I write about monsters in my speculative fiction and I love to read about monsters. One of my favorite fairytales has always been Beauty and the Beast and it has had a profound influence on my fantasy and romance writing. Of course, I could say the same thing about Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, but those also are their own kind of Beauty and the Beast stories.

When a friend and I were discussing my beauty and the beast influence, most recently seen in A Monster and a Gentleman which came out in Hot Dish this year with my pseudonym, I wondered what that meant about my mindset and mentality toward men and women and gender roles. Did that mean I was casting myself as a helpless maiden needing to be saved by a man who was a monster? What did this say about my dating history and my relationships? My friend said that actually she thought I thought I was the monster, not the beauty. That gave me a different perspective. I think this really came out in Cassia in Silent Moon. I identified with the struggle for acceptance and self-acceptance of being a monster/flawed/an outcast.

There are resources I turn to when I write fantasy beasts and monsters. Below is list of places I go when I want to learn more.

1.

Therianthropes United

Shifter mythology, stories and theories. I write stories about shape shifters, not just werewolves, though they do make an appearance in Silent Moon.

http://www.therianthropes.com/

2.

Monstrous.com

The home page looks like a barren sitemap, but rest assured, there is a wealth of information on any kind of monster imaginable, with links to external sites as well as internal.

http://www.monstrous.com/

Here is a longer list of better known monsters and useful info about them from the Monstrous.com website.

http://monsters.monstrous.com/

3.

Paranormal Haze

This is a good starting point for goblin information. It gives brief descriptions of the various kinds. Since I write about the bogyman in Wrath of the Tooth Fairy, it gave me a good way to see the relationships between him and other goblins.

http://www.paranormalhaze.com/ten-types-of-goblins/

4.

Grendel and Beowulf

I am especially interested in all the mistranslations and the potential changes from the original text that may depict Grendel’s mother as a monster rather than a warrior.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grendel%27s_mother

5.

Ten Monsters from Mythology You Do Not Want to Meet

Many of these I have never heard of which made it a fun read.

10 Monsters From Mythology You Do Not Want To Meet

6.

Multicultural Monsters

Sometimes I need a quick reference to multicultural monsters and this is succinctly stated and easily organized info, probably because it is for kids. My story, the Osiris Paradox used the Egyptian gods and mythology as a basis for an ancient Egyptian science fiction story in Sword and Laser.

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0197624.html

http://swordandlaser.com/sl-anthology/

7.

Celtic Monsters

Maybe because I am part Irish and Scottish I enjoy the folklore of my ancestors. I am always wanting to learn more.

http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/craic/the-scariest-monsters-and-demons-from-celtic-myth-67305337-237784881.html

8.

Japanese Monsters

My time living in Japan, going to museums, looking at the art, talking to my Japanese coworkers made me more aware of and inspired by the rich culture and history that influences modern Japanese horror and pop culture. My Dear Jezzzy series of love advice for monsters in Daily Science Fiction was in part inspired by Japanese oni in the column, “Oni You.”

http://io9.com/14-terrifying-japanese-monsters-myths-and-spirits-1498740680

9.

Monster Myths

This is a funny take on monster myths with some great history thrown in.

http://www.cracked.com/article/177_6-popular-monsters-myths-that-prove-humanity-doomed/

10.

Monster Classification

Obviously if you are going to write a scientific report about monsters you have to know what genus and kingdom it comes from.

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0193009.html

11.

Modern Monster Mythology

I have a feeling more modern monsters are going to make it into my Wrath of the Tooth Fairy series and other stories as a result of this website.

http://www.theactivetimes.com/12-monsters-around-world?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=monster

12.

Shadow Spinners

A blog written by dark fantasy and horror writers. I have been a guest there and I have found some useful information about dark fantasy.

http://shadowspinners.wordpress.com/

13.

Rare World Monsters

Rare Mythical Monsters from Around the World

Okay, I lied, there are actually more than 13.

14.

North American Monsters

http://mentalfloss.com/article/12903/10-legendary-monsters-north-america-part-one

15.

Fantasy Art

Sometimes when I need some inspiration, whether for fantasy writing or art I need to look at art for ideas. Here are some things that inspire me.

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/dark-fairytales/images/29080605/title/dark-fantasy-fanart

16.

Silly Monster Videos

There are a lot of funny videos at this website for a good laugh. Some of it is also pretty stupid, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t funny.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/8d3d59446a/here-be-monsters