Hi! Your Arthurian Project has been amazing as a source of research for a book I've been working on.
Lately as I've been editing though I've had this fear that I've been getting characters from the legends "wrong" somehow.
Like I'll make a reference and people who know/love these immortal figures will have greater insight in how I'm misinterpreting them.
Do you have any advice on how to grapple with this?
Hello! It's so wonderful to hear the @arthurianpreservationproject has been helpful to you! I'm glad. :^)
Firstly I'll direct you to my blog page about my books where I have a section full of writing resources like previously answered asks on a similar subject.
Secondly, you can only do your best. I really enjoy this quote from the Author's Note of The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart and think it succinctly summarizes a helpful philosophy about retellings.
Finally, for the many gaps in my knowledge of this enormous subject I can only beg forgiveness, and paraphrase what H. M. and N. K. Chadwick wrote in the preface to their Growth of English Literature: ‘If I had read more widely I should never have completed this book.’ More: if I had even known how much there was to read, I would never have dared to start to write at all. By the same token I cannot list all the authorities I have followed. But I can hope, in all humility, that my Merlin trilogy may be, for some new enthusiast, a beginning.
Thirdly, you don't owe anybody anything. It's your story, and in the context of your story, these are your characters! Not everyone will agree with every interpretation and that's okay. Don't psych yourself out by writing for some imaginary critic; write for yourself first. Later, your trusted writing team (editor and beta readers) will help you polish everything.
Fourthly, referring to another quote from an author whom I greatly admire and respect, John Steinbeck, every Arthurian author is doing their own thing anyway! This is something we should embrace, not fear! Here's what he said in a letter reprinted in the back of his posthumously published novel The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights:
I do hope this doesn't sound like vandalism to you. I think the content is just as good and true and applicable now as it ever was but I believe now that it can only be released from the fifteenth-century tomb by this method. If it or rather they (the stories) had been invented in the fifteenth century, it would be another matter—but they weren't. If Malory could rewrite Chretien for his time, I can rewrite Malory for mine. Tennyson rewrote him for his soft Victorian audience and pulled the toughness out. But our readers can take the toughness. Malory removed some of the repetition from the Frensshe books. I find it necessary to remove most of the repetition from Malory.
If John freakin' Steinbeck had to make a disclaimer that his interpretation wasn't "vandalism" of Malory, then rest assured you're not alone in your concerns and by virtue of even caring about such a thing, you're far less likely to write something "wrong." Just write!
But that said, if you're still interested in methods to dig deep into your work and critically examine it to determine whether or not you're achieving the characterization you believe would feel "right," I can offer you some evaluation and analysis tips that I employ myself, both as a reader and as a writer. I'll use Ragnelle and Gawain, the protagonists of my own retelling, The Moonlit Knight, as examples.
One of the most important things you can do when adapting mythology is read broadly. I don't mean ai-summarized wiki pages or truncated joke posts on tumblr, I mean Medieval Literature and Modern Retellings. The priority should be reading the original mythology itself, particularly branching out into a variety of languages. If the French stuff isn't working for you, the Welsh or Latin or German or Italian or Russian or Hebrew or some other language might give you insight into an alternative route to take.
(But also, like Stewart said, don't kill yourself trying to read everything. It's impossible. Just worth mentioning it's the best cure for the fear of writing characters "wrong" because they're not even consistent in the source material anyway lol.)
Furthermore I think engaging with other retellings, adaptations, and reimagined versions is equally as important for one seeking to writing a retelling themself. It can help us define the boundaries of our own tastes. Arthurian Legend can be bent very far before it "breaks" and feels "wrong."
Knightriders (1981) takes place in modern day (at the time) America and yet it still feels undoubtedly Arthurian. New Adventures of a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1988) is a Russian reimagining of Mark Twain's retelling starring his OC Hank Morgan and uses that character as a criticism of American imperialism. Shadow of the Raven (1988) is an Icelandic Tristan/Isolde romance complete with the love potion, and while it removes Mark from the love triangle and many other elements that might seem "necessary" to tell that story, it's my favorite version of that romance, hands down, because the themes and emotion is so strong.
On the other hand, I can't really get into low stakes reinterpretations of Arthuriana, things like High School-age stories such as Avalon High by Meg Cabot or the common fanfic tropes like coffee shop AUs. That's not to say I don't enjoy something light hearted, and I do think that even the dark tragedy of Arthuriana can be written for a general audience effectively, such as in The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-1957) or in The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris. I think it's important that in those versions, while the tone is much changed, the themes are still hugely important and it's not adding any unnecessary bullshit (like the racism and misogyny in Kaamelott or BBC Merlin, which undermines their comedic premises).
All this to say: In time you'll be able to see what aspects as a whole work for you, what stories take the Arthurian Legend and maximize those themes to effectively tell a story of their own. This applies to characters as well.
I don't think you're beholden to the "original" stories. Going off book isn't "wrong" at all. But for me personally, there are certain aspects I consider a deal-breaker in adaptations, a change that is too great to remain compatible with the essence of the legends. I'm going to use Ragnelle and Gawain to illustrate this.
In The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle, Ranelle's character is exceedingly confident, forthright, even demanding; she's cursed to be disfigured and/or old. Gawain, meanwhile, is loyal and courteous, devoted, trustworthy, and a great lover. If someone were to write a meek version of Ragnelle, reduced to a pretty face easily cast aside, paired with a Gawain who betrays her in the ultimate way, such as in Kurt Roth's The Gest of Brandisles, where Ragnelle, with no curse, is brutally raped and murdered by Gawain, only for her ghost to return at the end to cough up Guinglain before returning to the grave, well, then that's not a story about Ragnelle and Gawain anymore. Those are OCs this guy made up to abuse whom he named Ragnelle and Gawain. I don't even include this on my Loathly Lady Master Post, it's so awful.
The original poem was pretty feminist for the time. Ragnelle plays the man's game and triumphs against the odds. But, as we all know, Ragnelle dies at the end. Why? Because her brother Gromer lost his lands to Arthur, and then Ragnelle's wedding to Gawain guarantees her property rights on his death, as widows were entitled to a portion of that wealth. So, Medieval society requires she produce a male heir, Guinglain, to inherit Gromer and Gawain's wealth, and then kills off Ragnelle to restore the patriarchal status quo. There's a great article called Why Dame Ragnell Had to Die: Feminine Usurpation of Masculine Authority in “The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell” by Mary Leech that explains this in great detail. So if someone today were to change that ending, keep Ragnelle alive, I think that's more in spirit with the feminist intention, than to keep it 100% "faithful." It feels more "wrong" to go to all this trouble to break the curse only for her to die immediately after. In some instances, going the opposite way of the story, such as rapist Gawain, would break it, but in others, like allowing Ragnelle to survive the narrative, enhances it. I don't think it would be "wrong," rather it would be in keeping with the story's theme of feminism, dated though it is to us now, and bringing it forward to a modern audience in a narratively satisfying way.
Lastly I'll advise you against forming opinions on any Arthuriana based on wiki pages or blog posts. Particularly with the rise of ai, that stuff is simply untrustworthy now. And when it comes to random meme-ification of Medieval Literature, it's fun to play with, but shouldn't be the basis of your interpretations. Read the books and watch the movies yourself. Take notes. Formulate your ideas from the source, they'll be stronger that way. Sometimes we can get in our own heads about what's "wrong" in terms of characterization because our feeds are overrun with fanon. Ignore that. Read, form your opinion, and commit. It'll be fine. :^)
I hope this makes sense lol I know this got long but I wanted to be thorough. Good luck with your writing and take care!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Characters: Link (Legend of Zelda), Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Sidon (Legend of Zelda), Mizu (Legend of Zelda)
Additional Tags: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I've been told I can't just label this as Comfort No Hurt, But I do mean this as a very sweet work, Friendship/Love, Light-Hearted, One Shot, could be read as ship or platonic, important thing is that they're important to each other, dream space, Dragon Zelda (Legend of Zelda), unbetaed, Canon Universe
Series: Part 2 of After It All And No Matter What - I Love You
Summary:
They were heroes. Fate-bound.
They didn't get to have this forever. If ever at all.
It, they, the two of them, the world - easily ripped apart. The ground beneath them crumbling into ruins. The final look of knowing each other when eyes meet.
Link held her now and wondered, did he ever say he loved her?
In whatever that way meant or whatever form that took? Did he have to? For it to be what more was required of them? Could it be as shifting as where they were? Of the space of the bed? Of how home was this house, but home was also the space within his arms.
You're starting to tempt me into your fandom plush-dearest. So please tell me - what do you love about Scooby-Do?
Oh Cryptic... I love so much of the Scoobyverse
I love how, when the gang is written well, they’re best friends and love & support each other
I love the characters, and how much sheer story potential they carry no matter what direction you face them towards
I love the interesting mysteries and monster designs, from all series - ranging from ‘what the hell even is that design, it looks like you glued a rubber duck to a chair’ to ‘holy jesus on a beach why aren’t you running yet that is TERRIFYING’
I love the goofy animation errors and storylines of the 70s and 80s shows, ranging from ‘Shaggy and Scooby are gym teachers to the children of famous movie monsters’ to ‘Vincent Price is a wizard leading Shaggy, Daphne, Scooby, and Scrappy to recapture demons across the world, cure shenanigans’, and ‘hey! let’s solve a mystery with Sonny and Cher today!’
I ADORE the Golden Four - Zombie Island, Witch’s Ghost, Alien Invaders, and Cyber Chase - not only for its adult take on the gang, but also the real magic, the intriguing antagonists, the gorgeous animation.
I usually enjoy the humor, Be Cool Scooby Doo probably making me laugh the hardest of the shows on the whole (seriously, the humor is wonderful - lots of amazing physical gags, stuff toeing the line of the fourth wall without directly addressing the audience, new takes on the characters that still fit them in some way - just a lot of fun stuff overall)
I love the WNSD? episodes and their over-the-top, plain ridiculous DTVS - while they go to strange places, at least the gang love each other and care about each other’s well-being and safety, and at least they push the boundaries without being terrible to the gang’s characters (for the most part)
I even have a soft spot for the live-actions - while they aren’t fantastic works of cinema by any means, they did bring new ideas and character development to the series that still resonate today (Fred as a Himbo, Daphne learning self-defense, Shaggy and Scooby with insecurities on their place in the gang actually handled well - at least, compared to later attempts)
I love how genuinely excited the fandom gets for new properties, even if they turn out to be just... awful (see: SDMI, Return to Zombie Island)
hell, the reaction to the new SCOOB! movie has been wonderful to watch unfold (tho I remain disappointed that it won’t be released to VOD, instead of pushing its release date back indefinitely)
I adore the fandom, and what we’ve made - some amazing art and fanfiction that does so much more credit to the characters than recent DTVS from Warner Bros, as well as some truly hilarious memes - and hell, my first interaction with an online Scooby fandom was a truly wonderful webpage/Yahoo Group that posted fanfic, art, comics, news updates, links to a popular forum that I don’t think exists anymore. Just a wonderful entry into fandom involvement with one of my favorite fandoms in general when I was still in middle school.
The Scooby Doo franchise is a long-running love of mine - in fact, I honestly can’t remember which came first of my first two fandoms/hyperfixations, Scooby Doo or the Oz series by L Frank Baum. And while the series definitely have its ups and downs, there’s just so much to love and enjoy, so many people to bond with on the series (with the biggest fandom split being SDMI, I believe - the live-actions weren’t really regarded as good enough to fight over, since most people agreed on the flaws, but SDMI actually split the fandom proper), and just a lot of fun in general.
The world they craft and tie together is rich with storytelling possibility that you can really sink your teeth into and feast, alongside equally delighted friends.
In short, while flawed, I love the Scoobyverse, and probably always will. How could I not? It’s childhood.
The first thing he sees when he wakes up is Jack, which isn’t unusual but the fact that he’s lying in a white room with his head throbbing and the scent of disinfectant heavy in his nose is. Sound feels far away but its crawling back slowly, as if from the other end of a tunnel, and when Jack’s lips move Rhys can just manage to make out what he’s trying to say.
“Who gave you permission to fall asleep, pumpkin?”
He says it with a touch of humor, because that’s how Jack says everything. Rhys isn’t sure he’s ever heard him take anything seriously but, well—this is close, because even though there’s a slight amused tinge to his voice it doesn’t reach his eyes, and his smile is flat.
“Sorry…was I not supposed to…?” Rhys replies, voice a little fuzzy and heavy. His lips and tongue feel a little too big for his mouth, making talking as difficult as hearing. Remembering what exactly had happened is proving pretty hard too, which sucks. He wants to know why exactly Jack looks like that.
“Well, I…” Jack purses his lips together, before shaking his head. “You know what? It’s fine. Now that you’re awake, it doesn’t matter.”
He keeps stroking the soft spot where Rhys’ thumb meets his forefinger. It’s nice and relaxing, a far greater and steadier reminder of reality than the machines beeping around him.
“Might matter a little…don’t really remember what the hell happened to me…” He shifts, realizing he’s only half resting against the hospital pillow. Jack’s shoulder partially supports his head and he has Rhys’ hand held snugly atop his own stomach. Rhys can feel the vibration of Jack’s voice through his middle as he talks.
“Some moron didn’t secure the Overcompensator 2.0 prototype right. Damn thing broke through its rigging on one side, swung down, and brained you on the noggin.” Jack helpfully demonstrated the incident with his free fist and their joined hands, complete with a half-hearted “scream.”
“I feel like I’d remember something like that,” Rhys mumbles, trying to think, but its just a foggy blur of unconsciousness and pain.
“Oh yeah, uh. Doctor Whatshisname told me that. You might have some memory problems considering it…knocked some stuff loose in there.” Jack tilted his chin towards Rhys’ bandaged skull. “But don’t worry, they said they stuck it all back in place. Just gotta take it easy for a few days. Coast on that LOA pay.”
“Good thing I’m sleeping with the boss…I think he’s gonna let me slide…” Rhys sighs, letting his head fall against Jack’s shoulder. The impact, though light, sends a little shock of pain through his temple. Ow. They really had done a number on him. All this from a stupid prototype? He has to have had harder knocks to the head than that.
But cybernetics can be delicate little things. It isn’t the first time something’s gone wrong inside of his skull, but it has been awhile since he’s blacked out because of it.
The two of them lapse into quiet for a few moments. Rhys notices Jack as his face relaxes, the lines in his face apparent, even with the mask. The exact mechanics of how that could work escapes Rhys for a moment, but it’s clear enough Jack hasn’t been sleeping right. Shit. How long was he out?
“You…you look almost as bad as I feel…” He breaks the silence, earning Jack’s mildly offended chuff.
“Shut up, pumpkin. Hard to keep my looks up when I’m watching over your dumb ass.”
“Wow. Were you really that worried about me?”
“Well,” Jack sniffed, “I don’t now if worried is really the right word. Annoyed maybe. If you died or got put in a frikkin’ coma who am I gonna have organizing my files and fielding my e-mails? And ordering my coffee just the way I like it. No one else is gonna do, sugar. And if Handsome Jack doesn’t have his caffeine fix in a timely fashion this whole place is gonna go down.”
“What about the blowjobs?” Rhys teases softly, giving Jack’s hand a squeeze as he snorts.
“The blowjobs are what’s holding this whole company together.”
Rhys smiles even as he feels numbness and exhaustion threaten to re-take him. He snuggles closer to Jack, craving the warmth and comfort of the CEO’s frame.
“Can I have permission to fall asleep this time?” He murmurs, breathing against the side of Jack’s neck. He smells less like the hospital, more of dusty cologne and that hint of blood that always clings to his skin. Weird to be comforted by that sort of smell especially when he’s apparently just dodged major injury, but he’ll take it.
He feels Jack lift their joined hands up until they rest against Jack’s chest, where he can feel the calmed beat of the CEO’s heart, lulling him back into a healing rest.
“I don’t mind keeping watch for a little bit longer.”
"how did you find my blog and what made you want to follow" If I remember correctly I found you through bonkalore! You seemed like fun and was a fellow Rise of the Guardian fan
💜Purple: Another mature one. Shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Though they at first don’t seem to want to open up and keep prefer to keep their distance one you get to know them that air of mystery will start to fade away. Regardless, there's no doubt that they’re always there for you when you need them most
❤️Red: Passionate and hot headed, sometimes their emotions come off a bit too strong especially when they’re upset but they’re fiercely protective of the people they care about. They’re the one who blindly rushes into situations without thinking it through first
Red very much comes into play when something just infuriates me to the core - I usually tag-rant tho 😅
