Sometimes I wish I had never returned that library book.
The main public library was a few blocks away f rom my home. I used to go there after school most days. There was a book of Greek myths with beautiful illustrations. An oversized book with a plain gray cover and unfortunately I don’t remember the title. So I’ll probably never see it again.
The day I returned it, I thought about keeping it because I loved it so much. But I did the right thing – and I’ve sort of regretted it ever since.
I remember it mentioned Odysseus. And Orpheus. Even Agamemnon – RIP.
But I don’t remember if Hades was in it.
The Lord of the Underworld. Mysterious. Dangerous. And a bit rude. He did steal Persephone, after all.
When I started writing Moonlight and Pomegranate, he was all about possession. And force. And sure, there’s a place for that type of MMC. But my love of Gothic Romance won out and I went back to the drawing board, so to speak.
I gave him a bit of Rochester, a dash of Heathcliff (just a dash, a little goes a long way with him) and maybe a hint of Darcy (not sure if he falls into the Gothic hero category, but I think he’s close).
He’s strong, and yet he’s sensitive. Aware that he has been lonely for centuries and he wants someone to share his kingdom with. He broods he plays chess, he snatches maidens out of their gardens – well two out of three isn’t bad. 🙂
That’s why I went back to do some rework on Moonlight and Pomegranate after I’d finished The Garden Beneath the World. I learned more about him after I completed the second book. And I realized hte original version of Moonlight didn’t do him justice.
Years ago that library book sparked something in me to learn about mythology. About archetypes.
About what fiction can teach us about being human. I’m grateful, but I really wish I could find that book again.
Photo by Ahmed Rizkhaan on Unsplash