From Sarah Connor to Waterworld - this is why my stories must have adventure, grit, with a dash of Mother Nature's fury.
It’s a trend sweeping social media—the lore that started it all. Though I often wonder who starts these trends, I enjoyed contemplating this one. Because, like, where did it all stem from? My book obsession, the must-have romance thread, the dystopian worlds, feisty heroines and broody MMCs?
As I consider each book I’ve written, I see slivers of my childhood heroes woven throughout. Now, I can’t unsee it.
It was the perfect storm…of complete opposites.
Growing up in a divorced family, you have Mom stuff and Dad stuff. There’s no way around it.
Dad time was eating meat and potatoes, watching action and sci-fi movies, and horseback riding.
Mom time was spent eating tacos, watching musicals, and “rocking” while we were camping. And no, that’s not a musical reference. We would look for rocks. That’s it. It was boring. Yet, my love of nature comes from my mom’s free spirit and appreciation for Mother Nature.
On weekend visits with my mom, I was watching The Sound of Music and every Disney princess movie out at the time. Beauty and the Beast was my favorite, and I remember twirling around the house singing along with an oversized Dolly Parton shirt on.
Little did I know, those Prince Charmings with their happily ever afters were the stories that would later inspire retellings of my own. But we’ll deep dive into my Happily Ever After obsession next time.
Rewind back to the 80s and 90s.
When you live with your dad, spend summers with your grandpa, and after school with your best friend’s brother, you gain an appreciation for all things mayhem.
Sarah Connor was my ultimate hero. I liked the survival and action elements, the grit and danger, and the cursing. Oh, and the 80s and 90s movie one-liners are still quoted daily in my house.
» Initiate storytelling hyper-drive. «
So much of the early years shaped my love for crafting stories around broody, strong, but broken heroes, and bad-ass, compassionate, equally broken, reluctant heroines.
But it’s not always about the characters. In fact, I’ve noticed, in my storytelling, the SETTING comes first. THEN I figure out who my characters are and what they’ve been through. And my need for weather-ravaged worlds and adventure all started here. Most of my favorite childhood movies center around Mother Nature’s fury.
It’s no wonder my characters have to survive blizzards and sandstorms and lightning-scorched forests. Or trek across the frozen wildlands and get tossed around by an angry sea. And I didn’t realize it’s even in every series title:
Ruined Lands, Forgotten Lands, Surviving Earth, Savage North… It’s a rabbit hole when I sit down to contemplate how my lore created a storytelling machine.
I didn’t start writing about Mother Nature against humanity (and humanity against itself). The catalyst to create my first weather-ravaged world was this movie:
After watching Book of Eli for the first time, I couldn’t get a desert, dystopian story out of my mind, set in a Victorian western landscape tormented by sandstorms.
Weave in my cowgirl childhood too, and Dust and Shadow was written (you can listen or read free!). My first dystopian adventure, and the start of my favorite saga, created so far - The Forgotten World.
Read for Free below
So, now we know.
Next time, I’m deep diving into the romance side of things—why my stories have to have a HEA, where it stems from, and any other dots I connect to the origins of my storytelling chops.
Until next time, Roguelings….
P.S. You’re invited to read or listen to Dust and Shadow free through my bookshop only.
