If I had to describe myself, it would be in a word that has many meanings with a complexity which falls off the tongue.
A word made up of many elements, is deceptive in appearance, and creates an illusion from the imagination.
My word would be Phantasmagoric. ~Summer Ross

Monday, September 16, 2013

Madmartigan's role in An Irresistible Shadow

Ever have that one kind of person that changes everything in the game of your story? That one being who stands between a solid scene and a you don't know what kind of scene? 

Author Kirsten Blacketer found herself in just that situation and she's here to tell us how Madmartigan showed her character a good one two... For those who don't know the great Madmartigan...shakes head...

Please welcome Kirsten~






Robin Hood, King Arthur, William Wallace.  What do these men have in common?  They know how to fight.  Be it with a sword or a bow, a lance or a mace.  They were all experienced in the art of combat.  Me, yeah, not so much.  How the hell was I supposed to SHOW a sword fight?  I was in over my head.  

I called my friend.  He reads fantasy and studies warfare.  He likes action and danger.  Most of all, he knew more than I did when it came to describing a sword fight.  He gave me a novel piece of advice…pardon the pun.  He said, "Watch Willow."

I was far from upset that I had to study Madmartigan's fight scenes to get a feel for a sword fight.  Val Kilmer was sexy as sin in that role.  I watched several scenes over and over, observing his stance and the way the sword became an extension of him.  The more I watched him, the more he became an influence in my character.  It was the swagger.  Madmartigan had a confidence that oozed with sensuality.  He was unapologetic in speaking his mind.  Once he found a cause worth fighting for, he became a true leader.

My own character, Gabriel, began to mimic these traits.  Madmartigan's sharp wit and often snarky sense of humor found their way into Gabriel's personality.  His intuition and survival instincts bled into my story.  I didn't mean to do it…Madmartigan just has that persuasive, subconscious effect on me.  He's a strong character, and I wanted Gabriel to be just as strong and sexy.  

There were many outside influences on my characters that makes them who they are.  As I look back on my story now, I can see the little details that reflect an outside influence.  It makes me chuckle because as a writer I hadn't realized before that moment how much of an influence my personal taste in film and literature directly impacted my work.  So thank you, Madmartigan, for your inspiration.  I'm sure I'll need you for another project in the future.  

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8 comments:

Jack said...

Sword fights are fun to watch but hard to write. When I have to write them I usually act them out, but watching movies to get inspiration, I hadn't even thought of that before. I LOVE that idea!

Old Kitty said...

Hoorah for Madmartigan!

All the best Kirsten - Gabriel sounds amazing! take care
x

Wendy Tyler Ryan said...

Love Madmartigan. One of the great movies I like to watch again and again. That's the way I like to think of Val Kilmer, not the way he looks now!

Jai said...

Congrats Kristen. I'll have to check it out.

This is the second Willow reference I've had in a week. I think I need to re-watch it.

M Pax said...

That was good advice, Kristen. I find fight scenes hard to write. Often it seems they're easier to show than write. Takes me many tries. Congrats on your book!

Happy Monday, Summer!

Tammy Theriault said...

it's always a good thing to "stalk" good writers :)

Julie Flanders said...

I think it would be so hard to write a sword fight! You definitely had great inspiration. :)
Nice to meet you, Kirsten!

Carol Riggs said...

I SO love that movie, and Madmartigan. That's cool you were able to dissect what made his character work and apply it to your own!

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