power yields bad results for
the ambitious human. Think about the Greek myth of Prometheus, who was punished
for stealing fire from Mount Olympus and bringing it to mortals. Also, as with
science, a magical system has to make sense, and actions have reactions and
consequences for the user and the recipient. We know what it's like to be
tempted, and reading UF can give us the chance to somewhat unconsciously say to
a character, "Hey, you try it first." This can lead to humorous and/or
tense situations for them, and, by extension, us. As for the backlash, that's
what keeps us reading. We can put the book away if we need to but are more
likely to see how they get out of it and then experience the triumph with them
without any of the lasting scars they may carry. Fantasy and urban fantasy help us to deal with the problem of power and its
imbalances and consequences on literal and metaphorical levels while bringing
some magic into our imaginary lives. Now go imagine how much fun it would be to
have a magic wand while dealing with holiday crowds and traffic. Fresh Fiction did a very
nice review of THE
MOUNTAIN'S SHADOW even before I volunteered to guest post for them. You can find me at: Web
page | Wine
blog |Facebook | @RandomOenophile Some mistakes can literally come back to bite you. The Lycanthropy Files, Book 1 First it was ADD. Then pediatric bipolar. Now the hot behavioral disorder in
children is CLS, or Chronic Lycanthropy Syndrome. Public health researcher
Joanie Fisher was closing in on the cause in hopes of finding a treatment until
a lab fire and an affair with her boss left her without a job. When her grandfather leaves her his multimillion-dollar estate in the Ozarks,
though, she figures her luck is turning around. Except her inheritance comes
with complications: town children who disappear during full moons, an
irresistible butler, and a pack of werewolves who can't seem to decide whether
to frighten her or flirt with her. Joanie's research is the key to unraveling the mysteries of Wolfsbane Manor.
However, resuming her work means facing painful truths about her childhood,
which could result in the loss of love, friendship, and the only true family she
has left. Warning: Some sexy scenes, although nothing explicit, and adult language. Also
alcohol consumption and food descriptions that may wreck your diet. About CeciliaCecilia Dominic wrote her
first story when she was two years old and has always had a much more
interesting life inside her head than outside of it. She became a clinical
psychologist because she's fascinated by people and their stories, but she
couldn't stop writing fiction. The first draft of her dissertation, while not
fiction, was still criticized by her major professor for being written in too
entertaining a style. She made it through graduate school and got her PhD,
started her own practice, and by day, she helps people cure their insomnia
without using medication. By night, she blogs about wine and writes fiction she
hopes will keep her readers turning the pages all night. Yes, she recognizes the
conflict of interest between her two careers, so she writes and blogs under a
pen name. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with one husband and two cats, which,
she's been told, is a good number of each.
Comments
18 comments posted.
Re: Cecilia Dominic | Why I write - and read - urban fantasy
I've never read an Urban Fantasy book before, but after reading your posting, I just wanted to say that I believe that your background gives you a bit of an edge. Working with people in your capacity, helps you to develop stories, and also gives you insight for plots. It also makes the stories more plausible, through your experience. It looks like I'll have to put your name on my list of Authors to look for, the next time I'm out, and give one of your books a try!! I love the dramatic cover to your latest book!! Congratulations!! Have a wonderful Christmas!! (Peggy Roberson 9:56am December 7, 2013)
Thank you so much, Peggy! A lot of non-genre readers have told me that they've really enjoyed The Mountain's Shadow, so I do hope you give it a try.
We are running a contest so you can win your own copy of The Mountain's Shadow. It's digital only at this point, but I have all formats available. If you are not entered, please comment again, and there's a check box for the drawing.
Thanks again for stopping by!
C.D. (Cecilia Dominic 10:53am December 7, 2013)
I like urban fantasy because there are so many posiibilities for the stories. (Sandy Giden 10:58am December 7, 2013)
Wow, Congrats on your new book: THE MOUNTAIN'S SHADOW. I love the book cover too! Yes, I love Werewolf stories and urban fantasy sounds fantastic too. I would love to win and read your new book this Christmas. Happy Holidays and Thank You very much. Cecilia CECE (Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 2:24pm December 7, 2013)
I love paranormal and urban fantasy stories, too. So creative. (G. Bisbjerg 3:05pm December 7, 2013)
@Sandy - yes! Urban Fantasy really opens up the world and what can happen.
@Cece - lovely to meet you, other Cecilia! Thanks and happy holidays to you, too, and I'm glad you like the book concept and cover.
@G. - Yes, we've got some great authors in our genre. It's so interesting to see how they put their individual stamps on familiar concepts.
Thank you all for stopping by and commenting! Good luck with the contest. (Cecilia Dominic 3:49pm December 7, 2013)
Sounds like a very intriguing premise; I look forward to reading it. (Janie McGaugh 6:17pm December 7, 2013)
this sounds really good i love stories that are paranormal urban fantasy ones (Denise Smith 7:11pm December 7, 2013)
Sounds like so much fun, I'm definitely adding these to my must read list. (Mariah Oyondi 9:11pm December 7, 2013)
Conflicted werewolves - to frighten or to flirt. Sounds like an interesting read.... (Chris Coulson 4:57am December 8, 2013)
I love to read and this book really sound wonderful. It is now on my list!!!! Thank you! (Bonnie Capuano 9:30am December 8, 2013)
This sounds like a great book... Plus I am not to worried about my diet lol I am fat and happy anyways :) (Jeannie Platt 3:14pm December 8, 2013)
I love reading urban fantasy. It is a mix of our world with the unbelievable merged together. (Kai Wong 4:57pm December 8, 2013)
Sounds like a good paranormal book. My favorite genre. (Kelly Powell 4:57pm December 8, 2013)
I am intrigued by this books description. Love the disclaimer. (Gayle Cochrane 5:08pm December 8, 2013)
I have yet to read urban fantasy but you have me intrigued! Happy Holidays! (Felicia Plastini 7:19pm December 8, 2013)
i would love to read. it sounds great. thanks for the chance merry christmas (Jennifer Beck 7:27pm December 8, 2013)
Wow, thank you so much to all those who commented and stopped by! I'll be in touch with the Fresh Fiction people soon to find out who the winner is.
Happy holidays to everyone, and please stay safe amid all the winter weather! (Cecilia Dominic 12:52pm December 9, 2013)
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
|