Writer Ambrosia #2

Hello again, M-pals!

Before we dive straight into the writer-ambrosia, I'd like to announce a slight change. From now on, every update will also include an official writer's website of the day. What's today's you ask? Oh, just a gorgeous little site I found lying around.

The official writer's website of the day is...

Teens Can Write, Too! https://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/

Teens Can Write, Too! is an excellent website for all the advice a beginning, budding, or teenage writer will ever need. Don't let the name fool you, though. There are plenty of resources, recommendations, and website links available on the site for M-pals of all ages and levels of experiences. Go on and take a gander at the jewels on their site.

Seriously, go ahead, I'll wait.

Oh, good, you're back. Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for! It's time for a lovely little bubble bath; what will our fragrance be today, you ask? Just scroll on down, turn on your favorite mp3, and have a nice soak.

Today's visual writer-ambrosia is . . .

The Sex Demon

 



Background:

Today's picture actually comes from envios on deviantart.com (http://envios.deviantart.com/) However, the picture itself refers to the succubus, which is one of history's most famous sex demons. A succubus has always been said to come in the form of a tempting woman and seduces men for her personal gain. What exactly she gets out of this is debated, but it is easy to see why this myth could have been invented.

The succubus' male counterpart is the incubus, which is latin for "to lie upon." He's exactly like a succubus, only he takes women instead of men. It's also interesting to note that the son or daughter of an Incubus is said to become a wizard, as is explained to be the origins of Merlin in original Arthurian legend.

More about uncomfortable sex demon legends here: http://listverse.com/2011/01/13/top-10-sex-demons/

Literary Significance:

I would say allusions are the most significant thing related to succubus and incubi. Catholicism kept the idea of sex demon very much alive in the 1600's. Some Pope's even wrote declarations advising Catholics how to excorcise these demons from their homes, towns, or even individual people. This could be a fun thing to include if you ever decide to write on this subject. However, I would reccomend using taste when writing about either sex demons or Catholicism. Both can be pretty touchy subjects.

That's not the end of the matter, though. I hear from goodreads that Richelle Mead has a fairly expansive series of fantasy novels on the matter. They're said to be a mixture of genres: fantasy romance, suspense, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror. If you're into that, look it up. If you don't, relax and continue your ambrosia bath.

Dare You to Try . . .

• What kind of factory lives in fear of a succubus attack? In fact, where the hishnit would your factory be located to be in range of a succubus? On the edge of hell, or is this urban fantasy? Go on, you tell me.
• If I was a succubus, I'm not sure I'd seduce men who knew about succubi. I think I'd go for the idiots. But--what would happen if one found out?
• I wonder, who is it that's tracking succubus activity? A young woman training for her degree in demon-slaying? Or a man with a grudge?
• What genres could you slip a succubus into without breaking the all-important suspended disbelief?

The ChallengeTry to come up with a pitch for this picture's story, and share it with your fellow M-pals! You may never end up writing the novel, but if you can create the plot or pitch for one after looking at a single photograph, you'll never run out of ideas.