Not gonna lie, one of my favorite parts about writing urban fantasy is determining how and where the fantasy meshes in with reality.
Like, I’m not saying Freddie Mercury WAS a siren, but have you ever heard anyone NOT sing along to Bohemian Rhapsody?
I rest my case.
It is a six-minute song with incomprehensible lyrics that seem to have something to do with murder and demons, with five sections that are completely different stylistically but no chorus.
It was number one on the the UK singles charts twice, 15 years apart, and is by many measures one of the most popular, or the most popular, single of all time.
Yeah, there’s magic involved.
And an absurdly broad swathe of people know it. I have no memory of learning it, do you?
TIL… that in the middle ages there was a popular belief in a demon of language, one who collected the words of people women gossiping in church, and the mumbled syllables of priests who weren’t saying mass properly. He was also held responsible for scribal errors. “Later he haunted printing presses, causing typesetters to make mistakes.”
TIL… there is a typo demon, it has a name, and it is Tutivillus (Titivillus).
Weak Trope: Having a character’s driving motivation be REVENGE up until the last second when they pull the “revenge won’t bring my wife/sister/town/three-eared dog back” and leave the bastard they’ve been hunting down alive.
Strong Trope: Hello! My Name! Is Inigo Montoya! You Killed My Father! Prepare! TO! DIE! *corners count rugen* Beg for your life *slashes cheek* Offer me anything I want in the world! *slashes other cheek* I WANT MY FATHER BACK, YOU SON OF A BITCH. *stabs count rugen to death*
Hey guys. I wanna thank you all for enjoying my little text post. It means a lot to me that something so silly resonated with so many of you.
But it’s November 16th, 2018, about 10 pm, and I just learned that William Goldman has died. Goldman was the author of The Princess Bride, which I’m paraphrasing in the Strong Trope up there. He wrote the book and the screenplay to what is one of the most amazing films ever, and one of the most hilarious, loving parodies/pastiches of historical fantasies.
If you’ve never seen The Princess Bride, I highly recommend it. Show it to your whole family. Show your pets. Revel in the swordfights, giants, monsters, games of wit, death, and true love. Join the rest of us in incessantly quoting one of the most quotable movies ever. The book is a little different from the movie, but the core themes and charm are the same.
Thank you, William Goldman, for creating such a lasting, charming legacy with The Princess Bride, an incredible, wholesome story that transcends generations. Rest in peace.
if i start talking to you about really stupid shit and im not trying to look intelligent anymore that means youve done it. obtained true trust levels. god tier friendship.
DustAndFundamentalists 