I write a lot of speculative fiction. Sometimes it is paranormal romance, sometimes science fiction with fairytale elements, sometime something too crazy to classify. I am often inspired by real events that have occurred in my life like middle school students I have taught that speak in a monotone like zombies—which then uses actual things teenagers have said in a zombie story like Zombie Psychology or Pizza of the Living Dead. There are places I have been immersed in another culture that made me feel like an alien like when I lived in Japan and wrote Silent Moon or when I went to Faerieworlds and fell in love with the world and wrote The Pining, set to come out in January 2015 in Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show.
There are resources I turn to when I want to immerse myself in fantasy and fairies. Below is list of places I go when I want to learn more about fairies, fantasy and mythology. I love to read fairytales and find myself more distracted by reading about this than I do watching Project Bellydance on Youtube. Well, some days.
Fairy Resources, Websites and Fun Reading
Cabinet de Fees
This is a website that publishes retold fairy stories, articles and artwork. I know about it because it is a market I am considering submitting stories to.
http://www.cabinetdesfees.com/
Faerie Magazine
Sometimes you need a little fairy eye candy to feel immersed in a foreign and exotic culture of magical beings. This magazine does just that.
Faeryworlds
Every year since I moved to Eugene I go to Faeryworlds, an event kind of like a Renaissance fair but a fairy themed fair. There are musical performances, workshops, venders and lots of people who dress up as fairies. Being immersed in this culture has inspired me to write fairy stories like The Pining to be published in Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine show in January. Fairyworlds has been located for years in Eugene but will soon be moving to Portland, Oregon for its future events.
Sacred Texts
I like fairy stories and use them as launching pads for modern storytelling and much of my writing. There is a lot of information based on stories, legends and research into British mythology.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/index.htm
Grimm Fairy Tales
I wish this was a little easier on the eyes, but I love the stories. My story Patchwork Selkie and novel Wrath of the Tooth Fairy are a mash ups or twists on classic fairytales. Finding the original versions to look up as I please is a delight.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/
The Code of the Seelie and Unseelie Court
Why do I spend more time reviewing and memorizing the rules of the fairy world than I do with the school’s dress code where I work?
http://faerie.monstrous.com/seelie_and_unseelie_court.htm
Fairies: Legends and Lore of the Fairy from Europe
I like the cliff notes versions of these legends and fairy-like creatures.
http://kittythedreamer.hubpages.com/hub/Faeries-Legends-and-Myths-from-Around-the-World
Trees Sacred and Useful to Fairies
I find this helpful when I am describing a fairy forest or a place a fairy lives.
http://www.gardenfairy.com/fairygarden/fairylore.htm
Sacred Celtic Trees
This listing describes the Celtic and druidic uses of various trees and lists those that are sacred. I also like to paint trees and have used information like this in my art.
http://wicca.com/celtic/celtic/sactrees.htm
Morgan le Fay
Enchantress and lover in Arthurian legend and fairy in some lore. There are a lot of themes I use wittingly and probably unwittingly from Arthurian legends, especially as it relates to the connection with fairies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_la_Fay
Queen Mab
I come back to Mab because the idea of a mid-wife of dreams fascinates me. I had though Shakespeare had made her up but I like the idea of her being in legends previously. On the other hand, I can’t figure out from the citations where these legends would have originated and if the information is true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Mab
Fairy Wiki
I really like the section on origin, and practical beliefs and protections. The legends give a good starting point to look up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy
What are some of your favorite places to find fairy mythology, lore or inspiration? Comment on Facebook to share what you enjoy. And to receive updates on future fantasy related blogposts, sign up for my newsletter.